This book was really lovely, I do think that in book form I'd have given up on it and got lost with it but having the audiobook meant I didn't, and I'm really glad I didn't give up on it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

Beth Eyre has done a wonderful job of bringing this book to life as a narrator. She encaptured Atalanta as a character perfectly in her audio mannerisms and made this book really interesting to listen to.

I’ve really enjoyed learning Atalanta’s story from a female perspective. The story of Jason and the argonauts was paced perfectly, however, I feel like the rest of Atalanta’s story was told too quickly from that point onwards.

As usual, Saint's writing is amazing and captivating. I have adored all her other books and am so glad this one did not disappoint. Atalanta was such a strong character, I do not have much previous knowledge of Atlanata so went in blind. I adored this one and am so excited for the next one Saint has to offer. I adored this audio version, the narrator captivated me from the first line.

A great retelling of an overlooked myth. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was brilliant, very immersive. The book is full of action but also thoughtful, I did wish for a bit more character growth and felt the ending to be a tad rushed but very enjoyable overall.

Jennifer Saint does it again!

I shouldn't be surprised by now by Saint's skill, and yet the way she weaves a story blows me away every time. Reading her writing feels like you should be grateful to be within the generation her writing was done for. It brings the whole range of emotions that a story like this is bound to bring, all while being driven by Saint's personal style and flare. An utter wonder.

The narration in this case lends itself to the story beautifully, and the two work hand in hand to create a listening experience rather than a simple read.

This was a gorgeous retelling of Atalanta, as she journeys with Jason and the Argonauts, fights the Calydonian Boar Hunt and the Footrace. However with a major feminist twist on the story with Atalanta often being the one to lead the way whilst still being forgotten by history, its an poignant story of how women are forgotten by history in favour of the male heroes.

Egad! Greek mythology is absurd! And yet, the slew of recent retellings have me absolutely spellbound. Atalanta is the perfect hero: an exceptional young woman with prowess greater than any man’s, raised by the bears, nymphs, and Artemis herself; eschewing the male gaze, and wholly unapologetic for it.

Jennifer Saint has written into being an Atalanta that is relatable, albeit a bit aloof; and an Artemis that is both admired and feared, kind of like the stern schoolteacher you felt drawn to in high school.

I enjoy Greek mythology retellings from the point of view of someone who is mostly unfamiliar with the “originals”, and have no idea how aficionados would experience them. From the little I do know, however, it seems important to recognise that very little in mythology is set in stone (so to speak), that its very definition allows for reinterpretation and use of artistic license.

Atalanta is a gripping tale of feminist heroism, that circles in on itself to question the very notion that taking a man might make one any less feminist, or any less heroic.

I listened to an advanced copy of the audiobook, thanks to Netgalley and Headline Audio.
Beth Eyre proves to be a brilliant narrator who kept me spellbound. She has enough tonal variation not to confuse the characters, but avoids unnecessary or excessive dramatisation.

I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook to anyone who likes the idea of a feminist tale of adventure and fantasy, regardless of familiarity with the Greek myths.

This was a really enjoyable audiobook to listen to.

It’s an incredible story, the imagery used is beautiful, I could picture everything so clearly in my mind. Highly recommend.

I was so excited to venture into another Jennifer Saint retelling. I continue to be amazed by her ability to find a few lines about women in male-heavy stories and how she can create whole books about them. She also always manages to find women who I’ve not really heard about, which makes the myth deep-dive you want to do afterwards near impossible.
Although it did turn out I had a small recollection of an Atalanta poem from when I’d been at University in this instance, I didn’t put two and two together until the end which meant I was still guessing which direction her story would go. I was just really excited to read a story which featured Artemis too, who I often feel, if portrayed, is often portrayed quite passively? so it was interesting to see her take a more active, kind of aggressive role in this - kind of more like a typical goddess, I guess.
I loved Atalanta’s character. She was brave and unapologetically powerful, and most men actually didn’t mind that. I enjoyed seeing such a strong female presence in such a typically male setting.
I think the take on motherhood was really interesting. I also enjoyed the friendships Atalanta explores throughout the book as they create a sense of loyalty that she repeatedly shows as the story progresses.
I flew through this book (I read it in two days) - it was so easy to read, but I also did not want to put it down.
Once again, Jennifer Saint manages to create a story that celebrates female strength and bravery in a myth that had before forgotten its women.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for the advance reader copy.

I’ve never read a Jennifer Saint book, but am glad I started with the story of Atalanta. A fierce warrior who was a part of an amazing myth and team.

I enjoyed the general flow of the story although found the beginning dragged a little. The way the mercurial nature of the gods was captured felt real and as disconnected as they were to humanity.

Having, like lost been through an Ancient Greece phase had some previous knowledge about Atalanta but enjoyed how this story fleshed her out more and gave a voice to a hero.

I’m excited to read the other books Saint has written and be immersed in these stories.

Why did we have no books like this when I was in school struggling with Greek mythology? Here's a beautifully written, adventurous, inspiring story that is informative and emotional, and learning about the numerous tales of Greek gods and goddesses is pure joy with books like this. I hope that these retellings will find their way to both young and old and will pique their interest in history, literature and art.

Beth Eyre deserves all praise for her performance as narrator.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline Audio for an Advance Review Copy.

As someone that loves a retelling, this did not disappoint.
This was a beautiful story and told a different story of the Argonauts that has not been told before.

Can something be well written without getting its point across?

That is my main takeaway question for Atalanta.

I have read Elektra, by the same author, but I haven't yet read Ariadne. I much preferred Atalanta to Elektra, mainly because I actually felt like Atalanta had the potential to be a real heroine. None of the characters in Elektra gained any kind of respect from other characters, or influence over main events...beyond resorting to murder of course.

I enjoyed reading this as a Greek legend from a, traditionally, side character's point of view, and, as a story that was unfamiliar to me, I felt absorbed by the quest, the writing, and the potential - but I didn't get much more from this beyond that. I was engaged in the series of events, but the main events didn't hit as hard as I expected them to. For the main part of the book, Atalanta was largely untouched by events, so as a reader, I felt quite disconnected from them too. While written as though Atalanta is independent and strong, which she is in some ways, mostly she just drifts with the tide, accepting decisions made on he behalf, right up to the end. Speaking of which, and without spoilers, the end is kind of written as a happy(?) ending for her, maybe, but I'm not so sure about those around her. It happened extremely quickly and without much outside reaction, so it felt abrupt and unjust as an ending, so I ended up closing the book with an 'Oh, I guess that's it then', it just kind of reinforced that feeling that Atalanta was disconnected from the characters and world around her, so as a feminist retelling it didn't really work if she didn't belong in the world from beginning to end.

Having said that, my favourite part of the book was the race with Hippomenes, I really liked the glimmer of hope that it gave that Atalanta could make a real choice for herself and base it on what she knew of herself and of Hippomenes, and Hippomenes' motives and the understanding and respect for each other that they both came to felt more substantial than anything I'd read from Jennifer Saint before, and like it gave a different interpretation of events from the established narrative.

Plot-wise, considering how epic the main quest has been portrayed elsewhere, it felt anything but in this book, and, again, Atalanta is pretty much just a passive observer most of the time, with the odd fight or race to prove herself every now and then, and, while she is mortal, her skills seem more tied to her relationship with Artemis and her formative years in the wild, than through being earnt or available to any woman; she is very much seen as an exception of her gender, rather than representative of it, so any respect she earns is not a win for feminism, but just a way of Atalanta alone being accepted for her usefulness in her specific circumstances.

On that note, I keep seeing these Greek myth retellings described as feminist retellings, and I don't really get that description. I know not everyone thinks of feminism in the same way, but for me, it is about promoting equal rights for all genders, particularly for those that have been, and still are, discriminated against or given less rights. I'm not sure that Elektra or Atalanta do that. While both give the background female characters from Greek myth and legend a voice, and attempt to give them the foreground, it doesn't do much more than that. Also, in both of these novels, what that means is having the main events as background action, but kind of ignored by the main characters, so that Atalanta, and the main characters in Elektra, feel strangely disconnected from the momentus events around them - in Elektra, this is because the female characters are still carrying out the traditional role of women in those stories and are either just waiting for the men, or being assaulted by them and, in Atalanta, where she is a part of the action, she doesn't seem particularly interested in it, or is more of an observer than an active or willing participant. I don't really read agency in any of the female characters, as I guess fits with the time and the original story, but which means that I don't personally connect with this as a feminist retelling, just a version of the events as described by the original male authors, but from a female character's point of view. What I'd find more interesting is re-imagining the events completely as if women had been the original writers and protagonists, what if the original myths weren't quite correct?
For example, [and this next part is spoiler-ish] in a version of the Iphigenia story, she is not sacrificed by Agamemnon but is switched with a deer and escapes, but Jennifer Saint rejected that as a version of events created to paint Agamemnon in a better light, so couldn't Atalanta have had a more cunning ending that allowed her to live the life she wanted, while still being an active participant in the human world? <spoiler> It feels like part of the male narrative to have her sexual independence/choice of partner mean that she was basically a beast, the literal transformation is so strange in a retelling aimed at humanising the traditionally thinly drawn shadowy female character,</spoiler>so it would have been more interesting (to me) to explore what lay behind that part of the myth, but with a human interpretation.

Phew, that was a lot! Still despite my over-analysis, it was a good listen, I liked the narrator, and each new retelling makes me go and do a bit more research into the original stories, which can only be a positive. I'd still recommend it for people interested in reading Greek mythology and legend from a different perspective and in a modern and accessible style.

Jennifer Saint did it again
I read the first two books of this same author and every time I got taken away by the flawlessness of her writing. I had the possibility of seeing it improve going from Ariadne to Elektra and now I can say I saw it become basically perfect with Atalanta
She has this great capacity of showing a story already known but in a way that you probably wouldn't ever had thought about, giving solid backgrounds and clear, human, feelings to well-known timeless characters, feelings that are completely plausible and real and much in line with the current situation and the life those characters have lived
Also it was cool to finally read a retelling about a character as interesting as Atalanta that seldom gets left out when talking about Greek myths involving female characters

The audiobook was fine, I must admit I use this way of "reading" very few times, so I'm not an "experct", but I found myself quite well with the narrator's reading. She had a clear voice and a slow "base" pace that didn't create problems when increasing the reading pace, and she put the right intensity when reading the most emotional parts

I hugely reccomand this book!

this book follows the legendary myth of atalanta, the fierce hunter of artemis and the only female argonaut on jason's quest for the golden fleece. it is overflowing with gorgeous writing (though i expected nothing less from jennifer saint!!) and so many myths - namely persephone's descent to the underworld, the hunters of artemis, the golden fleece, the lemnian women, peleus and thetis, king phineus and the harpies, the golden apples, atalanta's race and so many more that were woven into the story effortlessly.

atalanta as a character was so interesting to read about !! the unconventional way she was brought up allowed her to think differently than everyone else, and her training by artemis made her wary of men and observant of the patriarchy in greek society.

personally, all i knew of atalanta was the race held in exchange for her hand, so i did not at all expect to learn so much more about her but it was definitely a pleasant surprise.

to be honest, recounting this is really surprising to me because when i think of the beginning of this book, it feels like it was a different book entirely. there are so many different phases of her life that are explored so i never felt bored or like the story was dragging along.

the ending wasn't my favourite but i like that it stayed true to the myth, although i would've liked something slightly different. aside from that, no complaints !

to anyone who loves greek mythology, feminist tales, or enjoyed any of jennifer saint's other works, i'd definitely recommend you give this a try!!

[audiobook provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review]

I must admit I didn’t know Atalanta’s story that well and it’s been a delight to know her character better. The thing that impressed me the most is her tenacity, I really admire how she can take care of herself even when everything seems to discard her. In particular I love how she puts herself and her desires before the ones of other men, because she knows she counts too, even in a world where men rule. I found her life with Artemis and the Argonauts quest as the most interesting parts of the book, towards the end Atalanta becomes less free and more confined in society rules. Of course she will always be a free spirit but I wouldn’t have minded a twist of the real myth to gave her a different finale.
The narration is exquisite and very pleasant to follow.

"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.