Tragedy of Medusa: Epic retelling of Classic Greek myth

by H.M. Roberts

In the realm of ancient Greece, where myths and legends dance with reality, a new narrative unfolds, shrouded in mystery and “Tragedy of Medusa”. In this captivating tale, the age-old story of Medusa takes a mesmerizing twist, blending two intriguing versions of her origin. Was she truly born a gorgon, or did a darker fate await her as a mortal woman?

Medusa’s journey begins with a painful rejection from her mother, Ceto, the mother of monsters. Cast aside due to her mortality, she embarks on a tumultuous path filled with cruelty and heartbreak. But within her, a dormant strength stirs, waiting to be unleashed.

As Medusa navigates a world fraught with challenges, she forms an unexpected bond that unveils a power she never knew she possessed. Her life takes a fateful turn, leading her away from her haunting past and into the sanctuary of the Priestesses of Athena.

However, peace remains elusive as the gods continue to shape her destiny. Poseidon’s desires set off a chain of events that change Medusa’s life forever. In a twist of fate, Athena intervenes, gifting her with a transformation that blurs the lines between monster and mortal.

Now, as a vengeful huntress with newfound abilities, Medusa embarks on a quest for retribution, petrifying all who cross her path. But not everyone is content with her reign of terror. The gods send her sisters as messengers, urging her to reconsider her path.

Haunted by the consequences of her actions, Medusa retreats with her sisters, seeking solace in their shared monstrosity. However, a hero’s arrival, tasked with her demise, forces Medusa to confront her identity and the impending arrival of motherhood.

Explore the untold tale of a woman trapped between two worlds — too weak to be a monster, too monstrous to be a mortal.

“Tragedy of Medusa” weaves a timeless myth with fresh, enigmatic threads, immersing you in a world of complexity, resilience, and unforeseen choices. Uncover the layers of Medusa’s journey as she grapples with her true nature, her newfound power, and the quest for redemption.

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Genres: Mythology, Greek Mythology

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2023

About the author

Hayley Mitchell is Winner of Indies Today Best Poetry 2021 and Silver Recommended Read Literary Titan.

She started her writing career with children’s picture books, including Readers’ Favourite “My Healthy Foods Feelings alphabet” . Her children’s books are inspired and devoted to her three sons, her reason for writing and her reason she lacks time to write! She works part time as an Early Years Teacher and a private tutor and is also a trained Children’sYoga Instructor.

Because she felt life wasn’t busy enough Hayley decided to write poetry, releasing her debut novel in verse Breaking Birds in 2021.

When she is not reading, writing or playing with her boys, she enjoys yoga and chocolate (sometimes at the same time).

Reviews

[Elaina Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲."

I am always on the hunt for a retelling of Medusa’s myth. Although I find they all have something to offer, some blend in, and others stand out. Though, this one stands apart.......
I have yet to read a retelling that has so intricately woven the tragedy and triumph of the girl turned Gorgon.... until now.
"𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐲. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐭. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝.

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇"

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒂 offers EXACTLY what I want out of Medusa’s myth. I felt Ceto's internal conflict from page one, I recognized the necessity in Athene's decision, and I sung a battle cry of rage with Euryale and Stheno. I am outright impressed by the author's ability to create such depth in each character with a mere 167 pages. I caught myself highlighting and then reading the words aloud.
"𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝."
I adore Medusa’s character, but more importantly, I cared about every bit of her life. From her rejected start as a hopeful girl living a mortal life, to the love she so freely gave, and the inevitable destruction of the monster she became.

"𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬."
This one belongs on my shelf forever and always. A must-read for any lover of Medusa.

[April Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve wanted to read the story of Medusa for a while. I’m glad I chose this book as my first read about her. A great retelling of Medusa. Having led a difficult, tragic, conflicting and lonely life, Medusa was a strong and empathetic woman. Was it a gift, or a curse? Who knows!

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it was OK. It very clearly needs editing, with many typos, and beyond that, there was too much description and too little story. Admittedly I knew nothing about Medusa before reading this book, so it has been a good source of fiction regarding the character. However I felt this book fell flat and I found myself thinking about what I could read next.

[Anna Jaskiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why this book hasn’t received more attention in the “retellings of Greek myths” genre. It was pretty great!!

Roberts successfully depicts the story of Medusa from beginning to end using expertly crafted prose and creative dialogue. I don’t believe I ever would have considered Medusa’s story to be a tragedy if I hadn’t read this book.

Giving this a 4/5 stars because it was good enough for me to finish in two short sittings and the POV changes were well implemented when necessary. The book loses a star for me because of frequent typos throughout, which got me out of the zone more than a few times. (At one point there was an > symbol instead of a period.)

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

At under 200 pages, The Tragedy of Medusa is deceptively thin. H.M. Roberts delivers a powerful and emotional alternate narrative to the myth of this complicated woman through a swiftly moving story and with a succinct use of words.

Readers should know that the novel spans the length of a lifetime, and will immerse them thoroughly in its magical timeline. I emerged from the novel feeling a kind of grief; as if I had lived alongside the woman, Medusa, herself. Having a familiarity with the original myth of Medusa is not required here; Roberts uses the mythology as a guide, but deviates from its rules to develop a compelling, deeply human tale. Through Roberts’ prose and storytelling I lived the tragedy of Medusa myself.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction, fantasy, and mythology will appreciate Roberts’ equal attention to research and reality on one hand, magic and lore on the other. As a historian and as a pleasure-reader, I appreciated how well-researched it was without being pedantic. Small details about dress and life brought a tangibility to the interactions between characters, put the story in historical context. But the novel remained focused on its story and characters, and this is ultimately what made it so compelling: Medusa, her sisters, and family were nuanced, imperfect and human, for all their divine origin, the mortal characters transcended time, feeling all too familiar despite the historical difference. Fans of literary fiction will find the deep reflection and well-crafted characters of this novel as appealing as story. Roberts’ The Tragedy of Medusa cuts across the boundaries of genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed this indie read, and would not hesitate to recommend this to other readers.

[Hayley Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings:Sacrifice, death and emotional trauma

H.M. Roberts’ The Tragedy of Medusa is a breathtaking reimagining of one of mythology’s most misunderstood figures. What makes this work so compelling is the way it peels back the layers of legend to reveal the mortal side of Medusa—her upbringing, her vulnerabilities, and the circumstances that shaped her fate. Rather than simply presenting her as the “monster” history has painted, Roberts shows us how Medusa became that figure, and in doing so, invites readers to question the narratives we’ve inherited.
Equally moving is the portrayal of the bond between the three sisters. Their love and loyalty shine through even in the darkest moments, grounding the story in a sense of family and shared strength. The addition of Metri’s friendship and kindness toward Medusa adds another dimension, reminding us that even in tragedy, compassion and connection endure.
Roberts’ storytelling is both haunting and tender, weaving myth with humanity in a way that makes Medusa’s journey unforgettable. It is a tale that reshapes how we see her, leaving readers with a deeper appreciation for the humanity behind the myth.
#bookloungereviewteam

[C.L. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even knowing how Medusa's tale ends, you can't help yourself from hoping for a happy ending anyway. H Roberts really brings the tale to life, making the characters more real, and the tale hit closer to home. My heart ached for her when she was "just a girl" and she started losing people she held dear, first her mortal mother, her beloved baby brother, her best friend, and then even herself as best she knew.

Metri as the bard telling her tale at the end was a nice way to wrap things up, and to hint that he misses her still as he tried to tell the patrons about the lonely girl who became the "monster", even though they did not want to hear it. Perseus himself sucked, but he was a reflection of every cowardly man who has ever taken from a girl something that was not theirs to take, so that makes sense.

An emotional read.

[Stephanie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tragedy of Medusa is a heartbreaking book. Medusa is not one I have ever really been that interested in when reading about Greek mythology. She always just sounded like an evil person with snakes for hair and turned people to stone when they looked at her. Not a lot of depth. However, I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read this book. Everything about it is stunning. We get to explore Medusa's childhood and how she became the legend in the myth. It is mainly written in third person, but there are few places that dive into Medusa's perspective as the narrator. The emotional impact of this book is going to stick with me for a long time.

I received an electronic copy for free by the author in the return of an honest review.

[Rachel Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tragedy of Medusa offers a new perspective on the snake-haired woman that we've all been told is a horrible monster. This book fills in all the gaps in the myth of Medusa--who her parents were, how she became a monster, and who her children were. H.M. Roberts tells a very good story, and there is some terrific writing here. However, there are also rampant typos, random changes in tense, egregious comma splices, and numerous homophone errors. These problems with the text were very jarring for me, and repeatedly distracted me from the story. Setting aside these concerns, it's a great story, and the book is definitely worth reading.

[fred jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, sympathetic retelling and combination of the various versions of the myth of Medusa. Following her from an abandoned child of a monster, through her rejection by the adopted father and brother, the first stirrings of an innocent young love, her rape by Poseidon and the creation of her final incarnation by Athena and her end at the hands of Perseus. A dark, tragic tale written with great style, sympathy and heart. H.M Roberts's writing grand you for! The first page and holds you the the end. An author to watch out for. Deserves more than 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy from Voracious s and am leaving a honest voluntary review.

[Morgan Treichler (frml. Gossett-Pugh) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She became the darkness, as still and quiet as the night."

This is the Medusa retelling that I've always needed in my soul. It brings life to our monstrous heroine as an innocent child, immediately born into a world trying to break her, and then shows how she comes into her power, claiming her vengeance.

The writing is beautiful. The author is able to draw you in, weaving a story that we all know, but with new dimensions, new emotions, and new connectedness.

If you have ever felt drawn to the story of Medusa, this book is a must read. While it cannot rewrite the tragedy of her tale, it still does her the justice that she fought so hard to claim.

[Charlotte Badger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I've read Natalie Haynes books before and one of those is a very similar story so I thought I'd give this a go. It's so great to read a story from the woman's perspective when we hear so many myths from the men's perspective. This shows Medusa as a child and a woman, not as the monster we are used to hearing about. Seeing her grow and develop was so enjoyable. She's relateable and is the victim rather than the monster. Loved it, and I would definitely recommend reading this book.

[Emmeline Everdeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous story. I felt like I was in Ancient Greece listening to the tale of Medusa. I absolutely loved the story of her childhood. The author did a brilliant job of creating an emotional experience for the reader. The friendship was written beautifully and so authentic. The Ancient Greek story tellers would be impressed.
I highly recommend to anyone who is fascinated by the stories from Ancient times or fans of a solid life story with great character growth and a perfectly flawed female main character.
I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only.

[Amanda Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great retelling of an old story most of us are familiar with. In this version, although she was born a gorgon, medusa lived the life of a mortal. I am happy this is a book I chose from voracious readers in lieu of an honest review. Medusa was a happy child until tragedy struck her home. She was able to find happiness again, but that too was stolen away. She decided to become a servant to Athena, but was taken advantage of by Poseidon. Athena then gives her back her birth powers. This book shows how darkness can take over the light, but the light never really disappears.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the premise, and at first I liked the writing style - but the more I went on, the more irritated I became by the constant narration of what Medusa was thinking and feeling. It was tiresome to read, and that's a shame because the idea had so much promise. Oh well. Not terrible for a Kindle freebie, I suppose, but I just couldn't carry on reading once I started noticing how much the self-conscious writing style was getting in the way!

[Nancy Fagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on Medusa. Everything I have read (although not that much) suggested she was a monster from the start. This book suggests she was turned into one by man's cruelty. You can not help but feel compassion for her. Recommend.
This book was received from the author through Voracious Readers Only.

[Naomi Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tragedy of Medusa is a refreshing retelling of one of the most known mythological Gorgon.
Whether you view her as a victim or a viper, you will throughly enjoy this lyrical story which shows Medusa's upbringing and more 'human' side.
Ideal for fans of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint!

[Jen Ramsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting retelling of the life of Medusa, with more attention given to the girl she was, and the woman she grew to become, rather than the monster she is portrayed as most often. Enjoyable interpretation.

[Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read many Greek mythology retellings, but this one stands out. Medusa isn’t just a monster here she’s a mother, a sister, and a woman struggling against gods and fate. It’s tragic, moving, and unforgettable.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart breaking at times.

[Lara Kleinschroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fresh retelling of the Medusa myth with a decidedly feminist perspective. Roberts does a great job at fleshing out the story, humanizing the monster with a childhood, creating sympathy for her. Living in a time and place that undervalues women and girls, where choices are made for them by men and freedom is nonexistent, points to who the real monsters are. The blending of myth and gods and the human world is seamless and compelling. The scenes of her learning to swim are a powerful and visceral symbol of the feminine mystic and of how we mortals strive for freedom no matter how hopeless our circumstances may seem. Good read, very much recommend.

[fred jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, sympathetic retelling and combination of the various versions of the myth of Medusa. Following her from an abandoned child of a monster, through her rejection by the adopted father and brother, the first stirrings of an innocent young love, her rape by Poseidon and the creation of her final incarnation by Athena and her end at the hands of Perseus. A dark, tragic tale written with great style, sympathy and heart. H.M Roberts's writing grand you for! The first page and holds you the the end. An author to watch out for. Deserves more than 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy from Voracious s and am leaving a honest voluntary review.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A large chunk of the first 100 pages could have been left out. I would have liked to hear more about Medusa as a "monster". I had hoped she would go to her mortal father and turn him to stone. The ending was good but I had hoped it would be drawn out more. Though I already knew her story, I was hoping it would be different 😂

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this version. The only reason I didn't go 5 stars is the immortality deal, and one or two other things. Other than those, which are more of a this is the origin I care about most of these creatures. This is my favorite. Good read, would suggest to anyone who enjoys mythological types.