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Sweetbitter Song: A Novel
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Perfect for fans of The Song of Achilles and from the award-winning author of The Witch of Colchis comes a profoundly moving story of two women on the shores of Ithaca, in the shadows of a legendary war, who must face their own battle – one of sisterhood, survival, and a forbidden love that could destroy them both.
One summer night, within the palace of Sparta, a young slave girl stumbles across a grey-eyed princess. Despite living worlds apart, Melantho and Penelope are instantly drawn to one another, and a powerful friendship blossoms. But the Spartan royals do not approve of this bond, and soon Melantho and Penelope find themselves viciously torn apart, their trust irreparably shattered.
Years later, their paths cross once again upon the rocky shores of Ithaca, where Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Embittered by life as a slave, Melantho is determined to keep her distance. But, once again, the two women find themselves drawn to one other, pulled by the echo of their friendship, and something far stronger they are too afraid to name.
When war blazes across Greece, Odysseus and the men of Ithaca are driven to foreign lands. In their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where a forbidden love is finally given the space to bloom.
A profound tale of love, identity and defiance, Sweetbitter Song tells a story forgotten by history. One of bravery and hope, celebrating two women who fought to protect their love from a world that tried to deny its very existence.
One summer night, within the palace of Sparta, a young slave girl stumbles across a grey-eyed princess. Despite living worlds apart, Melantho and Penelope are instantly drawn to one another, and a powerful friendship blossoms. But the Spartan royals do not approve of this bond, and soon Melantho and Penelope find themselves viciously torn apart, their trust irreparably shattered.
Years later, their paths cross once again upon the rocky shores of Ithaca, where Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Embittered by life as a slave, Melantho is determined to keep her distance. But, once again, the two women find themselves drawn to one other, pulled by the echo of their friendship, and something far stronger they are too afraid to name.
When war blazes across Greece, Odysseus and the men of Ithaca are driven to foreign lands. In their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where a forbidden love is finally given the space to bloom.
A profound tale of love, identity and defiance, Sweetbitter Song tells a story forgotten by history. One of bravery and hope, celebrating two women who fought to protect their love from a world that tried to deny its very existence.
507 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 17, 2026
2956 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Hewlett
4 books654 followersRosie Hewlett is the Sunday Times Bestselling author of MEDEA and MEDUSA.
Having secured a First Class Honours degree in Classical Literature and Civilisation at the University of Birmingham, Rosie Hewlett has studied Greek mythology in depth and is passionate about unearthing strong female voices within the classical world. Rosie currently lives in Kent with her husband and is now a full-time author spending her days lost inside her favourite stories from mythology.
Rosie's first traditionally published novel, Medea, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Her self-published debut novel, Medusa, won the Rubery Book of the Year award in 2021 and is being re-released in hardback for the first time in autumn 2025.
Her brand new book Sweetbitter Song will be publishing in spring 2026.
Having secured a First Class Honours degree in Classical Literature and Civilisation at the University of Birmingham, Rosie Hewlett has studied Greek mythology in depth and is passionate about unearthing strong female voices within the classical world. Rosie currently lives in Kent with her husband and is now a full-time author spending her days lost inside her favourite stories from mythology.
Rosie's first traditionally published novel, Medea, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Her self-published debut novel, Medusa, won the Rubery Book of the Year award in 2021 and is being re-released in hardback for the first time in autumn 2025.
Her brand new book Sweetbitter Song will be publishing in spring 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 15, 2026
“how could we love each other so greatly and the world still deny us?”
listen i’m still trying to get myself together after that ending. what a gut wrenching story. sweetbitter song is a sapphic retelling of the odyssey in which penelope and melantho are reimagined as childhood companions. an interpretation that would send most homer purists into damn near cardiac arrest but for me was incredibly effective. shake the table up a little bit if you will!
by narrowing the age gap and allowing melantho and penelope to bond as children, hewlett adds a layer of intimacy to their dynamic that feels like a natural extension of their shared girlhood. this choice also lends profound weight to the guilt penelope carries as they grow older and their roles solidify into those of princess and slave. it was at this point in the story that i started to physically ache, just watching them grapple with the severity of their inherited social hierarchies while still harboring affection for one another.
it’s also worth noting that because the story is told through melantho’s perspective, penelope can sometimes feel very distant. this guardedness and restraint are consistent with her status as a princess so it didn’t bother me. if anything it only magnified the yearning and pining. you feel penelope’s devotion to melantho in the small moments and understated protections she offers. even when honesty is impossible, their love is undeniable and hewlett captures that forbidden bond masterfully. i’m tearing up once again just thinking about it.
another highlight for me was the solidarity between the handmaids. i was deeply touched by their care for one another which functioned as a form of quiet resistance, and by the small nook of tenderness the handmaids managed to carve out for themselves despite their circumstances. their playful back and forth also helped lighten the heaviness of the story at times which i was grateful for.
overall, this was a beautiful and devastating read. i don’t think i’m ever getting over it. sincere thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review. i can’t wait to purchase a physical copy.
December 23, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This books was such a good greek retelling and it was from a perspective I have never read from before. Melantho is a character that i wasn’t super familiar with but this story was heartbreaking and empowering all at the same time. This being advertised as a sapphic song of achilles is honestly very accurate and I hope it receives the same hype. With the odyssesy movie releasing soon i implore you to pick this up when you get the change.
November 18, 2025
4⭐️
This was a good read but also deeply sad. I do enjoy reading a mythical retelling like this but sometimes I feel like I need recovery time after- like I need to go read a happy rom-com where everyone lives happily ever after and nothing bad happens
This story is centered around Penelope, a princess of Sparta and Melantho, a slave girl serving in the palace. The two strike up a deep friendship as girls that follows them through the tribulations of their lives, from Sparta all the way to the shores of Ithica. Their love and connection only grows, continually drawing them back together.
This story looks to give a different view than the one typically told about these two women- Penelope of course is always remembered as the faithful wife of Odysseus, waiting 20 long years in Ithica for her King's return. Here we have a different story of those years- how Penelope and her handmaidens changed Ithica and kept the throne safe from enemies outside and in.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Let history have its lies if it means we can have each other."
This was a good read but also deeply sad. I do enjoy reading a mythical retelling like this but sometimes I feel like I need recovery time after- like I need to go read a happy rom-com where everyone lives happily ever after and nothing bad happens
This story is centered around Penelope, a princess of Sparta and Melantho, a slave girl serving in the palace. The two strike up a deep friendship as girls that follows them through the tribulations of their lives, from Sparta all the way to the shores of Ithica. Their love and connection only grows, continually drawing them back together.
This story looks to give a different view than the one typically told about these two women- Penelope of course is always remembered as the faithful wife of Odysseus, waiting 20 long years in Ithica for her King's return. Here we have a different story of those years- how Penelope and her handmaidens changed Ithica and kept the throne safe from enemies outside and in.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2025
E-ARC from NetGalley
RTC but it’s a no for me 🫤 love some sapphic retailing but this felt like a massive character assassination of all Odyssey characters
RTC but it’s a no for me 🫤 love some sapphic retailing but this felt like a massive character assassination of all Odyssey characters
October 28, 2025
why are we shipping penelope with her child slave that she raised like a daughter
November 14, 2025
“Let history have its lies if it means we can have each other.”
Okay so I think it was an absolute fluke that I managed to read this via NetGalley BUT I have been yearning for this book since I discovered its existence and I’m taking it as a sign from the gods. I didn’t think Rosie’s work could get any better but this right here is my favourite 🥹😭
Sweetbitter Song is reclamation and re-imagining of the life’s of the women who’s names may feature in the odyssey, but who’s stories are recorded only as orbiting a man’s legend. It’s a love letter to the intelligent, courageous, kind women whose actions, thoughts and lives were not thought worthy of legends. It’s profoundly moving, painful and hopeful.
The prose is lyrical and poetic, it’s a harsh juxtaposition between the stunning writing and horrifying subject matter that works beautifully to highlight the horror in sharp clarity. It also shines a light on the moments of peace and solace. There’s a rich sense of location and culture, interspersed with traditions and mythological lore
The Penelope we know, is the dutiful wife, living in the shadow of a legendary war and waiting faithfully for 20 years for her husband to return. Melantho is the traitorous handmaiden who betrayed her, siding with the vicious suitors vying for her marriage and throne.
But the history we know was told by men looking to carve their name into legend.
This re-imagining breathes life into the women of the story. Sweetbitter Song is a feminine focused retelling that shows the strength, kindness and innovation of women despite everything stacked against them. It’s a tender, devastating sapphic romance and a story of sisterhood and family.
“We were women forced to play in a game only men could win.”
Melantho and Penelope’s lives have been intertwined since they were children. A tangled, golden thread of girlhood, friendship and love spanning decades.
Women’s lives are pulled with the tides of men’s whims and actions. The women in this story endure a grinding down of their souls and spirit. It’s a tender, tragic, hopeful story. Of seeing the worst in the world and still reaching for something better. This will break your heart, but heal it too.
Melantho meets Penelope as a child. In secret, they become fast friends. Penelope is a princess and Melantho a slave serving her family. This power dynamic doesn’t allow for fraternisation or friendship. As a child Melantho doesn’t fully comprehend her place in the world, but childhood innocent and wonder cannot survive in a world so cruel. Pain and suffering will rip the shroud from her eyes. Given a glimpse of the life others lead, a summer of friendship, no work or fear of punishment. She recognises the cage she calls home now. One violent, life threatening night dashes any illusions she may have had.
The part of the story that explores their childhood is particularly painful. The childlike naivety of the narrator, overlaid with our own understanding is devastating.
Slaves have no control over their lives or bodies. They cannot protect themselves or their family. They are seen as possessions, not people.
“For slaves were not permitted to mourn. There was no space for our pain.”
Melantho is violently forced to recognise that “Slave” is not a family name, it’s an ownership. A denial of life and human experience. You can’t don naivety after it’s been so violently shed. It breeds bitterness.
“Penelope’s betrayal cut me far deeper, opening wounds my body did not recognise, did not know how to heal.”
As a child Melantho resents Penelope, for abandoning her and denying their bond.
When fate brings them together again years later, she tries to hold onto this anger and keep her distance, but they can’t extricate themselves from each other. Even when their efforts to protect each other cause more harm.
Penelope brings Melantho to her marital home of Ithica. Unable to relinquish their bond, but forbidden from acting on it. As they grow together Melantho realises that though Penelope’s station is higher than her own, all this affords her is a more gilded cage. Too much pain changes the lens in which you view the world and Melantho struggles feel anything when it could all be taken away.
“Silent truths will always find a way of being heard”
Penelope and her fellow handmaidens help coax Melantho into finding joy where she can. Choosing happiness a form of rebellion. Together, with their chosen family they navigate a perilous world. Left to carve what little peace and solace can be found from the scraps of a man’s table. But there is joy and love and they work to share this with as many women as they can. Building their own haven.
Their lives are intertwined by chance or fate, but the choices they make keep their futures woven together. Sweetbitter Song is reclamation and re-imagining of the life’s of the women who’s names may feature in the odyssey, but who’s stories are recorded only as orbiting a man’s legend. It’s a love letter to the intelligent, courageous, kind women whose actions, thoughts and lives were not thought worthy of legends. It’s profoundly moving, painful and hopeful.
“Perhaps this too was what it meant to love someone—a willingness to leap into the dark, ready to fly or fall, so long as you did so by their side.”
Okay so I think it was an absolute fluke that I managed to read this via NetGalley BUT I have been yearning for this book since I discovered its existence and I’m taking it as a sign from the gods. I didn’t think Rosie’s work could get any better but this right here is my favourite 🥹😭
Sweetbitter Song is reclamation and re-imagining of the life’s of the women who’s names may feature in the odyssey, but who’s stories are recorded only as orbiting a man’s legend. It’s a love letter to the intelligent, courageous, kind women whose actions, thoughts and lives were not thought worthy of legends. It’s profoundly moving, painful and hopeful.
The prose is lyrical and poetic, it’s a harsh juxtaposition between the stunning writing and horrifying subject matter that works beautifully to highlight the horror in sharp clarity. It also shines a light on the moments of peace and solace. There’s a rich sense of location and culture, interspersed with traditions and mythological lore
The Penelope we know, is the dutiful wife, living in the shadow of a legendary war and waiting faithfully for 20 years for her husband to return. Melantho is the traitorous handmaiden who betrayed her, siding with the vicious suitors vying for her marriage and throne.
But the history we know was told by men looking to carve their name into legend.
This re-imagining breathes life into the women of the story. Sweetbitter Song is a feminine focused retelling that shows the strength, kindness and innovation of women despite everything stacked against them. It’s a tender, devastating sapphic romance and a story of sisterhood and family.
“We were women forced to play in a game only men could win.”
Melantho and Penelope’s lives have been intertwined since they were children. A tangled, golden thread of girlhood, friendship and love spanning decades.
Women’s lives are pulled with the tides of men’s whims and actions. The women in this story endure a grinding down of their souls and spirit. It’s a tender, tragic, hopeful story. Of seeing the worst in the world and still reaching for something better. This will break your heart, but heal it too.
Melantho meets Penelope as a child. In secret, they become fast friends. Penelope is a princess and Melantho a slave serving her family. This power dynamic doesn’t allow for fraternisation or friendship. As a child Melantho doesn’t fully comprehend her place in the world, but childhood innocent and wonder cannot survive in a world so cruel. Pain and suffering will rip the shroud from her eyes. Given a glimpse of the life others lead, a summer of friendship, no work or fear of punishment. She recognises the cage she calls home now. One violent, life threatening night dashes any illusions she may have had.
The part of the story that explores their childhood is particularly painful. The childlike naivety of the narrator, overlaid with our own understanding is devastating.
Slaves have no control over their lives or bodies. They cannot protect themselves or their family. They are seen as possessions, not people.
“For slaves were not permitted to mourn. There was no space for our pain.”
Melantho is violently forced to recognise that “Slave” is not a family name, it’s an ownership. A denial of life and human experience. You can’t don naivety after it’s been so violently shed. It breeds bitterness.
“Penelope’s betrayal cut me far deeper, opening wounds my body did not recognise, did not know how to heal.”
As a child Melantho resents Penelope, for abandoning her and denying their bond.
When fate brings them together again years later, she tries to hold onto this anger and keep her distance, but they can’t extricate themselves from each other. Even when their efforts to protect each other cause more harm.
Penelope brings Melantho to her marital home of Ithica. Unable to relinquish their bond, but forbidden from acting on it. As they grow together Melantho realises that though Penelope’s station is higher than her own, all this affords her is a more gilded cage. Too much pain changes the lens in which you view the world and Melantho struggles feel anything when it could all be taken away.
“Silent truths will always find a way of being heard”
Penelope and her fellow handmaidens help coax Melantho into finding joy where she can. Choosing happiness a form of rebellion. Together, with their chosen family they navigate a perilous world. Left to carve what little peace and solace can be found from the scraps of a man’s table. But there is joy and love and they work to share this with as many women as they can. Building their own haven.
Their lives are intertwined by chance or fate, but the choices they make keep their futures woven together. Sweetbitter Song is reclamation and re-imagining of the life’s of the women who’s names may feature in the odyssey, but who’s stories are recorded only as orbiting a man’s legend. It’s a love letter to the intelligent, courageous, kind women whose actions, thoughts and lives were not thought worthy of legends. It’s profoundly moving, painful and hopeful.
“Perhaps this too was what it meant to love someone—a willingness to leap into the dark, ready to fly or fall, so long as you did so by their side.”
November 21, 2025
“i was like icarus and she the sun, her radiance drawing me closer even when i knew how far i had to fall. that was what it felt like to want penelope—a sweet, assured self-destruction.”
the most beautifully devastating book, and by far my favorite read of the year.
sweetbitter song is an exquisite love story that transcends class, power, and time. the novel showcases the beauty of friendship and the curse of loving someone incomprehensively beyond reach. melantho and penelope first meet as children from wildly different backgrounds—penelope, a young princess, and melantho, a slave. but these differences are powerless against the girls’ friendship and feelings that blossom over time.
this story is told from melantho’s perspective. born into slavery and forced to endure a challenging life, melantho's temper refuses to be extinguished, and she perseveres through it all. over the course of her life, penelope’s presence comes and goes like the tide. their relationship evolves and shifts over decades, ranging from enemies to indifference, and so much more.
this review took me a long time to write because it was nearly impossible to articulate my feelings in a precise way. i will never forget this retelling, or the relationship between melantho and penelope illustrated in this gorgeous book. i cannot recommend sweetbitter song enough <3
advanced reader’s copy review - thank you netgalley for the arc!
⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
themes: forbidden love, agency, identity, misogyny, sisterhood, and survival.
content warnings: child abuse, abuse, s*xual ass*ult, r*pe, murder, violence, sexism, character death, torture, misogyny, and slavery.
the most beautifully devastating book, and by far my favorite read of the year.
sweetbitter song is an exquisite love story that transcends class, power, and time. the novel showcases the beauty of friendship and the curse of loving someone incomprehensively beyond reach. melantho and penelope first meet as children from wildly different backgrounds—penelope, a young princess, and melantho, a slave. but these differences are powerless against the girls’ friendship and feelings that blossom over time.
this story is told from melantho’s perspective. born into slavery and forced to endure a challenging life, melantho's temper refuses to be extinguished, and she perseveres through it all. over the course of her life, penelope’s presence comes and goes like the tide. their relationship evolves and shifts over decades, ranging from enemies to indifference, and so much more.
this review took me a long time to write because it was nearly impossible to articulate my feelings in a precise way. i will never forget this retelling, or the relationship between melantho and penelope illustrated in this gorgeous book. i cannot recommend sweetbitter song enough <3
advanced reader’s copy review - thank you netgalley for the arc!
⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
themes: forbidden love, agency, identity, misogyny, sisterhood, and survival.
content warnings: child abuse, abuse, s*xual ass*ult, r*pe, murder, violence, sexism, character death, torture, misogyny, and slavery.
Want to read
December 15, 2025need this now
Read
February 5, 2026First ARC! I am unwell.
A beautiful story filled with friendship (and more) and love. Even Penelopes journey shocked me! I loved the idea of how stories can get twisted and retold, and only those who are experiencing it, will know of the truth. It gave me a new grasp and thought into the world of Homer, beautiful. The story of Melantho struck me many times especially, with her brother 😿 I hope to read more amazing and thoughtful books like this in the future!
May they never be forgotten.
A beautiful story filled with friendship (and more) and love. Even Penelopes journey shocked me! I loved the idea of how stories can get twisted and retold, and only those who are experiencing it, will know of the truth. It gave me a new grasp and thought into the world of Homer, beautiful. The story of Melantho struck me many times especially, with her brother 😿 I hope to read more amazing and thoughtful books like this in the future!
May they never be forgotten.
October 31, 2025
This is an excellent book! I have read Rosie Hewlett’s two other novels set in the world of ancient Greek mythology (Medusa and The Witch of Colchis) and this one is even better than the other two – a triumph and a masterpiece!
Sweetbitter Song imagines a relationship between Penelope from the Odyssey and her maid, Melantho, and weaves the two characters together as if their story had been left out of history.
Meeting in Sparta as children, Penelope and Melantho at once form an unbreakable bond that survives many challenges and twists of fate and then progresses to something more romantic as they age and their lives move to Odysseus’s island kingdom of Ithaca.
The adventure of the Odyssey serves as a distant backdrop for this tale, and tragically the relationship is doomed from the start because Penelope and Melantho were born into different stations in life: Penelope is a queen and Melantho is a slave. But while Odysseus is away fighting the Trojan War, Penelope and Melantho thrive and set up a perfect and just queendom that abolishes the degradation of slavery in Ithaca. But, everyone knows that Odysseus eventually returns! Knowing the ending of the Odyssey does not spoil the book; it makes it more poignant and tragic!
This quote from Melantho at the height of their relationship says it all about how they felt about each other, and about how the romance plays out:
“Perhaps that was what it meant to truly love someone—not fighting to hold them together but making them feel safe enough to fall apart. And that is what I would do for Penelope. I would let her lie, broken, in my arms for as long as she needed, keeping every sacred piece of her safe until she felt ready to put them back together again.”
The scene of Penelope and Melantho sneaking away to swim in the river Eurotas when they were children is not to be missed and will remind you of young love, and the ending of the novel is truly tragic and will have you crying, but it is truly poetic!
The pacing of the story was excellent – every time the action started to slow, it would take a new turn and everything would become exciting again.
The characters were extremely well developed, and I felt like I knew and was invested in them all. There is a cast of supporting characters who were all compelling and fleshed out. I especially liked Thratta, the Thracian handmaiden who was captured and sold into slavery, who then ended up in Penelope’s palace and performs a vital service during the novel’s climax; and I also liked Melantho’s foolish but achingly endearing brother, Melanthius.
I am a stickler for detail, and this story fits so well with the existing stories and mythology. Rosie Hewlett clearly spent a lot of time researching this book, and it has paid off! Even the smallest details fit with the stories I am familiar with, but previous knowledge of mythology is by no means a requirement to enjoy this novel. There are however, two important differences, understandable and meaningful, that were left out of the history books… and that is all I will say about that!
I look forward to reading more of Rosie Hewlett’s novels, as she is sure to be just starting a brilliant career! Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this novel before it is published. I look forward to buying my copy when it comes out.
Sweetbitter Song imagines a relationship between Penelope from the Odyssey and her maid, Melantho, and weaves the two characters together as if their story had been left out of history.
Meeting in Sparta as children, Penelope and Melantho at once form an unbreakable bond that survives many challenges and twists of fate and then progresses to something more romantic as they age and their lives move to Odysseus’s island kingdom of Ithaca.
The adventure of the Odyssey serves as a distant backdrop for this tale, and tragically the relationship is doomed from the start because Penelope and Melantho were born into different stations in life: Penelope is a queen and Melantho is a slave. But while Odysseus is away fighting the Trojan War, Penelope and Melantho thrive and set up a perfect and just queendom that abolishes the degradation of slavery in Ithaca. But, everyone knows that Odysseus eventually returns! Knowing the ending of the Odyssey does not spoil the book; it makes it more poignant and tragic!
This quote from Melantho at the height of their relationship says it all about how they felt about each other, and about how the romance plays out:
“Perhaps that was what it meant to truly love someone—not fighting to hold them together but making them feel safe enough to fall apart. And that is what I would do for Penelope. I would let her lie, broken, in my arms for as long as she needed, keeping every sacred piece of her safe until she felt ready to put them back together again.”
The scene of Penelope and Melantho sneaking away to swim in the river Eurotas when they were children is not to be missed and will remind you of young love, and the ending of the novel is truly tragic and will have you crying, but it is truly poetic!
The pacing of the story was excellent – every time the action started to slow, it would take a new turn and everything would become exciting again.
The characters were extremely well developed, and I felt like I knew and was invested in them all. There is a cast of supporting characters who were all compelling and fleshed out. I especially liked Thratta, the Thracian handmaiden who was captured and sold into slavery, who then ended up in Penelope’s palace and performs a vital service during the novel’s climax; and I also liked Melantho’s foolish but achingly endearing brother, Melanthius.
I am a stickler for detail, and this story fits so well with the existing stories and mythology. Rosie Hewlett clearly spent a lot of time researching this book, and it has paid off! Even the smallest details fit with the stories I am familiar with, but previous knowledge of mythology is by no means a requirement to enjoy this novel. There are however, two important differences, understandable and meaningful, that were left out of the history books… and that is all I will say about that!
I look forward to reading more of Rosie Hewlett’s novels, as she is sure to be just starting a brilliant career! Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this novel before it is published. I look forward to buying my copy when it comes out.
Want to read
October 8, 2025"A profoundly moving story of two women on the shores of Ithaca, in the shadows of a legendary war, who must face their own battle – one of sisterhood, survival, and a forbidden love that could destroy them both."
Want to read
December 3, 2025RTC
Thank you Netgalley and Bantam, Transworld Publisher from Random House UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Release date : 19 March 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Bantam, Transworld Publisher from Random House UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Release date : 19 March 2026
January 28, 2026
4🌟
“Let history have its lies if it means we can have each other”
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book! This book follows Melantho, a slave woman from Sparta, and Princess Penelope, the daughter of Icarus and the future queen of Ithaca. From a young age, the women become close and immediate friends, however the differences of their lives tears them apart. The book follows them as fate tears them apart, and then brings them back together through the hardships of both of their lives. I appreciate that this book gives us a deeper look at Penelope, someone who is often glossed over in history. She is kind-hearted, passionate, and ambitious - which are all characteristics history forgets to mention in women. I also appreciated that this book gave honest insight on what life looks like for those who are not the ruling class, as often times Greek-retellings are focused on the royals. Often, we look at history with rose-colored glasses, and I think it is important to remember the faults that existed too. This book was beautifully written, and deeply touching. I highly suggest reading this book if mythology or Ancient Greece-inspired books are your niche.
I was a little surprised at times with the language in this book, I was expecting the writing style to reflect other Greek-retellings that read like modern classics. Especially the way this was marketed as a sapphic Song of Achilles, I was sometimes surprised with the dialogue and interactions between characters. At times, the book read as though it was an Ancient Greece-inspired modern retelling, especially with some of the characterization and humor. However, that is the only reason this is not rated 5 stars, and this was just personal preference. I think the book is very approachable and relatable with the writing style used, it was just not what I was expecting.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
“Let history have its lies if it means we can have each other”
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book! This book follows Melantho, a slave woman from Sparta, and Princess Penelope, the daughter of Icarus and the future queen of Ithaca. From a young age, the women become close and immediate friends, however the differences of their lives tears them apart. The book follows them as fate tears them apart, and then brings them back together through the hardships of both of their lives. I appreciate that this book gives us a deeper look at Penelope, someone who is often glossed over in history. She is kind-hearted, passionate, and ambitious - which are all characteristics history forgets to mention in women. I also appreciated that this book gave honest insight on what life looks like for those who are not the ruling class, as often times Greek-retellings are focused on the royals. Often, we look at history with rose-colored glasses, and I think it is important to remember the faults that existed too. This book was beautifully written, and deeply touching. I highly suggest reading this book if mythology or Ancient Greece-inspired books are your niche.
I was a little surprised at times with the language in this book, I was expecting the writing style to reflect other Greek-retellings that read like modern classics. Especially the way this was marketed as a sapphic Song of Achilles, I was sometimes surprised with the dialogue and interactions between characters. At times, the book read as though it was an Ancient Greece-inspired modern retelling, especially with some of the characterization and humor. However, that is the only reason this is not rated 5 stars, and this was just personal preference. I think the book is very approachable and relatable with the writing style used, it was just not what I was expecting.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!
November 27, 2025
It's no secret I love Rosie’s writing but this is next level. A stunning reimagining with raw emotion, heart and hope. I am broken, moved and want to read it all over again.
Firstly I love how arguably the most famous Greek myth, a story about men and their egos, is playing out in the background as a passing reference while the real story is one of love, sacrifice, endurance and the best kind of found family in the most unlikely place. I got echoes of The Wolf Den trilogy by Elodie Harper in the way the handmaidens formed their bonds and loyalties, protecting each other and rebelling against their ownership by surviving and daring to thrive.
Also, thinking I knew how it would end, my heart was breaking for Melantho over and over again as the years went on and we drew closer to the return of Odysseus and the end of tale.
I wanted to scream at her every time she tried to save her brother from his own undoing. I wanted to protect her every time she put herself in danger. I did cry for her every time she and Penelope walked away from each other.
Rosie took Penelope’s story but by showing us through Melantho’s eyes made it more real and more ‘true’. This is the version I will forever choose to believe is the real version, sadness, heartbreak and all.
This book destroyed me and had me crying ugly tears, on a plane, on my birthday, which is the highest possible praise I can give.
The purest and most tender story of love, bitter, sweet and a whole other kind of epic. I cannot wait for a finished copy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this much anticipated book.
Firstly I love how arguably the most famous Greek myth, a story about men and their egos, is playing out in the background as a passing reference while the real story is one of love, sacrifice, endurance and the best kind of found family in the most unlikely place. I got echoes of The Wolf Den trilogy by Elodie Harper in the way the handmaidens formed their bonds and loyalties, protecting each other and rebelling against their ownership by surviving and daring to thrive.
Also, thinking I knew how it would end, my heart was breaking for Melantho over and over again as the years went on and we drew closer to the return of Odysseus and the end of tale.
I wanted to scream at her every time she tried to save her brother from his own undoing. I wanted to protect her every time she put herself in danger. I did cry for her every time she and Penelope walked away from each other.
Rosie took Penelope’s story but by showing us through Melantho’s eyes made it more real and more ‘true’. This is the version I will forever choose to believe is the real version, sadness, heartbreak and all.
This book destroyed me and had me crying ugly tears, on a plane, on my birthday, which is the highest possible praise I can give.
The purest and most tender story of love, bitter, sweet and a whole other kind of epic. I cannot wait for a finished copy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this much anticipated book.
November 11, 2025
This is my second book by this author and I have to say so far Rosie’s writing is beautiful. After reading and loving Medusa recently I was so excited when this appeared in my emails.
We follow Princess Penelope and slave Melantho. After becoming friends as children they are punished for sneaking out one day to go swim in the river. Melantho feels betrayed and the girls go their separate ways. Fast forward to the future and they become reacquainted whilst Melantho is a slave in the palace and Penelope has arrived to find a man to become betrothed to. Queue a painful experience as the girls struggle with their true feelings for one another and knowing their different status’s in society means they cannot act upon those feelings.
I loved the Greek mythology inspiration in this story, it made for beautiful world building and highlighting the issues around slavery and how women were treated as lesser individuals than their male counterparts.
This is a beautifully written sapphic love story that explores pain, loss and love. There was tension, yearning and lust between our two fmcs, which pulled me in as a reader. I highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honey review.
We follow Princess Penelope and slave Melantho. After becoming friends as children they are punished for sneaking out one day to go swim in the river. Melantho feels betrayed and the girls go their separate ways. Fast forward to the future and they become reacquainted whilst Melantho is a slave in the palace and Penelope has arrived to find a man to become betrothed to. Queue a painful experience as the girls struggle with their true feelings for one another and knowing their different status’s in society means they cannot act upon those feelings.
I loved the Greek mythology inspiration in this story, it made for beautiful world building and highlighting the issues around slavery and how women were treated as lesser individuals than their male counterparts.
This is a beautifully written sapphic love story that explores pain, loss and love. There was tension, yearning and lust between our two fmcs, which pulled me in as a reader. I highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honey review.
November 20, 2025
Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.
One of my favourite type of retellings is Greek Mythology retellings so when I saw this Sapphic retelling about Penelope and Melantho I was just hoping I get approved because this is my jam. This is told through the perspective of Melantho and how she becomes Penelope’s handmaiden. This is a slowburn sapphic love story that I think worked in a lot of ways. Nothing only do you get this really deep relationship between Penelope and Melantho but also the rest of Penelope’s handmaiden’s . Which made the lead up to the ending all the more stressful.
This is also a retelling in a similar vein to Greek Mythology retellings where the Gods were mentioned in passion but they play no active role in the story, so I would recommend being prepared for that. I do like how Melantho very much makes this her story, Odysseus be damned. There are certain plot points that where you know where he is in his journey but it’s no the focal point, it’s a passing thought and I liked that. Overall, I really enjoyed this, and know I need to read Rosie’s other book about Medea.
Sidenote: If you are a die hard EPIC: The Musical Ride or die PenelopexOdysseus tread with caution as you might not like this one.
One of my favourite type of retellings is Greek Mythology retellings so when I saw this Sapphic retelling about Penelope and Melantho I was just hoping I get approved because this is my jam. This is told through the perspective of Melantho and how she becomes Penelope’s handmaiden. This is a slowburn sapphic love story that I think worked in a lot of ways. Nothing only do you get this really deep relationship between Penelope and Melantho but also the rest of Penelope’s handmaiden’s . Which made the lead up to the ending all the more stressful.
This is also a retelling in a similar vein to Greek Mythology retellings where the Gods were mentioned in passion but they play no active role in the story, so I would recommend being prepared for that. I do like how Melantho very much makes this her story, Odysseus be damned. There are certain plot points that where you know where he is in his journey but it’s no the focal point, it’s a passing thought and I liked that. Overall, I really enjoyed this, and know I need to read Rosie’s other book about Medea.
Sidenote: If you are a die hard EPIC: The Musical Ride or die PenelopexOdysseus tread with caution as you might not like this one.
November 3, 2025
| “Eros, the melter of limbs (now again) stirs me— sweetbitter unmanageable creature who steals in.”
oh. i was never familiar with Melantho’s role in The Odyssey but i obviously have not been reading enough greek retellings through a woman’s perspective, this evoked so many feelings within me.
despite the book being a lengthy 500+ pages, the flow of its writing and Melantho’s realistic characterizations are able to seamlessly carry the reader through the narrative, unaware of the time passing by within the story and outside of it.
| “People will sing of Odysseus for generations, and you will always be his dutiful Penelope, his obedient wife.”
Melantho and Penelope’s relationship is reminiscent of both the obvious and quieter tragedy that women had to endure in greek stories, despite recalling Patroclus and Achilles’ dynamic. this could very easily fall into the trap of being an awful oppressed and oppressor ship, but the writer’s care for these characters made them truly exist within this tale, fleshed out and completely alive— including the side characters.
the sentence structure and words within the dialogue did feel out of place a few times considering the setting, but it did not erase ones that were beautifully exchanged.
they filled me up and sucked me dry (my tears, literally), exhilarating yet exhausting at the same time. to the Queen of Ithaca and her handmaids. it was an honor to have a peek into your lives.
p.s: this will undeniably affect my epic the musical listening experience for the unforeseeable future.
take care to check content warnings before reading. as this is a greek retelling, it explores a lot of heavy and dark stories.
𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢
thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks for providing me access to the ARC! all reviews posted are unbiased and true to experience.
oh. i was never familiar with Melantho’s role in The Odyssey but i obviously have not been reading enough greek retellings through a woman’s perspective, this evoked so many feelings within me.
despite the book being a lengthy 500+ pages, the flow of its writing and Melantho’s realistic characterizations are able to seamlessly carry the reader through the narrative, unaware of the time passing by within the story and outside of it.
| “People will sing of Odysseus for generations, and you will always be his dutiful Penelope, his obedient wife.”
Melantho and Penelope’s relationship is reminiscent of both the obvious and quieter tragedy that women had to endure in greek stories, despite recalling Patroclus and Achilles’ dynamic. this could very easily fall into the trap of being an awful oppressed and oppressor ship, but the writer’s care for these characters made them truly exist within this tale, fleshed out and completely alive— including the side characters.
the sentence structure and words within the dialogue did feel out of place a few times considering the setting, but it did not erase ones that were beautifully exchanged.
they filled me up and sucked me dry (my tears, literally), exhilarating yet exhausting at the same time. to the Queen of Ithaca and her handmaids. it was an honor to have a peek into your lives.
p.s: this will undeniably affect my epic the musical listening experience for the unforeseeable future.
take care to check content warnings before reading. as this is a greek retelling, it explores a lot of heavy and dark stories.
𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ 𓏢
thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks for providing me access to the ARC! all reviews posted are unbiased and true to experience.
November 21, 2025
As predicted with a Rosie Hewlett book I cried for a good 25% of this🤣 she just knows how to make those emotions hit!!!
I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive and a bit like ummmm??? when I learned a bit more about the mythology behind this - Melantho being the traitorous handmaiden of Penelope (and raised almost like a daughter) but make it a sapphic retelling…okay, I reserve judgement and let’s see how this goes!
Honestly, I think in viewing it as a completely new take on the mythos it works so well, I really felt for melantho and Penelope so much (🥺just wanted them to be happy) and all the handmaidens were the best, found family at its peak✨
Beautiful prose, emotional depth, lovable (and very hateable!!!) characters and just a great read all round! I can see some of the Greek mythology super fans maybe not being so happy, but ya know what, I very much enjoyed it!
Thanks so much for the ARC💕
I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive and a bit like ummmm??? when I learned a bit more about the mythology behind this - Melantho being the traitorous handmaiden of Penelope (and raised almost like a daughter) but make it a sapphic retelling…okay, I reserve judgement and let’s see how this goes!
Honestly, I think in viewing it as a completely new take on the mythos it works so well, I really felt for melantho and Penelope so much (🥺just wanted them to be happy) and all the handmaidens were the best, found family at its peak✨
Beautiful prose, emotional depth, lovable (and very hateable!!!) characters and just a great read all round! I can see some of the Greek mythology super fans maybe not being so happy, but ya know what, I very much enjoyed it!
Thanks so much for the ARC💕
October 28, 2025
Where do I even start with this book?
This is only the second Romance novel I've ever read, but holy hell, this book was a big eureka moment for me. Definitely solidified for me that I'm a romance fiction enjoyer.
I'm completely unfamiliar with the mythology that all of this is based on aside from vaguely knowing who Odysseus is, so I can't offer any critique regarding how Sweetbitter Song stands up to or compares to the original stories. HOWEVER, the story and characters here had me absolutely ENTHRALLED from beginning to end. A true roller-coaster of emotion and easily one of my favorite books that I've read in a while. There were several moments while reading where I was audibly cheering alone in my room, that's how invested I was. I really adore this book and I'm seriously glad I went outside my normal comfort zone to give it a try.
Highly, highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the review copy.
This is only the second Romance novel I've ever read, but holy hell, this book was a big eureka moment for me. Definitely solidified for me that I'm a romance fiction enjoyer.
I'm completely unfamiliar with the mythology that all of this is based on aside from vaguely knowing who Odysseus is, so I can't offer any critique regarding how Sweetbitter Song stands up to or compares to the original stories. HOWEVER, the story and characters here had me absolutely ENTHRALLED from beginning to end. A true roller-coaster of emotion and easily one of my favorite books that I've read in a while. There were several moments while reading where I was audibly cheering alone in my room, that's how invested I was. I really adore this book and I'm seriously glad I went outside my normal comfort zone to give it a try.
Highly, highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the review copy.
February 8, 2026
I fell in love with Rosie Hewlett’s writing when I read The Witch of Colchis so I was so excited to receive this ARC. Her writing is absolutely devastating. The moral of this story is all men suck, which I already knew, but man does this make me want to riot in the streets. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2025
SWEET BITTER SONG is a BREATHTAKING novel. A tragic love story set in the turbulent backwash of the events of The Odyssey. However you don’t need to know this legend. You don’t even need to have an interest in mythology. SWEET BITTER SONG is an AWESOME experience in its own right that will leave its mark on you long after you have finished the last page.
January 30, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ Truly one of the best Greek mythology retelling that I have read in maybe years.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read this ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read this ARC!
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December 1, 2025Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of Sweetbitter Song!
I'm afraid I'm DNFing this book due to highly triggering content that wasn't indicated in the book description. The book description states that "One summer night, within the palace of Sparta, a young slave girl stumbles across a grey-eyed princess", which is an incredibly euphemistic way to describe the book's opening.
In reality, we spend the first few chapters waiting to see if Penelope's father Icarius will succeed in (spoiler tags for triggering content) the nine-year-old Melantho. This is how Penelope and Melantho come to meet. I found it really harrowing to read those initial chapters, complete with the grief of Melantho's mother and Icarius' horrendous commentary on Melantho as . The book doesn't romanticise this, but I don't have it in me to read the entire book. (Either this is a recurring theme and it will be a highly traumatising read, or it won't come up again which means it would have been included in the book gratuitously.)
I wouldn't normally leave a review of a book I've read so little of, but I think this is the kind of thing that should at least be hinted at in the book description so that readers can make an informed decision before purchasing.
I'm afraid I'm DNFing this book due to highly triggering content that wasn't indicated in the book description. The book description states that "One summer night, within the palace of Sparta, a young slave girl stumbles across a grey-eyed princess", which is an incredibly euphemistic way to describe the book's opening.
In reality, we spend the first few chapters waiting to see if Penelope's father Icarius will succeed in (spoiler tags for triggering content) the nine-year-old Melantho. This is how Penelope and Melantho come to meet. I found it really harrowing to read those initial chapters, complete with the grief of Melantho's mother and Icarius' horrendous commentary on Melantho as . The book doesn't romanticise this, but I don't have it in me to read the entire book. (Either this is a recurring theme and it will be a highly traumatising read, or it won't come up again which means it would have been included in the book gratuitously.)
I wouldn't normally leave a review of a book I've read so little of, but I think this is the kind of thing that should at least be hinted at in the book description so that readers can make an informed decision before purchasing.
November 5, 2025
A retelling of Greek mythology…but this time, sapphic 💋
Rosie Hewlett’s newest book follows a new version of Penelope (wife of Odysseus) and her relationship with her handmaid Melantho. I’d like to preface the rest of this review with the disclaimer that I wasn’t aware of Melantho’s historical role as Penelope’s foster daughter; however, in this novel they are the same age and are initially introduced as childhood friends.
I love a sapphic romance, and I love mythology…so I was surprised that I wasn’t more obsessed with this book. Perhaps it’s because I felt disconnected from both Melantho and Penelope as characters, or because the power dynamic between them interfered with how I perceived their chemistry. I think that their relationship also never fully hit the mark for me as a romantic relationship; sadly, the romantic elements felt forced into the second half of the story.
Overall, this was a 3 ⭐️ read for me. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for this honest review! “Sweetbitter Song” will be out in the world on 3.17.26!
Rosie Hewlett’s newest book follows a new version of Penelope (wife of Odysseus) and her relationship with her handmaid Melantho. I’d like to preface the rest of this review with the disclaimer that I wasn’t aware of Melantho’s historical role as Penelope’s foster daughter; however, in this novel they are the same age and are initially introduced as childhood friends.
I love a sapphic romance, and I love mythology…so I was surprised that I wasn’t more obsessed with this book. Perhaps it’s because I felt disconnected from both Melantho and Penelope as characters, or because the power dynamic between them interfered with how I perceived their chemistry. I think that their relationship also never fully hit the mark for me as a romantic relationship; sadly, the romantic elements felt forced into the second half of the story.
Overall, this was a 3 ⭐️ read for me. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for this honest review! “Sweetbitter Song” will be out in the world on 3.17.26!
December 20, 2025
I’m a slut for mythology and the Odyssey saga has always been one of my favourites — but I’m also one of those people who thinks the women written into these stories, characters that have become timeless icons of literature, were never given the respect they deserve.
That’s why I adore Rosie Hewlett so much; she identifies the way that women read these stories, the way we recognise things in these characters that the men writing them couldn’t understand, the way we can see them as more than a wife, a witch — and she raises the voice we already heard. And seeing as she already killed it with one of my most loved women in ancient lit, Medea, I was so excited to read her reimagining of Penelope, a mighty, clever, fair queen who is written off as anything but the patient, loyal wife of Odysseus and the often forgotten 'rebellious handmaid' Melantho.
Immediately I was drawn in by the thoughtful, descriptive prose that set the tone, the time, the atmosphere so well with a heavy mixture of overbearing fear, the threat of war and a sense of covertness that made everything feel so high-stakes and emotional.
"Let history have it's lies, if it means we can have each other."
We start with Melantho as just a child, seeing the world through an innocent lens who doesn’t understand the dangers she’s facing while we, the reader, watch on in horror at the cruel world, the politics and violence she and the strange princess Penelope live in. It moves fluidly, quick chapters, excellent pacing and full of magnificent world building that makes the story undeniably consuming.
We watch these two girls navigate a strange kinship in a world that separates them by so much, try to understand their love and their social responsibility before they are torn apart — only to reunite when the divide is so much wider and old wounds open again. It delves into the untold, the women whose hands are being fought over, who run kingdoms silently and underestimated, who are forced into slavery and sold - two girls owned by men in different ways, who are vital parts of their society but are never allowed to seek the praise or thanks for it.
"But why are there no stories like this, like ours? Why do people only sing of love between men, or men with women?' 'Because men are the ones telling the stories, and they cannot fathom something existing without their involvement.'"
Melantho takes the role of our narrator, letting us into her life and mind as the decades fall away, watching two women imprisoned by different parts of society form a bond, create waves — every woman they encountered was a beautiful, shining example of feminine power, solidarity and care. Their relationship was stunning; delicate, essential, living in that borderland of romance and friendship, growing with them and honestly making me blush with the sheer chemistry between them.
"'Your love is the kind the poets would write about.' In Greek, we have many different words for love. Telemachus used the word Philia, denoting the truest form of friendship, a soul-to-soul bond. I had once believed my love for Penelope was like this, intimate yet platonic. But over time, I had realised that was just a hopeful lie."
A stunning, magical tale about female power, love and joy - told in a hauntingly poetic, wickedly clever and simply joyous reimagining of an ancient story.
That’s why I adore Rosie Hewlett so much; she identifies the way that women read these stories, the way we recognise things in these characters that the men writing them couldn’t understand, the way we can see them as more than a wife, a witch — and she raises the voice we already heard. And seeing as she already killed it with one of my most loved women in ancient lit, Medea, I was so excited to read her reimagining of Penelope, a mighty, clever, fair queen who is written off as anything but the patient, loyal wife of Odysseus and the often forgotten 'rebellious handmaid' Melantho.
Immediately I was drawn in by the thoughtful, descriptive prose that set the tone, the time, the atmosphere so well with a heavy mixture of overbearing fear, the threat of war and a sense of covertness that made everything feel so high-stakes and emotional.
"Let history have it's lies, if it means we can have each other."
We start with Melantho as just a child, seeing the world through an innocent lens who doesn’t understand the dangers she’s facing while we, the reader, watch on in horror at the cruel world, the politics and violence she and the strange princess Penelope live in. It moves fluidly, quick chapters, excellent pacing and full of magnificent world building that makes the story undeniably consuming.
We watch these two girls navigate a strange kinship in a world that separates them by so much, try to understand their love and their social responsibility before they are torn apart — only to reunite when the divide is so much wider and old wounds open again. It delves into the untold, the women whose hands are being fought over, who run kingdoms silently and underestimated, who are forced into slavery and sold - two girls owned by men in different ways, who are vital parts of their society but are never allowed to seek the praise or thanks for it.
"But why are there no stories like this, like ours? Why do people only sing of love between men, or men with women?' 'Because men are the ones telling the stories, and they cannot fathom something existing without their involvement.'"
Melantho takes the role of our narrator, letting us into her life and mind as the decades fall away, watching two women imprisoned by different parts of society form a bond, create waves — every woman they encountered was a beautiful, shining example of feminine power, solidarity and care. Their relationship was stunning; delicate, essential, living in that borderland of romance and friendship, growing with them and honestly making me blush with the sheer chemistry between them.
"'Your love is the kind the poets would write about.' In Greek, we have many different words for love. Telemachus used the word Philia, denoting the truest form of friendship, a soul-to-soul bond. I had once believed my love for Penelope was like this, intimate yet platonic. But over time, I had realised that was just a hopeful lie."
A stunning, magical tale about female power, love and joy - told in a hauntingly poetic, wickedly clever and simply joyous reimagining of an ancient story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I do love a good Greek myth retelling – and this is a good retelling.
Melantho is a slave in the house of King Tyndareus. As a 9-year-old, she is summoned to the bedchamber of the King’s brother, Icarius. There she meets the grey-eyed Princess, Penelope. Penelope distracts her father to save Melantho from his desires. Soon Penelope takes Melantho to train as her handmaid. As Penelope is close in age to Melantho, they develop a close friendship. However, when the Queen learns of their friendship se decides that Penelope hasn’t trained Melantho sufficiently and orders Melantho whipped. As Penelope tries to distance herself from Melantho, she refused to use the whip on her. This leaves her cousin, Clytemnestra, to mete out the punishment instead and she spares nothing. Feeling betrayed by Penelope, Melantho develops bitterness towards her and the other slave owners.
Five years pass and Penelope has returned to Sparta to celebrate the wedding of her cousin Helen. Melantho has graduated from working in the kitchen to serve in the hall and has befriended another servant who teaches her to use her feminine wiles to wield a bit of power. Penelope too plans to take a husband – the mighty Odysseus and sets about helping him to win her hand from her uncle. Melantho and her brother plan to use the wedding as a means of escaping their enslavement – but things go awry and they are recaptured. Threatened with being branded, Penelope rescues both Melantho and her brother by insisting they be her wedding present.
Life is slightly better in Ithaca for Melantho and her brother. She works in the kitchens again and he works as a goat herd. He is a mass of brooding bitterness having been separated from his girlfriend back in Sparta. Melantho is distant with the other slaves and thinks often of escape. However, Odysseus is kind and reveals that Penelope has asked him to free Melantho. He vows to free her on his return from the Trojan wars if she can be of good service to Penelope. With the two women thrown back into their former closeness, can they carve a new life in Ithaca where their friendship can blossom?
This is a really great retelling of a little-known character of Greek Mythology. The characters feel real and authentic and like they have stepped straight out of the Odyssey. Yes, there is some graphic scenes – both sex and violence, but they are important to the story and not merely gratuitous. Rosie Hewlett is fast becoming one of my favourite authors as she writes with great vividness and colour. She manages to weave what we already know with what might have been in a really interesting and seamless way.
If you are a fan of Greek Mythology, then you will probably really enjoy this too!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Melantho is a slave in the house of King Tyndareus. As a 9-year-old, she is summoned to the bedchamber of the King’s brother, Icarius. There she meets the grey-eyed Princess, Penelope. Penelope distracts her father to save Melantho from his desires. Soon Penelope takes Melantho to train as her handmaid. As Penelope is close in age to Melantho, they develop a close friendship. However, when the Queen learns of their friendship se decides that Penelope hasn’t trained Melantho sufficiently and orders Melantho whipped. As Penelope tries to distance herself from Melantho, she refused to use the whip on her. This leaves her cousin, Clytemnestra, to mete out the punishment instead and she spares nothing. Feeling betrayed by Penelope, Melantho develops bitterness towards her and the other slave owners.
Five years pass and Penelope has returned to Sparta to celebrate the wedding of her cousin Helen. Melantho has graduated from working in the kitchen to serve in the hall and has befriended another servant who teaches her to use her feminine wiles to wield a bit of power. Penelope too plans to take a husband – the mighty Odysseus and sets about helping him to win her hand from her uncle. Melantho and her brother plan to use the wedding as a means of escaping their enslavement – but things go awry and they are recaptured. Threatened with being branded, Penelope rescues both Melantho and her brother by insisting they be her wedding present.
Life is slightly better in Ithaca for Melantho and her brother. She works in the kitchens again and he works as a goat herd. He is a mass of brooding bitterness having been separated from his girlfriend back in Sparta. Melantho is distant with the other slaves and thinks often of escape. However, Odysseus is kind and reveals that Penelope has asked him to free Melantho. He vows to free her on his return from the Trojan wars if she can be of good service to Penelope. With the two women thrown back into their former closeness, can they carve a new life in Ithaca where their friendship can blossom?
This is a really great retelling of a little-known character of Greek Mythology. The characters feel real and authentic and like they have stepped straight out of the Odyssey. Yes, there is some graphic scenes – both sex and violence, but they are important to the story and not merely gratuitous. Rosie Hewlett is fast becoming one of my favourite authors as she writes with great vividness and colour. She manages to weave what we already know with what might have been in a really interesting and seamless way.
If you are a fan of Greek Mythology, then you will probably really enjoy this too!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'd largely sworn off Greek myth retellings until I saw this book, and let me tell you, I gave this book a chance and it knocked it out of the park.
Serving in the palace of Sparta, young slave Melantho spends her days with her mother, trying to stay out of trouble, until a striking young princess arrives and Melantho falls into her orbit. Melantho and Penelope become friends despite their differences, are violently torn apart, and reunite to face the looming Trojan war and the force of the love they can no longer deny.
This book is a whirlwind. It's emotional and reflective but compulsively readable. I saw some other early reviews rate it negative because the characters aren't true to the source material, and can I just say THANK GOD. I've had a lot of trouble with Greek myth retellings in the past because so many authors insist on staying true to characters which are frankly just very flat in the original epics. I'm not saying those stories aren't important, but the characters in them aren't supposed to be complex, they're supposed to be epic (i.e. all-encompassing and therefore lacking entirely in personality). I've read the Illiad once and the Odyssey twice, and I don't care that Penelope in this book isn't like Penelope in the epic because Penelope in the epic doesn't do anything. Her husband takes 10 years to get back to her, 7 years of which he spends fucking around and cheating on her, and she does nothing.
Rant over. TLDR: I don't care that this isn't true to the source material, because it would be boring if it was. If you want to read the Odyssey, put down the sapphic romance and go read the Odyssey.
Anyway, the writing is lovely but also really easy to follow, and Hewlett really knows how to hit those dramatic beats which I always appreciate. This book gets very dark at points, including fairly graphic on-page sexual assault and extreme violence. As an enjoyer of suffering, I loved it, and it's paced out nicely with the moments of light and hope. I really love the little family of women Melantho and Penelope build, though I wish some of them got to play a bigger role in the plot (I really thought Eurynome was going to come in handy at a crucial moment). It maybe drags a bit in the 60-80% section because (once again, an issue with retellings) the reader knows vaguely how the story goes and is mainly waiting for Odysseus to show up, and the plot events at that point aren't a really significant distraction from that. On the whole though, I think this was really great!
Do you like sad, gay books? Do you like myth retellings that don't just have the same out flat, recycled characters you've read about a million times? Sweetbitter Song is a lovely book, and is sure to be one of the standout releases of early 2026!
Thank you to Rosie Hewlett and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
Serving in the palace of Sparta, young slave Melantho spends her days with her mother, trying to stay out of trouble, until a striking young princess arrives and Melantho falls into her orbit. Melantho and Penelope become friends despite their differences, are violently torn apart, and reunite to face the looming Trojan war and the force of the love they can no longer deny.
This book is a whirlwind. It's emotional and reflective but compulsively readable. I saw some other early reviews rate it negative because the characters aren't true to the source material, and can I just say THANK GOD. I've had a lot of trouble with Greek myth retellings in the past because so many authors insist on staying true to characters which are frankly just very flat in the original epics. I'm not saying those stories aren't important, but the characters in them aren't supposed to be complex, they're supposed to be epic (i.e. all-encompassing and therefore lacking entirely in personality). I've read the Illiad once and the Odyssey twice, and I don't care that Penelope in this book isn't like Penelope in the epic because Penelope in the epic doesn't do anything. Her husband takes 10 years to get back to her, 7 years of which he spends fucking around and cheating on her, and she does nothing.
Rant over. TLDR: I don't care that this isn't true to the source material, because it would be boring if it was. If you want to read the Odyssey, put down the sapphic romance and go read the Odyssey.
Anyway, the writing is lovely but also really easy to follow, and Hewlett really knows how to hit those dramatic beats which I always appreciate. This book gets very dark at points, including fairly graphic on-page sexual assault and extreme violence. As an enjoyer of suffering, I loved it, and it's paced out nicely with the moments of light and hope. I really love the little family of women Melantho and Penelope build, though I wish some of them got to play a bigger role in the plot (I really thought Eurynome was going to come in handy at a crucial moment). It maybe drags a bit in the 60-80% section because (once again, an issue with retellings) the reader knows vaguely how the story goes and is mainly waiting for Odysseus to show up, and the plot events at that point aren't a really significant distraction from that. On the whole though, I think this was really great!
Do you like sad, gay books? Do you like myth retellings that don't just have the same out flat, recycled characters you've read about a million times? Sweetbitter Song is a lovely book, and is sure to be one of the standout releases of early 2026!
Thank you to Rosie Hewlett and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
January 31, 2026
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
I know why people are comparing Sweetbitter Song to The Song of Achilles; both are tragic, queer Greek mythology retellings with lush prose, and of course feature “song” in the title. However, I think that is a disservice to both novels. They are each their own work, and they each have something to say. Sweetbitter Song tells a new tale of Melantho and Penelope, rewriting Melantho’s betrayal into a sacrifice made for love. It also explores the complexities of women’s imprisonment - Melantho is an actual slave, always owned by someone else, but despite what she thinks initially, Penelope is not free either. Even a noblewoman is viewed as a man’s property - first her father’s, then her husband’s. No idea is her own, and if she tries to make a name for herself, the credit will never be hers. Even the powerful women are reduced to nothing more than a silent, pretty face in the songs.
Melanthius is also a good study - he believes himself better than a slave, but he thinks the only way to freedom is through violence and blind trust in men who would be his master. Every avenue he takes is met with betrayal, because he forgets that even the people that do not own him view him as someone’s property. They take his help and his coins and leave him stranded in the same place, but he never learns. He is so ashamed of his status, so desperate to be a hero to his wife and child, that he never considers they would be happy if he simply came back alive.
As much as I love the faithful, heroic Odysseus painted in works like The Odyssey or Epic: The Musical, I also think Sweetbitter’s version of him is equally true to the myths. As clever and kind as he is with those he cares for, he is still a king, a man raised in a position of power to believe he is owed absolute loyalty from all. Dangling Melantho’s freedom before her, to be won on near-impossible terms. Taking Penelope’s ideas while believing that she, as a woman, could never be so cunning. Sweetbitter Song even brings forward the madness Odysseus succumbs to in later life, driving him to murder and paranoia and making Ithaca unsafe for those who once sought it as a haven.
Sweetbitter Song is a beautiful, heartrending novel about love, freedom, and the price you are willing to pay for both.
I know why people are comparing Sweetbitter Song to The Song of Achilles; both are tragic, queer Greek mythology retellings with lush prose, and of course feature “song” in the title. However, I think that is a disservice to both novels. They are each their own work, and they each have something to say. Sweetbitter Song tells a new tale of Melantho and Penelope, rewriting Melantho’s betrayal into a sacrifice made for love. It also explores the complexities of women’s imprisonment - Melantho is an actual slave, always owned by someone else, but despite what she thinks initially, Penelope is not free either. Even a noblewoman is viewed as a man’s property - first her father’s, then her husband’s. No idea is her own, and if she tries to make a name for herself, the credit will never be hers. Even the powerful women are reduced to nothing more than a silent, pretty face in the songs.
Melanthius is also a good study - he believes himself better than a slave, but he thinks the only way to freedom is through violence and blind trust in men who would be his master. Every avenue he takes is met with betrayal, because he forgets that even the people that do not own him view him as someone’s property. They take his help and his coins and leave him stranded in the same place, but he never learns. He is so ashamed of his status, so desperate to be a hero to his wife and child, that he never considers they would be happy if he simply came back alive.
As much as I love the faithful, heroic Odysseus painted in works like The Odyssey or Epic: The Musical, I also think Sweetbitter’s version of him is equally true to the myths. As clever and kind as he is with those he cares for, he is still a king, a man raised in a position of power to believe he is owed absolute loyalty from all. Dangling Melantho’s freedom before her, to be won on near-impossible terms. Taking Penelope’s ideas while believing that she, as a woman, could never be so cunning. Sweetbitter Song even brings forward the madness Odysseus succumbs to in later life, driving him to murder and paranoia and making Ithaca unsafe for those who once sought it as a haven.
Sweetbitter Song is a beautiful, heartrending novel about love, freedom, and the price you are willing to pay for both.
December 6, 2025
"Those details will slip through the cracks of history, like a beautiful forgotten dream."
ˋ° *⁀➷ Rating: 5/5 ✰
Holy moly it's going to take me a minute to get over this one! I savored every minute of this book and finishing it is, like the title, bittersweet. So gorgeous and heartbreaking, it tells of the forgotten lives of Penelope (the ever-faithful wife of Odysseus) and her handmaidens, specifically Melantho. Here, Melantho is reimagined as the same age as Penelope, and they meet early on in life as precious friends instead of the original myth where they have more of a motherly relationship. There's a lot of beautiful female friendship and relationships in this, but just like all the great Greek tragedies, there's a lot of pain here as well. This is a romance that blooms from the most bitter of circumstances.
Early on you get to see how terribly slaves could be treated back in Ancient Greece, and through the eyes of a child it's all the more devastating - you have to watch each moment where the cruelties of the world chip away at her happiness and innocence. Slaves could be beaten or separated from their families and it's all considered completely normal - even "just" sometimes. It's not an easy read, and there were times I had to take a break because the story was just so painful, but the complex relationships between the women more than made up for all the pain. The original tropes from the myths are completely unraveled, replaced with so much nuance and complexity that it becomes an entirely different story.
Closing thoughts:
If you like female-focused stories and mythological retellings that turn the original tale on its head, then this is definitely for you. This book is so raw, real, and beautiful; I hope it blows up like The Song of Achilles, because it definitely deserves all the attention and more.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and not sponsored in any way.
ˋ° *⁀➷ Rating: 5/5 ✰
Holy moly it's going to take me a minute to get over this one! I savored every minute of this book and finishing it is, like the title, bittersweet. So gorgeous and heartbreaking, it tells of the forgotten lives of Penelope (the ever-faithful wife of Odysseus) and her handmaidens, specifically Melantho. Here, Melantho is reimagined as the same age as Penelope, and they meet early on in life as precious friends instead of the original myth where they have more of a motherly relationship. There's a lot of beautiful female friendship and relationships in this, but just like all the great Greek tragedies, there's a lot of pain here as well. This is a romance that blooms from the most bitter of circumstances.
Early on you get to see how terribly slaves could be treated back in Ancient Greece, and through the eyes of a child it's all the more devastating - you have to watch each moment where the cruelties of the world chip away at her happiness and innocence. Slaves could be beaten or separated from their families and it's all considered completely normal - even "just" sometimes. It's not an easy read, and there were times I had to take a break because the story was just so painful, but the complex relationships between the women more than made up for all the pain. The original tropes from the myths are completely unraveled, replaced with so much nuance and complexity that it becomes an entirely different story.
Closing thoughts:
If you like female-focused stories and mythological retellings that turn the original tale on its head, then this is definitely for you. This book is so raw, real, and beautiful; I hope it blows up like The Song of Achilles, because it definitely deserves all the attention and more.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and not sponsored in any way.
November 3, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this book. It wasn't bad, by any means, but I just had a hard time getting into it. The first couple of chapters were a little slow for me. The book introduces the reader to our two main characters, Melantho and Penelope, when they are children. We see how they met, we see how they come from vastly different worlds, and yet, they still become close. While I found these chapters to be slow, I understand why they're incorporated, as they do provide a deeper understanding of their relationship and its beginnings. Some parts are just uncomfortable to read too. Penelope’s father is a predator; there’s no other way to say that, and though nothing happens directly on the page, his behavior is talked about in the very beginning, so that is something to keep in mind. The pacing was awkward at times for me, too; certain areas felt a little too long when they didn’t need to be.
What I did enjoy was Melantho and Penelope as adults. Obviously, things have now changed. Melantho has anger towards Penelope and resentment, so it’s interesting to see how she tries to hold onto those feelings as the story progresses. I enjoyed reading about their relationship progress. It takes time, a lot of healing, and understanding had to happen, but it was inevitable. I love how all of the characters were beautifully fleshed out. I think that’s one of the main things I can really appreciate about this story. I also wasn’t familiar with anything having to do with ‘The Odyssey’, so everything about this story, Melantho, Penelope, and Odysseus was new to me. I definitely see myself wanting to learn more about them, but I appreciate that this book explores a different take on the story.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, then I encourage you to read this book! However, please be mindful to read the content warnings; there are heavy events that occur in this book.
What I did enjoy was Melantho and Penelope as adults. Obviously, things have now changed. Melantho has anger towards Penelope and resentment, so it’s interesting to see how she tries to hold onto those feelings as the story progresses. I enjoyed reading about their relationship progress. It takes time, a lot of healing, and understanding had to happen, but it was inevitable. I love how all of the characters were beautifully fleshed out. I think that’s one of the main things I can really appreciate about this story. I also wasn’t familiar with anything having to do with ‘The Odyssey’, so everything about this story, Melantho, Penelope, and Odysseus was new to me. I definitely see myself wanting to learn more about them, but I appreciate that this book explores a different take on the story.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, then I encourage you to read this book! However, please be mindful to read the content warnings; there are heavy events that occur in this book.
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