A review by kschiffm
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

4.0

In Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, the Minotaur has a sister. Ariadne, daughter of Minos, grew up under the shadow of the monster. Taking the first chance to get away that she finds, Ariadne seeks to see the world but ends up saved by Dionysis on his remote island. As she falls in love with the god and settles down, not everything in her life, or her past, is as remote as it seems. In a retelling of the classic myth, we get to know one of the women of greek mythology more.

Favorite Quote
“I would be Medusa, if it came to it, I resolved. If the gods held me accountable one day for the sins of someone else, if they came for me to punish a man’s actions, I would not hide away like Pasiphae. I would wear that coronet of snakes, and the world would shrink from me instead.” – Jennifer Saint, Ariadne

Review
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is a retelling from the point of view of the sister of the Minotaur and the wife of Dionysis. As someone who has read Circe and The Song of Achilles, I knew this would be right up my alley. Ariadne’s story is less epic and has less adventure than other stories in the greek cannon, but still managed to have my full attention.

The book has a very dark ending that I didn’t quite see coming. While there are hints of it throughout, the final climactic scene was more brutal and horrifying than I had expected. Sometimes old myths serve to remind us that bad things can get out of hand quickly and that we should trust our gut.

I received an e-book arc of Ariadne by Jennifer Saint from the publisher Flatiron Books.

I recommend these books if you liked Circe and are interested in retellings of classic greek myths.