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 maids of the Odyssey and weaves something brand new. A story overflowing with emotion and full of magic.’
Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne and Elektra

In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve maidens, a gift to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a long-forgotten island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that there’s only one way the curse can be broken. Leto must kill the last prince of Ithaca . . .

In Lies We Sing to the Sea, debut author Sarah Underwood delivers a thrilling and breathtaking tale that will enthral readers from the very first page as they are transported to the cursed shores of Ithaca.

A reclamation of a story from thousands of years ago, Lies We Sing to the Sea is about love and fate, grief and sacrifice, and, ultimately, the power we must find within.

‘Gorgeous, tragic, and timeless, Underwood’s LIES WE SING TO THE SEA makes an age-old story feel new again. This is Greek tragedy at its best: sweeping in scope yet deeply intimate in characterization. This book will break your heart.’ – Grace Li Sunday Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief

Publisher Review

“A lovely, lyrical fantasy which takes the fate of the hanged maids of the Odyssey and weaves something brand new. A story overflowing with emotion and full of magic.”
Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne and Elektra

‘A sensual story about power and autonomy of self, and about how appeasing the gods means making painful choices”
The Bookseller One to Watch, 9/12/2022

‘”Gorgeous, tragic, and timeless, Underwood’s Lies We Sing to the Sea makes an age-old story feel new again. This is Greek tragedy at its best: sweeping in scope yet deeply intimate in characterization. This book will break your heart.”
– Grace Li (Sunday Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief)

“LIES WE SING TO THE SEA is a wondrous tale of love, death, and sacrifice. The vivid characters give depth and adventure to a story with roots in classic Greek mythology.”
– Natasha Bowen (New York Times bestselling author of Skin of the Sea)

“Sarah Underwood’s classical reimagining is woven with pure magic: salt-laced myths, a plot that slowly unravels like a tapestry, and vivid characters who are destined to steal your heart. A scintillating, beautiful debut.”
-Rebecca Ross, internationally bestselling author of A River Enchanted and Sisters of Sword & Song

“Rich, immersive and utterly compelling. A stunning achievement from Gen Z’s answer to Madeline Miller”
Laura Steven, author of Society for Soulless Girls

“Lies We Sing to the Sea is a lyrical, elegant debut bursting with imagination and heart. Underwood expertly weaves a tale about the inevitability of fate-and the love that makes us rail against it anyway. Bittersweet and wholly cathartic.”
-Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic