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by Jennifer Saint ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 4, 2021

Ambitious but uninspiring.

A debut novelist retells timeless tales from a feminine perspective.

Classical mythology endures—at least in part—because of its malleability. Ancient Near Eastern cultures borrowed one another’s deities and transformed them to meet their own needs. Poets, playwrights, and painters have been creating their own iterations of the Olympian gods for thousands of years. One of the difficulties of working with familiar figures and well-known tropes is making them fresh. Writers crafting long-form narratives face the additional challenge of putting flesh on archetypes. In choosing to give a voice to a woman plagued by awful men—her father, King Minos; her first love, the hero Theseus; Dionysus, the god of wine—Saint succeeds in presenting a distinctive version of Ariadne. The author doesn’t quite deliver on making her protagonist—or anyone else in this novel—real. One issue is Saint’s prose style. She uses formal, stilted language that is, perhaps, supposed to create a sense of antiquity but instead just feels unnatural. There is more telling than showing, and characters launch into soliloquies that might make sense in a Greek tragedy but are out of place here. On the whole, Saint is writing in a mode that is neither realist nor fantasy but an awkward place in between. For example, as she offers a detailed depiction of the infancy and development of the Minotaur—Ariadne’s half brother—the monster ceases to be horrifying and instead becomes slightly ridiculous. The reader has leisure to ask such questions as why, since cows are herbivores, a creature with the head of a bull would enjoy a diet of human flesh. Worse, though, is that Saint manages to make Dionysus—a god who inspired bloodthirsty frenzies in his drunken followers—boring. Ariadne becomes his bride soon after she’s dumped by Theseus. After a few years, Ariadne and Dionysus are staying together for the kids and hoping that a couples vacation to Athens will spice things up.

Pub Date: May 4, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-250-77358-6

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021

LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION

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IT STARTS WITH US

by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022

Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.

The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.

Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.

Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022

ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION

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by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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Book Reviews

Book Review: Ariadne // Jennifer Saint

It would be easy to view Ariadne by Jennifer Saint as just another retelling of a classical myth. Instead, Saint takes the character of Ariadne and follows her story, whilst incorporating other myths, from Daedalus and Icarus, to that of Acoetes and Dionysus. The world of Ariadne is thus given a complete feel and enthralling narrative potential.

This is a story many people will be familiar with, thus Saint seems to take pleasure in playing with the reader’s expectations. There are many little details that appear to be foreshadowing, yet when the time comes Saint neatly sidesteps the anticipated event. For this reason, this review will avoid going into too much plot-specific detail, although it will assume that the broad strokes are so commonly written about that they can no longer be spoiled.

In following Ariadne, Saint can both build a narrative that can rival any modern novel and play with the different versions of myths and how each telling is always an interpretation, which must decide which characters are to be celebrated and which are to be demoted to insignificance, or blamed for their own fates.

It is particularly notable that by choosing Ariadne as the focal point, the stories of women such as Medusa, Semele, Pasiphaë, and Phaedra can be interwoven into the narrative without it seeming strained. These female characters are wildly different, yet all share similar fates. That is, they are all punished for the actions of their male counterparts. It is not the case that Saint has created any new backstories to provide these female characters with pathos. She has just decided, rightly, that stories should not skip over female suffering, for the sake of simplistic, male-centred morality tales.

Alongside this treatment of women in Greek mythology, Saint’s narrative has none of the overly contrived plot details which are so often used to excuse the failings of male heroes. For example, Theseus is not simply excused for his misdeeds by divine intervention. That is not to say that characters like Theseus are devoid of depth and portrayed as one-dimensional villains. By giving a complex characterisation to these more negatively portrayed characters, Saint permits the reader to gauge an understanding of why they act as they do. This, however, does not in any way make their behaviour seem acceptable or excuse it.

Ariadne is not written to force any idea of morality, and so is a pleasing change from many older retellings of these myths. Instead, Saint removes the misogynistic, imperialistic, and moralistic undercurrents and replaces it with a nuanced exploration of character, leaving judgement to the individual reader.

The skill of Saint’s characterisation is most prominently felt in that of Dionysus. He is given a vitality and youthful sense of liberation, which cannot hide his separation from humanity, even as great pathos is created. This pathos stems from the beautiful exploration of his relationship with his human mother Semele. Saint’s treatment of the characters and myths creates a compelling narrative with believable characters. And so, Ariadne provides the perfect antidote to the frequently misogynistic and frankly dull versions of the story which solely focus on Theseus.

Words by Ed Bedford

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Book Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint – an enthralling read based on Greek mythology

Since Madeline Miller’s hugely successful novel, The Song of Achilles , published in 2011, fiction based on ancient myths, has been popping up, almost spawning a whole new genre. Miller continues to write terrific books like this – I can’t recommend Circe enough – and acclaimed author Pat Barker has veered away from her 20th century war fiction to produce two novels (so far) about the women of Troy. Ariadne is the first novel by Greek myth enthusiast, Jennifer Saint.

I have long been fascinated by the story of the Minotaur and how Theseus defeated it with the help of King Minos’s daughter, Ariadne. If you recall, the Minotaur was a monster, half bull and half human, with a voracious appetite for human flesh, sequestered in a labyrinth devised by Daedalus, a kind of Leonardo of his day. In the novel, Minos, King of Crete, was becoming unpopular with his people for feeding miscreants to the beast, but happily found another food supply: a tribute from Athens, which Minos had brought to its knees in battle.

So every year, seven young men and seven young women, teenagers really, would be shipped from Athens then flung into the labyrinth for the Minotaur to hunt down in the dark and well, you can imagine the rest. Theseus, long estranged from his father, the King of Athens, returns to find his city in mourning for the new harvest about to take place and volunteers as one of the selected victims. He’s keen on vanquishing monsters and thinks he can outwit the Minotaur, if only he can find his way in and out of the labyrinth. Ariadne, drawn by his princely bearing and general good looks, offers to help.

Such an exciting story, but that is barely the half of it. Jennifer Saint weaves a yarn around Ariadne and what happens next. How Theseus left her on the island of Naxos, instead of taking her back to Athens as his bride. It is also the story of Phaedra, Ariadne’s thirteen year old sister, similarly smitten with Theseus. While Ariadne is rescued by Dionysus, the god of wine and good times, Phaedra becomes a bargaining chip between the kingdom of Crete and Athens.

The women in this story are rarely able to steer the path of their own lives, caught up in the political aims of the powerful men around them. So even though Ariadne and Phaedra are the grandchildren of the sun god Helios, and as such have remarkable beauty, they are victims of circumstances again and again. Meanwhile the gods, particularly Zeus, and his bitter and jealous wife Hera, toy with the mortals of the story, and even lesser gods like Dionysus.

The gods do not know love, because they cannot imagine an end to anything they enjoy. Their passions do not burn brightly as a mortal’s passions do, because they can have whatever they desire for the rest of eternity. How could they cherish or treasure anything? Nothing to them is more than a passing amusement, and when they have done with it, there will be another.

It all makes for a gripping retelling of the myth, adding character to the main players – the motives and desires, weaknesses and blindness to the truth. In other novels, you often shout at the characters, ‘Oh, no! Don’t do that!’ Or even ‘Look out, behind you!’ But here, it wouldn’t matter how aware the characters were, the gods are always out to get them, pawns in their constant one-upmanship with other gods.

While there is much tragedy to the story, the novel is still very entertaining, creating an imaginary world that is a joy to the senses, whether it is Dionysus’s island with its maenads and feasts, or the opulent world of the palaces in Crete or Athens. We even get a chance to check out Hades.

Ariadne is well worth picking up, a welcome addition to a growing sub-genre of mythical retellings, with four out of five stars from me. Saint’s second book, Elektra is definitely on my must-read list. Another book by Saint, Atalanta , is due for release later this year, while I’ve also got my eye on Ithaca by Claire North. So much to enjoy.

Published by Judith

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3 thoughts on “ Book Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint – an enthralling read based on Greek mythology ”

Thanks for your review. I also very much liked this one,

I think it was you who put me onto this book, Joyce, so thank you!

Like Liked by 1 person

Glad if that is so. Thanks

Book Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

By: Author Jen - MMB Book Blog

Posted on Published: 13 January 2022 - Last updated: 21 July 2024

Ariadne was the debut novel by Jennifer Saint, published in 2021.

Ariadne was an instant Sunday Times bestseller , shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was Waterstones Book of the month in January 2022

Ancient Greece and mythology has always fascinated me so I was looking forward to reading this book about Ariadne and the part she played in helping Theseus.

Disclosure : This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Genre: Greek Mythology Author: Jennifer Saint Published: 2021 Buy Now: Amazon | Waterstones

Ariadne is the gentle daughter of the fearsome King Minos, and sister to the monster who bellows from the Labyrinth beneath the palace.

This monster, also known as the Minotaur , demands blood and every year 14 innocent young men and women from Athens are given as a sacrifice. Despite being horrified by the brutality and loss of life, Ariadne does nothing.

One year Theseus , Prince of Athens, offers himself as a sacrifice to the beast and Ariadne is instantly infatuated with him. She decides to help Theseus kill the Minotaur, betraying her family and country.

Will Ariadne’s decision to help Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she, as so many other women before her, be treated as nothing more than a necessary sacrifice?

Ariadne Book Review

Ariadne was the first book I’d read centred around Greek mythology and it instantly grabbed my attention.

The characters were vividly brought to life and I enjoyed reading from both Ariadne and Phaedra’s perspectives. I did find the story slowed a little in the middle but quickly picked up again towards the end.

I’ve read reviews stating this is a feminist interpretation of the classic story but I’m not so sure it is. Jennifer Saint gives Ariadne a voice when she is so often forgotten in retellings of the tales of the Minotaur.

However, other than her actions at the beginning of the book, I found Ariadne to be quite a passive character. I did enjoy reading the story from a woman’s perspective and it perfectly highlighted how women would be punished for the actions of a man.

However, is this feminism? Feminism, to me at least, is more than just the criticism of men.

Having said that, I did like Ariadne as a character. Not every character has to be a feminist icon. I enjoyed her gentleness and her capacity for forgiveness. I also enjoyed reading Phaedra’s perspective, despite finding her infuriating at times.

The author did a great job of introducing other tales within the main story. We learn about how Medusa became a monster and what drove Icarus to fly too close to the sun. I really enjoyed the opening chapters about the Minotaur and how he came to be the monstrous beast he was known to be.

There are variations to the myth regarding Ariadne’s fate and I actually enjoyed the author’s interpretation and how the story ended.

Overall I really enjoyed Ariadne. I enjoyed learning more about her after the events in the labyrinth and I really liked her as a character.

What should I read after Ariande?

If you enjoyed Ariadne, I would definitely suggest reading more books by Jennifer Saint. I’d recommend starting with her second novel, Elektra .

If you’re a fan of Greek mythology I’d also recommend The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes.

This book is featured on the following lists:

Complete List of Jennifer Saint Books in Order 2024

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Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Posted May 17, 2021 by Stephanie in Reviews / 16 Comments

A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS. As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything. In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition? Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.

Greek mythology retellings focused on the often forgotten female mytholical characters have been on the rise in the last few years and I’m so here for it all. There’s not one that I wouldn’t read and the same goes for Ariadne. I’m so glad to have finally read this book. The writing was so beautiful and I really did enjoy it but in the end I missed a little more ‘oomph’ to the characters and story.

Ariadne is a reimagining of the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. I think most people are familiar with that story and how shitty Theseus is. Spoiler alert: that doesn’t change in this book. But Ariadne can now finally be the true hero that the myth deserved. And oh I loved Ariadne’s character. She was a joy to read about and easily my favorite character in the book.

We also get her younger sister Phaedra’s POV, which I hadn’t expected. It was very striking to see even though they are sisters they had such different experiences in life, especially as they got older and became mothers. It was really interesting to see and read that.

Now as much as I enjoyed the book for the most part, ultimately I just wanted a little more from it. There wasn’t a lot of plot and some of the characters could really have used some more development. It very much relied on the stunning writing. The end, though, almost made me cry. It was a very emotional one but oh so beautiful.

Written in both Ariadne’s and her sister Phaedra’s point of view this was a powerful read. It was a really beautiful written and poignant story with a focus on sistershood. It was definitely impressive for a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Jennifer Saint.

About the author: Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote ARIADNE which tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from the perspective of Ariadne – the woman who made it happen. Jennifer Saint is now a full-time author, living in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two children. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

16 responses to “ Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint ”

It sounds amazing, even if it did lack the oomph you needed – it did something right if it made you cry ?

I saw someone call it good but not great and that was exactly it!

Even if it wasn’t a perfect read, it still sounds like a good one!

Yes it wasn’t amazing but a good read. 🙂

Its nice when you enjoy a book even if it was slightly disappointing. I know you’ve been looking forward to this?

I was happy to finally read a retelling where the author actually shows Theseus as a dick so I’m happy ?

It’s a pity this didn’t turn out to be all that great. With all the hype about it being like Circe, I’d had high(er) hopes. 🙁

I can definitely see how it’s compared to Circe but I enjoyed Circe way more (I gave that 5 stars). Ariadne is still worth a read, just not the best I’ve ever read, you know.

I’m more of a plot-driven person, so this could fall flat for me.

Aww, I’m sorry this was good but not great! I still want to read it so I’m glad the writing was beautiful though and that Theseus was portrayed as the shitty person he was haha 🙂

A retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur? Now that is something you don’t read every day! I’m sorry it wasn’t an outstanding read for you, but glad you still found it enjoyable 🙂

Shame it wasn’t a 5-star read, I had high expectations for it. Still, sounds like a good retelling and debut! Lovely review, Stephanie.

I am glad that the writing was enjoyable despite the story not being what you expected.The concept does sound like it is really interesting. 😉

I have seen some people loving this book and some others finding it lacking in some ways like you did. I am sorry you didn’t adore it more! I have to admit I still want to give it a try myself though :3

You should definitely give it a try! I’m still gonna read the author’s future books.

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Ariadne , by Jennifer Saint

Sarah meyrick reviews a retelling of the trials that ariadne faced.

GREEK mythology has a number of terrifying monsters, and none more so than the horrible Minotaur. Half-human, half-bull, the Minotaur lived in an underground labyrinth, terrorising everyone in earshot. Every year, the Athenians were forced to send 14 young men and women as a human sacrifice.

Until, that is, the year when the Athenian party included the Prince Theseus, who killed the Minotaur with the help of the Princess Ariadne. Her reward for betraying her father, King Minos? Theseus abandoned her on the island of Naxos on the way back to Athens and told everyone she’d died. Luckily for Ariadne, she caught the eye of the god Dionysus, who fell in love with her — although the god of wine was never going to make the most reliable of husbands.

Meanwhile, back on Crete, King Minos was succeeded by his son, who made peace with Theseus, giving him Ariadne’s younger sister Phaedra in marriage as part of the deal, only for Phaedra to fall in love with Theseus’s stepson Hippolytus. Rich pickings for any storyteller: the supporting cast includes Icarus, who flew too close to the sun; Perseus, who killed the Gorgon Medusa, who turned men to stone; and Medea, who murdered her own children in revenge for their father’s taking a new wife.

Novels retelling the Greek myths have proved popular in recent times: Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles and Circe, Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls, and Natalie Haynes’s A Thousand Ships all spring to mind. Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne is described as “a feminist literary retelling” of the ancient Greek myth. Sadly, it doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The writing is somewhat stilted, and the pace is uneven. A good enough read for lovers of Greek myth, but a long way short of Miller, Barker, or Haynes.

Sarah Meyrick is a freelance writer and novelist.

Ariadne Jennifer Saint Headline £14.99 (978-1-4722-7386-4) Church Times Bookshop £13.50

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Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

by Sarah Deeming | April 19, 2021 | Blog , Reviews | 0 comments

Ariadne is the daughter of King Minos of Crete and the sister of the dreaded Minotaur. Every year, Athens sends fourteen young men and women as a sacrifice to the Minotaur, and Ariadne looks away, unable to bear her part in these atrocities. Then Theseus, the prince of Athens, arrives as a sacrifice. She is so swayed by his virtue, honour, and handsome face, that she betrays her father to end the murders. But will her own sacrifice, the loss of her home and family, lead to a happy ever after, or will Theseus forget her in pursuit of his own fame and fortune?

This is a Greek mythology retelling that shifts the focus away from Theseus and his heroic exploits to become King of Athens. Instead, we explore the way women are treated by men and gods alike. They are tools for men to use and discard when their purpose is served and as a form of punishment when men go against the gods.

Ariadne cannot escape this truth, her mother is punished for her father’s greed, and the result is the Minotaur. The story is told predominantly from Ariadne’s point of view, her highs and lows, her acceptance of her position, as well as her attempts to change her fate. We are drawn in from the start as Ariadne is a caring character who loves to dance, and the action starts with her helping birth the Minotaur. She doesn’t see a monster; she sees a baby with calf eyes and soft fur. How can we not share her tenderness of this moment and later her grief for what her brother will become?

We also see some events from Phaedra, Ariadne’s sister, who acts as a foil to her sister. While Ariadne is cautious and wants a quiet life, Phaedra learns to influence men, so she has some authority. If you are unfamiliar with the story, I don’t want to spoil anything for you. So, instead of going into great detail, I will say that Phaedra is usually cast as a villain. But Saint explores her motivations, creating a more complex, sympathetic, believable character.

As this is a retelling and not a reimagining, the ending doesn’t change, making for a bittersweet ending. I both couldn’t put Ariadne down as much as I wanted to avoid finishing it. Jennifer Saint does an incredible job of developing character; we understand why the sisters behave the way they do. We sympathise with them in their different worlds, doing the best they can to survive in a male-dominated world. This brings tension to the ending because it won’t change the outcome, however much we might want it.

My only complaint is the ending felt rushed compared to the rest of the story. The world-building at the start is strong and luscious, creating the golden world of wealth and privilege in which Ariadne grows up. This doesn’t continue with the final showdown, which has rumbled in the background for a good portion of the book.

That complaint didn’t stop my enjoyment of Ariadne in all its beautiful, bittersweet glory. With a touch of romance and a strong feminist slant, Ariadne is perfect for fans of Greek mythology looking for a fresh take on their favourite tales.

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Book Review: Jennifer Saint’s engaging Ariadne continues the trend for retellings of Ancient Greek mythology

April 21, 2021
Jennifer Saint

Daughter of cruel King Minos and sister to the Minotaur, Ariadne lives a life governed by the fear her monstrous brother instils into the enemies of Crete. Athens, in particular, suffers, forced to send regular sacrifices for the Minotaur, exchanging some of its young people for peace with the island nation. But one year, a hero stands amongst them – Theseus, son of the Athenian king. He has volunteered for the journey, intending to kill the Minotaur, and end the barbaric sacrifices once and for all. And Ariadne is willing to help him.

But Theseus is far from the hero of legend, and once the Minotaur is dead, Ariadne’s purpose is served. After all, she betrayed her family – what prince in his right mind would have her now? Abandoning her on the island of Naxos, Theseus leaves her for dead. But when the island’s owner returns, Ariadne finds a whole new life unfolding before her.

It probably goes without saying that Ariadne will appeal to the legions of Madeline Miller fans out there. There’s certainly unavoidable parallels with Circe , as a descendant of Helios finds herself cast out on a lonely island, crossing paths with gods and heroes, but author Jennifer Saint ‘s work is also capable of standing firmly on its own.

Ariadne’s growth is measured and well explored, and the writing is simple, effective, and immersive. Walking a curious line between a rather blunt, classical style, and something a little more flowery and, occasionally, quite visceral, it can feel a little stilted, but the story itself is engaging enough to stop things from slowing down.

Though it’s titled Ariadne , much of the book also focuses on her tragic sister, Phaedra. Traded in exchange for peace with Athens, she marries the hero that not so heroically abandoned her sister to die, and finds that the life of excitement she dreamt of as a child isn’t quite accurate.

I do wonder if Saint couldn’t quite flesh out either story enough to have a standalone that focused on the one sister – Ariadne, after all, spends much of her time on an isolated island, raising a family, and letting the world pass her by. Time becomes hard to keep track of as the story jumps between the two, and the end result is that the finale of Phaedra’s tale feels rushed. Given the choices Saint made in the telling of it, that’s really a shame.

There’s a hopelessness to Ariadne and Phaedra’s stories that our lead and her contemporary author can’t avoid. It’s the Ancient Greek way after all. For anyone not already familiar with the Cretan princesses; they’re (mostly) doomed from the start and it’s powerful men (gods or otherwise) who are to blame.

It’s timely, and it’s also absolutely true, but – and this may be a personal preference – but as the trend for retelling classical myths continues, it feels a little exhausting to have waded through Ariadne and Phaedra’s woes, only for the villains to triumph in the end. We are, after all, saturated with stories like this – both in fiction and in real life.

That said, Ariadne remains an engaging read, and Saint makes fine use of the malleability of mythology to change perceptions of hero, god, and victim. Whether it would have benefited from extra space for Phaedra, or, alternatively, a more streamlined focus is up for debate, but Ariadne herself carries the bulk of the novel with the expected dignity of a Minoan princess – beleaguered but battling on.

THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne is out now, published by Hachette . Grab yourself a copy from Booktopia HERE

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Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (Book Review)

Title: Ariadne

Author: Jennifer Saint

Publication Date: 29 April 2021

Genre: Greek Mythology Retelling

Publisher: Wildfire

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

I am an eternal lover of Greek Mythology, but the one thing that is always missing is a good female perspective. Greek mythology has long lived with the curse of the male gaze and the male perspective, where women are treated as property, used and abused and cursed because of the fickle whims of men. Jennifer Saint hasn’t shied away from these ideas, instead, she has embraced them, and explored what it really means to be a women in Ancient Greek society (and how this can reflect realities for women in our world today).

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything. In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition? Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel GOODREADS

You’ll Like This If You Love…

Greek mythology
Women main characters
Female rage
Real women’s struggles (day to day)
Greek heroes (that may not be so heroic)

My Thoughts:

Is this book really what it says on the tin? A feminist retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur? I would say, yes… but also no… but also yes?

Let’s start with Ariadne. The very first thing that struck me about this novel was how little I had read Greek mythology from a woman’s perspective. Ariadne’s perspective gives a fresh take on the Theseus and the Minotaur myth where Theseus’ heroics are somewhat diminished beneath Ariadne’s naive understanding of the world and her brains to come up with the plan that made Theseus’ heroics successful. As the novel progresses, Ariadne’s character development becomes the real artistic part of this novel. We see her go through so many different stages: unbelievable grief, pure female rage and eventually love. Her marriage to Dionysus (not a spoiler as it is in the original myths) was one of the more feminist aspects of this novel. Dionysus, although a typical Greek God with the powers and ego to match, creates a relationship with Ariadne that is built on mutual respect and trust. However, in their relationship, we also see common struggles of many women: the manipulations of men, the curse of inexperience, a lack of decent male role models, the never-ending hope of something better (even after being let down) and societies rules and expectations (that are not put on men).

Phaedra is the other main perspective character in the novel. At first, I liked Phaedra’s character a lot more than Ariadne’s. She is headstrong and wilful and determined to break out of the societal mould that her father and those around her have placed on her. However, as the novel progresses, I felt like her character almost regresses into a more childlike state. She becomes more submissive and immature and her actions reflect this, leading in dire results. One of the things that I did really like about Phaedra’s character was the way that she struggles with many things that many women, even today, struggle with. She lives in a loveless relationship, doesn’t like being a mother, and envies other for the ease of their lives. However, despite these universal elements of Phaedra’s story, I ended up despising Phaedra’s character as I felt a lot of her story was out of character, even for the original Greek myths she comes from.

Theseus is undoubtedly one of the major antagonists of the novel. Saint is very particular about showing the dark sides of his character and it was very clear from the beginning of the novel that Theseus’ hero status was simply a facade. Time and again he is shown to be a manipulative and narcissistic character who uses and abuses others for his own gain. I think what was really clever about Theseus in this book is that he very slowly, over the course of the novel, starts to lose his grip on the power and control he so desperately aimed to gain at the start, showing the falseness of his character beneath the shiny mask he wears as the King and hero of Athens.

Of all of the characters, one of my favourites was The Minotaur (or Asterion as he was born). One thing I both hate, and love, Jennifer Saint for, is her ability to make me empathise with a character that was doomed from the start. Using Ariadne’s character to retell the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, meant that the Minotaur is presented first and foremost as Ariadne’s brother. This pushes the reader to battle with the nature/nurture argument as Asterion grows up and becomes the monster in the labyrinth that he has mythologically been known as for decades. It made his ultimate (and obvious) demise even more devastating because as his character develops, he slowly loses his humanity in the madness of the Minotaur, meaning that when Ariadne and Theseus ultimately plan to battle him, the reader is left wondering whether Ariadne feels remorse over his death: the death of her brother.

The world building in this book was fundamental to the development of the characters. Crete is a place where both Ariadne and Phaedra are hidden from the world, sequestered and protected from its influences. This means that both of them deal with a betrayal in Theseus’ character at the very start because they do not have the maturity to understand that he is manipulating them. Athens, for Phaedra, becomes a place where reality comes crashing down. A big city with strange customs and strange people. She deals with a lot of change there and all of the regression we see in her character is as a direct result of what happens in the palace at Athens. Naxos, however, for Ariadne is her place of healing. The island where Theseus initially abandons her becomes a haven where she can truly find a slice of paradise. But, because it is so isolated, she becomes disconnected from the wider world and the happenings beyond its shores. The only thing I wish, is that the gods and goddesses has played more of a vital role in the story. One of the beauties of Greek mythology is that the mortal world relies so much on the happenings of Olympus, but I felt like there was a disconnect between the world of Olympus and the world of the characters, with the only connection often being Dionysus’ character, who is often gone from Naxos and Ariadne.

The plot of this book is fairly straightforward, and is where many of the feminist features lack. The plot itself is simply a straight retelling of the different myths that Ariadne is a part of: Theseus and the Minotaur, Ariadne and Dionysus and Phaedra and Theseus. Jennifer Saint does not really deviate from the original myths which I think is both a good thing, but also a drawback of this novel. Sticking to the source material means that there is not much space to add many more feminist themes than can be added into the characters’ development. However, something that is very clear in the plot of the novel is that by sticking to the source material, Saint shows the overarching power and control of the Gods and Goddesses. Every character throughout the novel, in some way, pays a price for angering the gods (whether they were the ones to anger them or not). However, the women in the novel, more often than not, pay the harshest price.

Why It Was A 3-Star Read For Me:

The pacing was where this book was a bit of a let down for me. The book is split into four parts: the first part in particular focuses on the original Theseus and the Minotaur myth from Ariadne’s perspective. This section felt very well paced, with enough detail to keep me on my toes and engaged in the story, hoping endlessly that things might end differently for Ariadne. However, sections two and three felt slow for me. At times the pace was so fast I wasn’t sure what was happening and had to re-read parts, but for most of the time I wished I could skip pages to get to the parts of the book where something was actually happening or changing. I think because the pacing was so erratic for much of the book, I felt as if I was constantly waiting, but not in suspense.

What is most poignant about this novel is that Jennifer Saint doesn’t try to remake the Greek Myths into something they are not. Instead, she gives a voice to the women who are so often left behind in the stories, centering the myths around their lives and struggles of being a woman in Ancient Greece. Struggles woman can face today as well. This is not a book that is trying to put it’s female characters on the same footing as men, instead, it is a novel that analyses and criticises the place of women in society through the lens of Greek myths where women are often used and left behind. As Ariadne herself says: there is “a truth of womanhood [in Greek myths]: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.”

About the Author:

REVIEW: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

by Sandy M | Apr 14, 2023 | Review |

You had me at “feminist retelling,” Jennifer. I love Greek mythology retellings and how each one can put the characters in a different light.

For instance, take Pasiphae. She is incredibly different in this book versus what we saw of her in Circe . It’s a lot of fun getting to see the different sides of each Greek Mythology character.

This did have a slow start, but after about the first 50 pages, it really picked up and became interesting. And I love how we got not only Ariadne’s POV, but her sister’s as well. Once the initial betrayal was out of the way, I really enjoyed this story.

I will say it is funny, because the last time I read anything about Dionysus, it was in Percy Jackson . So it was a little difficult reconciling Mr. D with the Dionysus Ariadne falls in love with. 😂

Overall, another great Greek Mythology retelling that is fun to follow along with right up until the tragic ending. I wholeheartedly recommend this one; you just have to push through the slow start.

Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind?

No excerpt available.

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Theresa Smith Writes

Delighting in all things bookish, book review: ariadne by jennifer saint, about the book:.

In one of the most famous Greek myths, Ariadne betrayed her father, King Minos, to help Theseus defeat the Minotaur. But Theseus in turn betrayed her. This is her story.

A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS.

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.

In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition?

ARIADNE gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.

My Thoughts:

For a person who owns a dog named Zeus, I know very little about Ancient Greek mythology. But this didn’t hamper my enjoyment of this novel at all. Ariadne tells the story of the daughters of King Minos, Ariadne and Phaedra. It’s a story of love and betrayal and the ways in which women fall victim to the egos of the men in their lives. It’s also a story of sisterhood, with fates intersecting in the most tragic of ways. Of Gods and mortals, Ariadne is an unforgettable novel of female agency, immortal love, and the gripping intoxication of power.

Quotable Quotes:

‘What I did not know was that I had hit upon a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.’

‘I have walked amongst mortals for many years and I know the dizzying joys of humanity: the fragile, ferocious power of human love and the savage force of grief.’

‘I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself.’

‘The price we paid for the resentment, the lust and the greed of arrogant men was our pain, shining and bright like the blade of a newly honed knife.’

Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of Ariadne for review.

About the Author:

Due to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. She spent the next thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. ARIADNE is her first novel and she is working on another retelling of ancient myth for her second.

Ariadne Published by Hachette Australia – Wildfire Released 30th March 2021

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Ariadne Hardcover – 29 April 2021

Print length 400 pages
Language English
Publisher Wildfire
Publication date 29 April 2021
Dimensions 24.6 x 3.8 x 16.3 cm
ISBN-10 1472273869
ISBN-13 978-1472273864
See all details

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Ariadne, Greek Goddess, Elektra, Atalanta

greek mythology women, Jennifer Saint, Hera

Product description

From the back cover, about the author, product details.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wildfire; 1st edition (29 April 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1472273869
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472273864
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 24.6 x 3.8 x 16.3 cm
2,641 in Myths & Fairy Tales
3,238 in Women's Literary Fiction (Books)
4,218 in Psychological Fiction (Books)

About the author

Jennifer saint.

Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote ARIADNE which tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from the perspective of Ariadne - the woman who made it happen. Ariadne was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was Waterstones Book of the month in January 2022. Her second novel, ELEKTRA, was a Number One Sunday Times bestseller and explores the curse upon the House of Atreus, giving voice to three women who are caught up in its shadows: Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra whose lives are shattered by the Trojan War and who seek to find justice at any cost. Her third novel, Atalanta, tells the story of the only female Argonaut and is a Number One Sunday Times bestseller. Jennifer Saint is now a full-time author, living in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two children.

The Square of Sevens: The Times and Sunday Times Best Historical Fiction of 2023

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Customers say

Customers find the premise intriguing and the writing style incredibly well written and easy to follow. They also praise the storytelling as superb, gripping, and brilliantly finished. Readers describe the book as a wonderful read. Opinions differ on the female characters, with some finding them vibrant and others undeveloped.

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Customers find the writing style beautiful, richly detailed, lyrical, and immersive. They also describe the book as evocative, real, and easy to follow.

"... Really well written , engaging and entertaining. Will make you feel from the very first pages." Read more

"...I completely fell in love with this story. Saint has absolutely stunning prose and I got completely lost in this beautiful, fiercely feminist story...." Read more

"...Well written, clear to understand and with a gorgeous cover for the bookshelf!" Read more

"...anyone that fancies something different that is well plotted and expertly written " Read more

Customers find the storytelling superb, clever, and gripping from start to finish. They also say the Greek myths are great stories that have endured across the centuries. Customers also mention that the book is simply but skilfully woven, illustrating the way that the characters are smart, feisty, and independent.

"...This wonderful story follows Ariadne , a princess of Crete, and partially her sister Pheadra, through their lives and struggles with men...." Read more

"...Ariadne is a fascinating character and it was so compelling to read the story from her point of view...." Read more

"The Greek myths are great stories , which is why they have endured across the centuries to be enjoyed by countless generations...." Read more

"...However, this story just feels a little forced ." Read more

Customers find the book wonderful, literate, and entertaining. They also say it's an excellent read for Greek mythology lovers and those who like to hear mythical history from a smart, feisty, and independent character.

"...Really well written, engaging and entertaining . Will make you feel from the very first pages." Read more

"...a bit of time on motherhood and quiet domesticity, it's a totally gripping read ." Read more

"...A huge positive is the character of Phaedra - she’s smart, feisty and independent. There is more depth in her than any other character on display...." Read more

"...Gods & Monsters* Light romanceAriadne was a wonderful read , it was so nice to be in the head of one of the women involved in the..." Read more

Customers find the premise intriguing and engaging.

"...Really well written, engaging and entertaining. Will make you feel from the very first pages." Read more

"...All in all, it is an intriguing concept to provide an overall story for Ariadne and she is certainly an interesting enough figure from mythology...." Read more

"...The cover is fabulous. For all that, it was an excellent concept , the story of two sisters and the different ways that life dealt with..." Read more

"...I found all of the characters to be interesting and engaging in their own way and, one of the few very rare books I’ve found; that actually has a..." Read more

Customers find the romance in the book exciting, desperate, and full of love. They also describe the book as an emotional and heart-wrenching depiction of Ariadne's life. Readers also appreciate the strong, caring, and loving characters. They enjoy the sense of sisterhood between Ariadene and Phaedra.

"...so many things I loved about this book and I particularly enjoyed the sense of sisterhood between Ariadne and Phaedra...." Read more

"...Ariadne, Phaedra, Medusa… the list goes on. Such an emotive and heart-wrenching depiction of Ariadne’s life...." Read more

"...Dionysus is one character who is well written and the author's affection for him is strong and his rites (very bloody) are described in detail but..." Read more

"...The story could have been really exciting, desperate and full of love , betrayals, joys and sorrows...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the female characters in the book. Some mention they're vibrant and relatable, while others say they've been undeveloped.

"...Saint has the ability to write really compelling characters and I must admit I got a bit teary-eyed at the ending...." Read more

"...My other problem is that the book is trying to make the characters real people , or gods, with the result that it is more soap opera than myth which..." Read more

"...this author and I thoroughly loved it… Ariadne is made relatable and human , as are the gods...." Read more

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Ariadne Review

GoodReads: As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything. In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition?

I love mythology retellings, and I was really excited to read this! It did not disappoint.

Saint’s has a very enjoyable and easy style to read. None of the heaviness of the mythology is left out either. I could feel the distress and grief of the characters, their anger and hopes, and that made it a really hard read on the emotions as well lol. I do have to say someone on GoodReads had the exact idea, I was skimming through the reviews before reading and they spoke of pacing.

Pacing was disjointed. We spent a rather good chunk on this set up event and then when we get to Ariadne going past being a teenager, it all feels off kilter. The time jump feels a little out of place, the first one was understandable and it was clear why she did the second one as well but I would have loved to have seen Ariadne’s relationship with her love interest really develop. Instead we saw the makings of a beautiful beginning and we got the tragic ending, it was as if the middle of the story was left out.

And yet, despite that, it was still a very good read.

The writing style and the stark contrasts of emotions between characters made up for this glaring hole in the story that gave it a weird rushed pacing after the first quarter of the book. Ariadne has such an awareness of her own place in her story, Phaedra her sister is not as aware of where her place in a story might be, and I love that there is this difference between them. The author remains true to the mythology and that does make it so hard to deal with the ending. I wanted to shout and shake my fists lol, I was not happy, but, I knew it was the ending it was meant to have, but it just felt so…frustrating. Which I suspect is exactly what Saint was going for. She didn’t want a complacent reader, she wanted us aware of the anger, pain, grief, and everything in between that these women would feel. That they paid the price for men and gods alike.

It was a good mythology retelling, great writing style, and really let you feel so many emotions. This book isn’t meant to appease you, and I loved that. My only issue

4/5 Cups of coffee from me, glad to get a book read and reviewed on my own, and I already started another book, so fingers crossed this is a good sign lol.

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For lovers of Greek mythology retellings comes a stunning new spin on a centuries-old story. Jennifer Saint’s debut novel, ARIADNE, tells the tale of Ariadne and her sister, Phaedra. It explores the classic myths of the Minotaur, the Labyrinth, Dionysus and the Argive women, and others through the heartbreaking perspectives of the princesses of Crete.

From a childhood spent with a literal monster of a brother and a mother plunged into despondence after being punished by the gods for their father’s hubris, to adulthood as pawns in the virile pursuit of greatness, we follow Ariadne and Phaedra as they attempt a dangerous dance around the seemingly endless threats to women in a world built for men. Through their eyes, we experience the revolting realities of the patriarchy; of being seen as nothing more than tools to reward or punish men for their misdeeds. We swap between the sisters’ perspectives as they live at the whims of the mightiest of gods, the bravest of heroes and the basest of men.

"[Saint] paints emotions so expertly that they may mix with the blood in your veins, inspiring ache and anger and coloring the world when you once again realize that there is a world outside of this book."

As a tale with a feminist twist, ARIADNE is especially focused on the women in Greek mythology, transforming them from footnotes into key characters with their very own personalities and plots. With heavy prose and justified conviction, Saint deftly explores the mistreatment of mythologized women and breaks their silence, amplifying it to screams as they suffer for the lust and greed of the men who claim them. She puts a voice to the boundless, ageless aches of women: the crushing weight of infidelity, the unease of unhappy marriages, and the indescribable and precious fear that accompanies motherhood.

Saint weaves the stories of other gods and mythologized mortals into the pages of her debut, breathing an entire world into her words. Through stories such as those of Scylla, Semele and Medusa, she laces a disquieting reminder throughout her novel that be they young or old, peasant or deity, no woman is safe from the objectifying male gaze or its violent consequences.

However, while Saint spells out the myriad ways women are cast aside and dismissed in Greek mythology, she also fights back by celebrating their resilience, strength and solidarity with one another. With every punishment bestowed upon the women, every heartache and deception, she reinforces the necessary courage it takes to even exist --- let alone exist in defiance.

Saint’s writing is so vivid that her descriptions make it hard to remember where you are. You could be on your couch, a beach or even a city bus and find yourself warmed by the heat of the sun on the island of Naxos or plunged into the inky quiet of the cosmos. She paints emotions so expertly that they may mix with the blood in your veins, inspiring ache and anger and coloring the world when you once again realize that there is a world outside of this book.

Ultimately, Saint guides us through a labyrinthian maze made up of cruel and vengeful gods, unrequited loves, misplaced belief and debilitating betrayal. And with her delicate prose serving as our golden thread, she leads us to freedom.

Reviewed by Kayla Provencher on May 14, 2021

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Publication Date: April 5, 2022
Genres: Fiction , Historical Fiction , Mythology
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN-10: 1250773598
ISBN-13: 9781250773593

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"Ariadne" was great fun, even if not accurate

I enjoy Greek mythology but am far from being an expert.

After reading Circe and Song of Achilles , I received this one as a gift. It's as enjoyable, and arguably lighter than the latter (Achilles felt a bit cumbersome to me).

Jennifer Saint, the author, is weaving deftly a few different stories from the Greek mythology -- although according to what I read later, some aren't aligned with Ariadne's.

I don't want to give away too many details for the fear of spoiling, but I'll say that the feminist narrative and the multitude of themes made it a compelling read.

Recommended for: people who enjoy mythology; are interested in original storytelling; invested in feminism. Not recommended for those who enjoy nit picking on inaccurices wrt. classical stories.

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Ariadne: A Novel

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Rating:	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Title:	Ariadne: A Novel
Author:	Jennifer Saint
Audience:	General Public
Difficulty:	Easy
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Published:	2021
Pages:	320

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is a retelling of the life of Ariadne, Phaedra, the Minotaur, and Theseus from the point of view of Ariadne and Phaedra. Starting with from their childhood and following the myth of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, through to Theseus' desertion of Ariadne on Naxos and his marriage to Phaedra, this book is a beautifully written retelling of this story. Focussing on the punishment of women for men's follies, the novel gives a feminist edge to a well-known story.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint follows the myth of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth , and Theseus ' subsequent desertion of Ariadne on Naxos , from the point of view of Ariadne and her younger sister Phaedra . The first thing that struck me when reading this book was the writing , it is absolutely beautiful. Saint’s writing style is lyrical and poetic, and it has given me the same feeling as Madeline Miller’s Circe . The amount of tabs I used for this book is just insane, and it was primarily so I could go back to the sentences that were so beautiful and striking. I thought the descriptive language lent itself well to the story, as it is quite a slow burn. If you are looking for action, then this is not the book for you. I would have liked a little bit more dialogue to help the story move a bit, but when we did get dialogue, Saint made it count. It strikes me as very similar to Greek tragedy in the sense that any action or violence is never shown, but rather told. You do not actually read about Theseus killing the Minotaur, but when he exits the labyrinth with the other tributes, you know that a bloody fight has just occurred.

I know that human life shines more brightly because it is but a shimmering candle against an eternity of darkness and it can be extinguished with the faintest breeze. (229)

The book is split into four parts; the first and fourth part are from Ariadne’s point of view, and in parts two and three, we get both Ariadne and Phaedra’s point of view. Having dual perspectives in this novel was such a brilliant way to tell this story, especially since Phaedra essentially lived the life Ariadne dreamed for herself the second she locked eyes with Theseus. This book was full of hints to the long history of Greek epic poetry, such as the reuse of epithets commonly seen in Homer ’s Iliad and Odyssey . My favourite and one that popped up a lot was "rosy-fingered dawn," which could be found rewritten numerous time in ways such as "the rosy fingers of dawn" (15). You also have the bee pendant given to Ariadne from Daedalus , which can only be inspired by the Minoan gold bee pendant found in the site of Malia on Crete , as well as mentions of the labrys , also known as a double axe which is a very common symbol and artefact found in Minoan sites and contexts. Any time an author intertwines archaeological aspects into a retelling or reimagining of a myth, I automatically like it more.

One very prevalent theme throughout this retelling is the inherent unfairness there was in being a woman in the world of the gods and in Ancient Greece in general. Furthermore, this idea of women being punished for the actions of men is commented on by Ariadne as early as page 15 with her thought "however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.’ The myths of women such as Scylla who betrayed her father to help Minos and who was then killed by Minos for her treachery, of Io who was turned into a cow to ‘save’ her from Hera ’s wrath after she slept with Zeus , of Semele who was tricked by Hera into forcing Zeus to show her his divine self which then promptly killed her, of Medusa who was turned into a monster with snakes for hair and a look which could kill after being raped by Poseidon , were all brought up time and again in this book, as an emphasis of how women were punished for the follies of men, and I wish Ariadne learnt from these stories. Of course, the myth had to play out, but having those myths mentioned throughout the story makes it all the more clear how helpless the lives of women were.

I wondered what it felt like; to command the respect of people who had not seen you for years and knew nothing of you except that you were the son, rather than the daughter, of the King. (Phaedra, 152)

This book was very character-driven, and I was loving every minute of it. We pretty much get the entire life of Ariadne and Phaedra from their childhood until the day they die in 386 pages, so naturally, their development and growth was a huge part of the narrative. Ariadne was always quite self-aware, she knew the consequence of her actions, but she was so naive to assume that everyone else (ahem, Theseus), was as trustworthy as she was. Her character fluctuated between being a relatively naive woman who let things happen to her, to being this strong, courageous woman who did what she wanted for herself. The inconstancies of her character made her all the more human to me, and a loved reading through her life and the ways in which Saint interpreted her life on Naxos with her children and the Maenads.

Having the dual perspective of Ariadne and Phaedra was such a great way to show the contrasting lives of the sisters, and how they grew up so differently. The most striking contrast for me was the way in which the two women dealt with becoming mothers and their feelings towards their children. It was haunting, and their different experiences have really stuck with me. This is similar to their relationships with their husbands, Dionysus and Theseus. Dionysus is the god of wine, and the fact that he is a god and has married a mortal is your first sign that this cannot stay so perfect. His development was one of my favourite parts of this book, it was so intriguing to read how the following of mortals in his rites affected him, and consequently his relationship with Ariadne and their children.

In contrast, Phaedra and Theseus were never in love, and Phaedra lived a lonely existence as the Queen of Athens . Being in her head as she meets this innocent, pure and outwardly kind man, Hippolytus , really casts her story with Hippolytus in a different light than what we get from primary sources. It was fascinating and tragic, and I loved it. This brings me to Theseus, the opposite of Hippolytus in every way possible. He was obsessed with being a hero, and so I thought that the early description of his "cold green eyes" hints at his cold and cunning soul. He does not care for anyone other than himself, and his lies and manipulation were all calculated and without a second thought for anyone else’s feelings, but only for how it would help him become a greater hero. I really liked the way he was portrayed in this book, but I have a feeling that might change after reading some primary sources of the myth of Ariadne and Theseus.

This review was first-posted on Kell Read.

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Interview: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Theseus & the Minotaur: More than a Myth?

A Visual Who's Who of Greek Mythology

Cite this work.

Macquire, K. (2021, May 19). Ariadne: A Novel . World History Encyclopedia . Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/review/247/ariadne-a-novel/

Chicago Style

Macquire, Kelly. " Ariadne: A Novel ." World History Encyclopedia . Last modified May 19, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/review/247/ariadne-a-novel/.

Macquire, Kelly. " Ariadne: A Novel ." World History Encyclopedia . World History Encyclopedia, 19 May 2021. Web. 25 Aug 2024.

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Reading guide for Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

BookBrowse Review:
Critics' Consensus:
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First Published:
May 4, 2021, 320 pages
Apr 2022, 320 pages

Historical Fiction
17th Century or Earlier
Adult-YA Crossover Fiction
Strong Women
Magical or Supernatural
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Reading Guide

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

The novel's epigraph is taken from Ovid's Heroides , in which Ariadne addresses Theseus: "You will stand before the crowds reciting the glorious death of the man-bull in those great winding passages cut from the rock. Be sure, then, that you also include me."What tone does this set for the story to come?
In the opening pages, Ariadne tells "the story of a righteous man," her father, King Minos of Crete. Why do you think the author chose to begin there? How do we, over the course of the novel, see how problematic these "righteous men" are?
As she grows up, Ariadne realizes that there is a darker side to the stories of gods and men she so often heard:"No longer was my world one of brave heroes; I was learning all too swiftly the women's pain that throbbed unspoken through the tales of their feats." Discuss some examples from the novel that bear this out. Do you think there is still a tendency in our culture to valorize men while ignoring women's pain?
The tension between fate and free will runs throughout this novel. How much agency do you think Ariadne and Phaedra have over their choices, and how much are they manipulated by the gods and Fates? Do they bear any responsibility for what happens to them?
Unlike Ariadne, Phaedra doesn't remember a time before the Minotaur: "I had always known that monsters existed. I could not fear the destruction of all that was good because everything had been ruined before I could remember and I had grown up in the tattered, stained remnants of my sister's golden days. She knew what it was to lose everything but I had nothing to begin with." How do the sisters' differentchildhoods change their outlooks on life? Compare and contrast their personalities
Daedalus is idolized by Ariadne and Phaedra when they are children, and in many ways he seems to be one of the few admirable male characters in this novel. How is he different from the other men and gods we encounter? What role does he play in the story? Can we trust Ariadne and Phaedra's positive account of him?
Ariadne throws herself into domestic life on Naxos and seems to love being a mother to her sons, while Phaedra has a much more difficult time with childbirth and raising her children. Discuss the different experiences of motherhood we see in the novel, including Pasiphae's relationship with her children.
Discuss Dionysus' indictment of the gods: "The gods do not know love,because they cannot imagine an end to anything they enjoy. Their passions do not burn brightly as a mortal's passions do, because they can have whatever they desire for the rest of eternity. How could they cherish or treasure anything? Nothing to them is more than a passing amusement and when they have done with it, there will be another and another and another, until the end of time itself." Does this description ring true to you? Do you think Dionysus himself is different, especially in his relationship with Ariadne and their sons?
Ariadne is horrified by the bloody rites she witnesses between Dionysus, the Maenads, and the resurrected goat. In attempting to understand the Maenads' participation, she reflects: "The ritual gave fearful shape to the anger and the grief that had driven so many of them here in the first place; they screamed and danced in their blood-soaked frenzy by night so that they could live serenely in the sunlight."Does this explanation make sense to you? Can you think of rituals or activities in our culture today that might fill a similar role? Does that justify them?
Why do you think Phaedra commits suicide? How does that choice reflect both her powerlessness and her power? How do you think she will be remembered?
After witnessing Dionysus' terrible actions against the Argive women, Ariadne reflects: "Dionysus had once seemed to me the best of them all, but I saw him now for what he was, no different from the mightiest of the gods. Or the basest of men."What does she mean? Do you feel any sympathy for Dionysus' actions?Does he change over the course of the novel, or does Ariadne simply see him for who he truly is?
Ariadne says of her sons, "they are placid and unmoved by any yearning for glory. They have gone on to lead quiet, unremarkable lives—the greatest gift that they could have been given."What does she mean? How does this novel complicate our ideas about glory and fame?
Were you more drawn to Ariadne's or Phaedra's chapters? Why do you think the author chose to include both of their perspectives?
Were you familiar with these characters and myths already? Did any of the portrayals surprise you? How can retellings of classic stories change or expand our view of the original? What are some of your favorite retellings?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Flatiron Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

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54 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1

Part 4-Epilogue

Character Analysis

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Summary and Study Guide

Ariadne is a 2021 fantasy novel by Jennifer Saint that retells one of the most famous stories from Greek mythology: Theseus’s defeat of the Minotaur. Saint studied classics at King’s College in London, and her novels provide a reimagining of these famous tales through the lens of the women who are traditionally overlooked or overshadowed by male heroes. In doing so, she investigates gender roles and expectations in ancient Greek society, challenges notions of heroism, and gives voice to the unsung heroines of these classic stories. Ariadne was Saint’s debut novel and has received great critical acclaim since its release.

This guide refers to the 2022 paperback edition published by Flatiron Books.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions or mentions of sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, violence against children, child death, and suicide.

Plot Summary

Ariadne takes place in ancient Greece, on the island of Crete. Crete is ruled by the ruthless and tyrannical King Minos , and the novel opens with the story of his conquest of the kingdom of Megara. He kills its king, Nisus, when Nisus’s daughter, Scylla, falls in love with Minos and divulges the secret to her father’s defeat. In the wake of Minos’s victory, however, Minos ties Scylla to the back of his boat and drowns her as punishment for betraying her father. He goes on to wage war on the city of Athens, and the god Zeus aids him in his conquest by sending a devastating plague across the city. Athens has no choice but to accept King Minos’s demands; they must send seven young men and seven young women every year as sacrifices to a creature living in a labyrinth beneath the palace of Knossos in Crete.

Ariadne is the daughter of King Minos and half sister to this creature—the legendary Minotaur. She recounts the story of how the Minotaur came to be: Poseidon, god of the sea, sends King Minos a sacred bull to sacrifice in his honor. Minos’s decision to keep the bull rather than sacrifice it insults Poseidon, who afflicts Minos’s wife, Pasiphae , with lust for the sacred bull. She enlists the palace’s inventor, Daedalus , to construct a realistic wooden cow for her to hide within to trick the bull into mounting her, and she becomes pregnant with its child. This humbles King Minos and brings shame and scandal upon the whole family.

Pasiphae shrinks away in shame during her pregnancy and gives birth when Ariadne is 10 years old. The child is part human, part bull, and Pasiphae names him Asterion. Ariadne does not view the creature with revulsion but rather sees him as her brother and hopes he could be “civilized” one day. She and Pasiphae care for him, but as he grows and becomes harder to contain, Daedalus constructs a labyrinth beneath the palace to house him. The creature lives isolated beneath the palace, feeding on the 14 youths from Athens once a year.

When Ariadne is 18, hostages from Athens arrive. She and her sister, Phaedra , immediately take notice of Theseus , the prince of Athens who has volunteered as a sacrifice to the Minotaur. The sisters are infatuated with him, and Ariadne seeks Daedalus’s help to guide him safely through the Labyrinth, though she betrays her family in doing so. Daedalus gives her a ball of red twine. Ariadne gives Theseus the twine and instructs him on how to navigate the Labyrinth; in exchange, Theseus promises that he will help Ariadne and Phaedra escape from Crete and that he and Ariadne will marry. Theseus successfully defeats the Minotaur and guides all the hostages out of the Labyrinth unharmed. Ariadne escapes with him, leaving Phaedra behind on Crete. They sail to the deserted island of Naxos, but the morning after their arrival, Ariadne wakes to find Theseus has abandoned her on the island.

In the wake of the Minotaur’s defeat, Phaedra witnesses Daedalus escape the palace using wings he constructed. The news of both Theseus’s and Daedalus’s escapes reaches King Minos, and he immediately sets off to find his inventor. His son, Deucalion, arrives to rule in his stead and brings Phaedra news of Ariadne, provided to him by Theseus: He tells her the goddess Artemis killed her in her sleep. To improve relations with Athens, Deucalion has arranged for Phaedra to marry its king—Theseus, who now rules in the wake of his father’s death. Phaedra does not trust Theseus’s account. Still, she takes on an active role as queen of Athens and marries Theseus when she comes of age, becoming pregnant with his child.

Meanwhile, Ariadne is saved when Dionysus , god of wine, arrives on Naxos. He treats Ariadne kindly and names her guardian of his island whenever he is traveling. He returns from one of his travels to bring news of Phaedra: She is safe and betrothed to a great prince. Ariadne and Dionysus develop a relationship, and Ariadne is comforted by the knowledge that Dionysus has a gentler nature than other gods or great heroes. Young women, called “maenads,” flock to the island to worship Dionysus and seek freedom from the oppressive men in their lives. Ariadne and Dionysus marry, and she bears him five sons.

Eventually, Phaedra discovers the truth about her sister’s fate and her marriage to Dionysus, but the birth of her son prevents her from traveling to Naxos. She despises motherhood and resents that her child resembles Theseus. When she gives birth to her second son, she experiences the same lack of maternal feeling.

Ariadne has a much easier time adjusting to motherhood, and life is peaceful until she realizes that her husband’s rituals with the maenads have taken a macabre turn; she catches the young women washing blood out of their robes. Before she can ask about this, she notices a ship arriving from Athens: Phaedra has come. The sisters reunite, and Phaedra tells Ariadne everything that has happened outside of Naxos. She talks about Hippolytus, Theseus’s son by an Amazonian princess, who came to live with them in Athens. Phaedra has fallen in love with him, but Ariadne warns her that she risks scandal if she reveals her feelings. Phaedra gets defensive and promptly leaves Naxos.

Dionysus returns from his travels, perturbed by his mortal half brother Perseus’s refusal to allow his worship in the city of Argos. Ariadne soon finds that his rituals involve sacrificing animals so Dionysus can bring them back to life, and this horrifies her. She sails to Athens to see Phaedra again and deter her from acting on her feelings for Hippolytus.

Phaedra greets Ariadne but still plans to confess her feelings to Hippolytus. She speaks to him while Theseus is away, but he rebuffs her advances. Humiliated and fearing he will tell Theseus, Phaedra hangs herself. Theseus returns, and he and Ariadne run into each other. The two of them find Phaedra’s body and a note with Hippolytus’s name on it, and Theseus assumes Phaedra died by suicide because Hippolytus raped her. He calls upon Poseidon to avenge her, and Hippolytus is killed.

Ariadne returns to Naxos and to Dionysus. They set sail for Argos so Dionysus can confront Perseus. Dionysus, desperate to gain the city’s worship, brings a frenzy upon all the women of Argos. To demonstrate his power over life and death, he has them kill their own babies. The city immediately prepares to fight. Ariadne charges straight for Perseus to ask him to leave Naxos alone, but upon his shield is the head of Medusa , whose gaze turns onlookers to stone, and Ariadne locks eyes with it and is petrified. A grieving Dionysus turns her into a star in the night sky, makes peace with Perseus, and leaves the island of Naxos to women and children only. Ariadne listens to the prayers of women, and her sons go on to lead quiet, peaceful lives.

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A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brown review – a crown jewel among royal biographies

The Private Eye satirist’s portrait of the late monarch is rich in vignettes, but also has a revelatory depth

L ike making barrels or thatching roofs, writing about the royal family is one of the traditional craft skills of this country. It involves raking over yellowing newspaper cuttings and polishing old chestnuts about “majesty” and “radiance”. But books about the royals sell, including a recent clutch of glum ones, some ostensibly written by members of the family themselves, so they keep on coming. Just when you think you can’t face another one, a book appears that makes you wonder if you’ve ever read a proper account of the queen and her relations before. Paradoxically, it has taken a humorist, Craig Brown of the Daily Mail and Private Eye , a man who supposedly trades in throwaway wisecracks, to tell us something thought-provoking, perhaps even deep, about monarchy.

But before I praise him for what he’s written about the queen, I have to praise him for what he’s read about her first. He appears to have worked his way single-handedly through every book about Elizabeth II ever published, a phrase that very much begs the payoff: “So you don’t have to.” From The Little Princesses: The Intimate Story of HRH Princess Elizabeth and HRH Princess Margaret right the way through to Spare by Prince Harry, Brown has digested them all. It’s the sort of feat that might once have been witnessed in the ancient library of Alexandria, except that instead of poring over papyrus scrolls about gods and heroes, Brown has immersed himself in the life of a latter-day legend, as the queen appeared to her simpering chroniclers. He compares the experience to “wading through candyfloss: you emerge pink and queasy, but also undernourished”.

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it – and I mean that sincerely, because Brown has done us all a favour with his flamingo-coloured odyssey. The memoirs of courtiers, flunkies and hangers-on are among his primary sources, but his research extends to royal encounters recalled by politicians and celebrities. It’s biography by crowdsourcing, you might say. It follows Brown’s similar books about Princess Margaret and the Beatles , completing a triptych of 20th-century British portraits. The author is a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles and these end up furnishing a vivid and remarkably telling study of our late head of state, and even more so of the people she reigned over for 70 years.

In 112 often short chapters, the many enjoyable vignettes include the efforts of the go-getting Labour minister Tony Benn to strike a blow for modern Britain by removing the queen’s head from postage stamps. These don’t quite climax with Benn’s own head on a pikestaff, but the queen and her advisers silkily outmanoeuvre him. When Benn is promoted from postmaster general to minister of technology, he goes to be sworn in and she tells him: “I’m sure you’ll miss your stamps.” We already knew that she loved corgis, but perhaps not that she kept a plate of doggie treats on the table at Windsor Castle. The former cabinet minister Alan Johnson told a colleague how much he had enjoyed the cheeseboard there, in particular “ the unusual dark biscuits ”: Brown says the queen’s “naughty streak got the better of her”. He is even interested in simulacra of the sovereign – her lookalikes and waxwork effigies – and goes to an auction of royal ephemera.

On the book jacket, a portrait of Elizabeth is encircled by the letter “Q” in the form of a giant drop cap: it stands for her title, of course, but it also seems to put her at the centre of a great riddle. Brown doesn’t dissent from the widely held view that the queen was sphinxlike. If this is a potential disappointment to readers, it’s not one the author shares. He doesn’t treat the enigma of the queen as a dead end; on the contrary, it’s what interests him most about her – a blank that he’s eager to fill in. When people look at her, they’re really looking in the mirror or at the bottom of a well, he says, even at “the boatman to their subconscious”.

His spoof diaries of the famous in Private Eye (“as told to Craig Brown”) lampoon the cast-iron self-absorption of his targets and he makes a plausible case that the stories people tell of their brushes with the late ruler say more about them than they do about her. “Like the Mona Lisa, the queen brought out the solipsist in everyone: however many there were in a room, each person felt her eyes catching theirs, her thoughts turning towards them.” Few emerge from meeting her able to recall anything she said. Even the most self-assured can be fazed, while the queen herself, with a lot of flesh to press and a lifetime of diplomatic experience, keeps the conversation brief and light.

Her comments might seem unremarkable, but Brown is ready to discern gnomic meaning in them. She asks the novelist Sybille Bedford: “How long have you been writing?” and when the reply comes back: “All my life,” the queen says: “Oh dear! Oh well.” Brown adds: “With those four words, she had in fact hit the nail on the head. Throughout her life Bedford had found the act of writing close to unbearable.”

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Are the queen’s critics right that there was little more to her than met the eye, or was she in fact a master of psychological jujitsu, turning the gaze of the outside world back upon itself? Perhaps she is speaking to us between the lines of what others say about her. This might just be her story, as told to Craig Brown.

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COMMENTS

ARIADNE
After a few years, Ariadne and Dionysus are staying together for the kids and hoping that a couples vacation to Athens will spice things up. Ambitious but uninspiring. 1. Pub Date: May 4, 2021. ISBN: 978-1-250-77358-6. Page Count: 320. Publisher: Flatiron Books. Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2021.
Book Review: Ariadne // Jennifer Saint : The Indiependent
He is given a vitality and youthful sense of liberation, which cannot hide his separation from humanity, even as great pathos is created. This pathos stems from the beautiful exploration of his relationship with his human mother Semele. Saint's treatment of the characters and myths creates a compelling narrative with believable characters.
Book Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Ariadne is well worth picking up, a welcome addition to a growing sub-genre of mythical retellings, with four out of five stars from me. Saint's second book, Elektra is definitely on my must-read list. Another book by Saint, Atalanta, is due for release later this year, while I've also got my eye on Ithaca by Claire North. So much to enjoy.
Book Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Ariadne was the debut novel by Jennifer Saint, published in 2021. Ariadne was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was Waterstones Book of the month in January 2022. Ancient Greece and mythology has always fascinated me so I was looking forward to reading this book about Ariadne and the part she played in helping Theseus.
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint: Summary and reviews
Book Summary. A mesmerizing debut novel for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe. Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid's stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood ...
Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Rating: 3/5 ★. A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS. As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the ...
Review of Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Our First Impressions reviewers found Jennifer Saint's debut novel Ariadne to be a captivating and exciting read, giving it an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Jennifer Saint reimagines the myth of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, daughters of King Minos of Crete and half-sisters to the dreaded Minotaur.
Book Marks reviews of Ariadne by Jennifer Saint Book Marks
Ariadne, in contrast, feels more like a cover song than a new melody. If you like the song already, you may find much to like here. There's no harm in listening to the same tune on repeat—but you may also feel that an opportunity to do something fresh was missed. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint has an overall rating of Positive based on 5 book ...
Ariadne, by Jennifer Saint
Jennifer Saint's Ariadne is described as "a feminist literary retelling" of the ancient Greek myth. Sadly, it doesn't quite live up to expectations. The writing is somewhat stilted, and the pace is uneven. A good enough read for lovers of Greek myth, but a long way short of Miller, Barker, or Haynes. Sarah Meyrick is a freelance writer ...
Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Ariadne is the daughter of King Minos of Crete and the sister of the dreaded Minotaur. Every year, Athens sends fourteen young men and women as a sacrifice to the Minotaur, and Ariadne looks away, unable to bear her part in these atrocities. Then Theseus, the prince of Athens, arrives as a sacrifice.
Book Review: Jennifer Saint's engaging Ariadne ...
Jodie reviews Ariadne, the new historical novel and mythic retelling from author Jennifer Saint - available now from Hachette Australia. Discover the best new music, travel, film, gaming, arts, food, culture and book content on Australia's premier independent online publication. ... Though it's titled Ariadne, much of the book also focuses ...
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (Book Review)
The book is split into four parts: the first part in particular focuses on the original Theseus and the Minotaur myth from Ariadne's perspective. This section felt very well paced, with enough detail to keep me on my toes and engaged in the story, hoping endlessly that things might end differently for Ariadne.
[Review & Discussion] Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Blurb. Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid's stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the ...
REVIEW: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Kaitlyn's review of Ariadne by Jennifer Saint Greek Mythology published by Flatiron Books 4 May 21. You had me at "feminist retelling," Jennifer. I love Greek mythology retellings and how each one can put the characters in a different light. For instance, take Pasiphae. She is incredibly different in this book versus what we saw of her in ...
Book Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
But this didn't hamper my enjoyment of this novel at all. Ariadne tells the story of the daughters of King Minos, Ariadne and Phaedra. It's a story of love and betrayal and the ways in which women fall victim to the egos of the men in their lives. It's also a story of sisterhood, with fates intersecting in the most tragic of ways.
Ariadne: The Mesmerising Sunday Times Bestselling Retelling of Ancient
ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory. ― Stylist What happens after the monster is defeated and the princess leaves with the hero? Jennifer Saint's Ariadne is a shimmering tapestry of two sisters bound by deceit and the shadows of family history. One marries a hero, the other a god.
Ariadne Review
GoodReads: As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete…
Ariadne
Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid's stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an ...
"Ariadne" was great fun, even if not accurate : r/books
Half Sick of Shadows is a take on the King Arthur tales from the perspective of women that was really amazing as well. I read Ariadne, Circe, and then Half Sick in the same month and it was so interesting to see all of these classically male myths twisted around to the female perspective. Reply. TheDustOfMen.
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (Book Review)
Focussing on the punishment of women for men's follies, the novel gives a feminist edge to a well-known story. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint follows the myth of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, and Theseus ' subsequent desertion of Ariadne on Naxos, from the point of view of Ariadne and her younger sister Phaedra. The first thing that struck me when ...
Ariadne's thread
James Lasdun finds himself trapped by a Borgesian maze in Victor Pelevin's The Helmet of Horror.
Reading guide for Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
The novel's epigraph is taken from Ovid's Heroides, in which Ariadne addresses Theseus: "You will stand before the crowds reciting the glorious death of the man-bull in those great winding passages cut from the rock.Be sure, then, that you also include me."What tone does this set for the story to come? In the opening pages, Ariadne tells "the story of a righteous man," her father, King Minos ...
Ariadne Summary and Study Guide
Ariadne is a 2021 fantasy novel by Jennifer Saint that retells one of the most famous stories from Greek mythology: Theseus's defeat of the Minotaur. Saint studied classics at King's College in London, and her novels provide a reimagining of these famous tales through the lens of the women who are traditionally overlooked or overshadowed by male heroes.
The Guardian
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Book Review: Ariadne // Jennifer Saint

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Book Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint – an enthralling read based on Greek mythology

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Book Review: Jennifer Saint’s engaging Ariadne continues the trend for retellings of Ancient Greek mythology

THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

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Ariadne Hardcover – 29 April 2021

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