I love Greek myth retellings, particularly ones that centre the women in the story. This was a fantastic example and I loved it!

The characters were well written and showed great depth and growth throughout the book. I also loved the relationship between Ariadne and Dionysus which was tender and beautiful.

The writing was also beautifully with some really heart breaking passages, as well as some really witty phrases.

I can’t wait to read Jennifer’s next book and hope it is as fantastic as this one!

AD - This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

One of the most anticipated books of 2021 and I really can see why. I was so lucky to receive a proof copy and I could not put this book down.
As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.
When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods - drawing their attention can cost you everything.
In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition?
A retelling of the famous myth of Ariadne. The view of the female is what changes the story and it is a book that I was immersed in. I love Greek mythology and spent a few days with Ariadne and her world. I could cuddle this book forever, fabulous! And thank you to netgalley for my ecopy

I knew before I read this that Ariadne was going to be a great book, I love mythology and so as soon as I saw the title I kinda squealed. Ariadne is so well written (the story and the character) that it’s very easy to get invested in her story. I loved how the author wove other myths were woven into Ariadne's story. I loved Ariadne so much from the myths but we never saw too much detail, this corrects that and here we see her struggles, romance and tears. Thoroughly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Gorgeous, stunning and utterly compelling. A tale that needed to be told from the females perspective and boy it doesn’t hold back one bit.

After reading and loving Circe, i couldn’t resist the opportunity to check Ariadne’s story. The cover was gorgeous, the synopsis appealing, and I was highly curious to know how Jennifer Saint’s would portray the Minotaur’s birth.

However, the myth of the labyrinth and the Minotaur, and how Ariadne helped Perseus, the heir of Athens, to scape from it is just a small part of this book. The reader also gets to know Phaedra, the fierce sister of Ariadne; and Dyonisus, the god who married one of the princess of Crete.

Jennifer Saint’s writing style was beautiful and lush, but not for that less fast-paced. I devoured this book in a day, and I was left wanting for more. Since I wasn’t a connoisseur of the myth that encompass the second part of the book, I was quite surprised by all the twists and turns.

This one disappointed me. I had hyped this book up so much and I think that is why it fell short for me. I am such a big fan of mythology and the story of the Minotaur is one of my favourite Greek Myths so I had high expectations.

Part one I really couldn’t get into. It felt very heavy and was a big info dump of information and I felt it could easily have been shortened. But once I got to part two the book eventually took off and I enjoyed it a lot more. The writing really is beautiful with descriptions that are lush and immersive.

However I didn’t think this was particularly Ariadne’s story. I didn’t feel she had much of a voice and I didn’t connect with her. She was quite passive. It was also written from her sister Phaedra point of view and I loved her point of view more.

I found the pacing quite odd and uneven throughout the story causing me to lose concentration a few times. Therefore it ended up being just an ok read for me. However, I would still recommend it as the author certainly is a talent and I can see why people love this book so much. It just didn’t blow me away, which I thought it would prior to reading it.

I enjoyed this book immensely, which was a character driven account of several Greek mythological characters. It focuses mainly on Ariadne and her sister Phaedra and their relationship with each other, as well as with the hero Theseus and the God Dionysus. While these stories were not new to me, it was interesting to read an account of them from the point of view of these two women. There were other myths woven into this story, the main one being that of the minotaur, as well as Daedalus and Icarus, Medusa and Midas. What I will say is the theme running throughout is that men are wicked and the cause of all ills that befall women, but then this is the theme of many of the myths themselves. I did feel that it ended abruptly, which I wasn’t ready for, however the ending did leave me stifling a sob and with a tear escaping down my cheek. This for me is the sign of a good read and definitely makes it worthy of five stars. A fabulous debut novel and I will be looking out for Jennifer Saint’s next book, which will also be a retelling of an ancient myth.

Princess Ariadne and her sister Phaedra are the daughters of King Minos of Crete. Beneath the palace is the Labyrinth, home to the Minotaur, Ariadne's brother and Minos's source of power.
Every year the city of Athens is forced to provide sacrifices to the Minotaur and this year one of those is Theseus, the Prince of Athens.
Ariadne falls for Theseus and decides to help him kill the Minotaur and escape the labyrinth.
Betraying her family changes Ariadne's life in ways she could never have guessed.
Will Ariadne's future be what she dreamed?

As a fan of Greek mythology I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it.
Ariadne and Phaedra were both likeable and relatable characters. I enjoyed their stories, as much as anyone can enjoy Greek myths which are usual pretty tragic.
The plot was interesting and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped and I didn't feel very invested in what happened. I'd heard of Ariadne in regards to the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, but I didn't know anything else about her or anything about her sister Phaedra, so I did enjoy finding out more about them.
The writing style was easy to follow and I would read another book by the author.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but I think my expectations were quite high given all the hype surrounding the book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Ariadne was a refreshing take on the Theseus and the Minotaur myth that centres more around its aftermath. I particularly liked the focus on the sisters and the flaws of heroes, and how women were affected. There were also a number of different myths wound together that sometimes felt disjointed to the story but added to the overall picture, like Icarus, Hippolytus and Medusa. I enjoyed the premise of the story and the development of Ariadne's character, similar to Circe, however the actual plot was slow and hard to get through, Phaedra's POV wasn't very entertaining and the ending didn't feel satisfying.

Ariadne is an unusual story of one of the Greek Myths I didn’t know as well as the others recently chronicled by Madeline Miller, Pat Barker and others. Focusing on Theseus and the Minotaur, it doesn’t shy from the darker elements of the myth (especially the Minotaur’s conception), and grapples well with the misogyny of Ancient Greece. I found this hard to get stuck into initially but once I was in, I was hooked. A very strong debut, definitely recommending this one to those who have loved Circe, The Girls of Troy etc.

I knew about Ariadne and her role into the slaying of the minotaur - but I knew next to nothing of the "after", as most mythology retellings just focus on Theseus.

This book was so refreshing, not only in discovering the rest of Ariadne's story, but also in her feeling and experience with the minotaur and her family.

Would definitely recommend this retelling to anyone!

Following in the footsteps of such great titles as Circe and The Silence of the Girls Jennifer Saint takes on the myth of the Minotaur but places the women firmly at it’s heart. In this stunning retelling Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, daughters of the tyrannical King Minos are thrown into the spotlight, and their story casts a long shadow over the acclaimed hero of Theseus and the men who surround him.

In this retelling the sacrifices that Ariadne makes for the love of Theseus are examined and exposed. By giving her would be lover the means to defeat her half brother the Minotaur Ariadne is effectively betraying her family and kingdom. But is the price she pays worth the risk? Will her happiness be guaranteed and is Theseus the hero he seems to be?

With this one event a chain of events are set in motion, one in which the sisters take centre stage. Each brave, brilliant and intelligent in their own right but each betrayed and marginalised not only by the men in their lives but by the way these stories have been traditionally represented and retold.

This is a story of sisterhood, of complex female relationships and the need to look beyond the familiar and find what shines beneath. By focusing on these independent and headstrong women, who overcome all obstacles just to survive, Jennifer Saint brings a fresh perspective and a new, critical eye to these classic tales.

If you think you know this story, think again. For within these pages there is so much more to discover.

Ariadne, Princess of Crete, longs for freedom from her tyrannical father King Minos and his beastly Minotaur, who happens to be Ariadne’s half brother. When the Prince of Athens, Theseus, arrives and intends to assist in Ariadne’s escape, she becomes besotted with the heroic young man.
What happens next is the tragic tale of two sisters torn apart, navigating their respective cages both men and Gods construct to keep them trapped, until the bitter end.

Admittedly the first 30% of the book was rather slow and tepid. I found Ariadne dull and the writing was awfully repetitive about her desire to dance on her special floor. I grew more and more detached from the story to the point where I wanted to DNF it.

This is where the audiobook narrated by Kristin Atherton comes in. Truthfully, if it weren’t for the audiobook, I probably would have passed on finishing the book. It just didn’t engage me. I cannot stress enough how the audiobook provided a level of energy that the physical reading of the story otherwise lacked. It brought new life to it, so much so, I listened to it in one go, I enjoyed it that much!

Everything became brighter, the characters more animated and the mythology more enjoyable. It was easy to envision an island overrun with grapes and vines, with beautiful sun kissed ocean surfaces, and it also effortlessly swept me up in the emotions both sisters felt about their childhoods, partners and eventual motherhood.

Saint centres Ariadne and Phaedra’s voices at the heart of the mythology, which does not diverge too far from the mythology, other than to inject a more feminist view. Regrettably I found the sisters one dimensional as they never really moved beyond where they began. As well, surprisingly, albeit the book is named after Ariadne, I much preferred the chapters which followed her sister, Phaedra. Her character felt more alive and it actually felt like she had a story to tell. Whereas, with Ariadne, I don’t feel there was much substance for a stand-alone arc (perhaps because it stayed too close to the mythology? I don’t know).

The strongest element - Phaedra’s perspective - was also the weakest part due to how rushed and glossed over her climax was. This was the same for Ariadne’s conclusion too. All in all both ends were rather unsatisfying; partly due to the Greek-tragedy-feel the book stayed true to and partly because it’s execution wasn’t the best.

Nonetheless, if you liked Circe or The Silence of the Girls, Ariadne is a book you’ll no doubt want to check out. It similarly offers an exploration where the women in the mythology have been kept in the shadow of grandiose Gods and their privileged men. Even though the book fell short in being as phenomenal as Miller and Barker’s novels for me, it’s a solid debut honouring the voices of these women, which hopefully is one of many more to come.

Thank you kindly to the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As the continuation of the ongoing trend of Greek-mythology retellings, Jennifer Saint delivered a novel that is widely read and praised by many. From intriguing storyline to gorgeous cover, Ariadne is (alongside Circe and The Song of Achilles) probably one of the most recommended mythology retellings in the book community. Having a deep interest in Greek mythology, I simply could not resist but read Ariadne. And it was a journey.

In her retelling, Jennifer Saint closely follows the original myth, but yet manages to tell it from the unique perspective, through the eyes of a character that in the original myth is hardly mentioned. Ariadne is the daughter of Pasiphae and the Cretan king Minos. Even though she was born and raised sheltered from the outside world, her eyes saw enough cruelty within the walls of her fathers Kingdom. As the story progresses, our main character finds herself involved in different situations that are going to be mentioned as heroic and epic, but all the credit for success would be given to men, making them famous and renowned and Ariadne insignificant and forgotten. The author's intent to portray a strong, independent female was quite obvious, but through the series of her choices, we see that Ariadne infamously does not fit into that pattern. She is on the contrary, indifferent to everything and quite passive and that led me to think that the author's attempt to portray feminism through Ariadne was rather stereotypical and forced. And maybe because of this poorly chosen marketing point, the story didn't feel as empowering and flawless. On the other hand, Ariadne's sister, Phaedra, was just a gem of the character, brave, emotionally intelligent, self-aware, daring... I loved reading her parts, as a empathized more with her, rather than Ariadne. However, I am kind of conflicted to accuse the writer of the main character's poor portrayal, because, given the fact that she closely followed the original myths, I wonder if she had much choice there to make, to begin with.

Jennifer Saint deserves to be praised for her writing style and presentation. When the story slowed down, leaving me uninterested it was the beautifully chosen language that made me linger in between the pages. I was so mesmerized by some of the descriptions and monologues. The whole setting seemed like a theatre play, especially Dionysus and his island. That is, I believe, the most charming part of this book and something that readers who love mythology would enjoy a lot.

A beautiful historical retelling of a woman that is often an afterthought or extension of the Theseus and the Minotaur tale.

Here Ariadne gets a story in her own right and it's a powerful and beautiful one.

I was fascinated by Ariadne from the very beginning. In her book, Jennifer Saint tells the story of a Cretan princess, daughter to Pasiphae and Minos, whose childhood was overshadowed by the birth of her half-brother, Minotaur, a half-bull and half-man, born as a revenge and punishment for her husband’s slight against Poseidon. The world of “Ariadne” is not a mythical paradise, it is a harsh, and brutal place where women get hurt for the sins of men, and gods hand out favours and punishments. Despite men taking very important places in the book, the main characters are Ariadne and her sister Phaedra, who finally get their voices heard. Their characters are fleshed out and it’s them, not the men – Theseus or Dionysus – who take centre stage.
There are many angles that Jennifer Saints addresses in her book – the notion of freedom and who it belongs to, who do we call monsters and why, who gets to tell stories and who is merely depicted in them. Her book is like a Greek tragedy, where the violence takes place backstage and leaves the readers to decide who are the heroes of the book.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope for more from the author.

This was a great story, the cover is absolutely gorgeous and the story was achingly beautiful. It was absolutely amazing!

Unable to download the book before it was archived but will try to get a copy in my library in the future as the cover is stunning and the blurb is very intriguing.

I utterly loved this book.
Greek Retellings are some of my favourite and this was a wonderful addition.
The way the author was able to get into the head of a character that really we know very little about was incredible. The writing was beautiful and fit the tone of the book perfectly.
The pacing was wonderful and I loved how the characters were fleshed out and became three dimensional.

I really love when an author writes in the more detached way that myths and fairy tales are written in, so I knew Ariadne was going to be a good selection for me. I don’t know anything about the relevant myths so it was great to discover them for this first time in this way.

I liked Ariadne immediately and it wasn’t hard to feel invested in her story. Her story takes off quickly as the first few chapters progress. On the other hand her sister was less interesting to me except where you get the comparison between their lives. I thought that was a bit of a weakness because I was dying the whole time to get back to Ariadne’s chapters.

One thing I would have liked more of is character development. I think if the story had focused more on each sister individually and developed them further it would have blown me away.

I thought this was a good myth retelling, and I’m interested to follow Jennifer Saint’s next book and see where she takes it.