The BookBrowse Review

Published July 31, 2024

ISSN: 1930-0018

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Contents

In This Edition of
The BookBrowse Review

Highlighting indicates debut books

Editor's Introduction
Reviews
Hardcovers Paperbacks
First Impressions
Latest Author Interviews
Recommended for Book Clubs
Book Discussions

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Publishing Soon

Literary Fiction


Historical Fiction


Short Stories


Essays


Poetry & Novels in Verse


Thrillers


Romance


Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History


Graphic Novels


Biography/Memoir


History, Current Affairs and Religion


Science, Health and the Environment


True Crime


Travel & Adventure


Other


Young Adults

Mysteries


Thrillers


Romance


Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History


Graphic Novels


History, Current Affairs and Religion


Extras
  • Blog:
    The New York Times Best 100 Books of the 21st Century: How Does BookBrowse's Coverage Compare?
  • Wordplay:
    It's R C A D
  • Book Giveaway:
    Smothermoss by Alisa Alering
Book Jacket

Medusa
by Nataly Gruender
13 Aug 2024
432 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History

An intimate look into the life of a legendary mythical villain who has so often been strippAn intimate look into the life of a legendary mythical villain who has so often been stripped of her voice and humanity in this debut novel, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe and the works of Jennifer Saint.

You know how Medusa's story ends, but you've never heard her tell her own story… until now.

 The only mortal daughter of two sea gods, and a priestess of Athena, Medusa was a woman who thought she had found her place in the world. But when Medusa suffers a horrific violation at the hands of Poseidon, Athena is outraged over the desecration of her name and sends a message by transforming Medusa into the snake-haired monster of legend. With one look, any who meet her gaze is turned to stone. Word of her monstrosity travels fast, igniting a king's fear so greatly that he commands the boy-hero Perseus to bring him her head. With a power that will spare no one, Medusa begins to wonder if this is a blessing or a curse. Medusa only knows that she must leave the city she has come to call home before she harms another soul. 

Searching for a haven free from mortals, anger buoying her every step, Medusa journeys across ancient Greece. Her eyes are hidden beneath a blindfold, with nothing but the snakes for company. Through her travels, Medusa discovers solace and understanding in the mythical figures she stumbles upon: A debaucherous wine god, an alluring nymph, and a three-headed dog. But one cannot escape fate forever. As Perseus closes in, Medusa faces a choice: become the monster everyone expects her to be, or cling to the last piece of her humanity.

"Gruender's ingenious debut brings new life to the story of Medusa. Gruender brings a truly new spin to Medusa's story, casting her as a tragic but resilient character who seeks to live on her own terms. This holds its own." ―Publishers Weekly

"Medusa by Nataly Gruender is a deeply poetic retelling that brings you so close to the character of legend you feel yourself intwined with her. I felt her pain, I railed against the injustices committed against her, and I wept in pride when she turned a power that she feared into something she could claim for her own. It was beautiful and thought provoking. Gruender's lyrical and metaphoric lines made the seamless connection between a woman of legend to a woman of now. I'll be thinking about the evocative words for a long time after reading." ―Hannah Nicole Maehrer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Assistant to the Villain

"Medusa by Nataly Gruender is an imaginative and thought-provoking retelling of the myth of Medusa. Gruender is not afraid to tackle the more challenging aspects of Greek mythology, resulting in a novel that is completely relevant to modern readers." ―Laura Shepperson, author of Phaedra

"This vivid debut flips the script by transforming Medusa's curse into a source of power so she can meet fate on her own terms. A perfect read for mythology fans." ―A.D. Rhine, author of Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze

Nataly Gruender was born and raised in Arizona and found an escape from the desert heat through her library card. She studied English, Creative Writing, and Classics at the University of Arizona and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course. Giving in to the siren call of New York, Nataly booked it across the country, and when she's not working or writing she likes to pet other people's dogs and spend too much time in used bookstores. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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