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Atalanta
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2023)The heroic story of the only female Argonaut
From the beloved, bestselling author of Elektra and Ariadne, a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta, a fierce huntress raised by bears and the only woman in the world’s most famous band of heroes, the Argonauts
Princess, Warrior, Lover, Hero
When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.
Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?
Full of joy, passion, and adventure, Atalanta is the story of a woman who refuses to be contained. Jennifer Saint places Atalanta in the pantheon of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, where she belongs.
From the beloved, bestselling author of Elektra and Ariadne, a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta, a fierce huntress raised by bears and the only woman in the world’s most famous band of heroes, the Argonauts
Princess, Warrior, Lover, Hero
When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.
Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?
Full of joy, passion, and adventure, Atalanta is the story of a woman who refuses to be contained. Jennifer Saint places Atalanta in the pantheon of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, where she belongs.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 11, 2023
2029 people are currently reading
139414 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Saint
9 books7,055 followersJennifer Saint is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her debut novel, ARIADNE, was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2021 and was a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards Fantasy category in 2021. Her second novel, ELEKTRA, comes out in 2022 and is another retelling of Greek mythology told in the voices of the women at the heart of the ancient legends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,952 reviews
May 12, 2023
she should’ve been a lesbian
May 1, 2024
In theory, I love Greek mythology. Who isn't drawn towards stories of bravery and tragedy, all wrapped up in strong characters and epic battles? But in reality, I'm starting to flag a bit with the recent ones I've read, and I'm trying to put my finger on exactly why.
Going in, I didn't know anything about Atalanta and was surprised to learn that she was a part of the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. It's always interesting to experience a well-known tale through the eyes of a different character, and Atalanta offers an undoubtedly compelling perspective, especially being the only female in the group.
But the quest for the Golden Fleece is just a part of Atalanta, though arguably its most exciting part. It's prepended by her being left in the forest as a baby and growing up into the huntress that she is, and postpended by what feels like a long wrap-up in which she figures out what to do with her life. And these two bookends just didn't quite capture my attention the same way, especially the former.
To be honest, even the quest for the Golden Fleece somehow wasn't as epic as I thought it would be. At one point in the story, Atalanta even mentions that it feels like she was just a spectator on the sidelines, watching Madea help Jason take the Golden Fleece by witchcraft rather than through a fair fight.
And maybe herein lies the problem. By and large, the women of Greek mythology have always felt a bit like supporting characters, there to bolster the men's stories. So to take one woman, especially when it's a lesser-known one without a lot of content, and make a whole book's worth out of her may be stretching it. No matter how great of a writer Jennifer Saint is, she is still at the mercy of the source material and can only embellish so much.
Don't get me wrong, I found Atalanta's story to be interesting. But it was so mild compared to the grand vision I had in my head of what a heroine in Greek mythology should be. I wanted more for Atalanta, more adventures and more epicness. But as it stands, her story probably would've worked better for me as a novella or even as a series of vignettes rather than as a full-length book.
Still, I'm a sucker for feminist retellings, and since Jennifer Saint has positioned her books as exactly that for the unsung heroines of Greek mythology, I'll continue to read whatever she writes, even if I end up wanting more than what I'm given.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Ariadne
Elektra
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
Going in, I didn't know anything about Atalanta and was surprised to learn that she was a part of the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. It's always interesting to experience a well-known tale through the eyes of a different character, and Atalanta offers an undoubtedly compelling perspective, especially being the only female in the group.
But the quest for the Golden Fleece is just a part of Atalanta, though arguably its most exciting part. It's prepended by her being left in the forest as a baby and growing up into the huntress that she is, and postpended by what feels like a long wrap-up in which she figures out what to do with her life. And these two bookends just didn't quite capture my attention the same way, especially the former.
To be honest, even the quest for the Golden Fleece somehow wasn't as epic as I thought it would be. At one point in the story, Atalanta even mentions that it feels like she was just a spectator on the sidelines, watching Madea help Jason take the Golden Fleece by witchcraft rather than through a fair fight.
And maybe herein lies the problem. By and large, the women of Greek mythology have always felt a bit like supporting characters, there to bolster the men's stories. So to take one woman, especially when it's a lesser-known one without a lot of content, and make a whole book's worth out of her may be stretching it. No matter how great of a writer Jennifer Saint is, she is still at the mercy of the source material and can only embellish so much.
Don't get me wrong, I found Atalanta's story to be interesting. But it was so mild compared to the grand vision I had in my head of what a heroine in Greek mythology should be. I wanted more for Atalanta, more adventures and more epicness. But as it stands, her story probably would've worked better for me as a novella or even as a series of vignettes rather than as a full-length book.
Still, I'm a sucker for feminist retellings, and since Jennifer Saint has positioned her books as exactly that for the unsung heroines of Greek mythology, I'll continue to read whatever she writes, even if I end up wanting more than what I'm given.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Ariadne
Elektra
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
September 9, 2023
i was a little hesitant going into this because it feels like the book market has become completely saturated with greek mythology retellings, and i could definitely feel my enjoyment in them declining during the last JS book i read.
but, fortunately, i quite enjoyed this one! atalanta isnt a tale that i am super familiar with, so it was nice to be able to read a story that felt fresh and new and not overdone.
do i wish atalanta was a little more fierce, a little more determined to be the feminist example JS promises with her retellings? yes. but i still had fun reading about her adventures and learning a little bit more about particular greek myths that arent retold as often.
so, all in all, this was a positive reading experience and a book i can recommend to any lover of greek mythology!
↠ 3.5 stars
but, fortunately, i quite enjoyed this one! atalanta isnt a tale that i am super familiar with, so it was nice to be able to read a story that felt fresh and new and not overdone.
do i wish atalanta was a little more fierce, a little more determined to be the feminist example JS promises with her retellings? yes. but i still had fun reading about her adventures and learning a little bit more about particular greek myths that arent retold as often.
so, all in all, this was a positive reading experience and a book i can recommend to any lover of greek mythology!
↠ 3.5 stars
May 31, 2023
3.5⭐
“-if it’s a girl, expose her on the mountain-”
Following this decree by Iasus, King of Arcadia, his newborn daughter Atalanta was abandoned on a mountain, left to die. But she was to be saved by a she-bear and raised with her cubs, learning her way to survive in the forest, taken in by the Goddess Artemis and her nymphs in the forests of Arcadia becoming a strong accomplished archer and huntress, skilled enough to defend herself against two centaurs – a feat few men could live through to tell the tale, to be the only female among the Argonauts who traveled with Jason to Colchis on his quest for the Golden Fleece, and who proved her mettle multiple times as they faced the several challenges on the journey the only woman who played a crucial role in the Calydonian boar hunt. Her only mistake was falling in love despite Artemis’ warnings – a mistake that results in her losing Artemis’s favor triggering a sequence of events that ultimately leads her back to the same father who had abandoned her as a child and ultimately to a fate foretold by the oracle at Delphi.
Having read and enjoyed both Ariadne and Elektra by Jennifer Saint I was eager to read Atalanta. We really don’t get to know much about her in the myths and I was excited to read a story with her as the central character. Atalanta’s story is presented to us in her voice in the first-person narrative format. The narrative is fluid and Jennifer Saint’s writing does not disappoint. It was interesting reading about the adventures of the Argonauts and the Calydonian boar hunt from Atalanta's perspective. I enjoyed reading her take on her fellow Argonauts and how she proved herself time and time again to be their equal (if not more, in terms of skill and smarts). However, I missed the intensity of Ariadne or Elektra in this narrative. Much of Atalanta’s narrative is dominated by the exploits of the men in her life. Despite this being a feminist retelling, at times Atalanta is portrayed as relatively passive to the circumstances around her. Overall, while I did enjoy this novel I can’t say that it would rank as a favorite among all the feminist retellings of the Greek myths I have read.
I paired my reading with the audio nation by Beth Eyre which I did enjoy.
“I didn’t have to be an obedient follower of Artemis, jumping to serve her every command; I didn’t have to be a hero in the mould of Jason or Heracles or the angry boar-hunters at Calydon. I wasn’t going to try to shape myself to be like one of them, a ruthless, self- serving, glory- seeking man. I was something different to them all.”
“-if it’s a girl, expose her on the mountain-”
Following this decree by Iasus, King of Arcadia, his newborn daughter Atalanta was abandoned on a mountain, left to die. But she was to be saved by a she-bear and raised with her cubs, learning her way to survive in the forest, taken in by the Goddess Artemis and her nymphs in the forests of Arcadia becoming a strong accomplished archer and huntress, skilled enough to defend herself against two centaurs – a feat few men could live through to tell the tale, to be the only female among the Argonauts who traveled with Jason to Colchis on his quest for the Golden Fleece, and who proved her mettle multiple times as they faced the several challenges on the journey the only woman who played a crucial role in the Calydonian boar hunt. Her only mistake was falling in love despite Artemis’ warnings – a mistake that results in her losing Artemis’s favor triggering a sequence of events that ultimately leads her back to the same father who had abandoned her as a child and ultimately to a fate foretold by the oracle at Delphi.
Having read and enjoyed both Ariadne and Elektra by Jennifer Saint I was eager to read Atalanta. We really don’t get to know much about her in the myths and I was excited to read a story with her as the central character. Atalanta’s story is presented to us in her voice in the first-person narrative format. The narrative is fluid and Jennifer Saint’s writing does not disappoint. It was interesting reading about the adventures of the Argonauts and the Calydonian boar hunt from Atalanta's perspective. I enjoyed reading her take on her fellow Argonauts and how she proved herself time and time again to be their equal (if not more, in terms of skill and smarts). However, I missed the intensity of Ariadne or Elektra in this narrative. Much of Atalanta’s narrative is dominated by the exploits of the men in her life. Despite this being a feminist retelling, at times Atalanta is portrayed as relatively passive to the circumstances around her. Overall, while I did enjoy this novel I can’t say that it would rank as a favorite among all the feminist retellings of the Greek myths I have read.
I paired my reading with the audio nation by Beth Eyre which I did enjoy.
“I didn’t have to be an obedient follower of Artemis, jumping to serve her every command; I didn’t have to be a hero in the mould of Jason or Heracles or the angry boar-hunters at Calydon. I wasn’t going to try to shape myself to be like one of them, a ruthless, self- serving, glory- seeking man. I was something different to them all.”
April 27, 2023
Some retellings of ancient myths are grat. My go-to author is and probably always will be Natalie Hayens.
I had read a book by Jennifer Saint before and liked it very much. Then I had read another that unfortunately left me pretty cold. This, then, was my attempt to see if the author's initial success was a one-off hit or if the one that had left me cold was the exception. Sadly, I have decided not to pick up another book by Jennifer Saint.
Ancient Greece. Baby Atalanta is left to die in a forest because her father wanted a son. She's raised by a she-bear. So far, so accurate. The author then changes her story and instead of being raised by (mortal) hunters, Atalanta is taken in by Artemis herself and left in the care of her nymphs.
It was kind of disheartening to read (in the subtext) that it was the goddess' influence that turned Atalanta into THE hunter when in the actual myth it was the girl herself.
For some reason, Atalanta is then sent onto the Argo by Artemis to search for the golden fleece with Jason (this happens in one line of myth but not two others). There, Atalanta encounters other people, mostly men, as well as other parts of the world. Naturally, the author felt compelled to add some kind of romantic element but honestly, it made me roll my eyes.
Eventually, we come to the killing of the Calydonian boar - but Artemis' sacred animal and punishment for the local king isn't the only thing that gets killed.
Which brings us to the long-ass and overdrawn end of this book (1/4 of it, actually) in which other and totally made-up stuff happens before the author tries to tie it all back into the actual myth.
Honestly? I have no idea what the point of many of the events was. The original myth was about how clever Atalanta was - something that definitely didn't apply to her here. She was skilled, sure, and the fight scenes were riveting, but I didn't get the other message of the original myth: that of individualism before conforming to society's expectations. In this book, stuff just happened to her and she kept on living so to speak.
The writing wasn't bad but also not anything special. That, combined with the boredom I felt while reading most of the book is why I've decided not to read any other of the author's books. Don't get me wrong: this isn't BAD, but it should have been a novella at most. So much was just filler material and all over the place. Some messages were poignant but more were a bit out there or hyperbolical.
Too bad, really, this could have been powerful. Alas.
P.S.: The reason I'm rounding up to 3 stars is that I'm a sucker for mythology and there were SOME nice passages I really enjoyed and the fight scenes were actually very good.
I had read a book by Jennifer Saint before and liked it very much. Then I had read another that unfortunately left me pretty cold. This, then, was my attempt to see if the author's initial success was a one-off hit or if the one that had left me cold was the exception. Sadly, I have decided not to pick up another book by Jennifer Saint.
Ancient Greece. Baby Atalanta is left to die in a forest because her father wanted a son. She's raised by a she-bear. So far, so accurate. The author then changes her story and instead of being raised by (mortal) hunters, Atalanta is taken in by Artemis herself and left in the care of her nymphs.
It was kind of disheartening to read (in the subtext) that it was the goddess' influence that turned Atalanta into THE hunter when in the actual myth it was the girl herself.
For some reason, Atalanta is then sent onto the Argo by Artemis to search for the golden fleece with Jason (this happens in one line of myth but not two others). There, Atalanta encounters other people, mostly men, as well as other parts of the world. Naturally, the author felt compelled to add some kind of romantic element but honestly, it made me roll my eyes.
Eventually, we come to the killing of the Calydonian boar - but Artemis' sacred animal and punishment for the local king isn't the only thing that gets killed.
Which brings us to the long-ass and overdrawn end of this book (1/4 of it, actually) in which other and totally made-up stuff happens before the author tries to tie it all back into the actual myth.
Honestly? I have no idea what the point of many of the events was. The original myth was about how clever Atalanta was - something that definitely didn't apply to her here. She was skilled, sure, and the fight scenes were riveting, but I didn't get the other message of the original myth: that of individualism before conforming to society's expectations. In this book, stuff just happened to her and she kept on living so to speak.
The writing wasn't bad but also not anything special. That, combined with the boredom I felt while reading most of the book is why I've decided not to read any other of the author's books. Don't get me wrong: this isn't BAD, but it should have been a novella at most. So much was just filler material and all over the place. Some messages were poignant but more were a bit out there or hyperbolical.
Too bad, really, this could have been powerful. Alas.
P.S.: The reason I'm rounding up to 3 stars is that I'm a sucker for mythology and there were SOME nice passages I really enjoyed and the fight scenes were actually very good.
Want to read
November 27, 2021FINALLY, A MODERN RETELLING OF ATALANTA I'M GONNA CRYYYY
January 13, 2024
“I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta.”
Atalanta is the third of Jennifer Saint’s novels, following Ariadne (2021) and Elektra (2022) — all female-centric Greek mythological retellings.
Deep in the Arcadian forest, a king abandons his infant daughter (What? No male heir!) to starve on a mountainside. Discovered and raised by a she-bear, the girl survives and thrives among cubs to become the goddess Artemis’ protégé.
Faster than any mortal, a fearless and formidable female warrior huntress/archer, fiercely independent and self-sufficient, Atalanta joins Jason and the Argonauts in their heroic quest for the Golden Fleece.
They encounter bold tests of their strength, speed, and skill and despite the fact that she bests them all, most continue to shun her or hold her in contempt because…hello, what the heck is a woman doing on this voyage anyway?
Having grown up in a sanctuary of Artemis’ female nymphs, Atalanta has never been taught that she is less valuable or important than a man.
Possessing unbridled self-confidence in both her skill and prowess, she has a hard time understanding the disdain of her fellow Argonauts.
Oh, but there is one who is quite enamored with Atalanta. Cue the harp strings: Meleager is married and Atalanta has sworn a vow of chastity to Artemis.
Both break their sacred oaths and, well, guess who ends up preggers?
Uh oh, hell hath no fury like an angry goddess.
Hence, our heroine’s fall from grace.
Cast out of her home in Artemis’ sacred forest, Atalanta never wished to have a child and is not swept up in a magical sense of attachment when her baby arrives.
Instead, she feels responsibility and duty to provide for the child, but recognizes that the best life for both her son and herself may be one lived apart from one another.
The emphasis on her free will and the right to choose, gives Atalanta great freedom to be who she already is – wild, strong, and free — and have a hand in shaping her own fate.
Hers is a story of epic quests and contests, gods and giants, heroes and monsters. Encounters with other well-known characters in the mythical Greek pantheon drift in and out of the tale too: Medea, Hercules, Peleus, Orpheus, and many others.
No doubt, Atalanta has always been a great heroine, but much like Clytemnestra or Circe, has been relegated to the sidelines until contemporary retellings have brought these women into the spotlight.
Rich in depth and luscious detail, if you’re a fan of Greek myths with beautiful imagery and vivid characters, then you’ll find Atalanta’s story of strength, bravery, and redemption to be a captivating narrative.
Prepare for an exhilarating adventure without leaving the comfort of your own armchair.
Atalanta is the third of Jennifer Saint’s novels, following Ariadne (2021) and Elektra (2022) — all female-centric Greek mythological retellings.
Deep in the Arcadian forest, a king abandons his infant daughter (What? No male heir!) to starve on a mountainside. Discovered and raised by a she-bear, the girl survives and thrives among cubs to become the goddess Artemis’ protégé.
Faster than any mortal, a fearless and formidable female warrior huntress/archer, fiercely independent and self-sufficient, Atalanta joins Jason and the Argonauts in their heroic quest for the Golden Fleece.
They encounter bold tests of their strength, speed, and skill and despite the fact that she bests them all, most continue to shun her or hold her in contempt because…hello, what the heck is a woman doing on this voyage anyway?
Having grown up in a sanctuary of Artemis’ female nymphs, Atalanta has never been taught that she is less valuable or important than a man.
Possessing unbridled self-confidence in both her skill and prowess, she has a hard time understanding the disdain of her fellow Argonauts.
Oh, but there is one who is quite enamored with Atalanta. Cue the harp strings: Meleager is married and Atalanta has sworn a vow of chastity to Artemis.
Both break their sacred oaths and, well, guess who ends up preggers?
Uh oh, hell hath no fury like an angry goddess.
Hence, our heroine’s fall from grace.
Cast out of her home in Artemis’ sacred forest, Atalanta never wished to have a child and is not swept up in a magical sense of attachment when her baby arrives.
Instead, she feels responsibility and duty to provide for the child, but recognizes that the best life for both her son and herself may be one lived apart from one another.
The emphasis on her free will and the right to choose, gives Atalanta great freedom to be who she already is – wild, strong, and free — and have a hand in shaping her own fate.
Hers is a story of epic quests and contests, gods and giants, heroes and monsters. Encounters with other well-known characters in the mythical Greek pantheon drift in and out of the tale too: Medea, Hercules, Peleus, Orpheus, and many others.
No doubt, Atalanta has always been a great heroine, but much like Clytemnestra or Circe, has been relegated to the sidelines until contemporary retellings have brought these women into the spotlight.
Rich in depth and luscious detail, if you’re a fan of Greek myths with beautiful imagery and vivid characters, then you’ll find Atalanta’s story of strength, bravery, and redemption to be a captivating narrative.
Prepare for an exhilarating adventure without leaving the comfort of your own armchair.
March 4, 2023
I am wild, I am free.
I am Atalanta.
A girl was born, and the King exposed her on the mountain, a mother bear raised her, she grew strong on bear milk and learned to wrestle with bear siblings, then Artemis came for her, and gave her to the nymphs to raise her in the forest of Arcadia. She got strong, fast, and fearless, her name is Atalanta.
Artemis was Atalanta's sister, mother, guide, teacher all in one, and when the time come, Atalanta become her champion.
A gathering of the greatest band of heroes from across all of Greece wants to sail on the Argo, in search of a Golden Fleece; and Atalanta the only woman in the group boards on the ship, as Artemis's champion to be the best of them all.
We all know the story of Jason and Golden Fleece, you might have heard about Atalanta, one of a few hero women in mythology. Her story in this book passes with Hercules, Medea and Ares's son, Meleager. There are many short myths and games of gods in her voyage, and I loved reading them from Atalanta's point of view.
I really enjoyed this retelling which was rare in my last few ones, although I expected this, after all this is Jennifer Saint, her characters are remarkable and the story, she tells the tale that you know it, but still so engaging, beautiful and heartbreaking.
My huge thanks to Headline via Netgalley for DRC, I have given my honest review.
Pub Date: 13 Apr 2023
Ah, this book has awesome covers, right?!
Elektra Jennifer Saint 5⭐️
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am Atalanta.
A girl was born, and the King exposed her on the mountain, a mother bear raised her, she grew strong on bear milk and learned to wrestle with bear siblings, then Artemis came for her, and gave her to the nymphs to raise her in the forest of Arcadia. She got strong, fast, and fearless, her name is Atalanta.
Artemis was Atalanta's sister, mother, guide, teacher all in one, and when the time come, Atalanta become her champion.
A gathering of the greatest band of heroes from across all of Greece wants to sail on the Argo, in search of a Golden Fleece; and Atalanta the only woman in the group boards on the ship, as Artemis's champion to be the best of them all.
We all know the story of Jason and Golden Fleece, you might have heard about Atalanta, one of a few hero women in mythology. Her story in this book passes with Hercules, Medea and Ares's son, Meleager. There are many short myths and games of gods in her voyage, and I loved reading them from Atalanta's point of view.
I really enjoyed this retelling which was rare in my last few ones, although I expected this, after all this is Jennifer Saint, her characters are remarkable and the story, she tells the tale that you know it, but still so engaging, beautiful and heartbreaking.
My huge thanks to Headline via Netgalley for DRC, I have given my honest review.
Pub Date: 13 Apr 2023
Ah, this book has awesome covers, right?!
Elektra Jennifer Saint 5⭐️
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 27, 2023
This might be a case of having read too many modern interpretations of classic Greek adventures. Or perhaps it's because I've read too many really good ones.
But as it is now, this particular PoV retelling of Atalanta, a devotee of Artemis and for a while, the only female who joined Jason and the Argonauts on their fateful quest (before Medea) IS filled with a good handful of great scenes and important messages, but it is also somewhat filler-y. I lost a bit of my patience with some of the scenes that should have been solid characterization WHILE propelling the plot, so in the end it was kinda watered down.
There ARE some good scenes in it. When she's fighting, she shines. Unfortunately, a lot of the other bits suffer from a lack of original sources, or rather, it's all whole cloth. Interpolation. Even the old legends relegate her to a token, and that's even addressed in this book, but honestly, it's like taking Arwen from LotR and giving her a full novel from her PoV and only from the records we have in the original text. The movies was already a huge extrapolation. In the end, it's all just a wild yarn that FEELS like fan fiction. Maybe it's good fan fiction and it pushes the right agenda for the day, but a lot of it just feels... off.
In my opinion, if it was shorter and sharper, like an arrow through a number of hearts, I'd be whooping and crying with joy and relief. Unfortunately, this wasn't that kind of novel.
But as it is now, this particular PoV retelling of Atalanta, a devotee of Artemis and for a while, the only female who joined Jason and the Argonauts on their fateful quest (before Medea) IS filled with a good handful of great scenes and important messages, but it is also somewhat filler-y. I lost a bit of my patience with some of the scenes that should have been solid characterization WHILE propelling the plot, so in the end it was kinda watered down.
There ARE some good scenes in it. When she's fighting, she shines. Unfortunately, a lot of the other bits suffer from a lack of original sources, or rather, it's all whole cloth. Interpolation. Even the old legends relegate her to a token, and that's even addressed in this book, but honestly, it's like taking Arwen from LotR and giving her a full novel from her PoV and only from the records we have in the original text. The movies was already a huge extrapolation. In the end, it's all just a wild yarn that FEELS like fan fiction. Maybe it's good fan fiction and it pushes the right agenda for the day, but a lot of it just feels... off.
In my opinion, if it was shorter and sharper, like an arrow through a number of hearts, I'd be whooping and crying with joy and relief. Unfortunately, this wasn't that kind of novel.
October 9, 2023
Another wonderful retelling by Jennifer Saint. I actually didn’t know a lot about Atalanta going into this one so I was swept up straight away.
Atalanta is left on a hillside as a baby to die as her father saw no point in a daughter. Raised by bears then taken in by the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows fast and strong surrounded by the nymphs in the forest.
When word arrives of Jason getting a crew together of the best fighters and hunters Artemis insists Atalanta join to prove herself and bring glory to Artemis.
Naturally the men have no interest in a woman being their equal. But she soon proves she belongs there as much as any of the men.
Overcoming many obstacles and misogyny, I loved seeing Atalanta grow as she experiences more of the world outside of her grove.
Overall, a wonderful story and Jennifer Saint is becoming a firm favourite of mine.
******************
Library copy available for pick up
Atalanta is left on a hillside as a baby to die as her father saw no point in a daughter. Raised by bears then taken in by the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows fast and strong surrounded by the nymphs in the forest.
When word arrives of Jason getting a crew together of the best fighters and hunters Artemis insists Atalanta join to prove herself and bring glory to Artemis.
Naturally the men have no interest in a woman being their equal. But she soon proves she belongs there as much as any of the men.
Overcoming many obstacles and misogyny, I loved seeing Atalanta grow as she experiences more of the world outside of her grove.
Overall, a wonderful story and Jennifer Saint is becoming a firm favourite of mine.
******************
Library copy available for pick up
May 9, 2023
i’m sorry but every single one of saint’s female protagonists is indistinguishable from the other. they all speak the same, act the same, and are in very similar situations. this is your typical greek retelling. it is fatiguing to read because it’s essentially the same as all the others.
August 21, 2023
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did, and in a way I really did like it. I think Jennifer Saint has a brilliant prose, a beautiful way with words that made me fall in love with Ariadne. I enjoyed her remaining faithful to the fact that greek mythology is inherently always a tragedy and mostly at the detriment of women.
However, it saddens me that where the myths offer many variations, she always chooses the one where it is women (godesses of mortal) hurting women. I have a few criticisms but I want to start with the good:
- The writing is obviously amazing. The beginning and the end were impossible to put down, I loved it, it made me feel like I was there, with the characters.
- Friendships between the romantic leads is well done and feels organic (it is the transition to romance which did not work for me)
- There is more character development in Atalanta than I saw in Elektra, and for me that was a good sign.
I loved the parallels between Atalanta's upbringing and how she is herself by the end of the book.
I also have two sets of issues: my issues with this book, and my issues with the pattern in Jennifer Saint's books:
The story itself:
While I understand that this is also the Arganaut's story, the way Jason ended up actually winning doesn't seem very exciting in hindsight, but it baffled me that it was a succession of arriving and leaving islands and then a quick 3-4 pages to get the price.
We are given a mountain of characters who are barely introduced until they say something or do something, which made it feel constantly as if "well if they don't matter for this scene, they don't exist" which isn't great for the reader. I feel like many events were thrown in a succession in the middle, with great scenes like harpies wolfing down on a blind prophet being fixed up in a couple paragraphs. it was both too slow and too rushed and I didn't like that at all.
Now my main issue is the romance. Both of them actually. I got intense whiplash from the transitions to romance because they came out of nowhere. While the friendships were set up great, the sudden switch to "okay let's kiss now" each time came out of nowhere, with little indication that the FMC was going to pursue a romantic relationship, aside from maybe two lines here and there clearly only written to guide the reader, which again, is more telling than showing. The entire first relationship was baffling, the characters behaved in jealous manners out of nowhere, nothing was clear, their entire romance felt bland and like an afterthought and it was so jarring that I actually considered DNFing. There is literally no proper character thought process to make the virginal hero of Artemis decide on a whim to abandon and risk her entire life for a married man. This isn't even counting the number of times characters seemed to disappear from scenes out of nowhere which was incredibly confusing.
The ending romance was just the same, we go from a soft "well this is nice, they have an intimacy, a beautiful friendship that could blossom into love" to BAM they are KISSING. Like, Atalanta appreciates a guy, is good friends with him, and yes it's very clear he likes her, but then she decides to save his life, and all of a sudden is kissing him and running away with him...and again, WHIPLASH.
I could spend hours on this but I'm not entirely sure it's worth it since people loved it and it's not like after 3 books any review is going to fix the issues of pacing. I love greek mythology retellings, and I don't always mind slower pace novels, but when there is a constant disconnect between fast scenes and slow scenes, and a feeling that character's decisions switch out of nowhere, or too abruptly, it makes the experience unsettling. Character's deaths felt like they held no emotional weight, important events happen so quickly it's almost too easy to miss out, and crucial events are written in a way that I had to pause several times to wonder "is she implying this or am I imagining it"
My issue with this book also confirms a pattern i've noticed so far: being a good writer is essential and that, Jennifer Saint is, however when you take a story that already exists from beginning to end as Greek myths do, it is disappointing that nothing is added to it. This is as Ariadne and Elektra were: a novelisation of the greek myths to the T without adding depth to the characters. That's an issue because the myths as they existed were told orally, which means that motivations and character development weren't that much of a factor, but in writing, if nothing is added to it, it makes the character dull and empty, and the story nearly cartoonish. It's made even worse by the fact that other events and characters backstories are dumped unceremoniously in the story to make sense of it, which means that even the fantastical stories behind the myths aren't really important for the author. There are few greek mythology books out there that are purely greek mythology, and while i dont mind the modern retellings, my first love is the faithful retellings, which is why it breaks my heart to see that while this is a beautifully written book with many, many, MANY good aspects to it, it doesn't feel as if it has any desire to go deeper into the characters and the story than the superficial aspects of it.
So yes, I enjoyed this book despite it all, but where i was sure throughout the beginning of the book that it would be a 4 star, i couldn't get over the fact that there was clearly no intent on adding much to the myth, and that the pacing was so harsh and abrupt that scenes meant to be emotional severely lacked the gravitas they were clearly meant to have.
I think the beginning and the ending of the book show very well what the book could have been but fell short of.
However, it saddens me that where the myths offer many variations, she always chooses the one where it is women (godesses of mortal) hurting women. I have a few criticisms but I want to start with the good:
- The writing is obviously amazing. The beginning and the end were impossible to put down, I loved it, it made me feel like I was there, with the characters.
- Friendships between the romantic leads is well done and feels organic (it is the transition to romance which did not work for me)
- There is more character development in Atalanta than I saw in Elektra, and for me that was a good sign.
I loved the parallels between Atalanta's upbringing and how she is herself by the end of the book.
I also have two sets of issues: my issues with this book, and my issues with the pattern in Jennifer Saint's books:
The story itself:
While I understand that this is also the Arganaut's story, the way Jason ended up actually winning doesn't seem very exciting in hindsight, but it baffled me that it was a succession of arriving and leaving islands and then a quick 3-4 pages to get the price.
We are given a mountain of characters who are barely introduced until they say something or do something, which made it feel constantly as if "well if they don't matter for this scene, they don't exist" which isn't great for the reader. I feel like many events were thrown in a succession in the middle, with great scenes like harpies wolfing down on a blind prophet being fixed up in a couple paragraphs. it was both too slow and too rushed and I didn't like that at all.
Now my main issue is the romance. Both of them actually. I got intense whiplash from the transitions to romance because they came out of nowhere. While the friendships were set up great, the sudden switch to "okay let's kiss now" each time came out of nowhere, with little indication that the FMC was going to pursue a romantic relationship, aside from maybe two lines here and there clearly only written to guide the reader, which again, is more telling than showing. The entire first relationship was baffling, the characters behaved in jealous manners out of nowhere, nothing was clear, their entire romance felt bland and like an afterthought and it was so jarring that I actually considered DNFing. There is literally no proper character thought process to make the virginal hero of Artemis decide on a whim to abandon and risk her entire life for a married man. This isn't even counting the number of times characters seemed to disappear from scenes out of nowhere which was incredibly confusing.
The ending romance was just the same, we go from a soft "well this is nice, they have an intimacy, a beautiful friendship that could blossom into love" to BAM they are KISSING. Like, Atalanta appreciates a guy, is good friends with him, and yes it's very clear he likes her, but then she decides to save his life, and all of a sudden is kissing him and running away with him...and again, WHIPLASH.
I could spend hours on this but I'm not entirely sure it's worth it since people loved it and it's not like after 3 books any review is going to fix the issues of pacing. I love greek mythology retellings, and I don't always mind slower pace novels, but when there is a constant disconnect between fast scenes and slow scenes, and a feeling that character's decisions switch out of nowhere, or too abruptly, it makes the experience unsettling. Character's deaths felt like they held no emotional weight, important events happen so quickly it's almost too easy to miss out, and crucial events are written in a way that I had to pause several times to wonder "is she implying this or am I imagining it"
My issue with this book also confirms a pattern i've noticed so far: being a good writer is essential and that, Jennifer Saint is, however when you take a story that already exists from beginning to end as Greek myths do, it is disappointing that nothing is added to it. This is as Ariadne and Elektra were: a novelisation of the greek myths to the T without adding depth to the characters. That's an issue because the myths as they existed were told orally, which means that motivations and character development weren't that much of a factor, but in writing, if nothing is added to it, it makes the character dull and empty, and the story nearly cartoonish. It's made even worse by the fact that other events and characters backstories are dumped unceremoniously in the story to make sense of it, which means that even the fantastical stories behind the myths aren't really important for the author. There are few greek mythology books out there that are purely greek mythology, and while i dont mind the modern retellings, my first love is the faithful retellings, which is why it breaks my heart to see that while this is a beautifully written book with many, many, MANY good aspects to it, it doesn't feel as if it has any desire to go deeper into the characters and the story than the superficial aspects of it.
So yes, I enjoyed this book despite it all, but where i was sure throughout the beginning of the book that it would be a 4 star, i couldn't get over the fact that there was clearly no intent on adding much to the myth, and that the pacing was so harsh and abrupt that scenes meant to be emotional severely lacked the gravitas they were clearly meant to have.
I think the beginning and the ending of the book show very well what the book could have been but fell short of.
March 23, 2023
4/5
He was the greatest hero among us, surely the most famed in all of Greece. I had no doubt that the price of that glory was blood.
I adore Greek mythology retellings, I love how they are all so interwoven. In every story you read, you inevitably encounter other great heroes you've read about before. It's fascinating to read about these well-known heroes both before and after their own great stories.
I find it incredibly interesting, when I sit down to read a retelling like this one, to discover which of these legendary figures will be painted in a sympathetic light—which will be noble and brave and compassionate—and which will be antagonised. Because, for most of them, you could argue their case for both hero and villain. It all depends on what (or whose) story you're telling.
This is only one of many factors that I adore about Greek mythology retellings. How will I encounter this hero? Who will they be in this iteration?
'What was his wife's name?' I asked. 'Does anyone remember her?'
This retelling is one of the most blatantly feminist of the ones that I've read and I adored the themes that we explored all throughout. I loved seeing these themes develop throughout the course of the story as Atalanta, our main character, developed alongside them.
Innocent lives, women whose names would never be remembered like his, sacrificed in the flames that forged a hero's destiny.
I really enjoyed reading this and (even as someone who already knew the story of Jason and the Argonauts) I loved seeing Atalanta written back into it. There were some beautiful descriptions and it was extremely evident how passionate Saint is about the Greek myths.
One of my criticisms, however, is that I thought that Saint's writing style often pulled us back to witness the story from further away, which impacted my ability to feel connected to the characters. I wish we had spent longer in each moment in order to feel them more deeply and I think that the story could have benefitted from being longer.
I also found that the voyage of the Argonauts sailed by (no pun intended) slower than I anticipated and with less stakes than other parts of the book.
Atalanta started as a story I thought I would know nothing about, yet I slowly began to realise that I knew these myths—I knew these myths without her in them. I love that Saint restored her presence in these stories as she expertly whittled at the question of why it is Atalanta, the only female Argonaut, who isn't remembered.
I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta.
This was my first of Saint's retellings and I'm incredibly excited to read both Ariadne and Elektra! Atalanta is a great retelling to pick up.
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
He was the greatest hero among us, surely the most famed in all of Greece. I had no doubt that the price of that glory was blood.
I adore Greek mythology retellings, I love how they are all so interwoven. In every story you read, you inevitably encounter other great heroes you've read about before. It's fascinating to read about these well-known heroes both before and after their own great stories.
I find it incredibly interesting, when I sit down to read a retelling like this one, to discover which of these legendary figures will be painted in a sympathetic light—which will be noble and brave and compassionate—and which will be antagonised. Because, for most of them, you could argue their case for both hero and villain. It all depends on what (or whose) story you're telling.
This is only one of many factors that I adore about Greek mythology retellings. How will I encounter this hero? Who will they be in this iteration?
'What was his wife's name?' I asked. 'Does anyone remember her?'
This retelling is one of the most blatantly feminist of the ones that I've read and I adored the themes that we explored all throughout. I loved seeing these themes develop throughout the course of the story as Atalanta, our main character, developed alongside them.
Innocent lives, women whose names would never be remembered like his, sacrificed in the flames that forged a hero's destiny.
I really enjoyed reading this and (even as someone who already knew the story of Jason and the Argonauts) I loved seeing Atalanta written back into it. There were some beautiful descriptions and it was extremely evident how passionate Saint is about the Greek myths.
One of my criticisms, however, is that I thought that Saint's writing style often pulled us back to witness the story from further away, which impacted my ability to feel connected to the characters. I wish we had spent longer in each moment in order to feel them more deeply and I think that the story could have benefitted from being longer.
I also found that the voyage of the Argonauts sailed by (no pun intended) slower than I anticipated and with less stakes than other parts of the book.
Atalanta started as a story I thought I would know nothing about, yet I slowly began to realise that I knew these myths—I knew these myths without her in them. I love that Saint restored her presence in these stories as she expertly whittled at the question of why it is Atalanta, the only female Argonaut, who isn't remembered.
I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta.
This was my first of Saint's retellings and I'm incredibly excited to read both Ariadne and Elektra! Atalanta is a great retelling to pick up.
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2023
Atalanta has long been my favourite mythological figure, ever since I was a kid. It always saddened me that she wasn't talked about enough, because she's amazing, but hopefully that will change with this book.
It might seem a bit odd, but whenever I've faced hardships in my life I would think about Atalanta, her strength, and that would help me get through whatever it was that I had to face. I can't even explain how much she means to me.
She, along with Artemis, is probably the person/character I've related to most out of anyone I've ever read about and I'm very glad that it hasn't changed here either. I love how both of them were represented.
At certain points the story was so emotional for me that it made me cry, THANK YOU FOR THAT, JENNIFER SAINT!! I was actually expecting to cry, I had tissues ready and everything.
The only thing that I slightly minded was that it seemed to end so fast, when the rest of the story was drawn out.
But still, I had so much fun reading this, seeing not only my baby Atalanta shine, but other mythological figures too.
I'm new to Jennifer Saint's books, I've heard of her before and I know her book about Ariadne was translated to my language, but I haven't picked it up yet. I definitely will after this though, and the Elektra book as well.
I think Saint was the perfect choice of author to bring Atalanta's story to life. Her writing style is beautiful, and pulls you right into the action so you feel like you're really there. I love it.
This is probably up there with the most feminist retellings I've read, if not the most feminist one. So if you're into that (and Greek myths) then read this book.
Even if you aren't into that you should still read this, so Atalanta doesn't get forgotten again. And also because I said so, and I'm right. You know I am, READ THIS BOOK!!!!
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
It might seem a bit odd, but whenever I've faced hardships in my life I would think about Atalanta, her strength, and that would help me get through whatever it was that I had to face. I can't even explain how much she means to me.
She, along with Artemis, is probably the person/character I've related to most out of anyone I've ever read about and I'm very glad that it hasn't changed here either. I love how both of them were represented.
At certain points the story was so emotional for me that it made me cry, THANK YOU FOR THAT, JENNIFER SAINT!! I was actually expecting to cry, I had tissues ready and everything.
The only thing that I slightly minded was that it seemed to end so fast, when the rest of the story was drawn out.
But still, I had so much fun reading this, seeing not only my baby Atalanta shine, but other mythological figures too.
I'm new to Jennifer Saint's books, I've heard of her before and I know her book about Ariadne was translated to my language, but I haven't picked it up yet. I definitely will after this though, and the Elektra book as well.
I think Saint was the perfect choice of author to bring Atalanta's story to life. Her writing style is beautiful, and pulls you right into the action so you feel like you're really there. I love it.
This is probably up there with the most feminist retellings I've read, if not the most feminist one. So if you're into that (and Greek myths) then read this book.
Even if you aren't into that you should still read this, so Atalanta doesn't get forgotten again. And also because I said so, and I'm right. You know I am, READ THIS BOOK!!!!
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
April 12, 2023
When Atalanta was born, she was abandoned on the hillside, left to die, as she wasn’t a boy. Thankfully, she was found and rescued by a mother bear, who raised her alongside her cubs.
When Atalanta is older, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and wilderness, comes for her. The Arcadian wood becomes Atalanta’s new home, where she’s surrounded by the nymphs.
Atalanta looks up to Artemis, she wishes to be just like her and fear nothing.
When an opportunity arises to join a ship, Argo, in pursuit of the Golden Fleece, Atalanta doesn’t hesitate. She wants to make Artemis proud.
However, Artemis gives her a warning… It comes in a form of prophecy saying that if Atalanta gets married, she’ll lose herself and it’ll be her undoing.
When Atalanta joins Jason and the Argonauts, she is met with reluctance, even disdain, from her fellow shipmates including Heracles and Peleus. Only Meleager shows her kindness and soon a friendship between the two develops.
Atalanta will have to work her hardest to prove she is worthy of the quest…
I LOVED this book! Having read Jennifer Saint’s previous work, I can honestly say that it’s my favourite book of hers. I wasn’t familiar with Atalanta’s story and I am grateful for the author to shine attention on this marvellous female.
Atalanta was strong, bold, and unafraid. She faced many perils in her life and on the journey to get the Fleece, but she persevered and never gave up.
I recommend this book to all fans of Greek myths and those who seek a strong female protagonist.
When Atalanta is older, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and wilderness, comes for her. The Arcadian wood becomes Atalanta’s new home, where she’s surrounded by the nymphs.
Atalanta looks up to Artemis, she wishes to be just like her and fear nothing.
When an opportunity arises to join a ship, Argo, in pursuit of the Golden Fleece, Atalanta doesn’t hesitate. She wants to make Artemis proud.
However, Artemis gives her a warning… It comes in a form of prophecy saying that if Atalanta gets married, she’ll lose herself and it’ll be her undoing.
When Atalanta joins Jason and the Argonauts, she is met with reluctance, even disdain, from her fellow shipmates including Heracles and Peleus. Only Meleager shows her kindness and soon a friendship between the two develops.
Atalanta will have to work her hardest to prove she is worthy of the quest…
I LOVED this book! Having read Jennifer Saint’s previous work, I can honestly say that it’s my favourite book of hers. I wasn’t familiar with Atalanta’s story and I am grateful for the author to shine attention on this marvellous female.
Atalanta was strong, bold, and unafraid. She faced many perils in her life and on the journey to get the Fleece, but she persevered and never gave up.
I recommend this book to all fans of Greek myths and those who seek a strong female protagonist.
May 4, 2023
I really love how Jennifer Saint retells Greek mythology while centering women's stories. Atalanta is her latest and while it's not my favorite of hers, it's still very good.
I'll be honest, the first half of the book I was much less invested in Atalanta as a character and her journey with Jason and Argonauts, but it really gets interesting and more meaningful in the second half. This is exploring ideas about rape culture, victim blaming, gendered double standards of sexual behavior, and the ways in which marriage (especially in the ancient world, but sometimes today too) places constraints on women. I also liked the way Saint interpreted the ending, and how in this story, motherhood does not mean the end of autonomy and sense of self. Definitely worth the read if you've liked her other books! The audio narration is also quite good. I received an audio review copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
I'll be honest, the first half of the book I was much less invested in Atalanta as a character and her journey with Jason and Argonauts, but it really gets interesting and more meaningful in the second half. This is exploring ideas about rape culture, victim blaming, gendered double standards of sexual behavior, and the ways in which marriage (especially in the ancient world, but sometimes today too) places constraints on women. I also liked the way Saint interpreted the ending, and how in this story, motherhood does not mean the end of autonomy and sense of self. Definitely worth the read if you've liked her other books! The audio narration is also quite good. I received an audio review copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
November 7, 2023
Saint took Atalanta from the pantheon of heroes and heroines in Greek mythology and made her a boring, forgettable character. With the first-person point of view added into the mix, she sounds exactly like a one-dimensional YA protagonist, tied to a male love interest.
August 28, 2023
I enjoyed Saint’s previous two Greek female-centered mythology retellings, Ariadne and Elektra—she’s no Madeline Miller, but she’s worlds better than the hack that is Natalie Haynes. Unfortunately, the Argonautica is the most boring and frustrating quest in all of Greek mythology, and Saint’s nice prose and feminist spin just weren’t enough to make this an engaging read.
Atalanta is born to the King of Arcadia—he wanted a son, so he orders his infant daughter to be left to die on a hillside. She is raised by a mother bear alongside her cubs instead, under the protective eye of Artemis. The goddess takes Atalanta under her wing once she gets older, teaching her to hunt in her sacred forest, surrounded by nymphs. Atalanta is fully devoted to her, so when Artemis asks her to join the quest for the Golden Fleece as her champion, she doesn’t hesitate, and leaves the Arcadian forest behind to join the best heroes Greece has to offer… but the hardest part of the quest will be to prove her worth to her fellow Argonauts, who look at her with disdain, simply because she’s a woman who dares to see herself as an equal in a world built for the glory of men, a world in which women are supposed to be nothing but nameless footnotes.
This is just one in what I feel is a recent surge of retellings of the Argonautica, and I just don’t understand the appeal of this quest in particular: Despite being about a literal boat-full of the greatest Greek heroes, there’s no heroism to speak of going on, which makes this the most exasperating of myths: Jason is useless and obnoxious (it’s very telling when you want a quest to fail because its leader is a dickhead, and also when Heracles is one of the more likeable characters), and none of the heroes really contribute anything to win the Golden Fleece—it’s Medea’s magic that ultimately helps them get it. There are no heroic battles, not even one of wits (Jason’s too stupid for that)—they steal the Fleece through a witch’s tricks, and flee.
Of course, I knew all this going in—it’s always been my least favorite Greek myth. I was hoping that Saint would manage to make me see the quest in a different light by writing Atalanta back into it, but instead, she only reinforces all of my qualms by having her heroine spend the whole voyage complaining about precisely the same things! I may have felt vindicated, but that alone doesn’t make for a worthwhile story. The quest for the Fleece only takes up about half of the novel though—after it is concluded, we follow Atalanta and a few of her fellow Argonauts to Calydon, to slay a boar Artemis has sent to ravage the region. The boar is slain, but at what cost—Atalanta is forced to slink back to the edge of the Arcadian forest, forgotten and exiled by Artemis, until word reaches her that her father the King has heard of her feats, and wants to recognize her as his heir…
Atalanta’s name may translate to “equal in strength”, but her story, written by men, is frustrating, because equality is denied to her at every turn—her feats are either downplayed, not recognized, or flat-out forgotten. Saint walked the line between staying true to the original myth and imbuing it with modern feminist sensibilities very well; I especially appreciated her take on Atalanta’s final punishment, which twists it into her gaining ultimate freedom from Greek society’s restricting mores instead. While I can't say that I exactly enjoyed reading this, I do want to recognize Saint's effort: She certainly did the very best she could with the source material; it’s not her fault that the Argonautica doesn’t appeal to me, so another reader’s mileage will undoubtedly vary.
Atalanta is born to the King of Arcadia—he wanted a son, so he orders his infant daughter to be left to die on a hillside. She is raised by a mother bear alongside her cubs instead, under the protective eye of Artemis. The goddess takes Atalanta under her wing once she gets older, teaching her to hunt in her sacred forest, surrounded by nymphs. Atalanta is fully devoted to her, so when Artemis asks her to join the quest for the Golden Fleece as her champion, she doesn’t hesitate, and leaves the Arcadian forest behind to join the best heroes Greece has to offer… but the hardest part of the quest will be to prove her worth to her fellow Argonauts, who look at her with disdain, simply because she’s a woman who dares to see herself as an equal in a world built for the glory of men, a world in which women are supposed to be nothing but nameless footnotes.
“Innocent lives, women whose names would never be remembered like his, sacrificed in the flames that forged a hero’s destiny.“
This is just one in what I feel is a recent surge of retellings of the Argonautica, and I just don’t understand the appeal of this quest in particular: Despite being about a literal boat-full of the greatest Greek heroes, there’s no heroism to speak of going on, which makes this the most exasperating of myths: Jason is useless and obnoxious (it’s very telling when you want a quest to fail because its leader is a dickhead, and also when Heracles is one of the more likeable characters), and none of the heroes really contribute anything to win the Golden Fleece—it’s Medea’s magic that ultimately helps them get it. There are no heroic battles, not even one of wits (Jason’s too stupid for that)—they steal the Fleece through a witch’s tricks, and flee.
Of course, I knew all this going in—it’s always been my least favorite Greek myth. I was hoping that Saint would manage to make me see the quest in a different light by writing Atalanta back into it, but instead, she only reinforces all of my qualms by having her heroine spend the whole voyage complaining about precisely the same things! I may have felt vindicated, but that alone doesn’t make for a worthwhile story. The quest for the Fleece only takes up about half of the novel though—after it is concluded, we follow Atalanta and a few of her fellow Argonauts to Calydon, to slay a boar Artemis has sent to ravage the region. The boar is slain, but at what cost—Atalanta is forced to slink back to the edge of the Arcadian forest, forgotten and exiled by Artemis, until word reaches her that her father the King has heard of her feats, and wants to recognize her as his heir…
Atalanta’s name may translate to “equal in strength”, but her story, written by men, is frustrating, because equality is denied to her at every turn—her feats are either downplayed, not recognized, or flat-out forgotten. Saint walked the line between staying true to the original myth and imbuing it with modern feminist sensibilities very well; I especially appreciated her take on Atalanta’s final punishment, which twists it into her gaining ultimate freedom from Greek society’s restricting mores instead. While I can't say that I exactly enjoyed reading this, I do want to recognize Saint's effort: She certainly did the very best she could with the source material; it’s not her fault that the Argonautica doesn’t appeal to me, so another reader’s mileage will undoubtedly vary.
“I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta.”
August 11, 2023
(Tune in to my full podcast review of Atalanta here.)
This book is so, so special to me. What a beautiful story from beginning to end, and a fascinating new take (for me) on Greek mythology. Atalanta provides a deep look into the morality and sensibility of mindlessly following the mythological gods and goddesses. Really a heartfelt and thoughtful work.
My only downside for this story was that it felt a little draggy at some points. I set it down and came back to it later, as it wasn't quite as captivating for me as Elektra. However, the good far outweighed the bad for me, and I was really impressed with this beautiful retelling.
My Website | My YA Thriller Books | My Bookish Podcast | Linktree | Instagram
This book is so, so special to me. What a beautiful story from beginning to end, and a fascinating new take (for me) on Greek mythology. Atalanta provides a deep look into the morality and sensibility of mindlessly following the mythological gods and goddesses. Really a heartfelt and thoughtful work.
My only downside for this story was that it felt a little draggy at some points. I set it down and came back to it later, as it wasn't quite as captivating for me as Elektra. However, the good far outweighed the bad for me, and I was really impressed with this beautiful retelling.
My Website | My YA Thriller Books | My Bookish Podcast | Linktree | Instagram
August 24, 2025
1.5
i'm starting to think maybe i don't actually like mythology... i like a good plot-driven book and i feel like most mythology books tend to focus more on the characters. that doesn't really bother me on its own, but then in the mythology books i've read recently, the characters aren't that well fleshed out and the side characters are even less so. it's hard to care about any of the characters since they're so flat, which makes it hard to care about literally anything happening in the book. what also didn't help was that the writing in this book felt so lazy and the entire plot was so boring. i also don't like how the gods and goddesses and men are all depicted as complete assholes. it's just not enjoyable to read a book where all of the characters are so unlikeable and either flat or cruel or both.
also i feel like the mythology books being published recently are trying too hard to cater to a specific audience (the appealing to a particular audience part isn't bad, it's more so the feeling that the author is trying too hard to generate a specific response detracts from the overall quality of the book for me) which results in a book with a great concept and some memorable quotes, but poor execution where every aspect apart from the writing is lacking.
many of these recent mythology publications that are pushing the feminist agenda have a strange amount of women shaming other women. it's also funny how so many of these feminist retellings only have one female main character and the rest are men like what
i'm starting to think maybe i don't actually like mythology... i like a good plot-driven book and i feel like most mythology books tend to focus more on the characters. that doesn't really bother me on its own, but then in the mythology books i've read recently, the characters aren't that well fleshed out and the side characters are even less so. it's hard to care about any of the characters since they're so flat, which makes it hard to care about literally anything happening in the book. what also didn't help was that the writing in this book felt so lazy and the entire plot was so boring. i also don't like how the gods and goddesses and men are all depicted as complete assholes. it's just not enjoyable to read a book where all of the characters are so unlikeable and either flat or cruel or both.
also i feel like the mythology books being published recently are trying too hard to cater to a specific audience (the appealing to a particular audience part isn't bad, it's more so the feeling that the author is trying too hard to generate a specific response detracts from the overall quality of the book for me) which results in a book with a great concept and some memorable quotes, but poor execution where every aspect apart from the writing is lacking.
many of these recent mythology publications that are pushing the feminist agenda have a strange amount of women shaming other women. it's also funny how so many of these feminist retellings only have one female main character and the rest are men like what
March 29, 2023
Atalanta was raised with bear cubs under the watchful eye of Artemis. Her childhood was unconventional but, as she grew, the rest of her life proved to be even more so, as she journeyed with the Argonauts, as the only woman among them, and carved out her place alongside them in pursuits reserved for men alone.
Jennifer Saint never fails! I have adored each of her feminist mythological retellings and this was no exception. The same key themes were focused on throughout this, regarding a woman's place in society and the disregard towards them for their value in anything other than breeding and home-making. I love how she challenges these historical norms through her female-led storylines and all-female perspectives.
Atalanta was a strong individual who never sought to be anything less. Her entire existence had been one long and exhausting fight for dominance and autonomy and I admired and adored her in equal measures, whilst also grieving when any plight that befell her. Her character quickly entered my heart and added tension to later portions of this book, where the success of her endeavours and the continuation of her life were put at risk.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Jennifer Saint, and the publisher, Wildfire, for this opportunity.
Jennifer Saint never fails! I have adored each of her feminist mythological retellings and this was no exception. The same key themes were focused on throughout this, regarding a woman's place in society and the disregard towards them for their value in anything other than breeding and home-making. I love how she challenges these historical norms through her female-led storylines and all-female perspectives.
Atalanta was a strong individual who never sought to be anything less. Her entire existence had been one long and exhausting fight for dominance and autonomy and I admired and adored her in equal measures, whilst also grieving when any plight that befell her. Her character quickly entered my heart and added tension to later portions of this book, where the success of her endeavours and the continuation of her life were put at risk.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Jennifer Saint, and the publisher, Wildfire, for this opportunity.
April 26, 2023
The scourge of being a girl when your parents wanted a boy! Atalanta is left to die outside until a bear finds her and raises her. The goddesses Artemis is her protectress, but warns that favoritism will be withdraw should Atalanta married.
Atalanta is a wild child roaming free, courageous, but drawn to a life that offers more adventure. Opportunity knocks as Artemis gives Atalanta the chance she so desires to sail with the fierce Argonauts in their quest for the golden fleece. The voyage is treacherous, as Atalanta finds herself drawn into a love affair, casting aside the warning Artemis gave her. She becomes pregnant and bears a son.
Atalanta desires what she wants and is determined to be a hero which indeed she was, a lover to a man she cares for, and a warrior right up there with the men she sails with. A true free spirit, She will accomplish much and find herself among those where mythology reigns among the bravest.
Thank you to Jennifer Saint, Macmillan Audio, narrated by Beth Eyre and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this epic tale available May 9, 2023.
Atalanta is a wild child roaming free, courageous, but drawn to a life that offers more adventure. Opportunity knocks as Artemis gives Atalanta the chance she so desires to sail with the fierce Argonauts in their quest for the golden fleece. The voyage is treacherous, as Atalanta finds herself drawn into a love affair, casting aside the warning Artemis gave her. She becomes pregnant and bears a son.
Atalanta desires what she wants and is determined to be a hero which indeed she was, a lover to a man she cares for, and a warrior right up there with the men she sails with. A true free spirit, She will accomplish much and find herself among those where mythology reigns among the bravest.
Thank you to Jennifer Saint, Macmillan Audio, narrated by Beth Eyre and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this epic tale available May 9, 2023.
Read
September 9, 2023Jennifer Saint only gets better. Her third novel, another Greek mythology retelling, is a sweeping epic adventure that moves at a breakneck pace, but never sacrifices emotional depth or breadth.
Atalanta tells the story of the titular heroine, abandoned on a hillside by her royal father, nurtured by a bear, and then saved and raised by Artemis herself — goddess of the hunt.
But this is only the beginning of Atalanta’s life. When she reaches adulthood, she is warned never to marry, and is then sent to join Jason and his band of Argonauts on the greatest adventure the ancient Greeks had ever seen.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/best-greek-my...
Atalanta tells the story of the titular heroine, abandoned on a hillside by her royal father, nurtured by a bear, and then saved and raised by Artemis herself — goddess of the hunt.
But this is only the beginning of Atalanta’s life. When she reaches adulthood, she is warned never to marry, and is then sent to join Jason and his band of Argonauts on the greatest adventure the ancient Greeks had ever seen.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/best-greek-my...
February 8, 2023
I've been thinking that a lot of these mythological retellings that have been coming out in the last years have the same vibe to them: a lot of them seem to center around a specific character or event, but oftentimes lack that special something that lifts the basic plot up to a higher level worth of novelisation. While I had my problems with this, it certainly wasn't that!
Atalanta is the fierce huntress in Greek Mythology – she was raised by bears and later found herself under the protection of the Goddess Artemis. This novel follows her journey as part of the Argonauts (as their only female member), where she was part of the crew that searched for the Golden Fleet.
I knew of Atalanta before reading this, but wasn't familiar with her story, which made this quite pleasant to read. I enjoyed her skill and strength, both mentally and physically. She knows that she's good at hunting for example and it's kinda fun watching a character believe in herself when so many others (the more arrogant male heroes in here for example) don't want her to succeed out of vanity or pride. She just knows her worth! Jennifer Saint weaved the few details known about her into a coherent and fast-paced plot that contained drama, love and action in equal measures.
However, what I had huge problems with was Saint's dreamy quality of narrating the story. This will be completely up to the reader and probably won't be a problem for anyone who's read Saint's previous retellings before (which I haven't yet), but I occasionally found her way of describing things too loaded with adverbs, which felt like she was decorating her sentences, when really I just wanted to see past that gloss and glitter (after all, this also is quite a violent story). To give an example: Medea's face is described as "a mask of smiling calm, her golden eyes smouldering with quiet determination". Calm can smile? Determination in a face can also be loud? And then there are metaphors, like when she compares inadequate words to "a scrap of driftwood in a raging storm".
I'm torn on this one, because I loved the plot and the outline and it definitely takes a good writer to craft that out of scraps of mythology (Atalanta is usually only mentioned in passing, if at all) but just wasn't too keen on the deliverance when it got to the details. I'm tempted to take a closer look at Saint's other work though.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an Advanced Reading Copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Atalanta is the fierce huntress in Greek Mythology – she was raised by bears and later found herself under the protection of the Goddess Artemis. This novel follows her journey as part of the Argonauts (as their only female member), where she was part of the crew that searched for the Golden Fleet.
I knew of Atalanta before reading this, but wasn't familiar with her story, which made this quite pleasant to read. I enjoyed her skill and strength, both mentally and physically. She knows that she's good at hunting for example and it's kinda fun watching a character believe in herself when so many others (the more arrogant male heroes in here for example) don't want her to succeed out of vanity or pride. She just knows her worth! Jennifer Saint weaved the few details known about her into a coherent and fast-paced plot that contained drama, love and action in equal measures.
However, what I had huge problems with was Saint's dreamy quality of narrating the story. This will be completely up to the reader and probably won't be a problem for anyone who's read Saint's previous retellings before (which I haven't yet), but I occasionally found her way of describing things too loaded with adverbs, which felt like she was decorating her sentences, when really I just wanted to see past that gloss and glitter (after all, this also is quite a violent story). To give an example: Medea's face is described as "a mask of smiling calm, her golden eyes smouldering with quiet determination". Calm can smile? Determination in a face can also be loud? And then there are metaphors, like when she compares inadequate words to "a scrap of driftwood in a raging storm".
I'm torn on this one, because I loved the plot and the outline and it definitely takes a good writer to craft that out of scraps of mythology (Atalanta is usually only mentioned in passing, if at all) but just wasn't too keen on the deliverance when it got to the details. I'm tempted to take a closer look at Saint's other work though.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an Advanced Reading Copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2023
This is to remind myself not to read another Jennifer Saint retelling. The story is bland and could be about anyone. Her protagonists are indistinguishable, and I develop no connection with the characters. I have the same indifference for both lovers and enemies, and even the great battle scenes are unexciting. In a story that is not invented by the author, the characterization, the pacing, and the energy of the relationships and the struggles are her responsibility, and she left me disappointed.
June 25, 2023
A STRONG WOMAN GETS A VOICE
While not one of my favourite retellings, this still is one of the better ones. Saint is amazing at giving ancient women a voice and agency in their own stories and lives. I found Atalanta particularly interesting. I loved for Saint portrayed her as not only mentally strong but also physically strong. It was a nice deviation from what you normally get, when you read about 'strong' women.
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While not one of my favourite retellings, this still is one of the better ones. Saint is amazing at giving ancient women a voice and agency in their own stories and lives. I found Atalanta particularly interesting. I loved for Saint portrayed her as not only mentally strong but also physically strong. It was a nice deviation from what you normally get, when you read about 'strong' women.
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Blog Post: Which Book Should you read next based on your favourite Jane Austen Heroine
March 4, 2023
2.75.
This book had so much promise. Unfortunately, it fell pretty flat for me. I had heard of Atalanta only very vaguely before so I was curious about her story. I was also very curious about how Jason and the Argonauts played into it. While there were some interesting plot points, I had zero attachment to any of the characters. They all felt very surface level, like we were barely getting to know them. It was disappointing as I really would have loved to have had a very character driven story about these fascinating historical figures.
There were also some tangents that I didn't enjoy and that didn't make sense. It kind of felt like they were an afterthought and had very little baring on the main story or the characters. It all just felt like it was mish-mashed together, without any real plotting or character development.
The writing was pretty good and it was the main thing that I enjoyed. It was just everything else that I didn't like. I don't feel like I really got much from this story, which I think is a hugely missed opportunity.
Thank you, Netgalley, for an e-arc.
This book had so much promise. Unfortunately, it fell pretty flat for me. I had heard of Atalanta only very vaguely before so I was curious about her story. I was also very curious about how Jason and the Argonauts played into it. While there were some interesting plot points, I had zero attachment to any of the characters. They all felt very surface level, like we were barely getting to know them. It was disappointing as I really would have loved to have had a very character driven story about these fascinating historical figures.
There were also some tangents that I didn't enjoy and that didn't make sense. It kind of felt like they were an afterthought and had very little baring on the main story or the characters. It all just felt like it was mish-mashed together, without any real plotting or character development.
The writing was pretty good and it was the main thing that I enjoyed. It was just everything else that I didn't like. I don't feel like I really got much from this story, which I think is a hugely missed opportunity.
Thank you, Netgalley, for an e-arc.
January 2, 2025
3.5/5
Amo la forma de escribir de Jennifer Saint, sus voces siempre tienen un tono triste o melancólico, casi nostálgico, como si sus protagonistas supieran todo lo que se les viene.
Atalanta fue abandonada de bebé y la crió una osa, con el tiempo Artemisa la llevó a su bosque para criarla junto con las ninfas. Su vida era perfecta en ese pequeño paraíso, pero cuando la diosa le pide que sea su representante en el viaje de los argonautas, se alejará de todo lo que conoce para unirse al viaje de los más grandes héroes.
Tengo que confesar que fue el libro que menos me gustó de la autora hasta la fecha. Al mismo tiempo, creo que no tiene que ver necesariamente con ella, sino que la historia en sí. Este fue el libro más tranquilo de los que he leído de ella, el menos trágico y menos triste, quizá por eso me terminó gustando menos.
Mi conocimiento de Atalanta era nulo, sabía de los argonautas y el vellocino de oro, pero no sobre ella, así que me gustó aprender sobre este personaje. Disfruté toda la parte con ella en el bosque porque era su formación, ella construyéndose a sí misma, además, se nos presentó el tipo de "misericordia" por parte de la diosa. Me gustó el contraste entre crear un ambiente seguro y tranquilo para las ninfas y mujeres, pero al mismo tiempo juzgarlas a ellas mismas por lo que los hombres les hacían. Fue sumamente interesante y, en particular, el verlo a través de los ojos de Atalanta que no tenía prejuicios ni conocimientos previos relacionados.
Sin embargo, estaba ansiosa por conocer más del viaje a bordo del Argo, del que sabía poco, así que me emocioné cuando llegamos a esta parte del libro. Seré honesta, todo el viaje fue lo más anticlimático que existe, ahora, la misma Atalanta lo dijo, no fue que la autora intentara hacerlo interesante y fallara, sino que ella misma sabía que el viaje decepcionaría. No sé bien cómo describirlo, pues el que fuera un viaje más aburrido que emocionante y luego se vendiera como la gran aventura de los héroes más famosos era parte de la trama, pero como lectora necesitaba algo que me compensara todo esto.
Después del viaje en el Argo se sintió un poco caótico, fue un "vamos para allá, problemas, escapamos, vamos a este otro lado, problemas, escapamos de nuevo". De verdad creo que el libro es bueno y fue redondo con respecto a la vida de Atalanta y lo que ella realmente quería. Sin embargo, quedé insatisfecha de alguna forma con el cómo funcionó la historia, con el hecho de que fueran problemas pequeños o puntuales que se solucionaron en un par de capítulos y pasamos al siguiente y así hasta el final. Dentro de lo mismo, el final fue como anticlimático, no me produjo nada más allá de lo que sintiera Atalanta al respecto, creo que debió de ser un poco más emocionante para estar a la altura de la tensión que fue construyendo a lo largo del libro, pero que quedó en nada.
Atalanta me gustó porque era una mujer que creció en una burbuja necesitando poco, lo que podía cazar y la tranquilidad de su bosque. Y, al mismo tiempo, sentía curiosidad por todo lo que había afuera, por las demás personas, las ciudades y el honor, el que su nombre fuera recordado. Aun así siento que este último punto no se terminó de explotar o desarrollar, lo mencionó una vez, pero más que un aspecto de su personalidad fue conveniencia de la trama para que sucediera algo. O la supuesta relación del final, se suponía que me tenía que creer que ese sí era amor verdadero aunque se vieron solo una vez.
En comparación a los otros libros, me pasó que eran protagonistas con decisiones mucho más cuestionables, pero que la autora fue construyendo tan bien sus mentes y personalidades, que cuando llegábamos a esos momentos, las entendía. Atalanta se me hizo más confusa, no sé si más simple debido a su origen, pero tenía ciertas actitudes o tomaba decisiones que no terminaban de hacer sentido. A pesar de que fue la única protagonista, quedé con la sensación de que salí del libro sin entenderla por completo. Mucho giró en ella siendo tan o más capaz que los hombres, pero esta validación vino gran parte del tiempo de otros hombres, en particular, de otros hombres que la veían como interés amoroso. Así que tampoco disfruté tanto el tema de ella demostrando su valor frente a todos, no sentí que llevara realmente a un punto.
Atalanta fue una historia con la prosa característica de la autora, ese tono triste y melancólico en la voz de su protagonista, pero que a diferencia de las entregas anteriores presentó una historia más sencilla y sin tantas complicaciones. Una serie de pequeñas aventuras que se fueron solucionando rápidamente para pasar a la siguiente.
Amo la forma de escribir de Jennifer Saint, sus voces siempre tienen un tono triste o melancólico, casi nostálgico, como si sus protagonistas supieran todo lo que se les viene.
Atalanta fue abandonada de bebé y la crió una osa, con el tiempo Artemisa la llevó a su bosque para criarla junto con las ninfas. Su vida era perfecta en ese pequeño paraíso, pero cuando la diosa le pide que sea su representante en el viaje de los argonautas, se alejará de todo lo que conoce para unirse al viaje de los más grandes héroes.
Tengo que confesar que fue el libro que menos me gustó de la autora hasta la fecha. Al mismo tiempo, creo que no tiene que ver necesariamente con ella, sino que la historia en sí. Este fue el libro más tranquilo de los que he leído de ella, el menos trágico y menos triste, quizá por eso me terminó gustando menos.
"Yo era tan valiosa como cualquiera de ellos. Subiría a ese barco, me juré a mí misma. Ocuparía mi lugar y no solo en nombre de la diosa. Iría también en mi propio nombre. Atalanta, un argonauta".
Mi conocimiento de Atalanta era nulo, sabía de los argonautas y el vellocino de oro, pero no sobre ella, así que me gustó aprender sobre este personaje. Disfruté toda la parte con ella en el bosque porque era su formación, ella construyéndose a sí misma, además, se nos presentó el tipo de "misericordia" por parte de la diosa. Me gustó el contraste entre crear un ambiente seguro y tranquilo para las ninfas y mujeres, pero al mismo tiempo juzgarlas a ellas mismas por lo que los hombres les hacían. Fue sumamente interesante y, en particular, el verlo a través de los ojos de Atalanta que no tenía prejuicios ni conocimientos previos relacionados.
Sin embargo, estaba ansiosa por conocer más del viaje a bordo del Argo, del que sabía poco, así que me emocioné cuando llegamos a esta parte del libro. Seré honesta, todo el viaje fue lo más anticlimático que existe, ahora, la misma Atalanta lo dijo, no fue que la autora intentara hacerlo interesante y fallara, sino que ella misma sabía que el viaje decepcionaría. No sé bien cómo describirlo, pues el que fuera un viaje más aburrido que emocionante y luego se vendiera como la gran aventura de los héroes más famosos era parte de la trama, pero como lectora necesitaba algo que me compensara todo esto.
"Artemisa me había enseñado que los dioses podían ser tan despiadados con sus favoritos como lo eran con sus enemigos".
Después del viaje en el Argo se sintió un poco caótico, fue un "vamos para allá, problemas, escapamos, vamos a este otro lado, problemas, escapamos de nuevo". De verdad creo que el libro es bueno y fue redondo con respecto a la vida de Atalanta y lo que ella realmente quería. Sin embargo, quedé insatisfecha de alguna forma con el cómo funcionó la historia, con el hecho de que fueran problemas pequeños o puntuales que se solucionaron en un par de capítulos y pasamos al siguiente y así hasta el final. Dentro de lo mismo, el final fue como anticlimático, no me produjo nada más allá de lo que sintiera Atalanta al respecto, creo que debió de ser un poco más emocionante para estar a la altura de la tensión que fue construyendo a lo largo del libro, pero que quedó en nada.
Atalanta me gustó porque era una mujer que creció en una burbuja necesitando poco, lo que podía cazar y la tranquilidad de su bosque. Y, al mismo tiempo, sentía curiosidad por todo lo que había afuera, por las demás personas, las ciudades y el honor, el que su nombre fuera recordado. Aun así siento que este último punto no se terminó de explotar o desarrollar, lo mencionó una vez, pero más que un aspecto de su personalidad fue conveniencia de la trama para que sucediera algo. O la supuesta relación del final, se suponía que me tenía que creer que ese sí era amor verdadero aunque se vieron solo una vez.
"Me sentía atraída hacia ellas por algo más que por su magia. Era por su rabia, pensé, la ira por su chica robada lo que había hecho que castigaran a cada hombre que veían".
En comparación a los otros libros, me pasó que eran protagonistas con decisiones mucho más cuestionables, pero que la autora fue construyendo tan bien sus mentes y personalidades, que cuando llegábamos a esos momentos, las entendía. Atalanta se me hizo más confusa, no sé si más simple debido a su origen, pero tenía ciertas actitudes o tomaba decisiones que no terminaban de hacer sentido. A pesar de que fue la única protagonista, quedé con la sensación de que salí del libro sin entenderla por completo. Mucho giró en ella siendo tan o más capaz que los hombres, pero esta validación vino gran parte del tiempo de otros hombres, en particular, de otros hombres que la veían como interés amoroso. Así que tampoco disfruté tanto el tema de ella demostrando su valor frente a todos, no sentí que llevara realmente a un punto.
Atalanta fue una historia con la prosa característica de la autora, ese tono triste y melancólico en la voz de su protagonista, pero que a diferencia de las entregas anteriores presentó una historia más sencilla y sin tantas complicaciones. Una serie de pequeñas aventuras que se fueron solucionando rápidamente para pasar a la siguiente.
"No me importaba que mi nombre se olvidara en los salones, que los hombres como él no lo mencionaran, que se escapara de las canciones y los recuerdos de hombres cuyas opiniones no valían nada para mí".
Read
May 28, 2024“Não quero contar-vos muito do que acontece, porque é uma história cheia de aventura, mas acrescento que achei que estava super bem contada e que Jennifer Saint fez um excelente trabalho de criação de personagens — consegui compreender a motivação de todas, mesmo daquelas com que não concordo. Mas adorei sobretudo a própria Atalanta e toda a mensagem feminista que a autora quis passar com este livro.”
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/atal....
Review completa em: https://ritadanova.blogs.sapo.pt/atal....
July 14, 2024
He glanced at me. "You were sent by Artemis. It was Hera, the queen of the immortals, who gave this task to me. I won't defy her."
But Hera wouldn't save him, I thought. Artemis has shown me that the gods could be as ruthless to their favorites as they were to their enemies. Jason thought that Hera's blessing was the same as her protection. He didn't see that she had merely given him the chance to succeed. If he failed her, it would be better he die than survive long enough to face her disappointment. But he knew nothing of the gods. Jason thought the world was built for heroes. I knew we had to build it ourselves.
Ok, so, I liked this but I didn’t love this, although I do love Atalanta and the tiny cadre of ass-kicking mythological women she reps for. And that’s down to liking the message here (being a girl who makes her own rules and wants to do the things boys do can be hard and lonely) more than the delivery.
Stories of Atalanta differ, because that's how mythology goes, but this version does stick to the best beats of the Atalanta myths: she was abandoned in the woods as an infant by her father who wanted a boy, she was spared a grim fate by Artemis, she was a legendarily fast runner, a deadly archer, and stronger than most men. She was a bonafide Fleece-seeking Argonaut and she killed the famous Calydonian boar. She was also a favorite companion of Artemis until she fell out of favor (which really wasn't hard to do with Artemis. Even a relatively feminist goddess like her has pretty regressive rules about women and consent.)
This is how our fleet of foot legend Atalanta is often depicted. Try not to focus too much on how well or swift she was gonna run without a foundation garment.
The story sounds exciting but it really dragged in places as some of the quests end up being anti-climactic and, to be fair, that is also how mythological stories are told some times. Like all set up ("We landed the boat and this army of six-armed giants with chainsaws for arms and laser beam eyes attacked us") and little to no payoff (".....so, uh, we like threw rocks at their leader's head and he exploded so they all ran away.") As much as I love Atalanta, my eyes were crossing with boredom at points.
(The best part was when Medea glides too briefly into the tale with her chaotic neutral witch vibes. Maybe I just NEED a Medea retelling.)
I also thought it was an odd choice to
I did think the way the story was resolved was brilliant and that bit gave me a lot to think about, the way the best myths can.
But Hera wouldn't save him, I thought. Artemis has shown me that the gods could be as ruthless to their favorites as they were to their enemies. Jason thought that Hera's blessing was the same as her protection. He didn't see that she had merely given him the chance to succeed. If he failed her, it would be better he die than survive long enough to face her disappointment. But he knew nothing of the gods. Jason thought the world was built for heroes. I knew we had to build it ourselves.
Ok, so, I liked this but I didn’t love this, although I do love Atalanta and the tiny cadre of ass-kicking mythological women she reps for. And that’s down to liking the message here (being a girl who makes her own rules and wants to do the things boys do can be hard and lonely) more than the delivery.
Stories of Atalanta differ, because that's how mythology goes, but this version does stick to the best beats of the Atalanta myths: she was abandoned in the woods as an infant by her father who wanted a boy, she was spared a grim fate by Artemis, she was a legendarily fast runner, a deadly archer, and stronger than most men. She was a bonafide Fleece-seeking Argonaut and she killed the famous Calydonian boar. She was also a favorite companion of Artemis until she fell out of favor (which really wasn't hard to do with Artemis. Even a relatively feminist goddess like her has pretty regressive rules about women and consent.)
This is how our fleet of foot legend Atalanta is often depicted. Try not to focus too much on how well or swift she was gonna run without a foundation garment.
The story sounds exciting but it really dragged in places as some of the quests end up being anti-climactic and, to be fair, that is also how mythological stories are told some times. Like all set up ("We landed the boat and this army of six-armed giants with chainsaws for arms and laser beam eyes attacked us") and little to no payoff (".....so, uh, we like threw rocks at their leader's head and he exploded so they all ran away.") As much as I love Atalanta, my eyes were crossing with boredom at points.
(The best part was when Medea glides too briefly into the tale with her chaotic neutral witch vibes. Maybe I just NEED a Medea retelling.)
I also thought it was an odd choice to
I did think the way the story was resolved was brilliant and that bit gave me a lot to think about, the way the best myths can.
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