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A review by asourceoffiction
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is an amazing retelling, that gives weight to a story I knew surprisingly little about. Ariadne's is such a tragic story which, let's face it, is pretty typical of women in Greek myth. Having only read a handful of this genre it was nice to pick up a story that wasn't centred on Troy (though I've loved all those I've read), and I really enjoyed Saint's focus on one particular woman in her stories.
The settings in this book are utterly beautiful, and I was so quickly drawn in by the beautiful writing. I felt constant tension in the presence of the Minotaur (another female tragedy; I was totally oblivious to his origins), even if that was the only part of the story whose ending I already knew. Ariadne's emotions are laid totally bear for the reader; as she is betrayed, saved (by coincidence or design I was never quite sure) and struggles to trust her safety, I was totally caught up in that with her.
Dionysus was a really interesting character to follow, his motives were so ambiguous throughout that he fascinated me. I loved Phaedra's entire story, which again I knew absolutely nothing about. The end feels sort of inevitable, what with the current of sadness that runs through the book, but it hit me really hard in how sudden and unnecessary it felt (oh look, yet more tragedy). Jennifer Saint is definitely going onto my must-read list.
The settings in this book are utterly beautiful, and I was so quickly drawn in by the beautiful writing. I felt constant tension in the presence of the Minotaur (another female tragedy; I was totally oblivious to his origins), even if that was the only part of the story whose ending I already knew. Ariadne's emotions are laid totally bear for the reader; as she is betrayed, saved (by coincidence or design I was never quite sure) and struggles to trust her safety, I was totally caught up in that with her.
Dionysus was a really interesting character to follow, his motives were so ambiguous throughout that he fascinated me. I loved Phaedra's entire story, which again I knew absolutely nothing about. The end feels sort of inevitable, what with the current of sadness that runs through the book, but it hit me really hard in how sudden and unnecessary it felt (oh look, yet more tragedy). Jennifer Saint is definitely going onto my must-read list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Murder, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Child death, Violence, and Misogyny