The book begins with Danae, the only child of King Akrisios, a teenaged girl who dreams of seeing the world beyond the shores of her home in Argos. Her widowed father is forever seeking a male heir, especially since he shares the throne with his twin brother, Proitos, who also has no male heirs. Akrisios has been waiting some time for news from the oracle about which woman he should marry to best obtain a male heir, but instead, the prophecy received is that Danae's son will be the death of him. Of course, he locks her away from everyone, in a room with no windows so that she is isolated and he can thwart fate. Spoiler alert - it doesn't work and she becomes pregnant. Despite her father's best intentions for her to perish at Poseidon's hand, Danae and her unborn child survive and are rescued by a kind fisherman named Diktys.
Time passes and Perseus is raised by his mother, in the home of Diktys and his wife and children, and he is very much sheltered by Danae. However, time passes and circumstances for them both change, and soon Perseus finds himself on a boat traveling with traders in the hopes that he will become a man. As it so happens, his ship-mates don't think of him fondly and he is mocked and left behind on the boat while they go ashore to experience life and all that travel offers, while making the trades. Taking matters into his own hands while the boat is docked in Libya, he decides to seek out and kill the Gorgon, a rumored grotesque monster famed for turning men into stone. It is there he meets Medusa, a lovely young woman who lives in a hidden cave along with other women who have had similar life experiences. They belong to a tribe of women who were badly abused by men and Medusa is their leader. She cares for their sanctuary and the pit of snakes that live within, and she wears a golden crown of snakes while in the sanctuary. All of the women of Gorgo are just fine with the rumors that abound, and the scary pit of snakes also helps to keep strangers away. Everything is peachy until Perseus gets injured and Medusa brings him back to heal him. Things go awry and Perseus begins building his own ridiculous myth of great heroism.
Andromeda is the daughter of an important chief in her Libyan tribe and is set to join the wedding fair for those young men and women seeking bridal matches. She is quite beautiful and accomplished and is expected to get a fine match, but when she spurns the attention of a wealthy suitor who happens to be an idiot, things devolve. A deadly windstorm lasting multiple days happens right after the bridal fair and the chiefs of her tribe gather to find a solution. One man, in particular, blames Andromeda's mother's prideful behavior for the slight that must have angered their god Ammon, and the suggestion is that their family provide the entire sacrifice to appease said god. Since this would mean financial ruin for her family, Andromeda offers herself as the offering to Ammon for 24 hours, tied naked to a rock with the sea stripping her of any pride. Her family, her newly selected betrothed, and the entire tribe are grateful for her suggestion and everyone prays that the god will be appeased. But guess whose ship comes upon Andromeda's rock? Despite the language barrier between them, Perseus insists upon "saving" her before her 24 hours is up. He also misinterprets a lot of other things and since he loves swinging around his bronze curved knife and he carries around a stinking dead head in a bag, Andromeda leaves with him to be his wife, to save her family.
Eventually, Perseus's boat returns to his home of Seriphos, and he is now called the triumphant Gorgon-slayer, and he snagged a beautiful wife as well. He expects to be greeted as the "hero" he has become, but instead finds his beloved mother married and pregnant by Polydektes, the lord of the island and the brother of Diktys. Naturally, Perseus is affronted because this was done without his permission and presence, so he acts out. Again. And he, Andromeda and Danae flee the island, headed to his destiny - Argos and his grandfather, King Akrisios. Can Danae and Andromeda work together to calm the beast that has become Perseus or will fate have its way with him?
It's pretty rare that a story can transport me while I am reading it, but with this book, I could almost smell the salty air of Argos and Seriphos. Claire Heywood artfully weaves the story of Perseus and those who surround him and she turns it on its head in the best of ways. Much like Christina Henry does with a fairy tale, so does Heywood with Greek mythology. She's a master and one that I'll be watching for in the near future. Highly, highly recommended.
