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Clytemnestra’s Bind is a bold and brutal first-person retelling that redefines her story, unveiling the untold depths of her soul and the legacy she forged as a mother, wife, and queen. Queen Clytemnestra's world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to him. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.

From one of Greek mythology's most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother's burning love. Perfect for readers of Greek mythology, and fans of Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra , Madeline Miller’s Circe , and Jennifer Saint’s Elektra.

This is the second book I’ve read about Clytemnestra; both portray her as a sympathetic character, not at all the evil woman of Greek mythology. Here, she’s an intriguing character whose life is well worth reading about. It’s a harrowing and tragic story of a woman thrown into circumstances she didn’t deserve. Married into a family tainted by murder and cannibalism, her own future seems to be fated to carry on its tortured path.

Told from Clytemnestra’s point of view, the story of her loss becomes more personal. Her heartbreak at losing her infant son only multiplies as the years go by, until, finally, she takes her life into her own hands.

The book ends with Agamemnon leaving for Troy. Clytemnestra is in control, but there is a rocky path ahead and her fate is sealed.

There is a second book that may or may not pick up her story since it’s focused on her sister, Helen. The author changed some instances of the original story; perhaps there is still hope.

Mount TBR 2026 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky
2. Four Past Midnight by Stephen King
3. The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas
4. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon/a>
5. Moon Flower by James P. Hogan
6. The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands
7. Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons
8. Clytemnestra's Bind (House of Atreus 1) by Susan C Wilson

A New to You Author

Goodreads 8

kitarella_imagines

So last autumn that massive tree in my neighbour's garden was cut down and wow has it made a difference!

The good thing is that it won't blow down in a storm and kill us, but the bad news is, it doesn't suck up flood water or rain anymore.

We had the flooding and now with the endless rain, our garden is mostly marsh again as it was before the tree grew up.

What sort of plants can I put in a marshy area now to remedy this? Some thirsty bushes or small trees?

Any gardening advice is welcome 🙏 This is quite serious, the earth round the drain is dissolving.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: I live in Southern England so it would have to be plants that will grow here. And our garden is small, probably the size of a squash court.

Current Mood: infuriated

gilda_elise

harrowing tale of natural disaster, all-devouring greed, and wrathful gods.

Real estate mogul Byron Trumbo is the owner of the Mauna Pele, a deluxe Hawaiian resort that until recently was the playground of the rich and famous. Yet instead of making money hand over fist, Trumbo has a bit of a problem: guests keep disappearing. Hoping to sell the resort to Japanese investors, he invites them to the Mauna Pele to finalize the deal—but strange and fantastic events complicate the weekend. Giant beasts capable of human speech are spotted, visitors turn up dead and dismembered, and volcanic eruptions fill the sky with smoke and flame as fast-moving lava flows dangerously close to the resort. Trumbo refuses to allow these minor inconveniences to impede his sales pitch to the Japanese.

Other guests find themselves at the Mauna Pele this weekend, with agendas that extend beyond enjoying the sun and sand. For college professor Eleanor Perry, this “vacation” is a pilgrimage to a place once visited by her spinster aunt. Equipped with her aunt’s diary, which details adventures with Mark Twain more than one hundred years ago, Eleanor has uncommon insight into the frightening and mystical events about to unfold. And thrice-married Cordie Stumpf, whose housewifely appearance belies her keen mind and fearless resolve, is at the resort to pursue her own goal. The two women join forces as an astonishingly self-reliant duo prepared to do battle with the immortal enemies of the volcano goddess Pele and thereby restore harmony to the island.

Against the mythic backdrop of an island paradise filled with vengeful gods and brooding menace, Dan Simmons weaves a stunning tale of ancient rivalries tested in the modern world.

It can be interesting, basing a book on a certain mythology; unfortunately, that’s not the case here. There was just too many characters that turned out not to be all that scary. I actually found Trumbo and his machinations more interesting. No matter what was going on, he was going to get his deal done.

And it took awhile for the story within a story to take off. Eleanor’s aunt wasn’t that strong a character. Adding Mark Twain to the mix helped, but not as much as I would have hoped.

I did enjoy the Cordie Stumpf character; her interactions with Eleanor made the book for me, so I would have liked for there to have been more of their story. But with so many story lines, and so many characters, there wasn’t the room.

Published in 1900s: Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

Goodreads 7

2026 I Read Horror Year-Round Challenge.jpg

Epistolary horror - found footage, told in letters and/or diaries
1. Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

2026 Monthly Motif.jpg

FEBRUARY - Secrets, Lies, & Schemes - Read a book in which the characters are telling lies, keeping secrets, or involved in schemes.
Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

gilda_elise

From New York Times bestselling author H. W. Brands, a masterful biography of the Civil War general and two-term president who saved the Union twice, on the battlefield and in the White House, holding the country together at two critical turning points in our history.

Ulysses Grant rose from obscurity to discover he had a genius for battle, and he propelled the Union to victory in the Civil War. After Abraham Lincoln's assassination and the disastrous brief presidency of Andrew Johnson, America turned to Grant again to unite the country, this time as president. In Brands's sweeping, majestic full biography, Grant emerges as a heroic figure who was fearlessly on the side of right. He was a beloved commander in the field but willing to make the troop sacrifices necessary to win the war, even in the face of storms of criticism. He worked valiantly to protect the rights of freedmen in the South; Brands calls him the last presidential defender of black civil rights for nearly a century. He played it straight with the American Indians, allowing them to shape their own fate even as the realities of Manifest Destiny meant the end of their way of life. He was an enormously popular president whose memoirs were a huge bestseller; yet within decades of his death his reputation was in tatters, the victim of Southerners who resented his policies on Reconstruction. In this page-turning biography, Brands now reconsiders Grant's legacy and provides a compelling and intimate portrait of a man who saved the Union on the battlefield and consolidated that victory as a resolute and principled political leader.

Grant’s biographers tend to focus on different parts of his life. So while Ronald White did a deep dive into Grant’s childhood, Brands give it only a passing glance. Only once Grant enters West Point does the story bring his life into focus.

The Mexican-American War, it Grant’s first wartime experience. While he would excel as a soldier, Grant was never in favor of the invasion. In later years he would write that he doubted America’s policy toward Mexico from the moment of the annexation of Texas, and that the war which resulted was “one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger nation against a weaker nation.”

This sort of moral compass would chart his course through the Civil War and his two terms as president. Time has erased his efforts during Reconstruction and his policies regarding the indigenous population. A nation that once revered him as “the man who saved the union,” has effectively forgotten him and the righteous path he tried to lead the nation through, instead making heroes out of the men who tried to destroy it.

Set in America: The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands

Goodreads 6

kitarella_imagines

So I found out about this today, apparently it's been in the news for a few weeks.

I am cautiously optimistic. When I was really into the show a few years ago, I had lots of ideas for a reboot, but my interest has waned and now I am just interested to see what the writers do for a new version.

Will they use the same characters? Or different ones in the same universe? Surely they must have someone called Blake in it, lol. Or it wouldn't be Blake's 7.

Or will it be a continuation such as the next generation of characters- their descendants or just younger rebels as time has moved on? I'll be watching eagerly if they write about the descendants of the original characters because I've already done that 👀

My hopes for a reboot would be:

1. Keep the Blake character! Don't let them leave the show! Because that was farcical to have a show named after a character who wasn't there.
2. As my friend pointed out 'we need some optimism and fun these days'. Because the current world is dark and scary, I don't want an ending the same as the original series.

Some interesting blogs around talking about the possible reboot. Unfortunately some of them are saying 'don't make the show too woke.' Whatever that means 🙄:

https://cultbox.co.uk/news/blakes-7-reboot-is-actually-happening-heres-what-we-know

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2026/01/20/blakes-7-reboot-producers-open-letter/

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/blakes-7-sally-knyvette-reboot-exclusive-newsupdate/

https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/how-to-reboot-blakes-7/

Current Mood: contemplative

tinturtle

Fandoms in this post: The Professionals, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Lord of the Rings, Peter Pan

Well hello, everyone. It's been a while since I posted about fic. I've been reading but in a haphazard way, which doesn't lend itself to posts. I'm finally ready with a batch of write-ups from my Old and New Project, though. (For anyone who's forgotten, that's where I reread the fics in my Beloved Collection of favorites, accompanied by new-to-me fics by the same authors.)

For a while, I've been toying with the idea of only writing up the fics I like as part of this project. I think I'm going to do that, possibly making exceptions if a fic I didn't like still provoked interesting thoughts. I did read some fics by today's authors that I didn't care for or felt neutral toward. As I noted in the last Old and New Project post, that can happen even with authors who have also written favorites, which is a useful lesson.

( Read more... )

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Page Summary

gilda_elise - Clytemnestra's Bind (House of Atreus 1) by Susan C. Wilson
kitarella_imagines - Gardening Help Please?
gilda_elise - Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons
gilda_elise - The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands
kitarella_imagines - A Blake's 7 Reboot?
tinturtle - Old and New Project: 3 by Cassie Ingaben, 3 by JantoJones, 2 by Culumacilinte

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pros newsletter

a digest of all things pros

Member Posts

Clytemnestra's Bind (House of Atreus 1) by Susan C. Wilson

Gardening Help Please?

Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

The Man Who Saved the Union: Ulysses Grant in War and Peace by H.W. Brands

A Blake's 7 Reboot?

Old and New Project: 3 by Cassie Ingaben, 3 by JantoJones, 2 by Culumacilinte

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February 2026

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