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gracescanlon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My favorite of her books to date. Though I didn’t love the ending, it definitely could’ve been a worse one, given the subject matter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Animal death, Suicide, and War
Minor: Abandonment, Rape, and Sexual assault
zombiemozart0725's review
I was intrigued by Atalanta as a concept. While the Greek mythosphere is dominated by the likes of Heracles, Achilles, Theseus and Jason, Atalanta stands as an exception to the overwhelming presence of men. Atalanta provides much needed representation in the realm of legendary heroines in popular myth and folklore, and is still quite unknown by even those who (like yours truly) made Greek mythology their entire personalities in their teenage years. Known for her speed, much in the same way Heracles is known for his strength and Odysseus is known for his wits, Atalanta's original story sees her outpacing her male contemporaries in the slaying of the Caledonian Boar as well as a race for her hand in marriage. The book by Jennifer Saint paints a picture of a commonly disputed part of her myth: Her place among Jason's Argonauts in the pursuit of the Golden Fleece. While Jason declares the Argo a boys-only ride in many versions of the story, this is easily the part of Atalanta's story with the most narrative potential. The trouble is, almost halfway through the book, that narrative potential doesn't quite hit its mark. I hardly regret reading what I did - it was certainly not time wasted by any stretch of the imagination - but there are some glaring issues with the structure and pacing of the story that made it impossible for me to continue once I noticed them. The book desperately wants to simultaneously be a character-driven piece that sees Atalanta grappling with her oath to Artemis, an adventure book that explores the Ancient Greek world, and a girl power book in which Atalanta works to prove herself in a unfamiliar world made by and for men. Sadly, this lack of clear focus is its downfall. The book absolutely shines when it slows down and takes its time to stay in one place. Atalanta's recollection of her time with Artemis and her nymphs is an enchanting bit of setting that paints an uneasy picture of what women in Ancient Greece went through (and what many modern women still do), and the mystery of the Lemnian women is suitably sinister. The problem is, the book seems to be afraid to stay in these places too long and should have been at least twice as long to explore them adequately. Action scenes go by in the blink of an eye, conflicts of all types resolved in the space of a few pages or fewer, and there are multiple places where the book devotes entire pages to explaining niche Greek myths. The book clearly wishes to emulate the works of Rick Riordan and Madeline Miller, but what made those books so strong in their respective genres was that they didn't overexplain their settings. The characters LIVED their worlds, taking them in stride and interacting with them in an organic way. Miller's Circe character doesn't stop to ask Medea what happened between her and Jason and why they must be absolved of their sins. It is instead left to the reader to infer from existing knowledge. This book's solution to its worldbuilding unfortunately falls into dumping exposition in many places. Telling, rather than showing. Once I noticed these issues, especially after reading the unmatched character work of Miller and the intrigue and adventure of Riordan, they were impossible to ignore. Read this book if you are just starting out with Greek mythology. The characters are charming in a very simple way, the implications of Artemis being a victim-blamer are intriguing, and Jennifer Saint's devotion to exploring Ancient Greece's heroines of old is admirable. The book has something for everyone! Unfortunately, you may have to wade through its chaotic focus in order to find what you're looking for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
permanme's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Rape and Abandonment
vixenreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Despite some pacing issues, this book provides Saint’s best heroine, with amazing world-building, amazing detail to the mythology explored within the text, and a happier ending than her other novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Misogyny, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Blood, Cursing, Slavery, and War
Be warned about the loss of a friend, humans turning into animals, parents leaving babies for dead, and victim-blaming.icieri's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Pregnancy, Animal death, Sexism, and War
withlivjones's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A masterful retelling of the life of Atalanta, the only female Argonaut and a strong contender for the title of Fastest Person In The Ancient World. Jennifer Saint brings together so many different stories from Classical mythology and remains pretty faithful to them all, although with so much content to cover the pacing of the book is at times a little inconsistent.
Atalanta is a strong protagonist, and her desire for both glory and belonging are well articulated. There are plenty of other strong characters too - particularly Medea, and I definitely appreciate that she is not vilified in this book as she can be in other retellings.
I do wish that the book didn’t focus as much on romance as it does - one of Atalanta’s main character traits in the source texts is that she absolutely didn’t want to be in a relationship (at least until Hippomenes comes along), so to have that part of her character erased is a little disappointing. Also I feel like the ending of the book is pretty divisive, it wasn’t really for me and it felt rather abrupt, but I think other people might love it.
Atalanta is a strong protagonist, and her desire for both glory and belonging are well articulated. There are plenty of other strong characters too - particularly Medea, and I definitely appreciate that she is not vilified in this book as she can be in other retellings.
I do wish that the book didn’t focus as much on romance as it does - one of Atalanta’s main character traits in the source texts is that she absolutely didn’t want to be in a relationship (at least until Hippomenes comes along), so to have that part of her character erased is a little disappointing. Also I feel like the ending of the book is pretty divisive, it wasn’t really for me and it felt rather abrupt, but I think other people might love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexism, and Violence
Period-typical attitudesspellebook's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexism, and Sexual violence
colleenrose's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Animal death
bryonyindecisivereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
I was so excited to venture into another Jennifer Saint retelling. I continue to be amazed by her ability to find a few lines about women in male-heavy stories and how she can create whole books about them. She also always manages to find women who I’ve not really heard about, which makes the myth deep-dive you want to do afterwards near impossible.
Although it did turn out I had a small recollection of an Atalanta poem from when I’d been at University in this instance, I didn’t put two and two together until the end which meant I was still guessing which direction her story would go. I was just really excited to read a story which featured Artemis too, who I often feel, if portrayed, is often portrayed quite passively? so it was interesting to see her take a more active, kind of aggressive role in this - kind of more like a typical goddess, I guess.
I loved Atalanta’s character. She was brave and unapologetically powerful, and most men actually didn’t mind that. I enjoyed seeing such a strong female presence in such a typically male setting.
I think the take on motherhood was really interesting. I also enjoyed the friendships Atalanta explores throughout the book as they create a sense of loyalty that she repeatedly shows as the story progresses.
I flew through this book (I read it in two days) - it was so easy to read, but I also did not want to put it down.
Once again, Jennifer Saint manages to create a story that celebrates female strength and bravery in a myth that had before forgotten its women.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, War, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
shelfofunread's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Since publishing her debut novel, Ariadne, in 2021, Jennifer Saint has quickly established herself as a consummate storyteller. Her energetic and passionate retellings of Greek mythology have drawn praise from readers and critics alike for bringing women whose roles had been side-lined back into the spotlight.
Her latest novel, Atalanta, continues in this tradition but, rather than a woman who has been side-lined from her myth, as in the case of Ariadne and Electra, Atalanta tells the tale of a woman who has been written out of her story altogether.
As a child, I remember being enthralled by the film Jason and the Argonauts when it was shown on the television. All those brave heroes fighting monsters and having grand adventures on their quest for the mythical Golden Fleece. But I did wonder why, given that Jason sails under the goddess Hera’s protection, no women were really involved in his quest. Later, at university, I learned that in some sources there was a female Argonaut: Atalanta. Whilst the account of Apollonius of Rhodes sees Atalanta denied her place on her the ship, other writers – most notably Pseudo-Apollodorus’s Bibliotheca – see Atalanta sailing with the Argonauts under the protection of the goddess Artemis.
Jennifer Saint has also chosen to restore Atalanta to her place amongst the crew of the Argo. But Atalanta’s story is about more than the Quest for the Golden Fleece. Instead we follow Atalanta throughout her life: an infant left to die on a mountainside, rescued by bears and raised by nymphs, through her childhood and adolescence in woodland of Arcadia under the watchful eye of the goddess Artemis. And, after her adventures on the Argo are done, her life continues to be one of fearless independence, strength, and adventure. It’s a captivating tale, and one that Jennifer Saint brings vividly to life in her novel.
Atalanta herself makes a fantastic narrator: strong-willed and fierce, she is determined to live up to her name and be ‘equal in strength’ to any of the challenges that she faces. I also really love the way in which Saint conveys the tensions bubbling away under the surface of her heroine’s life. Although blessed by a goddess, Atalanta is also subject to the will of that goddess. And Artemis, although fiercely protective of her forest and her nymphs, is perfectly capable of being just as fickle in her affections as the rest of the pantheon on Mount Olympus. And as Atalanta learns more of the world away from Arcadia – and of the men who inhabit it – her own wishes and desires will bring her into conflict with the will of her protector.
As in her previous novels, Jennifer Saint brilliantly conveys the world of Greek mythology, humanising the men and women who become embroiled in the schemes of gods and monsters, even as she conveys the range of human emotions and urges that motivate their participation in such schemes. Saint’s passion for the mythology really comes across on the page, with luscious descriptions of the world and its inhabitants. I loved seeing Atalanta written back into her story, and also really enjoyed Saint’s evocation of Artemis, Meleager, and Hippomenes.
I have been a fan of Saint’s work ever since the publication of Ariadne but I have to say that I think Atalanta is her best novel to date. With a compelling and bold protagonist, a page-turning plot, and a richly evoked setting, Atalanta sees Saint on top form and is sure to delight fans of her previous work – and, hopefully, to earn her many new ones!
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Her latest novel, Atalanta, continues in this tradition but, rather than a woman who has been side-lined from her myth, as in the case of Ariadne and Electra, Atalanta tells the tale of a woman who has been written out of her story altogether.
As a child, I remember being enthralled by the film Jason and the Argonauts when it was shown on the television. All those brave heroes fighting monsters and having grand adventures on their quest for the mythical Golden Fleece. But I did wonder why, given that Jason sails under the goddess Hera’s protection, no women were really involved in his quest. Later, at university, I learned that in some sources there was a female Argonaut: Atalanta. Whilst the account of Apollonius of Rhodes sees Atalanta denied her place on her the ship, other writers – most notably Pseudo-Apollodorus’s Bibliotheca – see Atalanta sailing with the Argonauts under the protection of the goddess Artemis.
Jennifer Saint has also chosen to restore Atalanta to her place amongst the crew of the Argo. But Atalanta’s story is about more than the Quest for the Golden Fleece. Instead we follow Atalanta throughout her life: an infant left to die on a mountainside, rescued by bears and raised by nymphs, through her childhood and adolescence in woodland of Arcadia under the watchful eye of the goddess Artemis. And, after her adventures on the Argo are done, her life continues to be one of fearless independence, strength, and adventure. It’s a captivating tale, and one that Jennifer Saint brings vividly to life in her novel.
Atalanta herself makes a fantastic narrator: strong-willed and fierce, she is determined to live up to her name and be ‘equal in strength’ to any of the challenges that she faces. I also really love the way in which Saint conveys the tensions bubbling away under the surface of her heroine’s life. Although blessed by a goddess, Atalanta is also subject to the will of that goddess. And Artemis, although fiercely protective of her forest and her nymphs, is perfectly capable of being just as fickle in her affections as the rest of the pantheon on Mount Olympus. And as Atalanta learns more of the world away from Arcadia – and of the men who inhabit it – her own wishes and desires will bring her into conflict with the will of her protector.
As in her previous novels, Jennifer Saint brilliantly conveys the world of Greek mythology, humanising the men and women who become embroiled in the schemes of gods and monsters, even as she conveys the range of human emotions and urges that motivate their participation in such schemes. Saint’s passion for the mythology really comes across on the page, with luscious descriptions of the world and its inhabitants. I loved seeing Atalanta written back into her story, and also really enjoyed Saint’s evocation of Artemis, Meleager, and Hippomenes.
I have been a fan of Saint’s work ever since the publication of Ariadne but I have to say that I think Atalanta is her best novel to date. With a compelling and bold protagonist, a page-turning plot, and a richly evoked setting, Atalanta sees Saint on top form and is sure to delight fans of her previous work – and, hopefully, to earn her many new ones!
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Murder, Animal death, and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, War, and Rape