“When men plunge a family into self-destruction, women must find a way to break the curse.”
“Clytemnestra’s Bind”, by Susan C Wilson
I’m delighted to join the blog tour of “Clytemnestra’s Bind”, by Susan C Wilson. Many thanks to TheWriteReads, the publishers Neem Tree Press, and of course the author for organising the tour and gifting me a copy of the book.
The story:
When Agamemnon claims the throne of Mycenae and takes Queen Clytemnestra as his wife, murdering her family in the process, she vows to do all she can to protect the children of this unhappy marriage from their tyrannical father.
But when Clytemnestra’s sister Helen abandons her own husband and Agamemnon’s brother for a handsome prince of Troy, Agamemnon once again looks set to destroy everything Clytemnestra holds dear…
My thoughts:
The first thing to say about this book is that it includes both a map and a family tree at the start, both of which I always love to see! And in this case, as I find with all stories of Greek myth, both were very useful, particularly the family tree. There are quite a few characters with complex relationships to keep track of, so I found this helpful to keep flipping back to (there is also a full list of characters, mortal and divine, at the back of the book).
This story is the first book in the House of Atreus trilogy, and follows one of the most reviled female characters of Greek myth – husband-murdering Queen Clytemnestra. From the start the author immediately evokes the sense of danger in the royal household, with brother over-throwing brother, nephew against uncle.
I studied Latin at school, part of which involved reading Book 2 of “The Aeneid”, which deals with the sacking of Troy. So I found it fascinating to read this tale of the events that precipitated this most famous of defeats. The writing is excellent, and the author doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the events or the passionate emotions of Clytemnestra — love for her children, and hatred of the man who has taken her as his wife.
Clytemnestra is not always a pleasant character. She can be rude, unkind and aloof. But she is also strong, determined and loyal to those she loves. And although the characters in this book often call upon the Gods for help, and try to honour them in their rituals, the plot is rooted in the mortal world, where it is the actions of men and women that determine the fate of the world.
Of course, the trouble with books like this is that I constantly look up characters and fall into a rabbit hole of backstory and myth. The author has done a great job incorporating the mythology of Clytemnestra into a fresh and enthralling story. This book will be followed by “Helen’s Judgement” and “Elektra’s Fury”, and I can’t wait to read more.
Pages: 300
Published: 15th June 2023
Rating: 🐈🐈🐈🐈/5
About the author
Susan C Wilson is a working-class Scottish writer. Her lifelong passion for ancient Greece was ignited as a child by stumbling across stories of gods and heroes in the dictionary. She loves to explore what makes us human: the eternal motivations, desires and instincts that cross time and place.
She has a degree in journalism from Napier University and, in preparation for writing her novels, gained a diploma in classical studies from the Open University. “Clytemnestra’s Bind”, her debut novel, was long-listed for the Mslexia Novel Competition 2019. It is the first in The House of Atreus trilogy and was published by Neem Tree Press in June 2023.
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