Natalie Haynes possesses a marvellous gift for breathing vibrant new life into the oldest of stories. Her novel A Thousand Ships (which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize in 2020) holds a firm place in my top 10 favourite books of all time. So I was beyond excited to learn that her new novel, Stone Blind, would focus on retelling the tragic story of Medusa.

The only mortal being in a family of gods, Medusa is abandoned by her sea-dwelling parents and lovingly raised – as well as fiercely protected – by her Gorgon sisters. Despite the best efforts of her sisters, Medusa suffers an unforgivable and inexcusable act at the hands of the sea god Poseidon in the newly constructed Temple of Athene. Outraged, Athene punishes not the offender, but the victim, and Medusa is transformed into a monster more terrifying than any other.

Yes, there may be countless retellings of the myth of Medusa, but Stone Blind is superior to them all. Haynes’ expansive knowledge of mythology gifts these ancient characters with a vibrancy and presence that characterises the best kind of fiction, and she weaves layer upon layer of deep thought, consideration, compassion and empathy into this heartbreaking, magical retelling. This is mythology viewed through the lens of modern sensibilities, and the reader will be left to ponder many questions subtly and not so subtly posed within the text: questions of feminism, victim blaming, societal perceptions of blame and fault, power and hierarchies.

Stone Blind is every bit as breathtaking as A Thousand Ships, and surprisingly littered with gems of genuine humour. Give yourself an entire day off to read this one.

Tye Cattanach is a bookseller at Readings Kids.