Reviews - Ariadne | The StoryGraph

15.3k reviews for:

Ariadne

Jennifer Saint

3.77 AVERAGE

ca11ahan's review against another edition

5.0

Incredible

natalieupton's review against another edition

3.75

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I wanted to like this book more than I did and unfortunately found myself comparing it (unfavorably) to Madeline Miller’s Circe, which I’m sure a lot of other people have considered, too. I think a major pitfall may be that the original story is simply a bummer. The author tries to criticize and escape a male centered perspective but struggles to achieve this. In my opinion it is reasonably well written but lacking some edge, character, or humor to take it to another level, which I think would’ve facilitated the feminist arguments the author was making. The connections to Medusa were the strongest points for me. Altogether a worthy effort but also one that left me unexcited. Perhaps that was her point?

lucy_99's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-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

mels_shenaniganss's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

So many thoughts at the moment, but I wished Saint had chosen one of the better endings of the original myths 😢

gne's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

emorgan25's review against another edition

4.0

I’m a sucker for Greek mythology retellings—especially feminist ones—and Ariadne didn’t disappoint.

Jennifer Saint gives voice to the often-overlooked women of myth, following Ariadne as she aids Theseus, faces betrayal, and ultimately reclaims her power. The prose is lyrical, the storytelling compelling, and I loved the references to Medusa and Hera that hinted at a wider, complex mythological world.

This is a story of sisterhood, resilience, and self-discovery. And honestly—who doesn’t love a feminist retelling?

“I had rediscovered my courage. I would not let it slip from me now.”

laurenbachman7's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

This was a decent read but I never felt captivated by it. Admittedly I may not have given it my full attention, but it was easy to follow without the need to do so. Before this I didn't have a clear idea of how Ariadne fit into Greek myth and this book definitely remedied that. This is a good read for any fan of Greek mythology, though I wouldn't expect it to be a life changing experience.