About the Book:
Title: Clytemnestra’s Bind
Author: Susan C. Wilson
Series: The House of Atreus
Page Length: 300
Publication Date: June 15, 2023
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Synopsis: Queen Clytemnestra’s world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself.
Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to Agamemnon. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten, once more, to destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.
From one of Greek mythology’s most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother’s burning love.
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My Review:
Clytemnestra’s Bind is the first book in Susan K. Wilson’s House of Atreus series, and it’s a captivating look at one of the most vilified women in Greek mythology. Clytemnestra is famous for vengefully murdering her husband, Agamemnon, but this is about her life before that fateful action. Wilson weaves a powerful and thought-provoking story of a deeply traumatized, flawed woman who does everything she can to protect the children she so desperately loves.
The story begins before Agamemnon enters Clytemnestra’s life, and we see a happy, young bride and mother. Her life felt idyllic, and the time with Tantalus and her baby stand in stark contrast to the harsh realities of her life after Agamemnon enters it. It’s brutal and heartbreaking, and Wilson doesn’t shy away from the horror Clytemnestra survives.
Clytemnestra’s life is irrevocably and traumatically changed when Agamemnon murders her husband and child and takes her as his own. Her marriage to Agamemnon is loveless and simmering in anger and the need for vengeance, but the story doesn’t focus on her vengeful acts. Instead, it focuses on her life as a mother and her fierce determination to protect and guide them. It’s an interesting contrast, motherhood and vengeance, both of which define and fuel Clytemnestra.
I’m a big fan of myths and myth retellings, especially when they are from the female perspective or the otherwise voiceless, and I thought this was a great exploration of Clytemnestra’s character and story. Nuanced, layered, and engrossing, the narrative is well-written and emotional, making you sympathize with a woman who is often considered a villain.
Special thanks to The Write Reads and Neem Tree Press for having me on the tour and providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Rating:
Favorite Lines:
No child should know such suffering at the hands of brutal men.
We were pieces on a gaming board to be claimed, manoeuvred, and discarded by men. Rich or poor, famous or obscure, men made the rules that ordered our lives, and they broke them.
About the Author:
Susan C Wilson is a working-class Scottish writer. Her lifelong passion for ancient Greece was ignited as a child by stumbling across stories of gods and heroes in the dictionary. She loves to explore what makes us human: the eternal motivations, desires and instincts that cross time and place.
She has a degree in journalism from Napier University and, in preparation for writing her novels, gained a diploma in classical studies from the Open University. Clytemnestra’s Bind, her debut novel, was long-listed for the Mslexia Novel Competition 2019. It is the first in The House of Atreus trilogy and will be published by Neem Tree Press in June 2023.
- Website: https://www.susancwilson.co.uk/
- Twitter: @BronzeAgeWummin
- Instagram: susancwilsonauthor
I’m glad you liked this. I never got my physical but they finally gave me a galley yesterday. lol. I hope I can get to it before next Friday! Great review. 🙂
You know how much I love Greek myth retellings! I hope you enjoy it too, Leslie.