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kristen_spencer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: War and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Rape
ghostlyprince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Grief, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death of parent, Murder, War, Abandonment, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, and Misogyny
Minor: Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Incest
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Murder, Animal cruelty, Child death, Violence, War, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Rape
maaikereadsbooks_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death, Child death, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Physical abuse, War, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Blood, Suicide, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Gore, Animal death, Sexism, Death of parent, and Self harm
anapthine's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Kidnapping, Blood, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Trafficking, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
starship_olympus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I can’t help but feel that a fifth of it could have been cut, at least of Clytemnestra, post sacrifice. Hers were the slowest bits, there were only so many ways to read about revenge, and it felt repetitive.
I really liked Cassandra, she was the most interesting character imo, with Elektra’s narration being second.
But overall it was wonderful to read these well known stories from this POV. Inventive and fresh!
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Blood, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Violence, and War
Minor: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
vixenreader's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Grief, Death of parent, Death, War, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Sexual assault, Cursing, and Alcohol
Minor: Kidnapping, Vomit, and Incest
This book will cut at anyone who has a bitter relationship with their parents, especially with their mothers.thesawyerbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Jennifer Saint is a very talented writer, and knows how to weave a story in a way that is both enthralling and poetic. I loved the style of multiple narrators in <i> Ariadne</i>, and the style is utilised to good effect in this book as well.
However, the book, while not boring, did become very monotonous. Especially considering that for the most part, the three narrators weren’t directly involved in the central events of the Trojan war: it came across as detached and in some ways simply a recounting of events rather than a perspective (with perhaps the marked exception of Cassandra’s point of view). What made this book was the building of tension, expectation, excitement for a justified vengeful climax.
The culmination of the majority of the book, the scene which was meant to release the tension built up the entire novel, was over so quickly. It didn’t feel particularly satisfying, and then you had to read on for another hundred pages of Elektra ruminating and marinating in her venom.
On that note, Cassandra was killed off halfway through, and Elektra was just acting like an irrational brat which made her point of view extremely agitating to get through; leaving only Clytemnestra’s account which was the best anyway - so in conclusion this is a Clytemnestra stan account.
I will never say no to a Jennifer Saint book, because they’re always interesting, always wonderfully written and always enjoyable. But if I’m honest, I wish this one hadn’t dragged as long as it did; perhaps the pacing would’ve been more optimal if it was 50 pages shorter.
Graphic: War, Kidnapping, Child death, Murder, Misogyny, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
ebancroft's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy and War
Minor: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Rape
hmatt's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
That said, I didn't find this retelling quite as compelling as I've found others. Cassandra is the only one of the three POV characters who is arguably likeable at all, which is definitely intentional, but also it did impact my reading. It was a struggle for me to empathize at all, really, with the other two. I also wasn't quite convinced by the choice to just narrate from these three specific characters. Elektra and Clytemnestra make sense but, again, Cassandra is a bit of a random pick/stretch for me. It felt like it was a choice made deliberately so that this book wasn't too similar to A Thousand Ships - which, honestly, read that before you read this.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, War, Grief, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Confinement, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Genocide
Minor: Animal death