I will never view Medusa just as a monster with serpents in her head that turn men to stone ever again.Be prepared to be transported to a different time-a different realm...where god and goddesses rule and play with mere mortals as chess pieces and where love binds a soul from Athens to Hades...or does it?Sasha Summers wrote a beautiful-tragic love story. She humanized Medusa. I must admit that I am not a Greek mythology expert nor do I know the true story behind Medusa. However, I have always been drawn to romance stories that involve Greek mythology and that is why I was curious to read this spin on Medusa. I wanted to know how this author was going to make this story work- would it be close to the story we know based on "Clash of The Titans" or will it be totally different? I won't spoil it here..you will have to read it for yourself to find out the answer.The author evoked such varied but intense emotions from me. In one moment I was in awe or infuriated, and in the next was enraged by the gods and goddesses’ cavalier attitudes, then I felt sad and hopeless. I was frustrated on behalf of the young Medusa and Ariston. Oh how I wanted to rush their love. But the author knew best to give her readers a slow and intense love affair. I truly felt both of their emotions. I often found myself walking away from the book, not because it was boring or bad oh no definitely not that, but because the emotions between the two young lovers and the actions occurring were so intense. Yet, just as quickly as I walked away, I was called back by that sweet young love. When I finished the book I was sitting in the wee hours of the night in tears trying to process it all. *Sigh* After all of those emotions you would think I would want to move on to something light. Nope! Bring me Hades, stat!If you find yourself in the mood for a sweet slow burning beautiful love story between a most loyal servant and a brave warrior set in Greek mythology time, do yourself a favor and pick up this exquisite story- you won't regret it. Medusa: A Love Story ReviewFirst off, I want to say that I'm happy to see a story of Greek mythology with a twist. Let us take our hats off and offer a bow to Ms. Summers for her astoundingly beautiful story.Plot style: character drivenMedusa, a gorgon and high priestess of Athena, has been assigned the protection of soldier Ariston to take her back to her homeland. Along the way Ariston becomes enamored by Medusa's beauty and ultimately falls in love with her, an action forbidden among the Greek culture. Medusa, who is one of the three gorgon daughters of titans Ceto and Phorcys, has also become the subject of debate and conflict among the gods. Where Poseidon wants her for one cause, to be his wife, Athena wants her to remain her priestess. Ultimately Zeus sides with Poseidon and agrees that Medusa will be his wife. Well, this ticks Athena off, but as the gods generally tend to do, she came around and offered her support, releasing Medusa from the restrictions of her duties as a priestess right away. Athena gives her two days to enjoy her freedom before she is to return to the temple to receive her “gift”. Well this action sets off the rest of what turns out to be a pretty tragic love story throughout the remainder of the book. But what sets Ms. Summers version of Medusa apart from the rest (besides some stunning and well written visuals) is her version of how those creepy snakes wound up turning people to stone. If you are a fan of Clash of the Titans, then you will not want to miss what happened before Perseus made his way to Medusa’s home.**small spoiler alert**Things that worked for me:1-Poseidon as the jealous, lustful douche of the story instead of Zeus who usually takes on the role of lustful male without a cause in these stories. 2-the lush descriptions of Greece and the time period. I felt as if I'd been transported into another time. The imagery was handled well by Ms. Summers. Cultural details such as religious ceremonies, schooling, war strategy, and even food were handled with meticulous detail.3- the unique approach to the Greek myth of the gorgons which consists of Medusa and her sisters. We always hear about men being turned to stone by Medusa's ugly mug. You know, the stories that describe her as a woman with the snake hair? I've not ever come across a story where Medusa was the beauty in the tale.4-This wasn't a slick attempt to rip off any of Rick Riordan's novels as a few of the other Greek mythology based stories out there tend to do.5-well-developed secondary characters that did a fine job of advancing the important elements in the story. Things that caused me a bit of stress:To be honest, there wasn't much at all about this story that caused me to start chewing up my nail beds. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in two days. The only complaint I had was that there were a few places where I had no idea what some of the terms meant. That sent me to the google or wiki site a few times and took me out of the story. Other than that, I was pleased with what I read.Overall, Medusa was an excellent read just as I hoped it would be. The cover is gorgeous and the story inside the pages is well-written. If you decide to venture through this tale, you’ll find: fickle gods and goddesses that cause enough trouble for our main characters to last throughout a lifetime, wars, and ceremonies…an authentic Greek experience. With overly ambitious parents and step parents, and a goddess-mentor who turned out to be the bi-polar poster child for the goddesses, poor Medusa didn't stand a chance. If you enjoy old fashioned style romances where the couple is dedicated to each other and where the man isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, then you'll enjoy Medusa. I believe the proper terms would be heroic and honorable. I'd recommend this one to lovers of romance, Greek mythology, and even those who love medieval-based fantasy.My rating: 4.5 wings
What do You think about Medusa, A Love Story (2012)?
I absolutely LOVED Medusa. This book tells how she became, an Epic read.
—babitajades
I cried so much. This book just broke me from the inside. BEAUTIFUL !!!
—margi
Medusa is a powerful story. A breathtaking story of love.
—paws
