The Introverted Detective

 Let's dive into Odysseus starting his journey home. I'll post the previous blogs on The Odyssey (books 1 -4) at the end, in case you aren't caught up. This is book/chapter 5 of The Odyssey.  I always start with watching a recap video, which is here:  MoAn Inc Book 5 summary We start at Calypso's island, where he's captive with Calypso, who is basically making him her sex slave against his will. He's crying on shore when we meet him. Hermes is sent to tell her that the fun is over and she has to give up Odysseus. After he is let go (after 7 years!) he goes to sea on a boat he built and finds out just how much Poseidon hates him. He ends up on another island after a whole lot of water issues. He doesn't know where he is. Athena guides him on what to do.  The Review First of all, I learned a sea-mew is a seagull. Second of all, Calypso calls out the male gods for their double standards. She's still a little twisted, but she has points. She's toyed with...

 Today I'm reviewing Book/chapter 4 of The Odyssey. If you would like to catch up on my reviews for book 1 - 3, I'll put the links at the end of the blog. Let's dive into it.  As always, I watched an expert summarize it before I hit the poetry that is Homer's work. Here's the video link:  (1) ODYSSEY BOOK 4 SUMMARY (Homer) - YouTube Telemachus is now visiting Menelaus and we hear a story about someone dressing up as a seal. Menelaus dresses up as a seal to find out which god he angered. Other stories are also thrown around about Troy. Everyone is telling stories. The video above says it so much better.  Also, now Telemachus' journey is leaked to the suitors. Oops. They are now going to try to ambush him. Oh no. Penelope is mad, obviously, so now she's really unwell. Athena has to intervene via a dream to tell her to relax.  The Review I rate it for story and readability. That means I have two star ratings to give. The first is for story. The story is really ...

 Thornhedge is a twisted fae tale, where the princess in the tower is evil and the fae creature is in the right to put her to sleep. This is a twist on sleeping beauty by T. Kingfisher. Let's get into it.  This book, a 4 hour audio experience, is so deep and wonderful, while still being dark. This twist on the sleeping beauty story plays with dark fae lore and the idea that we heard the original story incorrectly, that the tower was originally meant to protect us from a changling.  Review Our story begins with Toadling, a woman who is and isn't fae. Read it and you'll understand. She is the original daughter that the changling replaced. She's half-fae because she was raised by fae and changed to become fae. I know, it's confusing. She was sent back to make sure the changling child "did no harm to those around her", which was a tall order to say the least.  After a while, 200 years in fact, a knight comes by and doesn't leave until he knows the secrets ...