I loved Jennifer Saint's 'Ariadne', and this book really delivered!

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 love Myths story-telling in any format (retelling or original) but I knew nothing at all about this myth prior to reading this book 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 read.

Although I have both of this author’s previous Greek mythology retellings I still haven’t read them, in fact this is the first mythological retelling I have read. It won’t be the last. This tells the myth of Atalanta, the only female Argonaut. A woman who, as a baby, was left to die in the wild but was raised by a bear and later nymphs under the auspice of the goddess Artemis. This is beautifully written and a wonderful story told from Atalanta’s POV throughout.

Briefly, when Artemis gives her the opportunity to fight with the Argonauts, in their search for the Golden Fleece, Atalanta jumps at the chance to prove herself as the only woman amongst 50 of the worlds finest warriors. However, she must heed one warning from Artemis; she must never marry.

The author obviously loves her subject and that comes though clearly in the wonderful descriptions and emotional prose. Atalanta was a fantastic character for her to work with. She comes across as a strong and wild woman who is determined to make her way in a man’s world. I don’t know a lot about Greek mythology and I was unaware that there was a female Argonaut, and that proved to be the basis of the book, that Atalanta has largely been forgotten in the myth. The romantic thread highlighted her vulnerability and mortality and was very moving and the ending to the book was good “I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta”. I really enjoyed it and think I have a new genre to read, thank you Ms Saint. Now I definitely will be reading the authors earlier books.

Jennifer Saint is the queen of Greek mythology. She’s a go to author for me and I love seeing what she’s going to tackle next. What I really enjoy about her books are that she chooses the lesser known myths, so I feel like I’m returning to a familiar world but learning about new characters.

Atalanta, favoured by the goddess Artemis, can rival and best most men when it comes to acts of physical prowess. I was pretty excited to find out she journeyed with Jason and the Argonauts and that took up a good section of the book. Let’s just say it was a hell of a lot more exciting than THAT film we all grew up with (you know the one with the special effects😉).

Another epic Greek myth retelling from the queen of mythology.

A poorly paced, feminist Greek mythology retelling.

Atalanta, abandoned by her father as an infant, is raised by a mother bear in the woods. Once she has reached maturity, the goddess Artemis takes Atalanta under her wing, training her to become a ruthless huntress.

The majority of this book follows the journey of Jason and the Argonauts from Atalanta’s point of view.

Atalanta deals with love, friendships, motherhood, misogyny, among other themes. Despite this, I the book thoroughly lacked emotion (probably due to the dreamlike quality of the writing). As a result, I struggled to root for Atalanta (or any of the other characters) during the book due to a lack of emotional connection to the characters.

Additionally, the book was poorly paced. The beginning 25% is very slow, building up to the journey of the Argonauts.

The middle 55% of the book, following the journey of the Argonauts, jumps around a lot. Therefore, I found that my desire for action and adventure was never quite satisfied.

The only interesting part of this book comes in the final 20%, the aftermath of the Argonauts journey. Again, this section was strangely paced, but did keep my interest. However, the ending was completely unsatisfying.

Atalanta by Jennifer Saint is a mythological retelling of the Greek hero Atalanta and her role among the Argonauts. Atalanta was abandoned on a mountainside as a baby by her father, a king, who yearned for a son. Raised by bears and then by Artemis, goddess of the hunt, Atalanta becomes faster and stronger than any mortal and is sent as the goddess’ champion to accompany Jason and 50 odd of Greece’s strongest men on their quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. As Atalanta quietly continues to prove herself on the voyage, she catches the attention of one of the men and embarks on a passionate love affair with him, directly disobeying Artemis and risking everything she has come to know. I love mythological reimaginings and Jennifer Saint is a queen of the genre, taking complex stories that we vaguely know and breathing new life into them so that they become approachable, vibrant, passionate and deeply human.

I absolutely loved this book!! It was such a wonderfully written retelling of Atalanta. This is the first book i have read by Jennifer Saint but I will definitely be reading Ariadne and Elektra next! I do think the pacing was a bit weird near the end but overall this was a fantastic book that is perfect for anyone interested in greek mythology!!

There is no doubt in my mind that Jennifer Saint is a very talented author, Ariadne is still one of my favourite books. She weaves wonderful tales of myths and legends into easy to read stories with the focus on the female characters. Prior to reading this I had been in a bit of a reading slump and this certainly pulled me out.

This is labelled as a feminist retelling of but for me a feminist retelling should really put focus on the woman and make it her story whereas this one just felt like the same male dominated story but from a female POV. I understand that this narrative writes Atalanta back into the story that she is so often left out of and I do think that those who have not come across her story before will enjoy it but for me this didn't hit the mark. I wanted to feel the power, the strength, the pure bad-assness of one of history's strongest women but instead it felt gentle.

'What was his wife's name?' I asked. 'Does anyone remember her?'

That being said Saint nails the delivery of lines like these, they get me every time and for that reason I will continue to read everything she writes.

Whilst this book had a slow start that I initially struggled with once the journey started I did begin to enjoy this book. Atalanta is not a Greek mythology figure that I am familiar with so it was interesting to read this reimagining of if she had been part of the Argonauts. I am aware that in the original myth, she is not part of the Argonauts but this reimagining where she was left out because she was female was a great way to have more character growth and to see her relationships with different characters. My only issue with this book is that the characters felt quite flat, even the nymphs Atalanta spends her whole life with don't seem to be fully-fledged characters. However, the story is well-paced after the first 100 pages and overall I enjoyed the story it just didn't stand out as much as I wanted it to.

This might just be my favourite of Jennifer Saint's books. 4.5
A character who deserves more fame than she is ever given. A theme that runs heavily through this novel. I loved the relationships that Atalanta built in the different parts of her life. From when she was young and Artemis' prodigy, to on the Argo with the other so called heroes. It was also so fun to encounter other characters from other myths that you may or may not already know. If the latter, it's not important.
My only negative was part 4 that felt quite rushed. The last minute romance, wasn't convincing; I can see where Saint tried to create a connection earlier in the novel but due to the well known beats of the Atalanta myth, she could only do so much. I also think the myth regarding the race and the golden apples is hard to transfer. Saint did what she could but it's not really believable that a character would do what she does. But it's part of her myth.
However I loved the ending at how free and accepting Atalanta was with her fate. How she could truly just be herself. As someone who truly accepted who she was.

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.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Jason and the Argonauts film from the 60's. I haven't watched it in adulthood and the main thing I remember from it are the wonderfully terrible special effects, but it still holds a special place in my heart. So naturally I was really excited to read about Atalanta and her quest with Jason, especially as I didn't know all that much about her before.

I really enjoyed reading her story, it was beautifully told by Jennifer Saint. We're taken on a journey with Atalanta, from her time in the forest with the bears, nymphs, and Artemis, to her quest with the Argonauts, and what comes next. There are a few different themes explored throughout the book, but my favourite was freedom and how Atalanta redefined what freedom means to her with her experiences and as her character develops.

I would have liked reading more about some of the battles and some of the feats, they felt a bit glossed over. But that also felt intentional, the quest wasn't worthy of Atalanta and being a significant part of a man's heroic story just to be left out of it isn't her story. Atalanta's story is her strength, her independence, and her unapologetic belief in her abilities, which was told in depth.

This was certainly a feminist retelling and I loved the focus on the forgotten women, both those who achieved incredible feats and those who were victims or collateral damage in a male hero's story. I really love Greek mythology retellings because even though the stories are familiar, you never know how each author is going to interpret different character's and their stories. I particularly enjoyed the author's portrayal of Jason and Heracles in this one. And even though I didn't know much about Atalanta before reading this book, I knew the myths well and I loved reading them with Atalanta written back in.

This was my first of Jennifer Saint's books but it won't be the last! I already have her other retellings, Ariadne and Elektra, on my bookshelf and can't wait to dive in!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wildfire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Once again, Jennifer Saint knocked it out of the park.

She is quickly becoming one of my favourite Greek mythology re-tellers and her books are instant adds to my to be read piles, with each new one eagerly anticipated. Ariadne and Elektra proved that Saint’s trademark style of books are fascinating, beautifully written re-imaginings of classical mythology with feminist edge that systematically exposes and destroys the toxic masculinity embedded at the heart of Greek myth. They are gorgeous creations and Atalanta joins their ranks as a shining star on my shelf.

Initially, I went into this book knowing very little about Atalanta beyond the legend of her races. However, Saint quickly establishes that you do know this story, you just do not know it with Atalanta as a presence within them. As the only female Argonaut, Saint really interrogates why she is not remembered as an integral part of these famous tales. I adored how explicitly feminist the book was, challenging the erasure of women and the pain inflicted upon them by so-called heroes on page. Atalanta was a fierce, independent and strong protagonist, who quickly endeared me to her. This made later sequences hold that much more weight and intensity due to the stunning character work that made me fall in love with her.

Saint also ensures she is surrounded by a cast of three-dimensional characters that are fascinating without overshadowing Atalanta’s story. Also, I did not expect to love the romantic thread as much as I did. It reminded Atalanta and us that she was all too mortal and mortality leads to messy entanglements that defy fate and the gods themselves. However, Saint leaves the ending as one of freedom from the restraining expectations of society and instead to run free forever.

Shining her skills on the most notable Greek heroine, Atalanta, Saint provides another wonderfully nuanced and magical retelling. This is an enchanting and empowering read.

Beautiful, breath-taking, stunning. This author brings a not so well known character to life in this wonderful new story of Atalanta.


Thank you netgalley for this arc in return for a review!

Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
Publication date: 13 April 2023
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⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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When Atalanta is born, she is abandoned by her father on a mountainside, and is raised by a mother bear alongside her cubs, under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis.
Wanting to prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason's Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place in the legends of a world made for men?
~~~~~
I enjoyed learning about Atalanta, the only female Argonaut, a most skilled huntress, second only to the Goddess Artemis. I appreciated the feminist approach of this story, how Atalanta - despite being brave, strong, fast and intelligent - is constantly underestimated by her male companions, even though she is as capable, if not more capable, than most of them.
However, I found the whole thing quite unsatisfying. The voyage of Jason and his Argonauts, his quest to get the Golden Fleece, is supposed to be an adventure full of perils, the stuff legends are made of, and yet there was no sense of high stakes or danger in this retelling - it felt like a lot of "we sailed there and did this," "then we went over there and did that," which was all very mundane and underwhelming.
I was much more engaged in the last quarter of the book, where Atalanta is faced with dangerous men, ruthless monarchs and merciless gods. I wasn't expecting the ending, but appreciated its lyricism and beautiful imagery.
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Have I told you that I love retelling, it makes stories live new lives that can be further encompassing of current readers. Jennifer Saint has really done it again with this one!

This was another fantastic retelling by Jennifer Saint. I've read all three of her books now and I love them all! I'd not actually heard of Atalanta before requesting this book so I learnt quite a bit while reading and it's made me want to go read more Greek mythology!
She writes beautifully and her descriptions are so brilliant that I can actually picture the scenes and places she's describing. I can't wait for publication day when I can add it to my shelf ready for a reread.

Jennifer saint is my favourite author when it comes to Greek mythology. I adored Ariadne, and Atlanta was just as special.
Atalanta is told in the first person, she is a huntress who was left on the mountaintops as a baby to die by her father, a king, because she was not a boy.
She survives and is raised by a mother bear in the forest under the eye of Artemis and her nymphs who later educate her.
Atalanta is sent to join the hero’s of greece in the quest for the Golden Fleece, but has to prove her self worthy to join the men, which she does over and over. She forges her place in a world of men, and lives for the adventure.
For me the five star books are the ones that give you all the feelings and leave an everlasting imprint. This is one of those, I won’t forget Atalanta for a long time!

Another of Jennifer Saints great retellings of mythical stories with a feminist twist. They are all told from the heroines perspective and usually sound a lot more honest and logical than the original story. I like them a lot.

I’ve been a fan of Jennifer Saint since reading Ariadne, with Elektra being another step up, Atalanta was again a level up.

Focused on the titular heroine Atalanta from her abandonment on a mountainside through to her quest with the Argonauts and beyond.

While Jennifer’s other novels use a multi POV narration, this is just Atalanta’s voice - and what a woman she is. Brave and strong, she is constantly having to prove herself in a world made for men, her achievements grudgingly noticed but quickly pushed aside or ‘forgotten’.

I absolutely loved this book. As with Elektra and Ariadne it has sent me down a Greek myth rabbit hole, wanting to stay in Atalanta’s world a little bit longer.

(Rated as 4.75 on StoryGraph)

After being abandoned by her father and left.to the fates and bears, the goddess Artemis takes Atalanta in, trains her and gives protection.

Time passes and Atalanta becomes strong, fast and incredibly skilful with her bow and arrow, and After a series of events, joins Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to find the golden fleece, an adventure that allows her to prove herself amongst men.

This book was my first introduction to Atalanta, my first by Jennifer Saint and my second Greek mythology retelling. I find the mythology absolutely fascinating, just the right side of bonkers and I am here for it!! I am very much looking forward to discovering Ariadne and Elektra's stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.