Medusa

**In this inventive retelling of the Medusa myth, readers get an intimate look into the life of a legendary mythical villain who has so often been stripped of her voice and humanity—perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint "Imaginative and thought-provoking." —Laura Shepperson, author of Phaedra** You know how Medusa’s story ends, but you’ve never heard her tell her own story … until now. The only mortal daughter of two sea gods, and a priestess of Athena, Medusa was a woman who thought she had found her place in the world. But when Medusa suffers a horrific violation at the hands of Poseidon, Athena is outraged over the desecration of her name and sends a message by transforming Medusa into the snake-haired monster of legend. With one look, any who meet her gaze is turned to stone. Word of her monstrosity travels fast, igniting a king’s fear so greatly that he commands the boy-hero Perseus to bring him her head. With a power that will spare no one, Medusa begins to wonder if this is a blessing or a curse. Medusa only knows that she must leave the city she has come to call home before she harms another soul. Searching for a haven free from mortals, anger buoying her every step, Medusa journeys across ancient Greece. Her eyes are hidden beneath a blindfold, with nothing but the snakes for company. Through her travels, Medusa discovers solace and understanding in the mythical figures she stumbles upon: A debaucherous wine god, an alluring nymph, and a three-headed dog. But one cannot escape fate forever. As Perseus closes in, Medusa faces a choice: become the monster everyone expects her to be, or cling to the last piece of her humanity. "With profound dignity, grace and wit, Gruender's Medusa is a delightful addition to the pantheon mythic Greek retellings." -Aimee Gibbs, author of The Carnivale of Curiosities