oh i absolutely adored this! i’ve loved every book i’ve read by jennifer saint and this was no different.

i was very much a greek mythology kid growing up, and i’ve always found hera to be such an interesting goddess. while i know a lot of people dislike her, i’ve found myself feeling drawn to her. this book was the validation i needed - reading about the myths i know from hera’s perspective made me appreciate her and feel for her. i think hera is a very complex goddess, and this book brought out a side to her i have been dying for someone to explore.

the book is so emotional and written so beautifully, i thoroughly enjoyed it. i cannot wait to read more from this author.

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

Greek retellings are something I enjoy, and this one didn't disappoint. Hera is usually a character I dislike but that has now changed. Seeing a different perspective of her can really put into perspective all the things she's been through, which helps understand her choices. The story was amazing and the writing was beautiful.

As a reader who finds herself gravitated words Greek Mythology retellings, I have observed that we are in the time of feminine rage and taking back the power from the men of history and mythos that rightfully belongs to women, who for the most part have been unjustly portrayed.

Hera, is a retelling where she takes back her power and conveys the full extent of feminine power - while also showing a typically overlooked and disregarded softness to her persona.

Despite the faults of her character - because there are many, I found myself drawn to her. She is utterly confounding and vindictive in the best way.

Jennifer Saint is a wordsmith of the highest calibre and brings myths back to life. I find myself picking up every book she writes without hesitation and this one was no different. Despite receiving an ARC, I immediately added the physical copy to my collection.

Absolutely fabulous!
I've always disliked the goddess Hera as she seemed cruel, capricious and spiteful. She appeared to have done foul deeds for the sake of it- out of malice and envy.
The book has completely transformed my opinion of her and turned my opinion on it's head!
I can't believe that the author has actually managed to make me feel empathy for this Goddess.
It details her existence from a young carefree Goddess at the start of her powers, to a woman who has been captured in a loveless marriage and the reasons why she comes to loathe her brother/husband and the bonds he has enforced on her.
It gives background story to the children she's had by Zeus and insight into her relationships with them.
A very complex and interesting book that really made me contemplate exactly what Hera went through and made her feel more real.
I've read other books by this author and I can safely say I want to read everything she has to write! I love mythical tales and the feminist empowerment in these books is epic.
I highly recommend this book.

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. Although this does not excuse her actions towards many icconent people, such as Zeus's children, we did get an insight into the background of these actions, and why her emotions were the way they were.

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.

📚 review 📚
hera - jennifer saint

this is my first experience of a jennifer saint book and my first experience reading about hera - ive never particularly cared for her before believing she was just some vengeance god who took out her anger at her husbands infidelity on the poor women he assaulted and the children he produced.
turns out that was a pretty accurate understanding but there is so much more to hera than i had previously thought - jennifer saint some how managed to make her almost relatable.

though the pacing wasn’t quite as exciting as other greek mythology retellings i’ve read, this was a fascinating story about one of the most interesting greek goddesses.

hera is out now - thank you to @netgalley for the early copy and i am very excited to be catching jennifer saint on her book tour next month!


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I loved this raw retelling of Hera’s story. Queen of the gods, vengeful stepmother and spiteful wife - but also so much more. This is very much an ‘origin story’ as we learn more about Hera’s ‘childhood’ as much as any god has one, but also those defining moments in her life that seek to explain (rather than condone) her behaviour.
In Greek mythology Hera is often vilified due to her jealousy and vindictiveness towards Zeus’s mistresses/victims and their children, who bear the brunt of her anger rather than Zeus himself.
Hera’s tale seems to be a reaction to injustice after injustice piled upon her – as the daughter of Cronus and Zeus’s sister she is a hugely powerful goddess, but when the Olympian gods defeat the Titans and set up their home on Olympus, Zeus claims primacy and Hera is passed over when the other gods and goddesses are given their thrones and their realms of influence.
Note before we continue: This book and therefore the review contains trigger warnings of rape & sexism/misogyny.
On top of Hera’s ill treatment as a member of Olympus, Zeus forces Hera to become his wife and rapes her. Her inner pain at being betrayed and violated in this way is then compounded with the humiliation of being made goddess of marriage by Zeus whilst he constantly undermines her by forsaking his vows and creating a myriad of offspring (usually by force).
I thought this story was a thoughtful retelling of Hera’s life, as well as being a scathing look at the patriarchy and the different ways that anger and grief can show themselves. I must also mention the hot of side characters which could have gotten confusing, but Saint’s careful character and world building meant even myself as someone fairly new to Greek mythology was fine, and learnt so much context that will bring new insights to new stories I read in the future.
Thank you to Headline for gifting me an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I will post across platforms on 23 May

Hera is usually painted as a jealous, vengeful woman, targeting the women who her husband, Zeus, has affairs with (or whom he sexually assaults). However, this novel shows how Hera changed, from a strong, likeable character, to the victim of sexual assault from Zeus and how this impacted on her. Forced to make choices, she marries Zeus and then has to deal with his betrayal and the suffering and ridicule this brought upon her.

Fighting against a patriarchal society, she does what she can to regain her power and to stop Zeus from targeting more victims. “The women … turn their misery and anger to Hera …To hear of the commonplace tragedies that blight their existence. She never asked to be the goddess of marriage … it was forced on her … and she seethes that her realm is one of empty promises, of stunted hopes and ruined faith”.

The misogyny of Greek mythology is deep, with the goddesses themselves victim to the unfair society “the best way to convince Zeus of her obedience is to give him more children. What else would a dutiful wife do?” and the sexual violence is not restricted to Zeus, but other male gods as well, “… over cups of wine, she listened to [Apollo] brag to Zeus about Daphne, a naiad he pursued through the forests … Apollo had burned for her … his his words like poetry as he described his desire … [how] he gave chase … her fluttering panic only more charming to him”; “Hera can hear Zeus’ voice rumbling … as he set out the steps by which Peleus should overpower the woman. ‘When it’s finished, ‘ Hermes tells him ‘she’ll have to marry you. She can’t refuse … Thetis will obey, following Hera’s example, Hermes explains. This is how the queen of the gods came by her own husband … Her own name, invoked as a justification for rape”.

This novel remains relatively true to Greek mythology as it doesn’t hide from the physical and sexual violence wrought by the gods. Hera is often angry and cruel, but this novel gives some understanding as to why.

A very good novel about a very complicated character.

From my first read of Atalanta, I knew Jennifer Saint was going to be one of my new favourite authors and Hera has cemented that. Another amazing mythological retelling seen through the eyes of one of Greek mythology's most prosecuted Goddesses and giving her back her voice to tell her tale of trials and dangers. Saint gives us the tale of the Goddess Queen, Hera, as she hopes to be a part of the changing Olympus alongside her family, but things are not always that easy, especially for women in mythology.

I absolutely adored Hera from the beginning with the battles against physical foes and mental forces set to make her fail. But Hera proves herself as a Goddess and warrior. That isn't to say she is full of virtues, especially after what she's been through; she is compassionate, angry, irrational, and diplomatic; Hera is a character full of complexities that make her feel human even for a mythological being. Just as the trials her mythological counterpart puts heroes and heroines through, Hera fights through her own and comes out a true queen.

Written with her unapologetic, lyrical style, Saint had me hooked from cover to cover with the compassionate, and beautiful tale. I devoured the book within a few days because the story was so engrossing with the worldbuilding adding depth to the tale. I also love how Saint does not shy away from showing her characters' faults and virtues equally, creating believable and relatable characters even if they are seen as non-human.

I thoroughly recommend Hera to anyone who adores Greek mythology retellings and fantasy lovers who adore a strong female lead who prevails against the worst of adversaries.

Thank you, NetGalley and Headline for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5⭐️

Ariadne is one of my all time favourite books, so I am always excited for a new release from Jennifer Saint.

Hera, daughter of Cronos, helped her brothers Zeus to overthrow their father. Establishing their rule on Mount Olympus, Hera dreams of ruling at Zeus' side. But as time passes she wonders if he may be just as tyrannical as their father.

Born to rule, but trapped in a cycle of violence and cruelty, Hera wonders if there is a way to forge a better world.

"Her mother and her grandmother couldn't do it, but maybe Hera can."

Please do check trigger warnings! As with many interpretations of these myths, beware of mentions of r*pe, misogyny, inc*est.

Saint’s writing is unmatched, and her interpretation of Greek myths and characters never fails to impress. The writing is beautifully lyrical, and her portrayal of the women in mythology is refreshing and I always appreciate how she brings their perspective to the forefront.

This retelling of the myths of Hera follows the gods of Mount Olympus after the age of the Titans collapsed. The pacing is incredibly interesting, time seeming to be fleeting for the gods of Olympus, when really hundreds of years are passing. Hera weaves so many of my favourite myths into the story, really adding to the sense that the gods just watch humanity and their triumphs/defeats/wars pass by, only intervening when it suits.

Hera is often portrayed as the cruel, vengeful wife, but Saint manages to capture all sides of the queen to the gods - her compassion, her loyalty. This feminist retelling is not a redemption story, but one that aims to show the complexity of a ruler who faced (and caused) atrocities and what motivated her to make such choices.

"Hera, Goddess of marriage. Doesn’t that please you?"
"Is that what they call me?"
"It’s what you are," he says. "It’s the title I’m giving you. What else could you be?"
Once, she thinks, there were so many answers to that question.
It’s a reminder now and always that no matter who she was before, in the eyes of the world she is Zeus’s wife.

Hera demonstrates both the plight and power of women, and I think it does a wonderful job of showing how the world someone lives in, the things they go thorough, can play a large role in the choices they make. Centering Hera in her experiences allows the reader to understand that she is more than bitterness and rage, but a queen who lost so much of what she fought for and was constantly betrayed by those around her.

"Aren't you angry? The world wasn't theirs to divide between them - it was all of ours!"

Hera is a must read for anyone who loves the Greek myth and want to learn more about Hera's story, but I also think this would be a great starting point (as are all Saint's books in my opinion) for anyone wanting to read more Greek mythology retellings.

This is the fourth book by Jennifer Saint, retelling the myths and legends of Ancient Greece for a modern audience, and is by far and away the most detailed and complex so far. What else would you expect when tackling as your subject matter the most complicated, vengeful and maligned goddess of them all, Hera. Prepare to see her as you never have before.

For anyone who has studied the legends of Ancient Greece in depth and is familiar with the stories, this will cast Hera in a light in which you may never have considered her before. For anyone who is new to the topic and may becoming across these tales for the first time, this book contains a wealth of material to pique your interest and give you a fantastic overview of Greek mythology. Most of the most famous tales are touched upon here from Hera’s perspective over the course of her long reign on Mount Olympus.

Hera is viewed by many as a vicious, bitter and jealous goddess constantly betrayed by her unfaithful husband, Zeus who takes her rage out on the women, both mortal and immortal, with whom he cheats and the offspring born of those unions, rather than on the faithless Zeus himself. The author here does not try to excuse Hera’s misplace vengeance, but rather explain it in a way to which many women will be able to relate.

For Hera is a goddess wronged in so many ways by Zeus. As his sister, who fights by his side to gain for them both the thrones of Olympus, only to be cast aside when victory is won. As a woman who is taken against her will, through deceit and brute force, who is then forced to accept her defiler as her husband. As a mother, whose children are overlooked for the honours which should be theirs. As a wife who is betrayed and humiliated time after time. Snd as a queen who is rendered powerless and impotent in the face of her husband’s strength and indifference. What woman could be roundly condemned for unleashing the roar of abused womanhood on everything that stands in her way?

For in the end, this is a story of the patriarchy and how, since the dawn of time, it has sought to smother and weaken the power of women, through superior physical strength, humiliation and violence. (This is not a book for anyone who shies from descriptions of sexual assault or expects this subject to be tiptoed around.) For it is women who are the power behind the throne, who birth the children, nurture the earth and keep the home fires burning. Without them, the world would be cold and barren and, when they realise their power and seek to harness it, they become terrifying.

This is a book for any woman who has ever raged against the injustices of a world ruled by men where her light has been unfairly dimmed or things have been taken from her which were rightfully hers or which she did not willingly give. You may not sympathise or agree with Hera’s methods but, after reading this book, you will acknowledge her motivations and may even find a roar for furious feminism rising in your own breast.

I received an early e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Greek mythology retellings and Jennifer Saint is one of the best writers in this genre, so I count myself so lucky that I was selected to read this book early. And I absolutely loved it!

Hera's story isn't one I'm overly familiar with. I only knew snippets of her exploits from other myths, so it was great to have a book of just her story. This book takes us from right back to Hera's (and the other original Olympians) birth and follows her journey for thousands of years until the Greek Gods kind of peter out as human society grows.

It was great to hear the story from Hera's perspective. A lot of retellings focus on Hera's jealousy when finding out about Zeus's various conquests, but in this book her feelings and motivations are explored much further and the reasons for her actions are explained very well. Hera's voice is so authentic, and I loved delving into the mind of the Queen on Olympus.

This was a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it (and any of Jennifer Saints other books) to anyone with an interest in Greek mythology :)

Once again, Jennifer Saint knocks it out of the park with a fantastic and beautifully-written account of the goddess Hera’s story. As a figure often villainised in mythological fiction and non-fiction alike, I knew I had to read this and view Hera’s story from a more understanding point of view. I wasn’t disappointed as the author did a fantastic job of showing how things affected Hera and rightfully put her centre stage as Queen of the Gods. I went into this feeling fairly neutral overall about Hera and came out finding her incredibly fascinating and just as nuanced as Athena. Other goddesses like Hestia were incredibly developed and I loved seeing how each of the goddesses had lots of depth to their stories. This was a fantastic book and I’ll definitely be recommending it!

Not my favourite Jennifer Saint book.

Although the ending was really good and I enjoyed the story more as it progressed I struggled at times to connect with Hera as parts felt more like she was reporting what happened and not like I was experiencing it with her. Part of this was because the book tried to cram in so many events so we never really got to go in depth into each scene and know what Hera was feeling.

There were a few changes from the original mythology, some which worked and some which felt a bit random.

Overall, whilst I enjoyed Jennifer Saint's in depth knowledge of Greek mythology and her ability to make me empathise with Hera at times, I was a bit disappointed in this one as it felt like it was trying to do too much and cover too much so parts felt a bit emotionless and hard to get into.

Hera returns Jennifer Saint's retellings firmly back in the hands of the Gods, as we follow the Queen of them all, the sister wife of Zeus, Hera. The reader follows Hera from the early days of the Olympians overthrowing the Titans, the splitting of powers and responsibilities and through to the inception of Zeus' growing brood of offspring and Hera's increasing struggles to reclaim what she feels she deserves.

I found Hera an interesting character. She's not likeable - she's filled with self importance and rage, a simmering boiling pot of emotion that manifests in the cruellest ways. Yet I found myself, through Jennifer Saint's writing, being drawn into her desperate plight. By recentering the stories to show Hera's side, the loss of everything she'd worked for and repeatedly forgotten in favour of Zeus's children, becomes intensified. Zeus is not a nice guy. None on the Gods are nice, taking what they want from whomever they want, but Hera shows a tenacity to survive.

I particularly loved all the drama with the Gods. Although they delight, certainly later on in the story, in flaming drama and spectating on mortals, I found the opposite in myself. I loved the drama between Zeus, Athens and the rest. The power struggles and family dynamics have always been what appealed to me about Greek mythology the most. And Jennifer Saint captures this well, developing some compelling relationships among the Gods - especially Hera and Hestia, her quiet eldest sister.

If anything I found the pacing didn't quite work towards the end third of the book, with the ending feeling a little rushed after such a long build up. I would have liked to have seen Hera strike out on her own, away from Olympus, more and explore her new role in a world freed from the influence of the Gods. However, overall I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to Headline/Wildfire for the ARC.

This is a retelling of Hera's life from almost the beginning right to the end. I've read a few Greek mythology retellings but this is my first centred around Hera, so it was interesting to learn some of the lore for the first time.

Right, then. Why wasn't there a content warnings page? As new books are being written and published, many MANY authors and publishers are listening to readers and including (literally the basics on one page) content warnings, and I am so disappointed Hera didn't have this. Considering this is basically a book of rape, with a rape being described right at the get-go in the second chapter, and there being either a description of, mention of, recalling to, etc, etc, of rape or sexual assault in almost every chapter, it really left just a foul taste in my mouth. Reading descriptions of assault, naturally, makes me uncomfortable. Having a warning at the start about the level of detail and 'amount' of instances would have given me the opportunity to mentally prepare and would have made the reading experience far more tolerable. And I don't want this to be dismissed as 'well that's to be expected with Greek mythology' because it absolutely isn't, it's a retelling, and both the accuracy to the original texts and the level of detail involved are entirely up to the author. It's probably not too late to include one in the ebook and audiobook, I'm jus sayin. Pull yourself into 2024.

Hera is a flawed character. I wouldn't go into this book expecting to like her; she is what she is infamous for, her wrath, jealousy, and vindictiveness. I can't tell if it's Hera or Saint who are guilty of victim blaming when it comes to Zeus' victims. I'm disappointed in either answer. Hera is informative and interesting and definitely well written, but I do feel like there was a lack of or disconnect with anything emotive. It felt more analytical than a creative interpretation, which is fine if that's what you're looking for.

My favourite parts were Hera finding joy with her monster grandchildren, and the desertion of Olympus near the end. I do like that Saint kept all the absurdity with the myths, a lot of authors write it out to make it more 'palatable' but I do appreciate it being as accurate as it was. I own Saint's other 3 works and will be reading them very soon.

I am docking my rating based on the lack of content warnings. Please consider including them in any work that describes heavy topics and themes, especially SA. Statistics say 1/3 women will experience assault in their lifetime, but honestly I'm yet to meet a woman who has *not* been sexually harassed, assaulted, or raped. Do better.

3/5

I love Greek mythology and Jennifer saint never disappoints. Hera is always portrayed as an unlikable side character so it was good to see another side to her. Seeing what she’s been through helps to give some perspective and understanding but she isn’t fully redeemed either. Having such a flawed main character makes for a great story and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley for an eARC.

This book was such a captivating read, the writing style is beautiful with it almost feeling poetic at parts, the story gripping, difficult and challenging all at the same time

I throughly enjoyed this book and it was interesting to see how hera has been portrayed. If you are interested in Greek mythology and retelling then you will thoroughly enjoy this book! If you are just dipping your toes into mythology this will make you much more curious and have you reaching for the next retelling.

This review is for Hera by Jennifer Saint which releases in the UK on the 23rd May! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Headline books for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good Greek goddess mythology retelling, and when I saw this was coming out I was so excited! I’ve read Jennifer’s other retellings and really enjoyed them.

This story focuses on Hera, Queen of the Gods, and shows the story of how the Greek gods came to be in power. It features a wide variety of the well known Greek gods and goddesses while also showing a few lesser known ones as well.

Hera is not a likeable character in this story. especially towards the end. You do start off feeling very sorry for her and what she’s had to endure to get to the place she in, but the way she can treat others and the way she ends up using them for her own purposes without thinking how it will affect anyone else is very frustrating. Hera is often known in Greek mythology as a jealous and vindictive, mainly towards Zeus’ lovers and the illegitimate children created from these unions. And you do very much see this in the novel, but also see it from a very different point of view showing how her jealousy stems from something different. Especially as she hates Zeus (I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read any of the mythology). She still comes across as equally selfish and frustrating as Zeus at times, but different none the less.

This retelling isn't going to redeem Hera's actions, yet it does humanise her as someone dealing with a lot of issues including; subjugation, ridicule and betrayal, without absolving her. More than anything, it's probably going to make you despise the patriarchy and Zeus and everything he stands for (he’s a massive prick).

You'll have to be careful going into this, should you choose to read this, because the Greek Gods didn't know that No Means No and Jennifer Saint does not shy away from lack of consent in ancient times. The Greek Gods can ALL get in the bin. It can also feel a bit disjointed at times, but that’s mainly due to the jumping time periods which can throw you off a bit. Would 100% recommend this, especially if you enjoy mythology!

4.5 stars!

I have always loved Greek mythology and was thrilled to see this take on Hera's story. Hera is often portrayed as a vengeful and jealous goddess, but she had her reasons!

This retelling is beautifully written, and all the God's are brought to life. The author brings the reader to Mount Olympus with her descriptions of the temple and surrounding lands, and you teally get a feel for the Gods up in the clouds peering down at their mortal creations.

This is a misogynistic world,  where rape and control of women is seen as the norm in the world of God's and men alike. Hera has everything taken from her, her sense of self, her dignity, and power. Her husband makes a mockery of their marriage, taking lovers or forcing himself upon his helpless victims. Hera deals with this by trying to thwart his attempts of searing children to put on the thrones of Olympus. However, Zeus always seems to win. But Hera is not to be deterred in her attempts to bring all he has built crashing down.

The author does a great job of exploring Hera's loss of self and her resulting bitterness. For most of the book she is portrayed as one dimensional, and there is not much depth to her character as she is reduced to her obsession for vengeance and often lets her own vanity and pride get in the way. Hera has some misplaced cruelty, but when seen through her own lens of trauma, it is understandable she feels such hatred. I thought this was handled well throughout. I found myself really wanting her to come out on top and for all the Gods and even mortal men to get their comeuppance!