I've always loved mythology and jumped at the chance to read a collection entirely about Hera, who seems often sidelined and one note considering her station in the pantheon of gods and goddesses. Maybe because I have read and enjoyed the author's previous work I feel a bit more critical of this one and at times wondered what the goal was. I didn't feel it brought enough variance in perspective to give Hera a true retelling. Overall Hera is a good book and full of great stories if a reader is someone who is not familiar with these legendary tales. Yet there could have been much more and that waste of potential is what left me with some measure of disappointment.

After reading Ariadne, I quickly became obsessed with Jennifer Saint and have been lucky enough to receive EARCs for each of her subsequent novels (thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!).

I’ll admit, I was equally excited and worried going into this one. Of all of the legends of Hellenism, Hera is arguably one of, if not the single, most challenging to recreate and bring to life in the nuanced ways that I have grown to love Saint’s writing for.

However, I truly believe that this one is quite possibly the best book she has written yet. It’s an incredibly deep, insightful and well-considered exploration of Hera in a way that I’ve seen so rarely done. Rather than portraying her as simply the wronged and vengeful wife of Zeus, the many layers of complexity are unravelled in a way that drew sympathy in spite of some of her questionable actions. The pacing is excellent and I was absolutely hooked, and found myself really upset to finish it.

If you enjoy Greek mythology and retellings, and especially if you have read and enjoyed anything by this author in the past, this isn’t one to miss.

Jennifer Saint is my favourite author and her beautiful writing continues in Hera. It's much different to her other books, I had a feeling it would be. Hera's story in greek mythology isn't an epic tale that has a clear plot direction, her story is sparodic as she's often the antagonist in many greek myths, simply there to punish Zeus's conquests before the tale continues to follow Zeus's offspring. She has no big story of her own, she is simply Zeus's bitter wife. Honestly, I never liked her. She punished the women Zeus cheats on her with when I think the anger should be aimed at him, especially as many of these women don't have a choice.

But Saints new book shows Hera in a new light. She is the strong and independent goddess who helps to destroy the titans, only to be excluded from the division of the realms. After Zeus forces himself on her, she feels utterly powerless so she tries to reclaim her power by agreeing to be his queen... But she makes the mistake of assuming that marriage ties him to her as it does her to him. She finds out the hard way that this is not the case and begins secretly plotting his downfall.

I haven't felt sympathy for Hera before now, she's a goddess and yet powerless when in the face of Zeus and his thunderbolt, trapped by her marriage vows and dombed to watch her husband cheat while giving Olympian thrones to his children by other women. Her only way to punish Zeus is through the women he sleeps with... Though I still don't think it's fair that she does so. It's not like any of them could have stopped him if they'd wanted to. But this book does a wonderful job of explaining Hera's thinking and I feel like, while I still don't agree with her, I understand her and I do feel sympathy for her now too.

The book begins quite slowly, jumping quickly from myth to myth from Hera's point of view and it quickly becomes clear that the more her punishments for Zues fail, the more bitter she becomes. However, over the eons was Hera grows from a bitter scheming wife into so much more than that! I really liked her by the end of the book and I was tearing up at the ending. It was also very satisfying to see Zues's ending too. No spoilers from me beyond that!

I love the way Jennifer Saint paints a picture of the Greek myths and as long as she continues to retell them, I will continue to read and recommend them. I have posted the review on Goodreads and will post on Instagram in the next week or two also

Definitely a worthwhile read. I have been searching for a good Hera retelling, to examine her psyche through another lens and this book does just that. It's a seamless and enticing narrative, as can be expected from Jennifer Saint. I do have 2 bones to pick though: I found the passage of time a little bit jarring, but given that deities' conception of time functions on a different scale, I understand it; and I thought Hera's rush for reconciliation following the Battle of Troy to be a little idealistic and forced. The previous ~75% of the book has been about Hera's subdued wrath towards her Olympian family and now that mortals can't entertain her that calls for forgiveness? It just seems a bit out of character, and it would have been worthwhile if those emotions had been given some more attention. But overall, enjoyed it and am looking forward to who else Jennifer Saint brings back to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tinder Press and Wildfire Books for this ARC.

An incredibly well written Greek story following Hera through the years - Jennifer Saint did an amazing job of cohesively linking so many gods stories together in a very understandable and gripping read.
It was also interesting to follow a character like Hera who isn’t inherently ‘likeable’ but you can sympathise with her even if you question her bold and rash decisions. This story really pulled me in so many directions as to who to side with or invest myself in! I found it so hard to put this one down and will definitely be going on to read more by Jennifer Saint!

I loved this book, it really made me realise that thought out most narratives that I’ve heard and been taught Hera is depicted as spiteful, manipulative and hateful. She is all of these thing but this book really shows that she is also her own person and a victim. It doesn’t excuse the things she’s done. But she is as much a victim as those she hurt.

I found the book a bit slow in the middle. But it is worth it. I loved the end and how it was all wrapped up. It was lovely to see.

This is actually my first time reading one of Saint’s books (even though I own most) and I loved it. Will definitely be reading the ones I have.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC.

3.75/5 stars

Another great adventure of a Greek Goddess by Jennifer Saint. If you like history based stories then this is for you. Can’t wait what the next work will be.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

"Hera" offers an interesting perspective on Hera and her role as Queen of the Gods, but I felt like the characterization wasn't really deep enough to really make me care. The ending also didn't really work for me.

Throughout all Greek fiction, Hera is typically depicted as a jealous, spiteful and enraged Goddess who directs her wrath for Zeus at everyone else. While, Saint's work also depicts the Goddess as these things, the she is also able to weave so much more into Hera's personality. I felt myself rooting for her more than ever before and I even though Zeus will never learn from his mistakes or change his ways, I felt as though Hera was able to grow so much in Saint's depiction of the Goddess.

This was a wonderful read and a fantastic addition to Jennifer Saint's mythology retellings. I'm eager to see who she'll depict next.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Another great Greek Goddess adventure by Saint. This time around we follow Hera's mythology. Hera is not as likeable as previous Saint women. However, Hera's ups and downs are fascinating to imagine through Saint's eyes and although Hera's actions are explained and justified they are not glorified. I look forward to her next retelling.

Right now, writing this review, I’m honestly more than a little bit awestruck. As a fan of Greek mythology retellings, whose adored books by the author in the past, I had high expectations for this book; particularly as it promised the story of the Queen of the Gods. Yet this book didn’t just meet those expectations, it utterly obliterated them. How could anyone resist such a beautifully crafted, enchanting, powerful tale?

First of all I should admit that my knowledge of Hera was nowhere near as good as it should have been going into this book. When I read in the blurb that she was Zeus’s sister I was stunned. I’d heard of some of her actions – such as those surrounding Heracles – but not all of them by any means. So some of this story was new to me, other aspects of it familiar but even if you’re well versed in the original Greek myths I still believe that this book will show Hera to you in a wholly different light. Universally she seems known for being a jealous wife but within these pages her motivations and emotions are so much more complex than that. Anyone whose familiar with recent releases within the genre will know how it tends to craft it’s women – and often it’s beloved heroes too – in a whole new light and this book captured those feelings and sentiments beautifully.

From the very first page of ‘Hera’ I was riveted by this book. It dived straight into a vital moment in her immortal life and enchanted me instantly. Its writing was mesmerising and cast a spell on me within seconds (something that didn’t come as a surprise as I’ve fallen for the author’s prose in the past) and the story kept its hooks into me throughout. Seeing the worlds of the Gods and the mortals through Hera’s eyes was fascinating, as was discovering all that she’d achieved and endured and untangling the true motives behind her vengeful antics.

All of the Gods, Titans and surrounding characters were depicted beautifully within this book. All felt true to what I’ve learnt of them in the past; all felt believable too which is a feat in itself when capturing the Gods on the page. Whilst lost within the pages of this book you all too easily forget the world around you, losing yourself fully to the world that its crafted. There are some beautiful tender moments scattered throughout which caught me utterly off guard and some really powerful, gorgeously depicted sentiments too.

Throughout I was bewitched by this novel and could constantly consider it my favourite by the author yet the ending was somehow still on a whole other level. Oddly it was probably the least action filled segment of this book and yet it was simultaneously the most poignant and my favourite. Something about the writing and sentiments left me utterly spellbound. It had such strong and captivating emotional resonance within its end scenes and captured certain ideas tremendously that I truly hadn’t expected. I wasn’t truly sure what to expect from the book’s end but it certainly wasn’t this; something crafted so gorgeously that it haunts me and will play on my mind for weeks to come.

Let’s be honest if you’ve read the rest of this review then it goes without saying that I recommend this book; whether you’re new to the genre or familiar with it ‘Hera’ is an absolute must read. It’s a beautifully crafted novel that left me utterly bewitched by its spell. It was pure pleasure to read and utterly impossible to tear my eyes away from. And not only is it my favourite novel by the author it’s also now probably my favourite Greek retelling to date. Needless to say I absolutely adored this book.

A really gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to look out for more by this author.

Jennifer Saint is an auto read author for me so I was delighted to read this arc. Hera was another brilliant addition to Saint’s oeuvre, returning women to classical stories that they have previously been written out of.
I hadn’t enjoyed Atalanta as much as Saint’s earlier work but I thought Hera was an excellent character to receive a feminist retelling, removing her from the constraints of the wicked stepmother role that has dominated her narrative until now. A really compelling read.

Here's Jennifer Saint again doing what Jennifer Saint does best - taking a reviled mythological character and showing us another side to a woman who has been painted as one-dimensional: jealous, petty, angry and vindictive.

In Hera, Saint demonstrates how the Queen of the Gods suffered terribly at the hands of her husband Zeus, and sustained loss after horrible loss through her endless, unhappy life.

While her vengeance may not always have been fairly targeted, Hera's bitterness has roots that can be easily recognised. And in this rendering of her story, we have the opportunity to see how Hera changes over the span of her immortal existence.

I would have liked perhaps less of a laser-sharp focus on her hatred for Zeus, whom she initially helped to overthrow their father Cronus the Titan, but that may be too much to ask, given what he put her through.

Offering a more layered understanding of Hera, this is an interesting mythology retelling and will be greatly enjoyed by Saint's legions of fans.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the writing (much more than Jennifer Saint’s previous novel, Alatanta), and the re-telling of the Olympian Gods. The insight into Hera, her bitterness and rage, her desire for revenge that gradually, over the centuries of her existence, subtly changed, was well done. But the thing that really irritated me, that got really tiring after a while, was how the Goddess was constantly motivated only by her hatred of Zeus. Maybe that hatred festered and twisted her? Maybe she had more selfish reasons for what she did? And maybe, in a retelling, some of that could have been reimagined. Still, it was an interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC for reviewing purposes.

Jennifer Saint never disappoints, her prose is beautiful. She builds these characters that are so fully formed that you don’t need to question them because you feel like you know and understand them.

Hera has always been a part of Greek Mythology who has slipped under the radar, depicted as the jealous and bitter wife and little else, her role always in the shadow of Zeus. Jennifer Saint’s mission of giving these women in Greek mythology their own rightful spotlights has shown me a new side of Hera, a woman who was wronged and neglected and misused her whole life, whose potential and ambition was pushed to the side.

Something I particularly admired in this book is how different it felt to Saint’s other novels. Ariadne, Elektra and Atalanta have all followed mortal women and their mortal lives, spanning a few decades before they reach the end of their lives over the course of 400 or so pages. Hera, however, is a goddess with an immortal life, spanning centuries in this book, possibly millennia, so characters such as Atalanta (who is mentioned) are of little consequence, these heroes come and go. Their existence expires within a single page. If Hera is a whole book, some of these so-called “giants” of mythology are a single sentence.

This book gave me a new perspective on Hera’s struggles within herself, especially on the topic of her children. It was particularly painful when she was watching Heracles, the “glory of Hera”, slaughter the monsters, Typhon’s offspring, her own grandchildren, while earning greatness in her name. There is also a scene earlier in the book where Hera is facing the fact that her life has been changed by Zeus and she has no say in it. She is lying still, holding onto the past in hopes to put off the future, and I had to read one particular passage 3 or 4 times before I felt ready and able to move on to the next page, wanting to savour each word and understand it as complexly as Saint wrote it.

Overall, Jennifer Saint gives us an insightful journey through Hera’s stories, bridging gaps and bringing forward yet another woman who deserves the attention most men get within mythology.

I am a lover of retold Greek Myth, and a big fan of Jennifer Saint, having greatly enjoyed her previous books, particularly Ariadne. This book is from the perspective of Hera, Queen of the Gods, wife and sister of Zeus. We have always been presented with Hera as a vengeful God, punishing women for Zeus' many infidelities, but this book really puts us in her golden sandals. For those who are fans of Greek Myth, there are so many side references that you will pick up on. It is a great book, telling a different perspective of a well known figure.

A delightful read. The prose was wonderfully written. The story was well-paced and captivating. Everything was explained well and I never felt lost at any point. I found myself unable to put the book down. I felt myself really empathising with Hera and all her decisions.

I really enjoyed parts of this. I liked that there was a rereading of Hera- that felt really original. It also challenged me more broadly by reminding of the truly dark side of Greek Mythology. I found it hard how often sexual assault was a focus as a result. I thought the ending was thoughtful, but a bit rushed. Overall I would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:3/5
Greek mythology retellings are so overdone these days that it's hard to find a unique one. I've never seen a Greek mythology retelling from Hera's perspective and so I really wanted to read this. It's my first Jennifer Saint book and I really liked it for the most part.


First of all, the pacing is perfect. There's not a single dull moment in this book and even though I was familiar with all the stories mentioned in this book, I never felt bored. Saint has done her research really well. Hera is one of the most fascinating yet underrated character from Greek mythology. Sure, she did some pretty terrible things to people who did not deserve it, but she suffered quite a lot herself. The author did a great job at exploring this side of Hera. However, it often felt like she wasn't the centre of the story. A lot of the book is about Hera fuming in rage at Zeus and his children but doing nothing except petty revenge. I understand that there aren't many myths focusing on Hera, but this just didn't work for me. The author makes it difficult for the reader to sympathize with Hera. She's depicted as unlikable and petty and full of misdirected rage. This book made me hate Zeus even more than I already did, especially after what he did to Hera, but I didn't really like Hera much either. She does get some character development overtime, though. Part 5 was my favourite part of the book, and while I cannot spoil anything, I can say that it explores an aspect of mythology that is often ignored and I thought it was very creative and well done.

Despite the cons of this book, I enjoyed revisiting Greek mythology through it. Even if you are not familiar with Greek mythology, you might enjoy this book and learn many new stories. I'll definitely be checking out the author's other works.