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ohwowbee's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m a sucker for retellings of classical myth, and I was excited to see that Ariadne was finally getting her dues! Saint doesn’t shy away from the messy parts of myth - the incest, the divine intervention, the strange contradictions of different sources - but this also means that the plot isn’t really unified. It’s about Ariadne’s life, yes, but that is its only focus as it spans decades and, once it’s done with Theseus, seems to hop from one event to the next without emphasis.
If you know the different myths that coalesce around the royal families of Crete, Athens, and Argos: this book touches on them all. I appreciated the portrayals of Ariadne and Phaedra, and the stark contrasts of their internal monologues. I also appreciated the portrayal of Dionysus - so often in retellings, he’s relegated to a sort of a slovenly drunkenness that isn’t based on anything in the source material, so this was really refreshing!
Overall I did really enjoy reading, and look forward to seeing where Saint goes next (her bio says she’s working on a second novel!)
If you know the different myths that coalesce around the royal families of Crete, Athens, and Argos: this book touches on them all. I appreciated the portrayals of Ariadne and Phaedra, and the stark contrasts of their internal monologues. I also appreciated the portrayal of Dionysus - so often in retellings, he’s relegated to a sort of a slovenly drunkenness that isn’t based on anything in the source material, so this was really refreshing!
Overall I did really enjoy reading, and look forward to seeing where Saint goes next (her bio says she’s working on a second novel!)
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Murder
The myth of the Minotaur involves beastiality - you’ve been warned!blissofalife's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I loved how bluntly and regularly it was stated that the women in Greek mythology are the ones who pay the price for the “heroism” of men. It doesn’t shy away from the injustice of it, and dies its best to find a kind of union in that suffering.
It felt like a feminist read, though not one that was trying to be empowering.
I wasn’t fully satisfied with the ending, but I suppose that’s the way mythology goes most of the time.
It felt like a feminist read, though not one that was trying to be empowering.
I wasn’t fully satisfied with the ending, but I suppose that’s the way mythology goes most of the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Misogyny, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
unboxedjack's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I'm sorry, but to put this book among the pantheon of Circe or The Silence of the Girls is an insult. I suppose if you're looking for a quasi modern re-telling of Greek myth with an uneven plot, stilted dialogue, and little feminist insight, this is the right book for you. As for me, I'm highly disappointed.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
jamieleepilk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
'Today I would seize my destiny for myself. I was a fitting wife for a legendary hero and I would prove it. My story would not be one of death and suffering and sacrifice. I would take my own place in the songs that would be sung about Theseus: the princess who saved him and ended the monstrosity that blighted Crete.'
Once you start Ariadne it's pretty hard to stop, the engaging and raw language pulls you in from page one. It's written so beautifully and brilliantly that even if you are aware of the myths, stories and characters it still feels fresh and like something new.
It begins in Crete with the two sisters Ariadne and Phaedra, Princesses of Crete. As the story continues the story is split between the two so you get chapters in turn from each of the sisters as there lives continue separately on different paths.
Something this book does insanely well is allowing it's female characters to be angry, allowing that rage to burn inside them instead of it dying away. The women of the story are given back their voices and power as if to say "we will no longer be overlooked" and there are some utterly incredible passages of Ariadne and Phaedra's anger and rage, in one instant Ariadne mentions her rage would be enough to burn cities. I liked the mentions of Medusa and Pasiphae's (the sister's mother) stories and how Ariadne connected with them and then her anger towards the injustice, this making her wary of the Gods and their wrath/judgement. Women in Greek mythology are often used and abused, discarded once they have filled their purpose (which is usually helping the Hero in a massive way and get zero thanks for it) so it was incredible to see it from the sisters point of view and getting to see them grow and get stronger, having their own thoughts/lives outside of the lives of the heroes and men of the stories.
The "Heroes" like Theseus are shown for what they really are, fame hungry and cold, taken down from his glowing pedestal.
I very much loved this and can't wait to see what Jennifer has coming up next!
Once you start Ariadne it's pretty hard to stop, the engaging and raw language pulls you in from page one. It's written so beautifully and brilliantly that even if you are aware of the myths, stories and characters it still feels fresh and like something new.
It begins in Crete with the two sisters Ariadne and Phaedra, Princesses of Crete. As the story continues the story is split between the two so you get chapters in turn from each of the sisters as there lives continue separately on different paths.
Something this book does insanely well is allowing it's female characters to be angry, allowing that rage to burn inside them instead of it dying away. The women of the story are given back their voices and power as if to say "we will no longer be overlooked" and there are some utterly incredible passages of Ariadne and Phaedra's anger and rage, in one instant Ariadne mentions her rage would be enough to burn cities. I liked the mentions of Medusa and Pasiphae's (the sister's mother) stories and how Ariadne connected with them and then her anger towards the injustice, this making her wary of the Gods and their wrath/judgement. Women in Greek mythology are often used and abused, discarded once they have filled their purpose (which is usually helping the Hero in a massive way and get zero thanks for it) so it was incredible to see it from the sisters point of view and getting to see them grow and get stronger, having their own thoughts/lives outside of the lives of the heroes and men of the stories.
The "Heroes" like Theseus are shown for what they really are, fame hungry and cold, taken down from his glowing pedestal.
I very much loved this and can't wait to see what Jennifer has coming up next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Blood, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
aftereliza's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW Ariadne by Jennifer Saint - out on the 29th of April in the UK!
This is the first review I’m writing of a book before it’s been published, so I’m very excited to share this with all of you! A big thanks goes to Headline Books and NetGalley! Review is also up on my website, NetGalley and Instagram.
Ariadne is a retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. From the very beginning, Saint’s writing is captivating and has an air of magic around it. She describes the backstory of some famous Greek myths relevant to the story, firmly centring it on the stories of women, who are normally sidelined or misrepresented in tales, such as Medusa. The book starts with the creation of the Minotaur, a vengeful act of violence against Pasiphae for her husband’s actions and focuses on the title character’s experience with this overbearing and dangerous presence in her life as a constant threat.
As the story moves on, Ariadne has to make a dangerous choice of helping the Prince of Athens betray her family and slay the monster, which means she would never be able to live in Crete again, or to let him be sacrificed, along with 13 others to sate the monster’s hunger and her father’s bloodthirsty desire to rule over Athens. What I loved was how this book intertwined not one or two but dozens of Greek myths in one story. While it’s always been a subject I’ve been interested in, I’ve not had a chance to read that far into it and I was pleasantly surprised to learn about more Greek myths about the forgotten women of history and their stories. Their stories were heartbreaking but I rooted for them all and when they suffered, I felt their pain. Saint has done an incredible job empathising with these women and highlighting their stories and how they came to be. I think this books is going to be a cornerstone for readers interested in modern retelling of Greek myths and it will sit on the same shelves as Song of Achilles, Circe and The Silence of the Girls. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is the first review I’m writing of a book before it’s been published, so I’m very excited to share this with all of you! A big thanks goes to Headline Books and NetGalley! Review is also up on my website, NetGalley and Instagram.
Ariadne is a retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. From the very beginning, Saint’s writing is captivating and has an air of magic around it. She describes the backstory of some famous Greek myths relevant to the story, firmly centring it on the stories of women, who are normally sidelined or misrepresented in tales, such as Medusa. The book starts with the creation of the Minotaur, a vengeful act of violence against Pasiphae for her husband’s actions and focuses on the title character’s experience with this overbearing and dangerous presence in her life as a constant threat.
As the story moves on, Ariadne has to make a dangerous choice of helping the Prince of Athens betray her family and slay the monster, which means she would never be able to live in Crete again, or to let him be sacrificed, along with 13 others to sate the monster’s hunger and her father’s bloodthirsty desire to rule over Athens. What I loved was how this book intertwined not one or two but dozens of Greek myths in one story. While it’s always been a subject I’ve been interested in, I’ve not had a chance to read that far into it and I was pleasantly surprised to learn about more Greek myths about the forgotten women of history and their stories. Their stories were heartbreaking but I rooted for them all and when they suffered, I felt their pain. Saint has done an incredible job empathising with these women and highlighting their stories and how they came to be. I think this books is going to be a cornerstone for readers interested in modern retelling of Greek myths and it will sit on the same shelves as Song of Achilles, Circe and The Silence of the Girls. I cannot recommend this book enough!
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Sexual violence
bookforthought's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love retellings of Greek myths, so when I heard that Ariadne was going to be the protagonist of one, I was beyond excited. Ariadne is definitely one of the many, many women in Greek mythology to be sidelined, used and discarded and, ultimately, forgotten. Following in the footsteps of books like Circe and The Silence of the Girls, Ariadne seeks to rebalance the story, placing the titular princess at the centre of its narration.
In fact, the book follows two women: Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, who has so far been snubbed even more than her more famous sister. I was extremely unfamiliar with her character even in the original myth, and while I could vaguely recall having heard the name before, I would have struggled to say anything more than that about her. Rediscovering these two characters was really great, and the book does a good job of placing them front and centre of the narration - definitely more than The Silence of the Girls did with Briseis. Nonetheless, I felt that something was still missing and Ariadne somehow failed to reach its true potential as a great retelling.
Most of it, for me, fell down to the narration. There is A LOT of telling in this book, as both Ariadne and Phaedra recount what happened to them as if talking directly to the reader. While this gives us great insight into their thoughts and feelings - which are very well depicted - it does make for a very slow pace and falls quite flat in places where more could certainly have been shown. There is also a fair bit of info-dumping, as different characters share various other Greek myths: Theseus in particular is guilty of an extremely long passage doing exactly that.
What the book does a great job of, though, is sharing the pain and suffering of women who are constantly pawns in the games of gods and men: used, abused, punished and toyed with by both. Whether they are queens or common women ultimately doesn't matter, as they are all equally victims of an unjust, misogynist society. There are a lot of secondary themes running just under the surface, and I particularly enjoyed the reflections on motherhood and the different experiences of the characters.
Ultimately, I did enjoy Ariadne and, even though it never quite reached the peaks of Circe, it is a solid retelling that actually gives women a voice and calls out gods, heroes and common men alike for the way they treat the women around them. It would appeal to lovers of Greek myth and retellings, especially those who don't mind a slower pace and very limited action.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Suicide
hollandvk's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love retellings of mythology, so I was super excited to receive an Advanced Reader Copy through Goodreads Giveaways.
The writing is just right for highlighting the cruelty and injustice inherent to the myths that continue to be prevalent in Western society. Absolutely recommend this book to everyone.
The writing is just right for highlighting the cruelty and injustice inherent to the myths that continue to be prevalent in Western society. Absolutely recommend this book to everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Genocide and Rape
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