"A labyrinthine fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Penelope's hanged maids."
April 2023 Debut of the Month
In Lies We Sing to the Sea, debut novelist Sarah Underwood reimagines the Greek myth of Penelope's twelve hanged maids from Homer’s The Odyssey to present a richly detailed, sweeping story that will satisfy latter-day fans of fantastical fiction. Teeming with tragedy, romance and big themes — fate, sacrifice, desire and female agency — it relates an epic quest to break a curse and exact revenge.
While some superstitious townsfolk had whispered about her having “mystical powers”, seventeen-year-old Leto has lived a largely unremarkable life in the kingdom of Ithaca, a place where twelve maidens are hanged each spring as a gift to Poseidon, god of the sea. All that changes when Leto’s time to be hanged comes, and she defies the gallows by waking up on Pandou island. She’s discovered by Melantho, keeper of Pandou, who buries the eleven dead maidens with honey and wine, before explaining that Leto’s survival presents a rare opportunity to break the hanging curse —“We need to kill the prince of Ithaca”.
After the swift set-up of this context, and after Leto initially refuses her heroine’s call to adventure, Melantho drops the bombshell that she’s too bound to Pandou to leave the island, which means Leto must bear this task alone. And so the stage is set for a twisting tale of lust, love, loss and sacrifice, told in a style that melds modern snappiness with timeless atmosphere.
A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope's twelve hanged maids.
| Reading age: | 14+ |
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A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope's twelve hanged maids. In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve maidens, a gift to the vengeful Poseidon.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Lies We Sing to the Sea and determined it is suitable for children aged 15-18 years old
Lies We Sing to the Sea features in the following genres: Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Fantasy / Magical, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Mystery / Mythology, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Romance / Relationship Stories, Featured Books for Young Adults
Paperback, Hardback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Lies We Sing to the Sea was written by Sarah Underwood and published by Electric Monkey an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Lies We Sing to the Sea has 488 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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