Asha (she/her)

tws: talk of rape/underage stuff that is included in that book

Absolutely no order of things that really shocked me about this book

1) the book starts with 9 year old Melantho being sent to Icarius's house to be his newest sex slave (after he got the last one pregnant) with no warning which is... off-putting to say the least. But no worries! (sarcastic) Penelope saves melantho with her wits so it all works out

2) this is NOT the point and you might even be thinking Asha why are you so stuck on this point when it's a sapphic book but the part of the book that states that Penelope has never orgasmed with Odysseus actually lives in my head rent free

3) changing Melantho's whole backstory to be that she (and Melanthius to a lesser degree) are raised by a single mom and have an abusive dad is.... weird to me idk justice for Dolius. There's definitely a narrative around queer characters that their parents have to be evil all the time.

4) also getting rid of her other brothers irritated me no thoughts about it except that I was annoyed

5) the fact that Melantho wasnt killed and just... escaped... bothered me because i feel like she has to die in every adaptation of the Odyssey, I dont care how it exactly happens (1997 Odyssey where shes killed with Eurymachus or original source material being hung) but she literally represents Odysseus's home being cleansed of the filth of the suitors

6) the fact that the Eurymachus/Melantho non-con scene was wayyyyy longer than the Melantho/Penelope's first time having sex was....... a choice

7) Penelope drugs Odysseus to sleep so she can say goodbye to Melantho which gave me a good laugh about how out of character that was

I most definitely have more to say but this is off the top of my head grrr feel free to dm with any Melantho thoughts.

8) I feel like this book walks a weird line of making Melantho a helpless victim but for some reason she has so much agency? Like she's helpless and miserable until the plot needs something else. It's bad characterization.