Following the critically acclaimedIthacaandHouse of Odysseuscomes the final novel in Claire North's Songs of Penelope trilogy - anexquisite, gripping tale that breathes life into ancient myth.This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before.Many years ago, Odysseus sailed to war and never returned. For twenty years his wife Penelope and the women of Ithaca have guarded the isle against suitors and rival kings.But peace cannot be kept forever, and the balance of power is about to break . . .A beggar has arrived at the Palace.Salt-crusted and ocean-battered, he is scorned by the suitors - but Penelope recognises in him something terrible: her husband, Odysseus, returned at last. Yet this Odysseus is no hero. By returning to the island in disguise, he is not merely plotting his revenge against the suitors - vengeance that will spark a civil war - but he's testing the loyalty of his queen.Has she been faithful to him all these years? And how much blood is Odysseus willing to shed to be sure?The song of Penelope is ending, and the song of Odysseus must ring through Ithaca's halls. But first, Penelope must use all her cunning to win a war for the fate of the island and keep her family alive, whatever the cost . . .

'CLAIRE NORTH BRINGS A POWERFUL, FRESH AND UNFLINCHING VOICE TO ANCIENT MYTH' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller AriadneFrom the author of the critically acclaimed Ithaca - A Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year - comes an exquisite and gripping new tale that breathes life into ancient myth. This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before.On the isle of Ithaca, Queen Penelope maintains a delicate balance of power. Many years ago, her husband, Odysseus, sailed to war with Troy and never came home. In his absence, Penelope uses all her cunning to keep the peace - but this is shattered by the arrival of Orestes, king of Mycenae, and his sister Elektra.Orestes's hands are stained with his mother's blood. Not so long ago, the son of Agamemnon took Queen Clytemnestra's life on Ithaca's sands. Now, racked with guilt, he is slowly losing his mind.Penelope knows destruction will follow in his wake as surely as the Furies circle him. His uncle, Menelaus, the battle-hungry king of Sparta, longs for Orestes's throne - and if he can seize it, no one will be safe from his violent whims.Trapped between two mad kings, Penelope fights to keep war from Ithaca's shores. Her only allies are Elektra and Helen of Troy, Menelaus's enigmatic wife. And watching over them all is the goddess Aphrodite, who has plans of her own.Each woman has a secret. And their secrets will shape the world.Praise for the Songs of Penelope series:'Darkly fascinating, raw and breathtaking' Jennifer Saint, author of Sunday Times bestseller Ariadne'Richly poetic . . . This is an impassioned plea for the lost, disenfranchised queens of ancient Greece, a love letter to the silenced women of history' Booklist'Penelope is proving to be an outstanding epic hero in her own right. A sensational retelling' Elodie Harper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf Den'Everything I've wanted in a retelling: a vibrant cast, full of suspense, told with a phenomenal narrative voice - this is an absolute masterpiece' Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin'Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies' The Times'Claire North has set a new standard for Ancient Greek retellings. Absolutely sublime' Hannah Lynn, author of Athena's ChildThe Songs of Penelope series:Ithaca House of OdysseusThe Last Song of Penelope

Seventeen years ago, King Odysseus sailed to war with Troy, taking with him every man of fighting age from the isle of Ithaca. None of them has returned, and the women of Ithaca have been left behind to run the kingdom.Penelope was barely into womanhood when she wed Odysseus. While he lived, her position was secure. But now, years on, speculation is mounting that her husband is dead, and suitors are beginning to knock at her door.No one man is strong enough to claim Odysseus's empty throne - not yet. But as everyone waits for the balance of power to tip, Penelope knows that any choice she makes could plunge Ithaca into bloody civil war . . .From the multi award-winning Claire North comes a daring, exquisite and moving tale that breathes life into ancient myth, and tells of the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men. It's time for the women of Ithaca to tell their tale . . .

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Harry August, hrdina knihy, má podivuhodnou schopnost: jakmile zemře, vrací se do chvíle svého zrození a prožívá svůj život znovu od začátku, ale se všemi vzpomínkami na to, co už prožil. Autorka s tímto motivem dovedně pracuje – vypráví o tom, jak Harryho zaskočí první znovuzrození, jak této zvláštnosti uvyká a učí se jí využívat, jak se seznamuje s dalšími lidmi obtíženými podobným darem. Někteří jsou starší než on a žili už před jeho narozením; jiní se naopak narodí až za Harryho života a přežijí ho. Vytvářejí tak řetězec, po kterém lze posílat zprávy napříč dějinami – a právě Harrymu se přihodí, že ho těsně před jednou z jeho smrtí navštíví dívenka a prosí ho, aby při dalším zrození předal zprávu do minulosti: blíží se konec světa a jen lidé jako Harry tomu můžou zabránit – pokud jim ovšem na světě záleží... Claire North je pseudonym, identita autora / autorky není zřejmá. Prvních patnáct životů Harryho Augusta se setkalo s nadšeným čtenářským ohlasem, takže je pravděpodobné, že tvůrce tohoto románu nezůstane v utajení navždy.