Described as a must-read for fans of Madeline Miller, Clytemnestra is a stunning debut novel by Costanza Casati. This mythological historical fiction novel follows the lesser-known sister of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, whose story is known as one of vengeance and violence. Whether you are familiar with Greek mythology or not, Clytemnestra’s story will engage you and move you. And it just might get you into the genre of myth retelling!
Release Date: March 7, 2023
Available from Amazon & Bookshop.org
About the Author, Costanza Casati
Costanza Casati was born in Texas but grew up abroad, in a village in Northern Italy and then spent five years in the UK. While living in Italy, Casati studied Ancient Greek language and literature, which certainly provides a basis for her debut novel, Clytemnestra. Beyond her studies in Ancient Greek, Casati is a graduate of the Warwick Writing MA program. You can follow along with her publication journey and read more about her interests and inspiration that lead to this novel on the author’s Instagram here.
About Clytemnestra
This mythological historical fiction novel follows the lesser-known sister of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra. The protagonist’s story is known as one of vengeance and violence. Clytemnestra is no shrinking wallflower, but a powerful ruler in the ancient world, ruling in place of her warring husband during the Trojan War. She is dealt a cruel hand by the fates, and she responds in calculated kind.
Plot Summary
As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best…
You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.
But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.
Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods’ hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did.
If power isn’t given to you, you have to take it for yourself.
My Thoughts on Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
Overall, I really enjoyed Casati’s debut novel. I knew nothing about the eponymous protagonist before picking up the book, but that didn’t make the story any less enjoyable. Casati’s writing is emotive and illustrative, ebbing and flowing with the twist and turns of the story. While the novel wasn’t exactly a quick read, I wasn’t ready for it to end, either. Throughout, the reader has to pay close attention to details throughout, almost like an intriguing crime story. The way that Casati winds the narrative around her protagonist, fully embracing the good and bad that live within Clytemnestra, is truly compelling.
Where to Buy Clytemnestra
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati will be released on May 2, 2023. It is available for pre-sale from both Amazon and Bookshop.org.
If Clytemnestra piques your interest, I think you’ll enjoy a number
of the novels in my guide to the best historical fiction!
Explore my historical fiction reading guide here!
*This novel was gifted to me as part of a review program that Cats & Coffee is a part of. I was not required to post about the novel in exchange for getting a copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my honest own.
