First Lines Friday is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
First Lines:
“My mother cried when the king of Sparta first summoned me.”
Do you recognize the lines?
Here’s a hint:
It’s based on Greek mythology.
Still not sure? Here’s another hint:
It’s written by Rosie Hewlett
The First Lines Friday book is:
SWEETBITTER SONG
Title: Sweetbitter Song
Author: Rosie Hewlett
Pages: 512
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy, Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
Synopsis: Sweetbitter Song is a story of two women on the shores of Ithaca, in the shadows of a legendary war, who must face their own battle – one of sisterhood, survival, and a forbidden love that could destroy them both
One summer night, within the palace of Sparta, a young slave girl stumbles across a grey-eyed princess. Despite living worlds apart, Melantho and Penelope are instantly drawn to one another, and a powerful friendship blossoms. But the Spartan royals do not approve of this bond, and soon Melantho and Penelope find themselves viciously torn apart, their trust irreparably shattered.
Years later, their paths cross once again upon the rocky shores of Ithaca, where Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Embittered by life as a slave, Melantho is determined to keep her distance. But, once again, the two women find themselves drawn to one other, pulled by the echo of their friendship, and something far stronger they are too afraid to name.
When war blazes across Greece, Odysseus and the men of Ithaca are driven to foreign lands. In their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where a forbidden love is finally given the space to bloom.
A profound tale of love, identity and defiance, Sweetbitter Song tells a story forgotten by history. One of bravery and hope, celebrating two women who fought to protect their love from a world that tried to deny its very existence.
LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon
Have you read Sweetbitter Song? What do you think of the first line? Comment below!
I was given an eARC of this book, and I hope to read it sometime this year.