#Blogtour Hera by Jennifer Saint

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Hera by Jennifer Saint.

'From the No. 1 bestselling author of Ariadne, Elektra and Atalanta - From Jennifer Saint, the queen of the mythological retelling, comes the captivating story of Greek mythology’s most famous wife.'

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. Ariadne was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was a Waterstones Book of the Month, as well as being a Sunday Times bestseller. 

Jennifer Saint is now a full-time author, living in Yorkshire, with her husband and two children. Her second novel, Elektra, and third novel, Atalanta, were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. Follow @jennysaint on X

About the book

When the immortal goddess Hera helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, the ancient Titan Cronos, she dreams of ruling the world at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see another side to Zeus, a side just as ruthless and cruel as Cronos was. She was clearly born to rule, but does that mean perpetuating a cycle of violence and cruelty that has existed since the dawn of time? Will assuming her power mean that Hera loses herself or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and most importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.

Review

The author gives the reader the version of Hera which is left unsaid, taking it all a step back to comprehend the reaction to what was done unto her in the first place. We usually hear or read the result, which depicts the vengeful, angered women full of jealous rage and spite. Instead Saint takes us back to the root cause - how Hera was defined by the choices of others. How patriarchy also rules mythology, because it is easier to sell the image of a scorned and angry woman than a character who defends herself and keeps her own self safe by reacting to the threat or perceived threat.

I wonder how many readers, especially women, walk away from this thinking - oh wait, she is more than just the bitter representation the patriarchy wants us to see and remember. In fact isn't her story indicative of the narrative we are told about older women, scorned women and women who are just a little too noisy for society. Let's gaslight them to hide the truth behind the anger, let's dismiss them to distract from the truth, and let's create a narrative that makes them the villain in every story, because we wouldn't want the truth to be discovered when someone scratches the surface.

I really enjoy the way this author captures both the magic, the folklore, the heavy truths and the story from all angles, when it comes to Greek mythology. The journey from end result, expectation and hardwired knowledge, becomes undone when the light is shone into the darkest corners of Hera's story. It makes her many reactionary tales so much more understandable. A fantastic read.

Buy Hera at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Wildfire; Hardback, eBook, Audio | £20.00 - pub date 23 May 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Atalanta by Jennifer Saint

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Atalanta by Jennifer Saint.

'From the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author comes a new story of a legendary woman from Greek mythology.' Spurned by a king. Raised by bears. Blessed by a goddess. The only female Argonaut.

About the Author

Thanks to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. Since September 2022, she has been a Visiting Research Fellow in the Classics Department there. In between, she spent thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. Ariadne is her first novel, Elektra is her second, and Atalanta is her latest mesmerising mythological retelling. Follow @jennysaint on Twitter or visit jennifersaint.com

About the book

Exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside her cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis. Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason’s band of Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place of legend in a world made for men?

Review

At the core of this retelling is erasure of the only female Argonaut and why her presence has been gradually clipped away in popular narratives. In fact the entirety of the book leans into the role of women in mythology, their treatment by men regardless of whether those men are of myth, of reality or of a mixed nature. Atalanta deserves her space.

It's fascinating how the role of any mythological figure can be cast, written of and perceived in both a positive or negative light, depending on who does the retelling. I think that's why this niche and the retellings or old myth new angle is particularly popular in the book world at the moment - it allows the writer to step away from tales for the majority by men written for men, hence certain recurring themes and the way women are portrayed.

The angry, the reactionary, the vengeful, the woman waiting to be consumed and ravished by any old god, demi god or just a man in general. How refreshing to encounter the character resuming her rightful place in the stories, fighting the presumptive narrative and battling to carve out her space.

Artemis is the pinnacle of feminism is this story, her warnings and prophecies become self-fulfilling ones, because the punishment for not heeding them lends itself to a similar narrative that men deem appropriate for women who refuse to bend the knee. Does that make Artemis the faux feminist?

It's a great read, the author does a fantastic job of breathing new life into forgotten mythology.

Buy Atalanta at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Wildfire pub date 13th April 2023, £16.99 hardback, eBook & audiobook. Buy at Amazon com.

#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.