I have read a few Greek mythology retellings however none about the goddesses and gods. As someone who doesn’t know much about them, this book really helped me learn the names of more and understand the relationship between many of them.

This book did feel very repetitive after a while. Zeus would rape different women, they would become pregnant, and then Hera would scheme to kill the child (and sometimes the woman as well). All she wanted to do was to destroy Zeus and yet every plan she had failed.

I felt like some of the characters had no purpose. Gaia gifted Hera with the pregnancy of Typhon, who she believed would help destroy Zeus however he died so quickly leaving me to wonder what purpose he truly had and why he was a gift from Gaia in the first place.

This book felt quite slow at times, the chapters were quite long and there was a lack of action. Every plan of Hera’s failed which takes up the majority of the book. Hera wasn’t really the strong, badass character I had hoped she’d be.

Despite all the negatives, there were some parts I did like. I absolutely loved Gaia, the description of her was so beautiful. The best part of this book for me was when the gods and goddesses came together to watch over the battle of Troy. I really loved the ending, although it wasn't a consequence of Hera, it was still a perfect ending.

Thank you Netgalley, Headline and Jennifer Saint for this ARC.

I generally enjoy modern retellings of Greek mythology and I was not familiar with the goddess Hera at all so was happy to receive an ARC of Hera from Jennifer Saint. Having previously read Atalanta, I knew I enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s writing. The issue that I have with Hera, is that the scope of her existence as an immortal goddess is huge and the novel had a lot of ground to cover. As a reader, we quickly learn of the injustices and misogyny the female goddesses must put up with and how difficult it is for them to forge their own path without careful manipulation. Hera is raped by Zeus and forced to marry him. She is made the goddess of marriage even though she has no say in her own and must suffer the humiliation of Zeus’ infidelities and illegitimate children. This is the backdrop to Hera’s involvement in many of the Greek myths we are familiar with as she tries to even the score with Zeus - but the content is huge (the number of children Zeus has alone is a lot to keep track of) and at times it feels almost like a list as we work through them all and repetitive when Hera’s plans are thwarted. I may have enjoyed a narrower time period in Hera’s life better but there is no doubt that this is a comprehensive retelling of a perspective I was not familiar with.

If you want to dip your toe into Greek mythology retellings but want an all powerful Goddess at the forefront , Hera is one for you!

There are elements about Saint's 'Hera' I really enjoyed, a focus on some of the lesser known Olympians and other deities, the strong female relationships whether between sisters or Hera and other creatures/monsters was also beautiful to see.

Sadly however, the book leaned a little too much into a full run through of her life and whilst I appreciate the nuance Saint was trying to show in this retelling the prose felt like a challenge to get through. Probably a great one for those new to the retelling genre and who need a little more context and points of reference.

Overall, a 2.75 from me!

This was a well-written and interesting retelling of the story of the goddess Hera. Jennifer Saint tells the story from Hera’s perspective as a feminist tale of vengeance for her rape and forced marriage to Zeus. An interesting angle. However, the issue with this and other mythological retellings featuring the gods as opposed to the mortal heroes of mythology is that the characters are explored as though they have the depth and emotions of humans. But the magical and fantastical realm they inhabit along with some of the more bizarre behaviours and details from the myths (e.g. Cronos eating a swaddled stone believing it to be the infant Zeus) which work perfectly well as myths are at complete odds when we are being asked to suspend disbelief and ascribe mortal emotions and behaviours to the same beings. After reading this and Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes, I’m realising that this sort of retelling just doesn’t work for me, but if you like that book, you’ll probably really enjoy this.

Jennifer Saint's portrayal of Hera in this captivating read breathes new life into well-known stories while offering a fresh perspective on this multi-faceted goddess. Through thoughtful dialogue and the inclusion of lesser-known tales, Saint depicts Hera not only as Zeus's vengeful wife but also as a free-spirited goddess who roamed forests, took down titans, and stood as Zeus's equal yet unwilling partner as Queen of the Heavens.

While some reviews have noted a wish for Hera's success instead of her repeated failures in her attempts to overthrow others—and I can understand the desire to see her occasionally vindicated or successful—I view these as testaments to her absolute strength and fortitude. Despite setbacks, Hera's resilience and unwavering belief in her vision and goals, for better or worse, are evident throughout the narrative. Saint skillfully weaves Hera's tale, allowing readers to glimpse the thoughts behind her actions. Surprisingly, these actions often stem from intricate motivations different from those typically attributed to her, adding complexity to her character.

I particularly admired the way the author made us understand Hera and her choices without necessarily making us agree with them. Saint doesn't attempt to make Hera likeable, nor does she shy away from Hera's vengefulness, but instead presents it in a nuanced way that allows readers to see the changes in her character throughout the narrative. As an example, i was able to see hypocrisy that i hadn't seen before, in the way she was worried or sad that Zeus was using her as a reason to instill fear in the nymphs and goddesses, like Asteria, to that being reversed in her treatment of Echo and Leto, wishing to inspire that fear and cement it. This reminded me of Stephen Fry's ability to bring the gods and goddesses to life, showcasing their personalities, feelings, and quirks

Fierce and uncompromising, Hera is portrayed as fallible yet steadfast, her complexity and determination adding depth to this often overshadowed goddess. I found the exploration of her character to be both enlightening, engaging and at times poignant. I highly recommend this book to mythology lovers,new and seasoned alike, as Saint's fresh perspective breathes new life into even the most familiar tales

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline books for giving me an ARC copy of this in return for an honest review.

Hera is a difficult goddess to ask a reader to support - often, to a modern reader, she comes across as a completely unlikeable figure. This book, in the way it really leans in to the very slow characterisation of Hera over thousands of years, really helps show her as someone who has been disappointed and manipulated time and time again. She bites back and, to her unending disappointment, she fails to bite back sharply enough to really make a difference.

I enjoyed this, but it is a very slow read. I think that's what Hera needs, but as a novel I think it began to drag in the middle.

I really enjoyed some of the final third - the gods using the Argonauts and Troy as a reality show in particular seemed like a perfect explanation of how they preside over these stories.

Overall, I think this is an excellent character study for those already very interested - it plays with the mythical tradition to give Hera some nice depth and a slightly newer, more independent story. It just probably not gripping enough for uninfected readers to buy into it.

Jennifer Saint continues to amaze me with her fantastic writing and unique perspective. Saint never leans away from the absurdity of the Greek myths and for that I love her. Her portrait of Hera is a breath of fresh air, never shying away from the complexity of her character. I cannot wait to hear her talk about her process while writing this book. I will be recommending this to all of my customers!!

I’ve read and enjoyed all of Saint’s other books so far and when I saw her next one was going to take on the Queen of the Gods herself, Hera, I couldn’t wait to read it so I was very glad to be approved for this eArc.

Hera has made an appearance in most of the Greek mythology based books I’ve read, usually shown to be punishing some poor girl that Zeus has set his sights on. Whilst Saint doesn’t erase this side of Hera she does seek to offer more of an explanation and softens some of her sharp edges somewhat.

Saint’s writing is stunning. She grabbed my attention and kept me gripped til the end. I ended up gobbling this up in the space of a few days, I was that enthralled.

I definitely got a new understanding of Hera from this and really felt for her, feeling forced into a role she never wanted instead of getting the status she felt she deserved.

If you enjoy tales of Greek mythology with a more feminist slant this will definitely be for you.

I've been disappointed in a number of the recent feminist retellings of Greek mythology. The storytelling has been poor and the material stretched thin as the drive to create something new and original gets ever more difficult.
Jennifer Saint's choice of Hera as her central character is a fascinating one. She never really seems to have a story of her own, instead appearing as the vengeful wife in other's tales. She often makes life difficult for our heroes and is hard to warm to.
This story shows the reasons why she is so angry, highlights the appalling misogyny of the Olympian gods and looks at her complex relationship with Zeus and her children.
I particularly liked the first third of the book as Saint explores the fight against the Titans, what it means to be a god, the establishing of the Olympian dynasty, and Hera's role as a mother of monsters. I did feel it dragged a little in the middle as we got onto more familiar territory. Hera really is hard to like when she punishes the innocent because she isn't strong enough to punish Zeus.
But the ending was thought-provoking and satisfying, dwelling on the changing relationship between gods and mortals and what happens if gods cannot adapt.
All in all a very enjoyable read that shows there is still room for something new in this genre.

I'm a sucker for greek mythology, especially when it's written by the wonderful jennifer saint. ariadne and elektra were two of my favourite reads of 2022, atalanta was one of my faves of 2023, and now hera is one of my faves of 2024!


hera is a greek goddess who's story I've never really looked into, I've only heard about her from tales of her anger at her cheating husband being misdirected at women, so although I was excited for a new jennifer saint book, I wasn't excited for a hera book. but I LOVED this. hera is such an interesting figure, this book explores who she was & how she ended up being the unlikeable character she became.


thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book, which will be published may 23rd<3

I like Greek mythology books, even though I know nothing about the mythologies before I start!

This was an interesting one, I obviously had no idea what was going to happen but I knew it was a feminist retelling. And from the cover, it looked like Hera was a badass who was going to take what she wanted with violence and take no shit. It… was not like this at all 😂 there was a lot less action than I thought there would be, and the schemes that Hera had actually didn’t turn out that good most of the time.

This was my main problem with the book, was that after the beginning, Hera would come up with a scheme and then it would fail, and then she’d come up with the next idea, and it would fail or some unintended consequence would happen because of it and she still would not be happy. I was hoping that in the end she’d come up with a really clever plan that would work but she didn’t! She kind of got what she wanted in the end, but it wasn’t because of anything she’d done 😂 so I was a bit disappointed.

But I did enjoy the story and I liked the ending and the writing was beautiful. But I would’ve liked to see Hera being powerful like she looks on the cover. Overall this was a good read, the chapters were a good length and it was well paced.

This was my first Greek retelling, but it now won't be my last. I really enjoyed this one! We follow the story of Hera, who becomes wife to Zeus, and goddess of marriage and women. In Greek myths, we hear a lot about Hera'a jealousy of Zeus, but this book told it from Hera's side. We got a real insight into not only Hera and Zeus's relationship but their children's and a lot of the other Greek gods and goddesses.

I loved seeing where Hera's anger came from, and we got to see why she was so competitive and full of spite against Zeus. This book was written beautifully and so full of emotion, I actually felt deeply sorry for Hera on many occasions whilst reading, which I never expected to feel.

I enjoyed seeing her relationship develop with other characters, in particular Athena. Hera had very fragile relationships with a lot of people and it was nice to see a lot of those develop, both for the better and the worse throughout the story.

Hera is the Queen of Goddesses. Wife of Zeus and cruel and jealous in her protection of her status - isn’t she?

This is a fabulous and epic exploration of life through Hera’s eyes. Following her birth to Rhea she is whisked away to safety by Gaia to rescue her from her father Cronus who has eaten all of his other children to avoid the prophesy that his child will overthrow him.

Hera returns to Crete to join her brother Zeus, and other siblings once freed, to take part in the epic battle of the Olympians against the Titans, before the rise of the Olympians.

As Zeus grows in power, Hera’s once partner on the battlefield becomes her husband against her will. So begins her quest for vengeance.

I really enjoyed this. I loved Stephen Fry’s Mythos and the canter through the entirety of Greek mythology was wonderful, especially when seen through the eyes of a female goddess (I have no idea how I hadn’t fully realised just how awfully the male Gods treated women?!).

It also reminded me a little of Maleficent and other retellings where we see behind the cruel, vengeful mask, and understand the experiences that shaped the behaviour.

It was such an enjoyable read and I loved it when little tales I’d read weave their way in, such as the quest of Jason and the Argonauts, (especially loved the brief reference to Atalanta).

My favourite quote is this:
‘All she knows is that he leaves a trail of broken women in his wake, and she is the most broken of them all.’

Another brilliant read from Jennifer Saint and one I think I’d reread again and again to spot new nuances and insights.

Thank you to netgalley for the free readers e-copy.

Following the story of Hera, Queen of Olympus, goddess of marriage and mother of deities, this retelling has easily become an all-time favourite of mine.

As a widely despised character, it was very interesting to finally read a representative novel exploring Hera's dire rage, obsessive nature and desperation for power. At times her character could be so sensitive she was almost human, but Saint did a fantastic job of maintaining Hera's divine nature - she isn't human, we cannot expect her to act as such, however cold or detestable that may make her.

It's not often that retellings focus on the lives of the Olympian gods themselves, but I think the lyrical, illustrative prose of the novel created a perfect atmosphere to explore the otherworldly nature of these figures. The lines between the gods and the humans were so stark at the beginning of Hera's story, making the ending even more profound.

I wish we'd seen a little more of Hera's relationship with her grandchildren. The story focuses so heavily on the immense hardships of her life that a little more reprieve would have gone a long way. Apart from this, I found this book flawless and I cannot wait to re-read it.

This book is a captivating reimagining of the life of the famous Greek goddess, it weaves together mythology and creative storytelling to bring Hera to life in a new and refreshing way.

Jennifer's talent shines through in her ability to delve into Hera's complex character, showing her not just as a vengeful and jealous wife of Zeus, but as a powerful and multidimensional figure in her own right.

The story is a compelling and beautifully written exploration of love, power, and betrayal. I would recommend it if you are a fan of Greek mythology and historical fiction.

Another beautifully written book from Jennifer Saint. The book was brilliant and I really enjoyed the complexity of Hera’s story - will definitely be recommending to fans of mythological retellings.

As a one-time classicist, I love this genre, and I have to say this is one of the best stories of reimagined Greek mythology that I have read. Told through the eyes of Hera, it explores all the stories of the gods and goddesses that I grew up loving, drawing on the tales of Homer, Hesiod, Ovid and Aristophanes, amongst others, to give us an insight into the world of the immortals, and the mortals that they created.
As the millennia moves on, Hera and her fellow gods and goddessess remain timeless. But gods and goddesses are not infallible - will their pride, greed and lust be their downfall? Can an immortal cease to exist? Or can they learn to grow, develop and adapt to changing times?
This had everything! Fascinating characters, fabulous stories, passion, rage, envy, joy, love and tragedy, but most of all empathy, for Hera, goddess of marriage trapped for eternity in her own unhappy marriage.
I raced through this book, savouring every second of the gorgeous prose, beautifully researched stories and the opportunity to get to know the gods and goddesses of Olympus, warts and all!

Headlines:
Rise and fall
Patriarchy meets matriarchy
Competitiveness

What a screwed up bunch the Olympians were...hedonistic, egotistical and all about power. Hera led this tale with empowerment that rose from within herself, I had to admire so much about her characterisation. And yet, she was cold, lacking in feelings towards those you'd expect and she was fiercely competitive with Zeus.

A lot of this tale was about Hera's plotting and her long term strategy to rise above Zeus. I cannot say she had integrity because she didn't. I found the tales of her progeny and her disconnect from them somewhat shocking. Through Hera's eyes, there really wasn't one god or goddess I could really say I liked but their scheming made for gripping reading.

I really loved the last quarter of this book. The demise of the Olympians was exciting and messy; the final paragraphs of this book were superb.

I read this and also listened on audio in parts. The narration was great and channelled the cold calculation of Hera.

Thank you to Wildfire Books for the review copy.

I adore everything which Jennifer Saint writes, her take on Hera is a breathtaking and immersive read. The prose is beautiful and the characterisation is at the heart of this story, Saint always manages to weave characters so well and makes it so that these mythological retellings are still relatable and have messages for a modern day reader. I can’t wait to see what she writes next! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC :)

3.75/5

I adore Saint's retellings. I was so curious to see how she would retell Hera's story, I was particularly interested to find out exactly what it would cover. It turns out it is as vast and intricate as all Greek mythology is. We start at the fall of the Titans and the rise of the Olympians, and span important events from the creation of Athena to the birth of Apollo and Artemis, from the Argonauts to the Trojan War, and far beyond. We get glimpses of all of these events and the tumultuous feelings of Hera as she witnesses them.
I am a very passionate lover of Greek mythology, however I think this book is also incredibly accessible for those that don't know very much, yet still illuminating and intriguing to those that already know all of the stories within it.

I loved Saint's writing, I thought it was beautiful and effortlessly captured such emotion within it. The only reason I didn't rate this higher is because my personal interest does not lie within Hera. I personally think it's far more interesting to read about mortals and their interactions with the gods, they are also much easier to empathise with. Because of this I do prefer Saint's other works, however I still think this is an incredible book and a worthwhile read. I truly did appreciate and admire the reframing of Hera's narrative. While I can't say I am now Hera's number one fan, it definitely did make me sympathise with her moments of grief and forced me to rethink the narrative in which her story is always told.

Hera is such a complicated figure to choose as the protagonist of our story and I would be fascinated to know why Saint chose her specifically. Hera is known for being the sister and wife of Zeus, the goddess of marriage and women. But most commonly, she is known for her jealousy and vengeance. I'll admit, Hera has never been a favourite goddess of mine, she has never really interested me all that much. But this story certainly made my opinions of her more complex.

Practically every god and goddess in Greek mythology has done terrible things, which is why I'll repeat that I find the stories of mortal people surviving the gods' wrath far more captivating. But there are certain stories that stick out more as immoral or wrong. Sexual assault is a common theme and feature within Greek mythology as it was unfortunately an even more common action of the time and was therefore represented in ways we would definitely now find disturbing in stories only told by men. I love that now we are getting vibrant and angry feminist retellings where the women in these stories are recentred and their wounds made visible, their victimhood made into personhood, their lives given more meaning than only an assault used to tell a story.
I say all this because this is very obviously something that Saint's retellings do as well, they are absolutely amazing feminist retellings. However there are aspects of Hera's narrative that Saint cannot erase or rewrite without straying too far from what we know of her, and so she cannot rewrite Hera's punishments for the women Zeus lays with and also those that he rapes. Because of this, Hera has always left a sour taste in my mouth (have no fear, Zeus leaves far worse than a sour taste, I will in no way bypass his actions and blame Hera only for her reactions), it is an element that makes Hera a difficult character to fully empathise with.
This has nothing to do with the book itself, this story is the closest anything has ever come to making me like Hera, I'm only trying to explain why I couldn't personally rate this book higher.

I still appreciate this depth to Hera's character that we encounter because she commits acts that we, the reader, might dislike or even hate her for. It parallels the moments of deep sympathy Saint is so adept at dragging from us. We mourn with Hera, we shake at the bars of her gilded cage with her, we find small moments of joy with her. And that's all because of how skilfully Saint is able to portray her and the rest of the gods.
The ending in particular was such an emotional, devastating yet hopeful, whirlwind. It was the perfect ending for a story of a god, for the story of all the gods. I think it might have been my favourite part. As I mentioned before, all my favourite moments to witness the gods are when they interact with mortals, at no other moment in time are their immortal presences so tangibly different, at no other time do they appear so frightening and powerful, yet at no other time do they also appear so human.

Another factor I loved with all my heart was how prevalent certain characters were that aren't often focused on in the mythology. I adored seeing Echidna and her care and love for her children, it's a side of her that isn't often portrayed as compassionately as Saint does here. It was thought-provoking and added perfectly to the cast of morally complex characters. I really liked that this story never tried to redeem characters, but always added a lot of insight into their actions.
I adored, more than anything, how prevalent Hestia was, my favourite unproblematic goddess! She's such a warm, comforting presence throughout the story, as is apt, and I was so endeared to her whenever she came across the page.

All of this is a very long-winded way of saying do yourself a favour and go read Saint's superb retellings! I just adore them, they're the perfect feast for your Greek mythology cravings!

Thank you Netgalley and Headline for an e-arc.