Jennifer Saint's portrayal of Hera in this captivating read breathes new life into well-known stories while offering a fresh perspective on this multi-faceted goddess. Through thoughtful dialogue and the inclusion of lesser-known tales, Saint depicts Hera not only as Zeus's vengeful wife but also as a free-spirited goddess who roamed forests, took down titans, and stood as Zeus's equal yet unwilling partner as Queen of the Heavens.

While some reviews have noted a wish for Hera's success instead of her repeated failures in her attempts to overthrow others—and I can understand the desire to see her occasionally vindicated or successful—I view these as testaments to her absolute strength and fortitude. Despite setbacks, Hera's resilience and unwavering belief in her vision and goals, for better or worse, are evident throughout the narrative. Saint skillfully weaves Hera's tale, allowing readers to glimpse the thoughts behind her actions. Surprisingly, these actions often stem from intricate motivations different from those typically attributed to her, adding complexity to her character.

I particularly admired the way the author made us understand Hera and her choices without necessarily making us agree with them. Saint doesn't attempt to make Hera likeable, nor does she shy away from Hera's vengefulness, but instead presents it in a nuanced way that allows readers to see the changes in her character throughout the narrative. As an example, i was able to see hypocrisy that i hadn't seen before, in the way she was worried or sad that Zeus was using her as a reason to instill fear in the nymphs and goddesses, like Asteria, to that being reversed in her treatment of Echo and Leto, wishing to inspire that fear and cement it. This reminded me of Stephen Fry's ability to bring the gods and goddesses to life, showcasing their personalities, feelings, and quirks

Fierce and uncompromising, Hera is portrayed as fallible yet steadfast, her complexity and determination adding depth to this often overshadowed goddess. I found the exploration of her character to be both enlightening, engaging and at times poignant. I highly recommend this book to mythology lovers,new and seasoned alike, as Saint's fresh perspective breathes new life into even the most familiar tales.

I was lucky enough to also have the ebook ARC for this as well, and so had the unique experience of listening to the audio book version alongside reading, and it truly enhanced the experience. The narrator's clear and concise delivery, coupled with great pacing, kept the story engaging and prevented it from feeling drawn out, keeping the momentum going. The narrator was able to bring the characters to life in a way that complemented Jennifer Saint's writing perfectly. While I personally would have liked more distinct and varied voices for each character, the narration, especially Hera's coldness and detachment, added depth to the storytelling.
Despite this minor preference, I found the narrator's portrayal of Hera's thoughts and the overall storytelling to be captivating. Additionally, the clear expression of dividing chapters made it easy to follow along and stay immersed in the narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Books for the ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Another great mythological retelling from Jennifer Saint. She has such a great way of discussing complex characters, I love that we got to hear Hera’s story and I love that she was complex and not necessarily always the hero. Would definitely recommend.

Hera's viewpoint was an interesting one because you want to root for her but she's also a villain. I appreciate more complex female characters that aren't all good and gentle or righteous warriors.

I did lose interest a bit in the middle but I liked the ending and her journey.

It was also written as beautifully as you'd expect from Jennifer Saint.

A tale that sheds light on a prominent immortal goddess Hera and shares the story from her perspective. Covering the background story of Cronos, how she came to be so vengeful and how she is a goddess besides being a wife to Zeus.

Out of all the author's works I have read, this was the one that spoke to me the most. I was invested in the story, burning with anger with Hera and wanted to know how it ended. I must say that I have not come across any Greek story without the mention of Troy in it and it holds true to this one as well. But I am glad that, unlike others, the author did not stray from the main character and kept the story aligned throughout on the queen of Olympus.

Thank you @netgalley @headlinebooks @jennifer.saint.author @headline.audio.uk for the ARC
Genre: #greekmythology
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Headlines:
Rise and fall
Patriarchy meets matriarchy
Competitiveness

What a screwed up bunch the Olympians were...hedonistic, egotistical and all about power. Hera led this tale with empowerment that rose from within herself, I had to admire so much about her characterisation. And yet, she was cold, lacking in feelings towards those you'd expect and she was fiercely competitive with Zeus.

A lot of this tale was about Hera's plotting and her long term strategy to rise above Zeus. I cannot say she had integrity because she didn't. I found the tales of her progeny and her disconnect from them somewhat shocking. Through Hera's eyes, there really wasn't one god or goddess I could really say I liked but their scheming made for gripping reading.

I really loved the last quarter of this book. The demise of the Olympians was exciting and messy; the final paragraphs of this book were superb.

I read this and also listened on audio in parts. The narration was great and channelled the cold calculation of Hera.

Thank you to Wildfire Books for the review copy.

3.75/5

I adore Saint's retellings. I was so curious to see how she would retell Hera's story, I was particularly interested to find out exactly what it would cover. It turns out it is as vast and intricate as all Greek mythology is. We start at the fall of the Titans and the rise of the Olympians, and span important events from the creation of Athena to the birth of Apollo and Artemis, from the Argonauts to the Trojan War, and far beyond. We get glimpses of all of these events and the tumultuous feelings of Hera as she witnesses them.
I am a very passionate lover of Greek mythology, however I think this book is also incredibly accessible for those that don't know very much, yet still illuminating and intriguing to those that already know all of the stories within it.

I loved Saint's writing, I thought it was beautiful and effortlessly captured such emotion within it. The only reason I didn't rate this higher is because my personal interest does not lie within Hera. I personally think it's far more interesting to read about mortals and their interactions with the gods, they are also much easier to empathise with. Because of this I do prefer Saint's other works, however I still think this is an incredible book and a worthwhile read. I truly did appreciate and admire the reframing of Hera's narrative. While I can't say I am now Hera's number one fan, it definitely did make me sympathise with her moments of grief and forced me to rethink the narrative in which her story is always told.

Hera is such a complicated figure to choose as the protagonist of our story and I would be fascinated to know why Saint chose her specifically. Hera is known for being the sister and wife of Zeus, the goddess of marriage and women. But most commonly, she is known for her jealousy and vengeance. I'll admit, Hera has never been a favourite goddess of mine, she has never really interested me all that much. But this story certainly made my opinions of her more complex.

Practically every god and goddess in Greek mythology has done terrible things, which is why I'll repeat that I find the stories of mortal people surviving the gods' wrath far more captivating. But there are certain stories that stick out more as immoral or wrong. Sexual assault is a common theme and feature within Greek mythology as it was unfortunately an even more common action of the time and was therefore represented in ways we would definitely now find disturbing in stories only told by men. I love that now we are getting vibrant and angry feminist retellings where the women in these stories are recentred and their wounds made visible, their victimhood made into personhood, their lives given more meaning than only an assault used to tell a story.
I say all this because this is very obviously something that Saint's retellings do as well, they are absolutely amazing feminist retellings. However there are aspects of Hera's narrative that Saint cannot erase or rewrite without straying too far from what we know of her, and so she cannot rewrite Hera's punishments for the women Zeus lays with and also those that he rapes. Because of this, Hera has always left a sour taste in my mouth (have no fear, Zeus leaves far worse than a sour taste, I will in no way bypass his actions and blame Hera only for her reactions), it is an element that makes Hera a difficult character to fully empathise with.
This has nothing to do with the book itself, this story is the closest anything has ever come to making me like Hera, I'm only trying to explain why I couldn't personally rate this book higher.

I still appreciate this depth to Hera's character that we encounter because she commits acts that we, the reader, might dislike or even hate her for. It parallels the moments of deep sympathy Saint is so adept at dragging from us. We mourn with Hera, we shake at the bars of her gilded cage with her, we find small moments of joy with her. And that's all because of how skilfully Saint is able to portray her and the rest of the gods.
The ending in particular was such an emotional, devastating yet hopeful, whirlwind. It was the perfect ending for a story of a god, for the story of all the gods. I think it might have been my favourite part. As I mentioned before, all my favourite moments to witness the gods are when they interact with mortals, at no other moment in time are their immortal presences so tangibly different, at no other time do they appear so frightening and powerful, yet at no other time do they also appear so human.

Another factor I loved with all my heart was how prevalent certain characters were that aren't often focused on in the mythology. I adored seeing Echidna and her care and love for her children, it's a side of her that isn't often portrayed as compassionately as Saint does here. It was thought-provoking and added perfectly to the cast of morally complex characters. I really liked that this story never tried to redeem characters, but always added a lot of insight into their actions.
I adored, more than anything, how prevalent Hestia was, my favourite unproblematic goddess! She's such a warm, comforting presence throughout the story, as is apt, and I was so endeared to her whenever she came across the page.

All of this is a very long-winded way of saying do yourself a favour and go read Saint's superb retellings! I just adore them, they're the perfect feast for your Greek mythology cravings!

Thank you Netgalley and Headline for an arc.

5 ⭐️

The audiobook version was amazing. The voice acting was perfect. You could feel the emotion seeping through the phone !

I had high expectations for this book and I was not disappointed!!
Hera is such an overlooked goddess in Greek/Roman myths. Always portrayed as a vengeful and jealous wife of Zeus…
This shines new light on to her story… hey pain, her sacrifice and he femininity.
I loved this version of Hera - equal in every way to her husband and brother Zeus.
Queen in her own right…

🎧
This was my first Jennifer Saint read and I loved it.

A wonderful Greek Mythology retelling of Hera, the wife and sister of Zeus and the Goddess of lawful marriage. The Queen of Olympians known for her vengeful traits is portrayed in such a way that you can't help but root for her.

A fascinating and captivating story of love, compassion and motherhood, but also power, abuse and death. The author has definitely brought Hera to the fore of recent mythological retellings with this book.

The narration by Naomi Frederick was perfect. Clear and precise diction with a captivating voice. And good character definition.

Highly recommended and an absolute triumph for me. I will definitely be reading more of Jennifer Saint’s books.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of this book.

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure how I felt after finishing this book. As in her other novels, Jennifer Saint's writing is great and that is no different for Hera.

I thought Saint did a fantastic job of keeping to the frustrating character of Hera, that being punishing those for Zeus' actions. Hera is a complicated character and Saint was great at capturing and dealing with this. I also enjoyed how the relationship between Hera and Zeus was depicted; a toxic competition of who can hurt the other more.

However with that said, I found it a little disillusioning to read how Hera was never successful and always failed. I know that she is not a likeable character but I wanted more rage and anger - I wanted to root for her. The pacing of the story also felt a little off to me, it read more like a list of things Hera and experienced and her reactions, then just moving onto the next thing.

I really liked the ending, Hera does find some peace and understanding but I think this would have been more impactful if I had been made to care more or felt more connected to Hera in the main bulk of the story.

I listened to the audiobook and was honestly a little disappointed regarding pronunciations. I am very aware that this might be a personal issue for me as I am by no means an expert on Greek mythology, but I had to re-listen a couple of times to gather who was being referred to or spoken about. I know that pronunciations can vary but I found it a little jarring and confusing at times, but again that might just be a me problem.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Renowned as a formidable queen, Hera is breathed to life in this retelling by Jennifer Saint. Hera helps break the vile and terribly violent Titan rule of her father Cronos, alongside her siblings and dares to dream that the new Olympian rule will be much more fair. Yet, it soon becomes clear that Zeus has inherited mean and cruel streak and takes his pleasure when and where he wants. Hera wasn't always a jealous and vengeful wife, taking out her anger on the mistresses and offspring of Zeus. Saint paints a picture of Hera when she feared her father, when she lived freer, hoped more and had visions of a brighter future, giving us a fuller picture of all the elements and events that led her to become the fierce queen Hera of legend. A spirited and strong feminine interpretation of the greek myth superbly narrated and entirely engaging. #hera #jennifersaint #netgalley #audiobook #headlineaudio

Such a mighty Greek mythology retelling and about the queen of gods herself!

My memories of Hera through my classical studies are of a vengeful woman, a pitiful goddess trying to not only punish innocent women, but trying to elevate herself through the suffering of others. Well, let me tell you that I got it so so wrong!! In this retelling Hera is shown in all her beauty and one of the most multifaceted goddesses of all Olympus.
Born to rule, she quickly understands that Zeus hasn't got any will to share his power, leaving her the role of overseeing weddings and having to suffer the prayers of scorned and beaten wives, asking for her protection.
This is the role Zeus has literally forced upon her, a power that she starts experimenting with, in an attempt to overrule him.

I've found both the story and the narration so beautiful and so powerful at the same time. Hera is so much more than what I studied, and a true example of how much stronger women are than men. Through the centuries Hera evolves and mutates so many times that after every few chapters she's never the same person we've encountered, and that is her ultimate strength.

In a world that changes constantly, with humanity believing in the gods less and less, she has managed to become stronger and stronger through her independence, morality, and inner power. She has learnt how to channel her vulnerability and her weaknesses so that they became her weapons, so much so that when she finally understands this, what she fought for all her life loses its appeal completely, and she can truly be herself. A true everlasting goddess in an ever-changing world.

I highly recommend this not only for those who like mythology retellings, but for those who like powerful women navigating a world of narrow-minded men.

There's no doubt it's great writing but I found there was no real plot to this, just a series of events filled with rich detail. I'm sure some people will love this style but I found that I had no real connection to Hera or any of the other briefly present characters.

I love mythological retellings but this fell pretty flat for me, not entirely sure why or if it was something to do with the narrator but it did.

The overall aspect of the story was good but I struggled to follow at times.

I normally enjoy books with an unlikeable character as the main protagonist, so I was really excited about this one. Unfortunately, I feel as though it didn’t really meet my expectations.

Jennifer Saint’s writing is gorgeous, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, but her Hera fell flat.

To me, she was almost one-dimensional, and some chapters felt like less of an exploration of Hera as a complex mythological character, and more like a recitation of myths that featured her.

She was surprisingly inactive? For a feminist retelling, Hera wasn’t powerful in the way I would have liked. I felt like Hera relied on the other people around her to work on her behalf, and never really found her own strength, or made Zeus pay for everything he had done. It was basically just circumstance that led her to end up where she did.

It’s a shame because I really enjoyed Ariadne and I’m a big fan of Greek retellings, but this just didn’t do it for me. I’m sure other people will enjoy it more, but I think I’ve read such a lot of retellings that my standard is super high now.

Also, I was thrown off by the narrator’s pronunciation of some names and places. I know some names can vary in pronunciation but it was quite jarring to hear some being said so wrongly, and it kept pulling me out of it. Other than that, the narrator was great though.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wildfire for giving me this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really really wanted to love this one as Jennifer Saint wrote one of my all time favourite mythological retellings but I listened to 60% and gave up, I was just so very bored. I could tell I was supposed to be feeling rage for Hera but I just didn't and even more than that I didn't care at all which I hated because Ariadne broke my heart.

I should preface this by saying that I’m no expert in Greek mythology, so have always thought of Hera as the vengeful and slightly petty wife of Zeus. And whilst I still believe that to be true after reading this book, it does a good job of humanizing a pretty unlikeable main character. I really did feel enraged at Zeus’ arrogance and audacity, and could see how Hera’s descent into simmering rage could occur.

I very much enjoyed this book, and will definitely be checking out some more of Jennifer Saint’s work. There were some points that felt a bit like an info dump of Greek Mythology, but there’s SO much to get through that I couldn’t fault the story much for that. A great read! Thanks so much to NetGalley and Hachette UK for the ARC!

I partly read and partly listened to this one - Hera is perfect for fans of mythological retellings and you’ll love it if you liked Jennifer Saint’s previous feminist retellings. There are a lot of triggers in this book, so please check them out - but overall, I enjoyed reading about Hera and how she fit into the world of the Greek gods. It definitely humanised Hera who is normally cast as a villain, and showed her POV for Zeus’ antics… we see her as a woman, who doesn’t always make the right decisions, but who does?! An in depth and interesting read.

I love Jennifer saint !!! Outstanding as always. I loved the narrator too for the most part except I found a few different pronunciations a bit jarring. Demeter, Athena, and the word “wrath” were all pronounced differently and that kind of took me out of it a bit. But other than that excellent book and narration.

Sadly my least favourite Jennifer Saint book to date.

I dont know why but it fell a little flat for me.

I really enjoyed this and having a book from Hera point of view! It was a great and exciting read and I enjoyed listening along whilst also reading a proof as it helps me to continue when I’m out and about. the narrator was really good. I would recommend this book!