Book cover of Lies We Sing to the Sea

Book description

A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope's twelve hanged maids.

'A lavish epic of power, vengeance, love and fate.'
YA Book of the Month in The Observer (2/4/2023)

'A lovely, lyrical fantasy which takes the fate of the hanged…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Lies We Sing to the Sea as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This was a surprising find for me. I’m not generally a YA reader, and I’d argue this isn’t exactly a YA book. It’s a new take on part of Odysseus lore, told by one of the twelve maidens sacrificed to the sea.

It’s beautifully queer, with the main character interested in both the prince and another former sacrifice. It has gods, curses, political intrigue, and blends Greek lore with modern speech patterns (I’m guessing this is why it’s in YA). It’s strangely accessible and imminently enjoyable.

I love a good ‘let’s find hidden stuff in a castle’ adventure, and this…

This retelling of a little-known area of Greek mythology captured my interest from the beginning, and although the ending wasn't what I expected, I think that's why I enjoyed it so much.

As Underwood's debut, she did a great job making me, as the reader, care about each of the main characters' story arch. She took the deaths of Penelope's twelve maids and created a compelling story out of their tragedy.

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These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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