#BlogTour Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. 

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. Follow @jennysaint on Twitter

About the book

‘My story would not be one of death and suffering and sacrifice, I would take my place in the songs that would be sung about Theseus; the princess who saved him and ended the monstrosity  that blighted Crete’

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.

Review

First and foremost, I really want this to be the first of many with beautiful hardback covers, so they can stand next to my Stephen Fry's Mythos series. Secondly - I can't believe this is her first novel, it's excellent.

The story of Ariadne, her sister Phaedra and Ariadne's brother the Minotaur. Ariadne, who is well aware of the dangers when it comes to choosing love above loyalty and more importantly the consequence of a perceived betrayal. Does she really think she can outwit the toxic web of godly arrogance and mythological threads.

Saint shows an intricate understanding of mythology, how the myths interlink with history, the way the patriarchal society drives who takes centre stage in a myth. When it comes mythology the women often tend to stand to the side or behind their male counterparts. The author wants to give a voice to the women who play important parts in mythology, and yet are somehow always delegated to a position of silence or support for the men in said mythology.

I absolutely adored it. It's definitely a stand-out novel for me. There are so many popular moments in mythology that everyone knows, I just love the thought of someone questioning those moments or adding to the narrative by giving an alternative view. No longer the footnote, this time Ariadne is leading the way.

It's written with such intricate knowledge - there is a difference between well-researched and read about it - the story becomes the truth, the reality and the myth that should have been written.

Buy Ariadne at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Wildfire Books pub date 29th April 2021 £14.99 hardback, eBook & audiobook. Buy at Amazon com.