The venomous vipers of the Sahara were also sometimes said to have been born from Medusa’s blood. In this myth, the vipers emerged from the droplets of Medusa’s blood as Perseus flew over the Sahara with the Gorgon’s severed head. [19] In the synopsis it is stated that Burton's aim with was to "reclaim Medusa's story" and that is exactly what she did! None who read this can relate to owning sentient hair but many can relate to being punished by society, paying for the mistakes of powerful others, being subjected to the whims of those in authority, and being viewed as one of few accepted binaries. Burton allows us to see and to believe that we contain multitudes, and that we can be the hero of our own story. This unflinchingly honest tale of objectification,toxic masculinity, and the meaning of consent is a breathtaking masterpiece that cannot be missed. Mila has a brother named Nicholas, and Nicholas is getting old enough to think about getting married. The girl he’s thinking about getting married to is called Iris. Iris and Mila grow very close, and they become like sisters pretty much. Eventually, a day comes, and Iris starts here with the demon inside her head.

Finally, how could I not mention the absolutely stunning artwork throughout this book? Where Burton brings life to the characters with her words, Olivia Lomenech Gill's brushstrokes do just as perfect a job. I had to pause multiple times just to admire those beautiful illustrations. They are journeying to uncover the secrets behind Medusa’s curse and explore the possibility of breaking it. In this adventure, they face many challenges and enemies, from ancient gods to bloodthirsty monsters. Amid this adventure, Medusa and Alexander’s bond grows stronger, and they begin to realize that their connection is more than a fleeting attraction.

A dazzling, lyrical YA retelling of Greek myth, from Jessie Burton, internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse.

They promise to tell each other their story. Medusa, what she now is, and how she became this way, and Perseus why he is truly on the island. It seems he has not just washed up randomly at all. King Polydectes has charged Perseus with the task of cutting of Medusa’s head. ADDICTIVE ARTISTIC PERFECTION ! A retelling of Medusa like you've never heard before. A tale told by Medusa herself, revealing the absolutely despicable reasons (*cough* Athena & Posidon being sketchy & e v i l AF *cough*), that she was cast out of society & ended up, well, how she ended up ! I mean hair? Snakes? Turns people to stone? Give this a read & let a girl who is also a Gorgon tell her #metoo story, as well as the tale of the rest of her so very, totally & completely, unfair place in history.The name was an Irish Hero and it involved some Giant that had one Eye and could obliterate anything that this Thank King? looked at. Chris Ofili’s The Riddle of the Sphinx, from Charlotte Higgins’s Greek Myths: A New Retelling. Illustration: Chris Ofili Virgil: In the epic the Aeneid (19 BCE), Medusa and the Gorgons are included among the monsters living at the outskirts of the Underworld (6.287ff). This desecration of her temple infuriates Athena, who, instead of punishing Poseidon, directs her wrath toward Medusa. As punishment for the act within her sacred temple, Athena transforms Medusa into a hideous monster with venomous snakes for hair and the ability to turn anyone who looks at her directly into the stone.