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Sweetbitter Song
Not yet published
Expected 19 Mar 26One fateful night in Sparta, a young slave girl encounters a mysterious, grey-eyed princess. Melantho and Penelope, though from different worlds, are instantly connected. But betrayal soon tears them apart.
Years later, on Ithaca's rocky shores, Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Hardened by slavery, Melantho vows to stay distant from Penelope. Yet, the undeniable pull between them proves stronger than ever.
As war ignites Greece, Odysseus and Ithaca's men are called away and, in their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where love is finally given the space to bloom.
But all wars eventually end and as Troy falls, Penelope and Melantho must face the King’s return and decide how far they will go to protect what matters most to them.
Years later, on Ithaca's rocky shores, Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Hardened by slavery, Melantho vows to stay distant from Penelope. Yet, the undeniable pull between them proves stronger than ever.
As war ignites Greece, Odysseus and Ithaca's men are called away and, in their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where love is finally given the space to bloom.
But all wars eventually end and as Troy falls, Penelope and Melantho must face the King’s return and decide how far they will go to protect what matters most to them.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 19, 2026
7 people are currently reading
1543 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Hewlett
4 books615 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 33 reviews
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.
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.”
Want to read
December 15, 2025need this now
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.
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
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."
October 28, 2025
why are we shipping penelope with her child slave that she raised like a daughter
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
November 10, 2025
Queen Penelope is well-known in myth as the faithful wife of Odysseus. Melantho is known as a traitorous slave, left to be forgotten.
History written by the victors, by men, much to be left unsaid and buried. This retelling changes it all. Penelope will no longer be just a dutiful wife, but someone who is scarred and capable of vulnerability. Melantho will no longer be silenced—she is raw, determined, and powerful against those who try to hurt her and the people she loves. Their truth, revealed to us in this violent and heartbreaking tale of forbidden love.
My favorite part about this book was the slow and gradual buildup, the tension, the yearning, and the pining between Melantho and Penelope. The two became inseparable the second they laid eyes on each other, their bond unbreakable and unwavering. Melantho’s point of view throughout the entire story made it all the more gut-wrenching. How hard can I sympathize with her? How real can she get?
There was passion, sorrow, and laughter. You will be gnawing at the inside of your cheeks by the end of this book. Even if you are familiar with the myth, you won’t be prepared for the turmoil that ensues.
I greatly enjoyed this retelling. From the moment I read the synopsis, I knew I had to get my hands on it! Glad that this is my introduction to Rosie Hewlett! Looking forward to reading more of her works!
*[The myth says that Penelope adopted Melantho, raised her as her own. I see no need for controversy. Myths are myths for a reason. They can be rewritten. Both characters in this story are approximately the same age. Their relationship to one another is not familial.]
Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this arc. This is my honest review.
History written by the victors, by men, much to be left unsaid and buried. This retelling changes it all. Penelope will no longer be just a dutiful wife, but someone who is scarred and capable of vulnerability. Melantho will no longer be silenced—she is raw, determined, and powerful against those who try to hurt her and the people she loves. Their truth, revealed to us in this violent and heartbreaking tale of forbidden love.
My favorite part about this book was the slow and gradual buildup, the tension, the yearning, and the pining between Melantho and Penelope. The two became inseparable the second they laid eyes on each other, their bond unbreakable and unwavering. Melantho’s point of view throughout the entire story made it all the more gut-wrenching. How hard can I sympathize with her? How real can she get?
There was passion, sorrow, and laughter. You will be gnawing at the inside of your cheeks by the end of this book. Even if you are familiar with the myth, you won’t be prepared for the turmoil that ensues.
I greatly enjoyed this retelling. From the moment I read the synopsis, I knew I had to get my hands on it! Glad that this is my introduction to Rosie Hewlett! Looking forward to reading more of her works!
*[The myth says that Penelope adopted Melantho, raised her as her own. I see no need for controversy. Myths are myths for a reason. They can be rewritten. Both characters in this story are approximately the same age. Their relationship to one another is not familial.]
Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this arc. This is my honest review.
Read
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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Sweet Bitter Sapphic Greek Mythology Retelling.
‘Eros loosener of limbs (now again) stirs me – a sweetbitter unmanageable creature who steals in’ - sappho, fragment 13011 trans. anne carson.
Melantho is a slave. Penelope is a Princess. Both are constrained by their gender, seen as possessions of men.
There is a lot of conjecture in this tale, as with a lot of feminist retellings, yet this one is sweet and soft and bitter.
Being underestimated is a woman’s greatest power and Penolpe wields her influence and manipulation behind the scenes. The story is told with such heart that it seems truer than the original.
They were different breeds of grief, of course. Hers was new and raw, cut from fear for the future, not love for the past, whilst mine was a dulled, shapeless mass that had sunk to my core and taken root.
Whilst it did get repetitive at times and the miscommunication due to Melantho’s stubbornness and brashness did irk me, I appreciated the gentleness Hewlett approached the retelling with.
There is grief and belonging and stolen moments of happiness. Overall, we see how resilient these women were. How stories, how histories are written by the victors.
Arc gifted by Transworld Publisher.
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‘Eros loosener of limbs (now again) stirs me – a sweetbitter unmanageable creature who steals in’ - sappho, fragment 13011 trans. anne carson.
Melantho is a slave. Penelope is a Princess. Both are constrained by their gender, seen as possessions of men.
There is a lot of conjecture in this tale, as with a lot of feminist retellings, yet this one is sweet and soft and bitter.
Being underestimated is a woman’s greatest power and Penolpe wields her influence and manipulation behind the scenes. The story is told with such heart that it seems truer than the original.
They were different breeds of grief, of course. Hers was new and raw, cut from fear for the future, not love for the past, whilst mine was a dulled, shapeless mass that had sunk to my core and taken root.
Whilst it did get repetitive at times and the miscommunication due to Melantho’s stubbornness and brashness did irk me, I appreciated the gentleness Hewlett approached the retelling with.
There is grief and belonging and stolen moments of happiness. Overall, we see how resilient these women were. How stories, how histories are written by the victors.
Arc gifted by Transworld Publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
November 26, 2025
While anyone interested in Greek mythology is likely to be very familiar with the tale of the mythical hero Odysseus, his faithful and long suffering wife Penelope is usually reduced to a mere cipher in the story, a footnote in the hero's journey of her husband.
And while recent retellings of Greek mythology - including the trilogy by Claire North - have done her far more justice, it is Rosie Hewlett who now really brings Penelope alive as a flesh and blood woman, with all the emotional intelligence, internal conflict, and strategic brilliance she'd had to bring to her often challenging roles as mother, wife, ruler, and lover.
The development of Penelope's relationship with Melantho - from their childhood friendship, to her status as a slave (promised her freedom by Odysseus) in Penelope's palace, and what followed thereafter in terms of her role in the protection of Odysseus' kingdom from the many pretenders who aspired to replace him - is conveyed with a delicate touch and decidedly empathic observation.
This one is not to be missed - it is a must-read.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
And while recent retellings of Greek mythology - including the trilogy by Claire North - have done her far more justice, it is Rosie Hewlett who now really brings Penelope alive as a flesh and blood woman, with all the emotional intelligence, internal conflict, and strategic brilliance she'd had to bring to her often challenging roles as mother, wife, ruler, and lover.
The development of Penelope's relationship with Melantho - from their childhood friendship, to her status as a slave (promised her freedom by Odysseus) in Penelope's palace, and what followed thereafter in terms of her role in the protection of Odysseus' kingdom from the many pretenders who aspired to replace him - is conveyed with a delicate touch and decidedly empathic observation.
This one is not to be missed - it is a must-read.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
November 28, 2025
˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹Sweetbitter Song ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊
"She laughed and I savored the sound, already counting down the seconds to when Nyx would embrace the world and I could embrace mine."
A hundred billion thanks to NetGalley for sending me what is possibly one of the best books I have ever had the fortune of reading. The Odyssey told from Penelope's handmaiden's perspective? Count me in and sat. I devoured this book in about two sittings and absolutely fell in love with Ithaca, Penelope, Melantho, and the handmaidens. This story was packed full of flowering, stunning prose that gripped you and held you as tightly as Penelope and Melantho held on to eachother through war. I was shocked at how raw and unflinching this text was in not shying away from themes of war crimes, PTSD, and the impacts of generational trauma and slavery. I recommend anyone with the slightest knowledge of Greek mythology, or those who just love strong Sapphic characters and found family. The ending is bittersweet, but the epilogue resolves all worries and leaves the reader drenched in hope and love.
"She laughed and I savored the sound, already counting down the seconds to when Nyx would embrace the world and I could embrace mine."
A hundred billion thanks to NetGalley for sending me what is possibly one of the best books I have ever had the fortune of reading. The Odyssey told from Penelope's handmaiden's perspective? Count me in and sat. I devoured this book in about two sittings and absolutely fell in love with Ithaca, Penelope, Melantho, and the handmaidens. This story was packed full of flowering, stunning prose that gripped you and held you as tightly as Penelope and Melantho held on to eachother through war. I was shocked at how raw and unflinching this text was in not shying away from themes of war crimes, PTSD, and the impacts of generational trauma and slavery. I recommend anyone with the slightest knowledge of Greek mythology, or those who just love strong Sapphic characters and found family. The ending is bittersweet, but the epilogue resolves all worries and leaves the reader drenched in hope and love.
December 9, 2025
Good god.
What a journey.
This is my first time experiencing Rosie Hewlett’s writing, and I’ve been completely consumed by her gorgeous storytelling. Everything felt very magical and poetic, and it was deeply, deeply touching.
This story follows the slave Melantho and her life long relationship with the Princess Penelope. It’s a stunning tale of womanhood, cunning, the power imbalance, clever, emotional, heartbreaking and just…so painful. This is their love story, but also a study in what it is to be a woman, the powers we wield when we feel most powerless, and how men ultimately seek control, destruction, violence and pride above all else, therefore bringing us down with them.
This book took me a couple of weeks to finish. I consumed it slowly because it was almost a necessity - there are some really heavy and descriptive scenes that are hard to consume. Check your triggers and take your time digesting if you need.
What a journey.
This is my first time experiencing Rosie Hewlett’s writing, and I’ve been completely consumed by her gorgeous storytelling. Everything felt very magical and poetic, and it was deeply, deeply touching.
This story follows the slave Melantho and her life long relationship with the Princess Penelope. It’s a stunning tale of womanhood, cunning, the power imbalance, clever, emotional, heartbreaking and just…so painful. This is their love story, but also a study in what it is to be a woman, the powers we wield when we feel most powerless, and how men ultimately seek control, destruction, violence and pride above all else, therefore bringing us down with them.
This book took me a couple of weeks to finish. I consumed it slowly because it was almost a necessity - there are some really heavy and descriptive scenes that are hard to consume. Check your triggers and take your time digesting if you need.
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 14, 2025
Thank you so so much to the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read Her Sweetbitter song in advance!
Wow. This was such a great read. The writing flowed perfectly, and the story was so so good. I LOVED reading and following Penelope grow into a queen and see how her relationship with Melantho evolved. I knew anboit Penelope’s story-not so much about Melantho- and was keen on seeing how Hewlett would approach the story and I have nothing but great things to say about it!
I found the relationship between the handmaids so lovely to read about. It felt like they were a family.
There were many times when I wanted to cry-especially the end- because of how good the story is written and how attached to the characters I was.
It’s almost 500 pages, but it does not feel like it at ALL
I would 100% recommend it!!
Wow. This was such a great read. The writing flowed perfectly, and the story was so so good. I LOVED reading and following Penelope grow into a queen and see how her relationship with Melantho evolved. I knew anboit Penelope’s story-not so much about Melantho- and was keen on seeing how Hewlett would approach the story and I have nothing but great things to say about it!
I found the relationship between the handmaids so lovely to read about. It felt like they were a family.
There were many times when I wanted to cry-especially the end- because of how good the story is written and how attached to the characters I was.
It’s almost 500 pages, but it does not feel like it at ALL
I would 100% recommend it!!
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December 29, 2025I love Greek mythology but this book drove me insane. I did not like any of the characters. Melantho never grows up and makes stupid decisions till the end of the book. I really expected more. But I can also see how this was the only way for this story to go. It just wasn't for me.
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