I think the mistake I made going into this was expecting the tale to turn out in a different manner, but that's entirely on me. I enjoyed the new spin Saint brings to Ariadne's story, as well as Phaedra's, but I think there was a certain something about the writing style that held me at a difference. That said, Saint seems to be bringing out several books expanding upon the myths of various women, and I think that's great—we all know Dionysus and Theseus, but this is *Ariadne's* book.

Ariadne and Phaedra are Princesses of Crete and sisters of the Minotaur who is held underground within a labyrinth. This book sees the Greek legends brought to life through retelling from a female perspective.

Engaging and well written. Beautifully done.

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

This is a Greek myth retelling
The writing is done so beautifully and effortless. The author made the story come alive
The story is so captivating

Fantastic retelling of a new to me Greek myth. It was a rich, atmospheric tale that transported me to another world. I would definitely recommend this to lovers of Greek myth retelling a like myself.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A heartbreaking tragedy that retells ancient Greek myths from the lens of the women who were brushed aside as secondary characters, Ariadne is a powerful feminist story about the woman who brought Theseus his fame.

I really love the trend of retelling classic myths from a modern perspective, or with a feminist slant. Ariadne is one fo the myths that really stuck with me when I read them as a child, and this extended tale really gripped my imagination. Recommended!

I love a myth retelling, especially when they focus on the women of the stories - giving them voice and agency they absolutely do not have in the originals, so I was excited to read Ariadne.
Ariadne (the book) follows Ariadne (the character) through her entire life; from a child told stories of the havoc wreaked by the gods, to the young woman who helps Theseus kill her brother, the Minotaur, to her marriage and life with Dionysus.
It does not, however, give Ariadne much will of her own, beyond the one decision which changes the course of her life, and of those around her. She is a fairly passive character, but this is also a fairly faithful retelling of her stories, so it stands to reason that she would act (or not act) in the ways she does.
I enjoyed reading this, but I would have liked to see Ariadne be a little bit less of a spectator in her own life, or to have had more of a twist on the original myths.

My first foray into Greek retellings and certainly not my last, I liked Ariadne so much more than I expected. Thoughtful, well told and full of vivid characters, Saint carefully guides us through the extraordinary myths of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. I really enjoyed this book and it was a wonderful re-introduction to the world of the gods, I can’t wait to read ELEKTRA!

I've tried to read this on so many occasions, even as a buddy read to push myself, but I just couldn't do it. I know that people love it though, so I'm definitely in the minority. I wanted to love this but it just wanted for me.

I enjoy a Greek myth retelling, but when the craze really hit I definitely felt like I didn't enjoy it as much as other people. I'm not obsessed but I do like to dip in and out the subgenre every now and again and usually I just find them okay. This was one I actually ended up loving and made me realise that my main problem is that every book is about Troy - or some element of Troy - and this felt like a breath of fresh air. It was a great introduction into a myth and mythical character that I didn't know much about ouside of the Minotaur maze and I feel like Saint added enough to make it feel fresh but also kept enough of the original myth that it felt tied to it's history. The prose was accessible and allowed me to feel like I truly got to know Ariadne and her sister in a way I didn't expect. Although their relationship was tumlutious, I enjoyed their dymanic and it really pulled on the heartstrings as their relationship disintergrated throughout the book (and as someone with sisters I love reading about sister dymanics, however my relationships with them are thankfully lovely so I can only relate a certain amount). And I hated Thesus, which was the point and I loooooooved hating on him. Overall this was a great addition to the genre, my only issue was the ending was quiet fast, and I thought that there should've been more foreshadow about Ariadne's fate for people who weren't familiar with the myth but otherwise this is a book I will definitely keep recommending.

Brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT!!! I love any retelling of Greek mythology and this hit the spot. I devoured it in a few days. You hear so much of certain gods, goddesses, and general Greek mythology, but I had no idea of the relationship between them - Ariadne, Dionysus, King Minos etc. Can't wait to read 'Elektra' and any more - they would be welcome!

Thank you for my eARC of this book!
I was so excited to read this but a little scared from the hype. However it was engaging and great for even a mythology newbie like me!!

I am all for this recent trend of feminist retellings of Greek mythology--I love to see the well-known stories from a different lens, and think it's important to critique some of the problematic aspects within them. Ariadne is not exception, focusing on a relationship between two sisters and the men in their orbit. I did find the male characters a little one note, which was my main critique of the book, but as they weren't the focus of the story, it didn't bother me too much. I also want to acknowledge the stunning cover art, I own the hardcover edition and it is truly a thing of beauty.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the eARC.)

An awesome and engaging retelling of the greek myth, this is one of the better books I've enjoyed lately. I really thought it well worth the read, and the time I spent with it, even if I did actually end up reading it twice because I was sick and bored in bed, and decided to re-read it just in case I hadn't finished it.
I had, I've since bought it on Amazon. A really great read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

I've tried to pick this up twice but unfortunately it's just not clicking & I don't think it's for me.

I've heard so many fantastic things about this book & the writing is sound so I fully appreciate it's my taste rather than the book itself.

Thank you for allowing me a chance to try it.

Greek myth retellings are hot right now and there are so many of them out there that it can be tough to stand out from the crowd.

That's not a problem with Jennifer Saint's debut novel. Ariadne doesn't so much retell the story of Theseus and the Minotaur as give us the story of Ariadne herself. Of course, we see the Minotaur episode but Saint gives us so much more than that, as we see Ariadne banished to Naxos, Theseus marry her sister, and even Ariadne's life with Dionysus, God of wine and parties. Saint takes a woman from mythology who is a minor player in the stories of gods and heroes, and breathes life into her to create a complex character.

It might have been tempting to change Ariadne into something that she wasn't, after all it can be difficult to live up to the power and feminist icon of Circe as retold by Madeline Miller. However, Saint develops a nuanced and complex character, who is much quieter and unassuming kind of heroine. Ariadne suffers at the hands of gods and men but she is resilient, adapting to her changing situations and always trying to do the best for the people that she loves.

Saint constructs a captivating narrative, both giving us a different perspective on a major myth and exploring aspects of Greek mythology that aren't mainstream and might not be well known to readers. Seeing the perspective of Ariadne, and her sister Phaedra, casts Theses in a very different, and far less heroic light. Saint does a brilliant job of highlighting universal female experiences which are still very recognisable today, making the characters of Phaedra and Ariadne resonate with us even more.

Ariadne is a beautiful, and complex but compelling retelling which turns centuries of mythology on its head. It's a wonderful debut and it will be exciting to see what Jennifer Saint achieves next.

It took me a long time to pick this one up and at first I was like, oh this is great why did it take me so long. But then.... Things continued to happen off page, the whole storytelling style was narrative summary - I didn't feel like I was in any of the scenes but rather hearing someone else tell me about something they'd seen. This was distancing and took away a lot of intended emotional impact.

In the end I was just kind of bored. I don't feel like I know who Ariadne was any more than I did before.

I would read more from this author, but with caution.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Headline for approving me for an ARC of this book.

Prior to reading this book I had some (but very little) knowledge of Greek mythology. I actually remember doing a Year 5 assembly about them and I played Athena Goddess of War, so you can see where my knowledge base starts. I was familiar with the story of Theseus and the Minotaur but again only briefly.

I read this as part of NetGalley November, however I didn’t quite get it done in time to claim it on my stats. I will admit that I did find aspects of this one a struggle and found I had to give myself a break whilst reading it to digest a lot of the information. I honestly think part of this was down to me reading this at the end of term when everything is ramping up for Christmas so my concentration level isn’t at it’s best.

Jennifer Saint well and truly brings women and their voices to the forefront of this story. The beautiful relationship between Ariadne and Phaedra tugged on my heart strings and I felt myself break more than once as their story progressed.

I admired both women’s determination to survive, despite the fact that they had placed their trust in the wrong man on more than one occasion. It was so sad to see how easily they had been used as pawns in a game and I found myself seething at how cruelly they were treated.

The settings were beautifully described, I could vividly imagine Ancient Greece and the island. It was also interesting to learn the backstories of some of the other characters, especially Dionysus. This was a beautifully written story, overflowing with Greek mythology.