The Weaver and the Web: An Arachne Retelling

A woman destined for glory and the goddess determined to see her fall from grace.

Arachne of Hypaepa was born to be a weaver. Known as the best in all of Lydia, she leads a charmed life, full of fame and fortune. But her circumstances soon take a turn for the worse when she offends the goddess of craft with her hubris.

Confident in her abilities, Arachne brazenly challenges Athena to a contest: Whoever impresses the townsfolk of Hypaepa will hold the title of best weaver among mortals and the divine. Athena agrees to the competition, and the two women go head-to-head, putting their talents to the test. When Arachne catches a glimpse of Athena’s otherworldly design—a reminder to mortals of their place—her sure-fire victory turns to crumbling ash.

Angered by the slight and desperate to prove herself, Arachne devises a new plan: Defeat the goddess by weaving a scene depicting the hypocrisy of the gods in jaw-dropping detail. When the tapestries are finally revealed, it’s clear Arachne has prevailed over Athena, using not only her skill but her cunning, another attribute Athena credits to herself.

Enraged by her audacity, Athena unleashes her fury on Arachne, tearing apart not only her greatest work but her unshakeable spirit. Humiliated and broken, Arachne must find a way to save all that her act of defiance has cost both her and her family.

The Weaver and the Web is a retelling of the myth of Arachne, the tragic tale of a woman ensnared by pride and caught in the tangled web of a jealous goddess.

This retelling contains themes that some may find distressing, including physical assault and suicidal ideation.

© 2024 Dragonfire Press (Ebook): 9781958354841

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Ebook: 15 September 2024