Lies We Sing to the Sea: AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! New for 2023, a sapphic YA fantasy romance inspired by Greek mythology, for all fans of The Song of Achilles

Product Information

I have to say, firstly, that I have very, very, little knowledge of Greek mythology so read this novel primarily as a fantasy read. This is a fabulous tale of 12 murdered maids from Homer's Odyssey, when I started it I had no real expectations for it but absolutely loved it. In Lies We Sing to the Sea, debut author Sarah Underwood delivers a thrilling and breathtaking tale that will enthral readers from the very first page as they are transported to the cursed shores of Ithaca. I started skimming at 40%, and then finally DNF’d at 43% because I knew it wasn’t going to get better. If you like Greek reimaginings, complicated love-triangles, and stories following multiple, conflicting protagonists, you will really enjoy this novel.

I found the beginning intriguing but it slowed somewhat in the middle and then the ending was poignant. And then there’s the hidden island with a barrier that makes it invisible to the outside world, where not even storms can get through the protective barrier - uh, Wonder Woman, anyone? Sarah Underwood's classical reimagining is woven with pure magic: salt-laced myths, a plot that slowly unravels like a tapestry, and vivid characters who are destined to steal your heart. I guess I never looked or inquired, but it’s pretty easy to tell early on that it’s a YA book (and I think I had assumed it was adult) so some things happened a bit too easily as befitting most YA books, etc. At various points in the book it is implied or outright stated that everyone on Ithaca knows of the yearly sacrifice, that no one really knows about it, and that word of the sacrifices has spread across the Mediterranean.

It gets to the point where you’re putting in loads of time for tiny improvements, and I’m not going to [do] that.

you can tell this woman has not actually read any other � Oh and let's not forget how she said that this has never been done before when I can think of at least two other Odyssey retellings (actual ones this time).

Sarah’s first novel, Lies we Sing to the Sea, will be published by HarperTeen and Farshore Books in March 2023. As I've said before, they felt a bit expected, sometimes making me groan and roll my eye, other facepalming myself. For all ebook purchases, you will be prompted to create an account or login with your existing HarperCollins username and password. It's not just beautifully written, it's FUN—which isn't a word I usually associate with greek tragedies, but here we are.

At the end she said she loves both of them and I didn't know what to think of it, was it a love triangle of some kind? As a YA fantasy there are times where the story reads young for my taste, even though the content is quite adult (as all Greek myths are). I absolutely loved Melantho’s story and how she fell in love with Leto, who was one of the twelve maidens sacrificed to Poseidon by Prince Mathias of Ithaca.

Mathias is weirdly passive and honestly pathetic, with no reason for me to even consider caring about him. Poly stories and cheating plots aren't a sin, naturally, but if you're gonna brag about how you're bringing diversity to the genre and not mention at all that the male/female romance is the more important one, I really really don't see where the confidence comes from. you can tell this woman has not actually read any other “retellings” of the Odyssey (despite her claim that none exist.