"Atalanta" by Jennifer Saint is a historical fantasy novel based on the myth of Atalanta, a fierce hunter and runner from Greek mythology.

The story follows Atalanta from her childhood, when she is abandoned in the woods and raised by a she-bear, to her adulthood as a skilled hunter and warrior. Along the way, she meets and befriends other women who are similarly strong and independent, including Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

As Atalanta grows older, she is forced to navigate the patriarchal society of ancient Greece, where women are expected to be subservient to men. She is eventually betrothed to a man named Hippomenes, but she challenges him to a footrace with the condition that if she wins, she will remain unmarried. Hippomenes enlists the help of the goddess Aphrodite to win the race, but he ultimately faces dire consequences for his actions.

Throughout the novel, Saint explores themes of female empowerment, identity, and agency. Atalanta is portrayed as a complex and multifaceted character, and Saint emphasizes her strengths and vulnerabilities in equal measure. The other women in the book are also given agency and depth, providing a counterbalance to the male-dominated world of ancient Greece.

Saint's writing is lyrical and evocative, with a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of Greek mythology. She weaves together elements of fantasy and history in a way that feels organic and authentic, creating a rich and immersive world for her characters to inhabit.

Overall, "Atalanta" is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction, mythology, and feminist literature. Saint is a talented writer with a unique voice, and this book is a testament to her skill and creativity.

4.5/5 stars

Feminist mythological retellings gotta be my favourite genre...

I simply love the writing style. It is written in the first person perspective from the titular character, Atalanta. Atalanta is born into royalty but is left abandoned in the woods by her own father who wished for a son instead. She is raised by a mama bear and later taken under the protection of Artemis. I loved the forest descriptions and how Atalanta grew up with nymphs.

The book focuses on female characters; princesses, queens, mortals and goddesses. I loved how the book highlighted a dark aspect of all gods including Artemis. In Greek mythology retellings, almost all gods and goddesses are shown to have negative aspects, but this is the first time I've seen Artemis be shown in a somewhat-negative light. My favorite parts of the books are when Atalanta lives in the forest with the nymphs. I also liked the parts where she joins the crew aboard the Argo. It was not as action-packed as I hoped it to be. I liked how the heroes interact with each-other and Atalanta with all those male chauvinism, especially Heracles and Peleus (Achilles' father).

I would recommend this book to fans of Greek mythology, especially those who wish for a story of a fearless and strong woman who achieves the impossible against all odds.

This book explores the life of Atalanta, the only female Argonaut. Abandoned by her father to die on the side of a cliff and raised by a bear at the start of her life, she is taken in by followers of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. This is not a story of simply the Argonauts, but the entire story of Atalanta as a full person of her own, before and after the Argonauts. She has agency, makes decisions I frankly didn't agree with and yet made complete sense in the context they were made. She was absolutely the definition of a strong female character, and one who had a lot to learn about the world.

I had never heard of Atalanta before despite being fairly clued up on Greek mythology, so I had no idea where the story would go or how it would end. I found myself listening to the story and I have to admit, the pacing at times was a bit unusual, which is why I can't give it five stars. After the Argonauts, the story got a bit weirdly slow and then the ending felt a bit rushed - however, I felt like the ending was so poetic I absolutely don't mind.

The narration was excellent and really engaged me into the story - a really good way to consume this story!

Many thanks to Headline Audio, Wildfire for providing me with an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.

An epic retelling of a character thavI had not been familiar with and their place in the story of Jason and the Arganauts.

Atalanta abandoned by her birth parents for being the wrong sex, she is raised by both bear and God foster parents but the rejection continues. Atalanta strives to have value in a world dominated by men, making sacrifices to please others. This is certainly a feminist retelling and is Saint is skilled enough to create a fully formed and believeable character out of the myth.

The narration by Beth Eyre who also narrated Elektra is perfect for the voice of the protagonist.

🏹 Atalanta by @jennifer.saint.author

Ariadne and Elektra walked so Atalanta could run - literally!

As much as I love the first two books I think Atalanta is my favourite. Atalanta is a character that is just so overlooked in Greek mythology, more so than the others I think, and it’s brilliant to see her take the starring role she so deserves!

This book does a great job of weaving in all the important elements of Atalanta’s story while also filling in the gaps to make it feel cohesive and complete. Atalanta herself is such a compelling figure, having grown up without men and away from most of society she has quite a unique perspective on the ancient world. Reading about her interactions with Artemis, the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts and her famous foot race from her point of view definitely added a new layer to the story.

The writing is absorbing and at times poetic, just as in the earlier two books! For anyone largely unfamiliar with Greek mythology I always recommend Saint’s books because she does a great job of staying true to the original mythology while making them incredibly accessible and easy to read!

I also recommend the audiobook, the narrator was great and really pulled me into the story. She had a voice that was very easy to listen to and worked well for Atalanta.

I absolutely loved this narrator - her voice was so soothing it suited the story perfectly. I found this a really relaxing listen she sent me to sleep on occasion and i had to rewind to catch up!

The story was amazing, i was hooked from the first chapter

Huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours, Headline Books and of course Jennifer for my gifted copy of the book and my spot on the tour!

I loved this book!! I had never heard of Atalanta till now and so was curious to hear her story as I of course knew the tale of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece! But never had I heard that a woman was part of the Argonauts!

This story is one of feminism and heroism all woven together with many of the Greek myths we have all heard of before!

I was not expecting to have so many myths seemlessly threaded through this nor have the names of so many people from greek mythology.

I went into this story thinking I was mostly blind to Atalanta’s tale but in actual fact I was far more familiar that I realised thanks to all the other myths woven through.

This is such a great read and I would highly recommend to anyone who is really into their Greek Mythology as it ticks all the boxes! I can’t wait for my Goldsboro copy to arrive 😍😍

I have not heard about Atalanta before so I enjoyed learning more about her story.
I also really like the author's writing style, I think she writes in a way that's really easy to follow and makes you want to learn more about the characters.

"I am wild. I am free. I am Atalanta"

This was incredible!

Atalanta is the story of a woman contained by no boundaries, she is always the most capable person in the room, not governed by any societal beliefs of how women should behave, just free.

Atalanta was left on a hillside when she was a baby for not being the male heir her parents expected. She is rescued and looked after at first by a bear and later becomes Artemis' protegé. She grows up in the Arcadian forest with the nymphs under the protection of the goddess, always being forewarned about the dangers of men and knowing that having relations with one would mean turning away from the life she knows.

As she grows, she surpasses all of the nymphs and is able to keep up with Artemis during their wanderings in the forest. The Goddess eventually tells her she is to participate in the great voyage being organized by Jason to get the Golden Fleece. Atalanta becomes the only woman in the Argonauts, but she is warned by Artemis: if she marries, that would be her undoing.

This book was such an adventure! It was divided into three parts and each one did feel like a mini book since there were just so many different phases in Atalanta's life. I loved how confident and self-assured Atalanta was.

Well, this was ... aggressively mediocre.

Basically, none of this was exciting in any way. The writing style itself is nice, it flows well, is easy to read, but it's nothing special. The pacing is a bit off at times, but it's not a huge bother.

But the biggest problem this book has is its titular heroine.

Look, if you take a person that had a mythology phase from fifth to tenth grade (aka me) and give them this book to read, that person basically knows everything already. The story of the Argo never really interested me, but I know what happens. So I went into this hoping the author would do something new, something interesting, with this immensely boring material. But no. This isn't even a retelling, it's just the story of the Argo written down. It brings nothing new to the table. There's no deep exploration of friendship or adventure or thoughts or basically anything that goes past the surface of "and then we did this, and then we did that, and then Jason did that, and then Medea did this ..."
Atalanta is not the heroine of her own story. Sure, we see the world through her eyes, but what does she really do except observe? The only thing that sets her apart is her gender, and her attitude towards that can get extremely annoying sometimes. But basically, this book is just about Atalanta watching as other people do stuff. And it gets so, so, so boring after a while.

I feel like Jennifer Saint has so much writing skill; I would love to see her push past the scaffolding these Greek myths provide and do something a bit more original, instead of just diing retellings in the most basic way that the word implies. Some imagination. Something new. Something exciting. But in this book, I looked for that in vain.

My thanks to Headline Audio Wildfire for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Atalanta’ by Jennifer Saint. The audiobook is narrated by Beth Eyre.

The cover art with its rich oranges is stunning and certainly drew my eye. Happily its content proved excellent.

This is Jennifer Saint’s third novel in which she reimagines the story of a female figure from Greek mythology. I had enjoyed both ‘Ariadne’ and ‘Elektra’ though ‘Atalanta’ is now my favourite of the three, likely because she is a mythological figure that I already admired and found inspiring.

While I knew about Atalanta’s prowess as a runner and how she sought to defy her father’s attempt to marry her off, I wasn’t aware of her role as one of the Argonauts.

Saint has combined elements of all three of the ancient accounts about the fleet-footed maiden. Here her time with Jason and the Argonauts gets the most attention.

Atalanta narrates the story of her life. When a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, he is disappointed and orders her to be left exposed on a mountainside. She attracts the attention of a passing mother bear and is raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis. In time Atalanta takes her place among the community of nymphs that attend Artemis.

Atalanta is a skilled runner and huntress. When news reaches the sacred forest of Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece, Artemis commands Atalanta to join the Argonauts not only to prove her worth but to represent Artemis on the voyage. While there is initial resistance to a woman joining the crew of the Argo, Atalanta persists. She presents her account of the legendary quest and the Calydonian boar hunt that follows it.

The final section of the novel gives an account of Atalanta’s famous footrace in which she outruns potential suitors as well as her final fate.

I was also pleased that Jennifer Saint confidently retained the gods, goddesses, and various mythical creatures. None of the stripping away of the numinous and supernatural as in some recent reimaginings. I especially appreciated her depiction of Artemis, who was quite severe in her punishments for those who transgressed her rules or disrespected her.

With respect to the audiobook, Beth Eyre has a warm, clear voice that quickly drew me into the narrative. I have enjoyed a number of audiobook titles read by her in recent years and I trust her ability to capture the essence of a novel and its characters.

Overall, I found ‘Atalanta’ a skilful blending of mythological strands into a highly compelling and enjoyable tale. This was a top read for me in terms of mythological retellings and Jennifer Saint now a must read author.

Highly recommended.

A wonderful account of the life of Atalanta, huntress and fellow Argonaut. This is a pacy, empowering read.

I love Greek myths story-telling in any format (retelling, original, print or audio book). I enjoyed Jennifer Saint's 'Ariadne' so couldn't wait to learn about Atalanta. The narration was well paced, clear and enjoyable. Predictably, lots of unfamiliar names meant I had to pay attention at times to ensure I did not lose track of the plot.

Poor Atalanta – abandoned at birth by her father because she was not male: life had an ignominious beginning. She seems to find a home in the forest alongside Artemis’ nymphs, which seems to be an idyllic existence for a while. Yet, men straying into the forest upset her equilibrium and Atalanta finds herself undertaking a quest on Artemis’ behalf in search of The Golden Fleece with Jason and the Argonauts. From here, Atalanta is never to find her way back ‘home’ and life continues to throw obstructions in her way. Atalanta is strong and tenacious and an admirable character. I was a little surprised at her ‘relationship’ with her estranged father and the ending of this novel was abrupt and shocking, yet, also consoling.

Saint has created a wonderful character in Atalanta. I knew nothing at all about this myth prior to this introduction so I have nothing to compare it to. Beautifully written, and well-developed, Saint does not shy away from the harsh realities of life and I thoroughly enjoyed the story: this book really delivered!

The narrator of this book did an excellent job! Overall I enjoyed the story, although I didn’t think it quite lived up to other titles in the genre such as those of Madeline Miller. I’m not personally a huge fan of action-oriented books so most of the journey of the Argonauts was not of much interest to me but I do think it would be enjoyable for others. My enjoyment really came from the lore of the myth and the politics of the Gods and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. Overall, I am glad I read this book and I’m glad to see the author delve into the character of Atalanta.

As a first-time reader of Saint's work, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this story. The audiobook was beautifully narrated -- it really managed to capture the essence of the story and do justice to the beautiful descriptive language in the book. The narrator was easy to listen to, and almost added to the mythical 'storytelling' elements of this story.

I often shy away from retellings, thinking that nothing new will be delivered through the narrative. However, Saint's ability to craft a world that is both familiar and new is a testament to her talent as an author. With deeply feminist undertones, this is an exciting work which I'm sure will be a popular read as we head into Spring.

3.5 stars (rounded down)

Though I own both Ariadne and Elektra, this was my first Jennifer Saint novel and I did enjoy listening to the audiobook.

This story focuses on the events of the argonauts but shifts the focus to centre on Atalanta, the only female of the 500 (?) tht embarked on the quest. The book catalogues her entire life in a sequence of events that run seamlessly together. A lot happens but it didn't feel rushed and that's such a commendable feat.

My reading experience gave me a sense of nostalgia as the flow of the narrative reminded me of an adventure book I would have read as a child. The prose was simple and it gave the story a beautiful, uncomplicated whimsiness. Avoiding complex poetic imagery created a poetry in and of itself and if this is Saint's signature style then I look forward to reading her other works.

So why only 3.5? I think Atalanta's story limited Saint's creativity. Though she certainly doesn't feature as a main character in the original myths, it's my understanding that the sequence of Atalanta's life is well catalogued in various stories, which meant Saint's creative freedom was limited by time frames and she could only bend the narrative to fit in to the events, instead of having the liberty to add more depth. I could be wrong here, but the story felt stifled and I think that is why.

Of all the authors out there writing in this specific genre, I'd go as far as to say Jennifer Saint is the best choice for readers new to reading Greek mythology - a gateway author if you will. She makes it so accessible.

This book is perfect for people who love female centred characters proving then can do what men can do only better; and for people who want that to be an easy to devour book that feels like an adult adventure story.

I love the Greek myths and always enjoy hearing them told in new ways. The author writes it so well, even though I knew a bit of the story, I was still gripped and intrigued to find out what would happen.
Atalanta is such a self assured character, despite all she's been through. Nothing seems to phase her, except maybe losing Artemis' favour.
This story really shines a light on how easy it is for women to disappear from history. Even the Argonauts, who Atalanta travelled with, easily forget how strong she is and not many of them stick up for her.

I am a huge Jennifer Saint fan and I really enjoyed Atalanta. I really felt for our protagonist in this, she's literally trying to forge her way in a male dominated setting and can't seem to do right.

I loved reading about Jason and the Argonaut's and I felt the storytelling was fresh and I love me a good retelling! Atalanta is definitely one in mythological figure that has a really trying tale, she has a hard start in life and there is no stopping her from there, she's a force to be reckoned with and the way Saint tells her story is exquisite! Beautifully written and worthy of the mythology.

The narrator does a beautiful job of setting the scene in the audio, its well paced and enunciated well.

- that’s why i love greek mythology retellings, i always discover characters and stories i never hear about! here we follow atalanta, the only woman argonaut and her story is mainly focused on woman empowerment and independence. there are many examples of what is remembered by history, depending on who writes it, especially since who knew who atalanta was? well definitely not me🙃. i really enjoyed the story and the message it carried but atalanta’s voice didn’t particularly appeal to me: i connected with her but she wasn’t particularly standing out nor will she be memorable, in my opinion. now considering what the story is about, this is perfect because she indeed won’t be remembered throughout mythology but from a storytelling perspective, i wasn’t overly attached to her. overall, if you’re looking for a feminist greek mythology retelling, i totally recommend this one! 4⭐️

Once again Jennifer Saint has written a fantastic retelling of Greek mythology! I'd never actually heard of Atalanta until I picked up this book so I learnt a lot whilst listening to this. I loved the narrator for this, she only changes her voice subtly between characters but it's enough for you to easily switch between whos talking. I really hope she narrator all of Jennifer Saints' books because she did a fantastic job! I'm already recommending this to my book club!