BLOG TOUR REVIEW!!! Clytemnestra’s Bind (The House of Atreus #1) by Susan C. Wilson

The House of Atreus is spiralling into self-destruction – a woman must find a way to break the family curse.

Queen Clytemnestra’s world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself.

Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to Agamemnon. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.

I do love a good myth retelling but even the most avid lover of mythology would have to admit that recent publishing schedules have provided a veritable glut of novels and non-fiction books that re-examine these ancient tales, many of which are re-told from female perspectives. So it was with some initial trepidation that I embarked upon Susan C Wilson’s Clytemnestra’s Bind, the first in what promises to be a series of novels about the ill-fated Mycenaean queen Clytemnestra and her fraught relationship with, and within, The House of Atreus.

Within a few pages, however, I was wholly absorbed in the treacherous Mycenaean court and in Clytemnestra’s struggle to find – and maintain – her place within it. Wilson has clearly done her research and the novel rapidly absorbs the reader into the cutthroat world of Bronze Age Greece, where political marriages are speedily expedited (and just as easily ended), and women are little more than pawns in men’s games of power and revenge.

For those unfamiliar with Clytemnestra’s story, be warned that it is not a happy one. Within a few pages, Clytemnestra has gone from being a loyal queen and loving mother to a spoil of war. With her infant child and husband dead, she is quickly married to the ruthless Agamemnon. Tormented by her losses and forced to endure her new husband’s incessant cruelty, Clytemnestra vows to do all that she can do to protect her children: Iphigenia, Electra, and Orestes. But when Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus determine to sail for Troy, their ambitions threaten to destroy all that Clytemnestra has worked so hard to defend.

Although I already know how Clytemnestra’s story ends, Clytemnestra’s Bind takes us back well before its usual starting point. Because we initially meet Clytemnestra as a younger, more idealistic woman, we share in her tragedies and come to understand both her deep love for her children, and her burning hatred for the men of the House of Atreus.

Usually a side-character in other people’s stories, here Clytemnestra is front and centre and we are given a glimpse of other, arguably more famous, figures from Greek mythology through her eyes. Her sister, Helen, for example arrives into the narrative long before she becomes the infamous Helen of Troy as is Helen’s future husband Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon. As a result, we gain new insight into these established characters, learning of Menelaus and Agamemnon’s horrific childhood, and of the pressures placed upon Helen to marry well. Although this does not change the fates of these figures, it did make me feel differently about them and gave me a greater understanding of their motivations.

Although you should always expect a hefty level of tragedy and violence in any re-telling from Ancient Greece, Clytemnestra’s story is a particularly tragic one. For readers unfamiliar with the mythology, be warned that the novel contains depictions of physical and sexual violence, murder, child abuse and child death, cruelty, and domestic violence. The Ancient Greek world is an unforgiving one and Wilson has captured the both the brutality and the beauty of it on the page with great skill.

There is much more that I could say about Clytemnestra’s Bind but, to avoid spoilers, I’m going to conclude by saying that, even if you are beginning to suffer from myth re-telling fatigue, it would be well worth your time to find a spot for Clytemnestra’s Bind in your TBR. By going back to the very beginning of Clytemnestra’s story, this treads new ground and provides a fresh perspective upon established characters and events. Beautifully told, this is an accomplished opening to what promises to be an intriguing new series and I look forward to reading its continuation in due course.

Clytemnestra’s Bind by Susan C. Wilson is published by Neem Tree Press and is available now from all good booksellers and online retailers including Hive, Waterstones, Bookshop.org, and Wordery.

If you can, please support a local indie bookshop by ordering from them either in person or online! Some of my favourites include Booka Bookshop, Sam Read Booksellers, Book-ish, Scarthin Books, Fox Lane Books, and Berts Books. 

My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review and to The Write Reads for organising and inviting me onto this blog tour. The tour continues until 22 December 2023 so please do check out the other stops using the #TheWriteReads #BlogTour for more reviews and content!

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