Medusa - by Nataly Gruender

About the Book

"The only mortal daughter of two sea gods, Medusa works as a priestess in Athena's temple when she suffers a horrific violation at the hands of Poseidon. Insulted by the desecration of her name and to send a message, Athena transforms Medusa into the snake-haired creature of legend: A creature who, with one look, will petrify anyone who meets her gaze; whose power will ignite a king's fury (and fear) so greatly that he will instruct a boy, Perseus, to bring him her head. With a power that will spare no one-is it fate or punishment? a curse or blessing?-Medusa knows only that she must leave the city she has come to call home before she harms another soul. As she searches for a haven free from mortals, anger buoying her every step, Medusa journeys across ancient Greece, her eyes hidden beneath a blindfold, with nothing but the snakes tangled in her scalp for company. Should she turn back and wreak havoc on the city that has become Athena's namesake? The very thought of it threatens to consume her. As she continues forward, Medusa discovers solace and understanding in the mythical figures she stumbles upon, including a debaucherous wine god, an alluring nymph, and a three-headed dog. But one cannot escape their future forever, and even a monster can be taken down by a boy with something to prove. As Perseus closes in, Medusa faces a choice: to become the monster everyone expects her to be, or to cling to the last piece of her humanity"--

Book Synopsis

In this "imaginative and thought-provoking" 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 (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.

Review Quotes

"Gruender's ingenious debut brings new life to the story of Medusa. Gruender brings a truly new spin to Medusa's story, casting her as a tragic but resilient character who seeks to live on her own terms. This holds its own."--Publishers Weekly

"Medusa by Nataly Gruender is a deeply poetic retelling that brings you so close to the character of legend you feel yourself intwined with her. I felt her pain, I railed against the injustices committed against her, and I wept in pride when she turned a power that she feared into something she could claim for her own. It was beautiful and thought provoking. Gruender's lyrical and metaphoric lines made the seamless connection between a woman of legend to a woman of now. I'll be thinking about the evocative words for a long time after reading."--Hannah Nicole Maehrer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Assistant to the Villain

"This vivid debut flips the script by transforming Medusa's curse into a source of power so she can meet fate on her own terms. A perfect read for mythology fans."--A.D. Rhine, author of Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze

"Medusa by Nataly Gruender is an imaginative and thought-provoking retelling of the myth of Medusa. Gruender is not afraid to tackle the more challenging aspects of Greek mythology, resulting in a novel that is completely relevant to modern readers."--Laura Shepperson, author of Phaedra

"In MEDUSA, Nataly Gruender offers an evocative and sympathetic voice to one of history's most maligned and misunderstood mythic figures, the feared Gorgon, Medusa. Often dismissed as a vindictive and vengeful monster, in Gruender's hands, Medusa's story is fully told, one of a beautiful mortal woman that became a monstrous immortal legend; born of and victimized by gods, stigmatized by mortals and destined to fulfill a prophecy that is both her curse and her gift; a power that will sustain her rise in the wake of those who seek her fall. 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

"Neil Gaiman meets Madeline Miller in this complex and nuanced portrayal of the legendary Medusa. Nataly Gruender's subject in Medusa is not just the gorgon herself, but the social milieu of the gods, the relationship between mortal and immortal, and that eternal hobgoblin of the Greeks: fate. You might think you already know Medusa's story, and how it ends, but en route to its destination, Medusa tackles timely subject matter: sisterhood, men in positions of power abusing their privilege, and what it means to be beautiful or ugly in the gaze of others. Gruender accomplishes all of this with gripping sentences that will stop you in your tracks, or turn you to stone."--Phong Nguyen, author of Bronze Drum

About the Author

Nataly Gruender was born and raised in Arizona and found an escape from the desert heat through her library card. She studied English, Creative Writing, and Classics at the University of Arizona and is a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course. Giving in to the siren call of New York, Nataly booked it across the country, and when she's not working or writing she likes to pet other people's dogs and spend too much time in used bookstores. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.