Upon completing this book, I realized it necessitated some introspection before I could articulate my admiration for it and organize my thoughts effectively.

Hera, a figure often overshadowed in Greek Mythology, typically relegated to the role of a jealous and embittered wife, receives a refreshing reinterpretation in Jennifer Saint's work. Saint's endeavour to bring these overlooked women of Greek mythology into the limelight reveals a new facet of Hera—a woman who endured neglect and mistreatment throughout her life, her potential and aspirations marginalized.

The portrayal of the various gods, Titans, and other characters in the book is masterfully done, staying true to their traditional depictions while also feeling remarkably authentic—a notable achievement when portraying such legendary figures. Immersed in the book's pages, one easily loses oneself in its intricately crafted world. Tender moments unexpectedly arise, alongside powerfully depicted sentiments.

The subtle nods to characters and events from Saint's other works within the narrative serve as a welcomed addition, grounding the story firmly within the context of Greek Mythology. They underscore Hera's omnipresence, even when she appears disinterested. This book is a must-read for enthusiasts of Greek Mythology, retellings, and narratives with strong female protagonists.

I enjoy reading about Greek mythology retellings and I've loved Jennifer Saint's books, especially Elektra, so I was curious to read this one as well. While the writing style was compelling as always, this time the story didn't captivate me. Although it offers an interesting perspective on Hera, I couldn't care about her as I did with Elektra and Ariadne. The character wasn't fully fleshed out, and aside her revenge on Zeus, there wasn't much more to focus on. I liked snippets of other myths, though.
All in all, it was still a good book but not as much as the others.

Jennifer Saint's 'Hera', is absolutely magnificient. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a matter of days. An immersive journey into the world of Olympus, Saint leads you through the creation of humanity, centuries of wars - both celestial and mortal, love affairs and betrayal all in aid of Hera and Zeus' struggle for power. This was a fascinating dive into greek mythology and is clearly very well resarched. I feel like I learned so much without even realising it! Despite the novels vast timeline, it never feels like it lags or loses pace because you are so intimately connected with Hera's perception of events. She was a deeply interesting character who was surprisingly relatable for a supreme goddess.

I really enjoyed the way Saint analysed and critiqued the misogyny and sexual violence that is so common place in greek mythology. The focus that was placed on the goddess' desire for their own safety and freedom was both moving and enraging. As the novel progresses your frustration grows with Hera's and I found myself to be very much emotionally invested in her struggly for power with the arrogant Zeus. It was quite a different portrayal of Zeus to anything I've read before, but to me felt much more real and believable.

I would highly reccomend Hera for anyone interested in mythology and a novel that deals with female desire, autonomy and what it means to have power and to be free.

Jennifer Saint has done it again with this marvellous written work of Hera’s perspective and life.

Fantastically written and beautifully paced I found this so easy to read.

This was an ARC read through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A super book! Absolutely fantastic! My favourite genre. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

✨4 stars✨

I don’t normally reach for Greek mythology so my knowledge before reading this book was limited apart from the most famous characters. I had heard quite a bit about Zeus but never much of Hera apart from her being jealous of Zeus’s extra-marital affairs. However, Saint’s story completely changed my perception!

Hera is an incredibly strong character fuelled on feminine rage and revenge which I really enjoyed because she makes the best of every situation!

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy Greek myth retellings or people who enjoy Saint’s writing because I found it really accessible and enjoyable.

I received an ARC from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I’ve really been enjoying Greek retellings in recent years and Jennifer Saint is always reliable for an interesting take on women in Greek mythology. I didn’t know too much about Hera before going into this other than she is often portrayed as the jealous female seeking revenge on women for Zeus’ actions. So I was very intrigued to see how this could be spun in a likeable/understanding light. I think Saint does a good job of rationalising Heras somewhat questionable actions and linking all the stories into a readable plot and story. Overall an enjoyed Greek retelling and I look forward to reading whatever Jennifer Saint publishes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc for a review!

After finishing this book I knew I had to sit with it for a while before I could figure out how to express my love for it and organise my thoughts.

It was such a beautifully crafted examination of a complicated female character, forced into a life she didn’t want and determined to never be beaten by her circumstances. Going into this I was intrigued as I am for any Greek Mythology retelling but ever so slightly apprehensive due to knowing how Hera is typically represented, but I should not have doubted Saint’s ability to create such a compelling character. Hera is so much more than the jealous wife, indiscriminately punishing women who have already been hurt by Zeus, as she is almost always depicted. She is a powerful individual whose life is undoubtedly impacted by the actions of the men around her but this book serves to highlight her agency and willpower to control and shape her own life and story. Hera is not a moral paragon by any means but you are constantly rooting for her to succeed in gaining her freedom and Saint masterfully makes her feel incredibly real.
The gods are complicated and messy but they are incredibly powerful stories to be utilised to help us understand ourselves and Hera is a perfect example of that. Despite following an immortal, divine character, the final part of this book really felt like a love letter to humans and the power we have to grow and change.

This may be my favourite Greek Myth retelling to date and I 100% recommend picking this up when it is released! (I will be buying a copy for myself and it will be annotated until it is almost unreadable)

Loved it. Loved it, loved it, loved it!! What a story! There was so much information this book gave us about the full story! Heras story and I lapped every bit of it up! This is not me being rude but I found it to be a very simple retelling and it was perfection! The story has actually stayed in my mind. Sometimes when you are overloaded with facts, your brain forgets! This is the best book in her Greek mythology series so far!

I'm a big greek mythology fan and I find Hera absolutely fascinating so when I heard about this book I was really excited for it! I think that Hera especially is one of the goddesses that has so much you can delve into. Her relationship with Zeus, her jealousy, her revenge, the fact that she was called the protector of women.

Overall, however, I felt like this book fell flat when it came to the characterization. I could see what Jennifer was trying to do but for me it just didn't work. I thought that the characters were under-developed with Hera being boiled down to a vindictive unlikeable goddess. I felt like her story lacked nuance. She had been through trauma and is very obviously a strong person but her character ended up feeling a bit like a caricature. The great thing about Greek Mythology is that you can really expand on the stories and add your own details to give life to them - because there are already conflicting versions of each story - but this book seems to just tell us facts and doesn't really weave them into a narrative. It's very "Hera did this, that didn't work. Then Hera did this, and that didn't work either." It tried to shove everything in and I feel in the process I lost out on the chance to connect with Hera or any of the other characters. And the thing is, I know that the gods and goddesses are problematic, we're not supposed to think they're good people - But I just didn't find any depth in the characterization meaning that they were all just a bit whiny. I know we're not supposed to find them relatable but I didn't have any feelings at all towards them except annoyance.
It all felt impersonal, it sorta felt like I was being given the rapid fire info about Hera's mythology. I think the ending would've paid off a lot more and made me more emotional if I'd been given the chance to connect more with her. I did like the ending though, I thought it was a nice finish to her story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to review!

After having loved Jennifer Saint's earlier novels, I'm starting to think that she's maybe rushing the books?
I felt like the characters didn't really come to life, they lacked a more personal interpretation, which is needed in such a retelling in my opinion. With this novel, I felt like I was reading a dramaticised version of events, instead of a modern novel, and that made it a little dry. I'm sure loads of people will still love this, but it's not my style unfortunately!

I devoured this! I just LOVE Jennifer Saint and everytime she brings a new book out, I can't request it fast enough!
This feminist retelling follows Hera, Goddess of Marriage and Wives, Wife of Zeus and Queen of the God's. Having only learnt about Hera from Greek plays, short stories or the odd non fiction book by Stephen Fry, I went into this book with a negative view of Hera. She has always been portrayed to be nothing but a jealous wife obsessed with power and having Zeus under her control.
And yet with every retelling that Saint writes, we consider a different point of view that actually would make a lot more sense and doesn't demonise women in the way that most Myths do. In this novel, Hera is a goddess yes, but a woman all the same, with feelings and emotions. I wouldn't say the book flows naturally. Greek Mythology is made of many different stories with many time lapses between them so at times, I felt as though the book was slightly disjointed and could be seen as going through the motions to include each tale Hera was prevalent in. HOWEVER!!! There is no other way it could have been done and actually what it gives us is a view to how Hera may have dealt with and felt about each of the famous events. We see her love, her hate, her flaws, her strengths. We see a woman and I really enjoyed it. Thank you netgalley and wildfire!

Hera is staggering.
I devoured this book in one feverish sitting and, about halfway through, I looked up - dazed, confused, to find the real world looking back at me rather than the decidedly real world I was holding in my hands - and realised that I absolutely believed in this book. I believed every single word. As far as I was concerned, it had all happened - this was Hera’s story, this was how it went.

Jennifer Saint has totally reframed the narrative we thought we knew about Hera into *her* story, and it just ..make sense. I feel like everything - all the snippets we have about Hera, her behaviour, her lineage, her life before Olympus and her complex relationship with Zeus - has been woven back together and explained. I am, quite honestly, never going to look at Hera in the same way again (and for all the best reasons).

Saint’s writing is always beautiful, we all know this. Her descriptions of Olympus and the mortal world, mortal palaces, are breathtaking. They’re real. But, most importantly, so are the gods.

Zeus’ voice is 100% Zeus. Hephaestus is Hephaestus. Athena is precisely as we expect her to be. Every single one of the multifaceted, extraordinarily complicated gods is absolutely and completely themselves - and none more than Hera. Saint’s writing is pure magic.

There is so much to love about this book it’s impossible to fit it all in, but there are several conclusions drawn towards the end of the story that are just…staggering. and I can’t say what they are - you’ll have to find out for yourselves - but Athena’s conclusion has left my mind reeling even still (iykyk).

Saint has done something here - with this conclusion, with Hera’s voice, with everything - which is beyond anything I have ever read. This book is truly remarkable, from beginning to end (though the end will absolutely leave you speechless) and I really, really don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it is one of the best, most genuine and evocative, mythology retellings out there.

When the immortal goddess Hera and her brother Zeus overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see that Zeus is just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed.
Jennifer Saint's gorgeous retelling of Greek mythology is continued through Hera, twisting her complicated story into an adventurous battle against patriarchy. Helping Zeus overthrow their father, Hera struggles to accept her fate as she goes from a partner in war to a vengeful wife and secret enemy to Olympians. The story takes the stereotype of Hera, goddess of marriage and a one-dimensional villan, to show a fearless leader driven by loss and suffering. As always, Saint's writing style, character development, and storyline were all beautifully created and teaches the reader who Hera really was.

⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jennifer Saint and Headline Wildfire for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Hera' by Jennifer Saint.

Jennifer Saint is back and better than ever. 'Hera' follows one of the most convoluted but beautiful Greek goddesses ever and as always, I love the way Saint adds her own touch to decades old stories and adds a sense of humanity. Each person in this novel had dimension and beauty and as always I fell in love. Saint is the actual god of Greek myth retellings and I love her for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in return for a review!

Now before going into this my knowledge of Hera wasn't great, but I am a fan of mythical retellings and was so excited and when I tell you this blew my expectations out of the water!

From the very first page to the end I was gripped by this story. The writing was beautiful and having Hera as the character showing us her view of the Gods and Mortals felt to me like I felt when reading Circe by Madeline Miller (so as to say, I could not tear my eyes from the page with how interesting I found Hera).

Truly one to recommend to fans of mythical retellings, especially those who have loved Jennifer Saint's books before!

Jennifer Saint never fails to disappoint. I love her writing style and the way she re-tells these stories. Would recommend highly.

‘She will be his wife, the Queen of Heaven, and she will use every resource she has at her disposal to bring him down’

Wow. I finally read one of Jennifer Saint’s books! I’ve been meaning to read her work for AGES because I love Greek mythology and mythological retellings. This was also a chance for me to cross something off of my aspirational reads list and I was so so so incredibly excited when I got approved for Hera 👸 - and it did not disappoint!

I loved her writing style! The way this book was written really had me enraptured and the story just flowed so well that I found myself not being able to put this down! I think Saint did an excellent job at portraying Hera’s story from Hera’s perspective, which is one I haven’t read before, and giving her a voice when usually her story is narrated by someone else who sees her as an antagonist. And this retelling did show her as an antagonist, but it did a great job or portraying her as nuanced and more dimensional, not just bad. Some of my favourite parts were when Saint showed us how Hera saw the monsters as beautiful, and that the real monsters were the Olympians. I also really enjoyed the sisterhood between her and Hestia. This book was entertaining from start to finish, and I really enjoyed the ending and Hera’s arc! This was a super fun and fast read and I will definitely be checking out all of her other stuff (bumping them up my TBR as I write this👀).

4/5⭐️

Thank you to @headlinebooks and @netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this eARC in return for a fair and honest review🤍

This book will be published in the UK on 23 May 2024.

P. S. Zeus will always and forever be the real antagonist.

Jennifer Saint never disappoints. Up there with Madeline Miller, she has the expert ability to take a tale as old as time and craft it into something wholly new. In Hera, the first of Saint’s novels with a Greek goddess at the centre (rather than a heroine), the opulence and divinity of Mt. Olympus really shines through. I adore the recent wave in historical fiction of giving voice to female characters in classic myths that were continuously sidelined and silenced, and Saint’s Hera is a paragon of this.

Hera is usually portrayed as the vindictively jealous wife and wicked step-mother, and not much else. In Saint’s iteration, she can be those things, but she is so much more. She is complex, nuanced, fleshed out, simultaneously otherworldly but also - and she’d hate me for thinking this - very human at her core. At times, she is extremely unlikable and frustrating to read about, but that just makes it work so well. Saint does not shy away from this side of her, does not try to paint her as perfect.

This is my favourite so far of Saint’s work, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

A very satisfying read about a goddess I knew little about - the story of a woman whose life didn’t go according to plan, but found her own way.