Lies We Sing to the Sea: AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! New for 2023, a sapphic YA fantasy romance inspired by Greek mythology, for all fans of The Song of Achilles
£12.70£14.20 (-11%)
A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope’s twelve hanged maids.
‘A lavish epic of power, vengeance, love and fate.’
YA Book of the Month in The Observer (2/4/2023)
’A lovely, lyrical fantasy which takes the fate of the hanged maids of the Odyssey and weaves something brand new. A story overflowing with emotion and full of magic.’
Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne and Elektra
In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve maidens, a gift to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a long-forgotten island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that there’s only one way the curse can be broken. Leto must kill the last prince of Ithaca . . .
In Lies We Sing to the Sea, debut author Sarah Underwood delivers a thrilling and breathtaking tale that will enthral readers from the very first page as they are transported to the cursed shores of Ithaca.
A reclamation of a story from thousands of years ago, Lies We Sing to the Sea is about love and fate, grief and sacrifice, and, ultimately, the power we must find within.
‘Gorgeous, tragic, and timeless, Underwood’s LIES WE SING TO THE SEA makes an age-old story feel new again. This is Greek tragedy at its best: sweeping in scope yet deeply intimate in characterization. This book will break your heart.’ – Grace Li Sunday Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief
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Additional information
| Publisher | Electric Monkey (16 Mar. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 496 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0008558531 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0008558536 |
| Reading age | 16+ years, from customers |
| Dimensions | 14.1 x 4.3 x 22.2 cm |
by Molly Mather
I bought this book because I had tickets for a joint author event and wanted to read both before I went. I ended up enjoying this book more than the other I went to see. It’s such a fascinating idea for a story and I loved all the characters in it
by Denise B Evans
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood.
I’ve read a lot of bad reviews about this book which in my opinion are unjust and unkind. I was hesitant, as an avid reader of Greek mythology and all the recent retellings, would I enjoy this book? Sarah Underwood takes a well known myth but then bases her story three hundred years after Odysseus’ return. She creates her own story of the annual ritual sacrifices of 12 maidens. With only hints to the original source material, the story is quite unique whilst maintaining the mythic feel.
I thought the author was very brave to do this. Congratulations on this debut novel Ms Underwood.
by L Fishwick
When Odysseus eventually returned from Troy, twelve slave girls received brutal punishment at the hands of his son. But one girl wasn’t willing to go without a fight, and the curse she enacts on Ithaca will cause thousands more deaths, for generations to come. To end the killings, twelve princes must first die in Poseidon’s watery domain, at the hands of the girls they sentenced to death.
Lies We Sing to the Sea is a story of a brutal curse and unthinkable sacrifice. I always love a Greek retelling, and I liked that this was something a bit different – it was less a retelling, more a loosely linked sequel, taking a small feature from the very end of the Odyssey and turning it into a story of its own. I am especially interested in Greek retellings at the moment and will be reading a lot of them over the next few months, so expect a lot more reviews to come! I have just started reading Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson which is completely different to Lies We Sing, but just as exciting and engaging.
If you like Greek reimaginings, complicated love-triangles, and stories following multiple, conflicting protagonists, you will really enjoy this novel.
by mia flodquist
Gorgeous writing, exciting story, characters to care for – deeply.
by Andrea
Cant comment on what the book is like as i havent read yet and the other copy i bought is an xmas gift. However arrived on time and in excellent condition.
by Lauren h
3.5 ⭐️
This was a wild ride.
– Tragic, interesting, messy.
– Sapphic rep
– YA Fantasy novel. Feels a bit In the middle of YA and Adult.
– Magic & revenge.
– Reminds me of Circe.
I had a love/hate relationship with the main character Leto.
The Love triangle was a big nooooo for me. I’m not sure what to think. The ending was unexpected. I definitely have mixed feelings.
The writing is very beautiful. The story is definitely heartbreaking & would make a great addition to a Greek mythology lovers shelf!
by Alyson
Based loosely on Greek mythology and the return of Odysseus from Troy this book tells the story of the cursed island of Ithaca which each spring hangs twelve maidens to avenge to the spiteful Poseidon. Leto, daughter of the last Oracle, is one of the chosen twelve but she awakes from her hanging on a far away island in the company of Melantho, who tells her there is only one way to break the curse, Leto must kill the last prince of Ithaca. The pair of them set out for Ithaca to carry out this deed.
I have to say, firstly, that I have very, very, little knowledge of Greek mythology so read this novel primarily as a fantasy read. I found the beginning intriguing but it slowed somewhat in the middle and then the ending was poignant. The novel is told from three different viewpoints – that of Leto, Melantho and Mathias, the Ithaca prince. The writing is easy to read, not particularly descriptive or lyrical but clear and interesting wording. I didn’t find I particularly bonded with any of the characters, the bit I enjoyed the most was the power of the water and the intimacy and bond between the girls and the sea.
I have to say the cover of the hardcopy book I had is absolutely gorgeous too.
In all, an interesting and easy read, that deals sensitively with the human sacrifice, as it weaves a tale of love and revenge.
by Anastasia Petrova&Steve Scarbrough
The Lies we sing to the Sea is a love story, that captivates from the very beginning. I was fascinated how Sarah weaved in the mythological characters, creating a really beautiful story.