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leemazz01's review against another edition
The writing style was very slow and boring. The book felt predictable as well.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
redheadorganist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Abandonment, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide and Rape
shayna14's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
atalanta is my favorite greek hero, so my hopes for this book were very high. it was a solid 4 stars for me until the argonauts returned from their quest. after that, the book felt rushed and at times very predictable, while also lacking depth. it felt like the same effort wasn't given to the writing, honestly :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
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.amhud1030's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you to Macmillan and Libro.fm.fm for the ALC of this book.
Another Greek mythology retelling with a female perspective from Jennifer Saint who does a great job deep diving and bringing us into the story that we’ve heard before in a new light.
Atalanta’s story is very interesting and unique. I enjoyed the story starting when she was an infant and following her through her life.
The pacing seem to bounce back-and-forth between medium and slow paced.
This was a really great story with your typical vengeful, gods and goddesses involved with lots of twists some I was not expecting as I did not know about Atalanta previously.
The narrator was excellent!
If you enjoy Jennifer Saints, previous books and Greek mythology, and then you’ll love this story.
Another Greek mythology retelling with a female perspective from Jennifer Saint who does a great job deep diving and bringing us into the story that we’ve heard before in a new light.
Atalanta’s story is very interesting and unique. I enjoyed the story starting when she was an infant and following her through her life.
The pacing seem to bounce back-and-forth between medium and slow paced.
This was a really great story with your typical vengeful, gods and goddesses involved with lots of twists some I was not expecting as I did not know about Atalanta previously.
The narrator was excellent!
If you enjoy Jennifer Saints, previous books and Greek mythology, and then you’ll love this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, War, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
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
alireads's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Misogyny, Blood, Animal death, and Sexism
Minor: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape
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