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3.5 

Atalanta

By Jennifer Saint
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

From the beloved, bestselling author of Elektra and Ariadne, a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta, a fierce huntress raised by bears and the only woman in the world’s most famous band of heroes, the Argonauts

Princess, Warrior, Lover, Hero

When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.

Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?

Full of joy, passion, and adventure, Atalanta is the story of a woman who refuses to be contained. Jennifer Saint places Atalanta in the pantheon of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, where she belongs.

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125 Reviews

3.5
“A great retelling of the only heroine on the Argo. Was a fast paced adventure & an entertaining read, until Part IV, where I found Atalanta slightly insufferable as she puts the blame of the tragic events on everything other than herself.”
“Overall ranking among Saint's books: better than Elektra, but not as good as Ariadne. Atalanta is a fascinating figure in the Argonautica. Apollonius of Rhodes was a good storyteller, but not a detailed one. We know she was there, bested Peleus, earned her keep, and represented Artemis, but there's a lot of gaps in her story which gives the perfect opportunity for a writer to grow. Jennifer Saint rises about halfway to that occasion. The book is objectively entertaining, and the style is as smooth as her other books, but she seems mostly interested in retelling as in "telling again" rather than "telling anew." We go through the events of Atalanta's life, but the book isn't especially contemplative about them. I think the missed opportunity with this and much of Saint's writing is that the central appeal of a retelling is to take a myth and use it as a tool to explore your own themes. Instead, we just go through the events of what happens. There's not a lot of new ideas here. From the base of Atalanta's story, there is a central question: in a patriarchal world, is virginity freeing or stifling? Artemis offers safety from men, eternal virginity, and peace. In a cultural context of frequent rape, this is a tempting fantasy. Atalanta is a champion of the goddess of virginity, but she has affairs, a son, and an eventual marriage. She must consider if the freedom that comes with chastity is at the expense of sexual liberation. It's an interesting question, from an ancient concept to a more modern conversation about empowerment as it relates to men. Is it more freeing to say we live without them, or to be with them on our own terms? The book asks the question, but doesn't satisfactorily answer it. There's not a lot of thinking that goes into her relationship with Meleager that isn't surface level. Less with her husband. The ending implies that Atalanta is on the side of sexual liberation, but it's over before we have time to consider it. Overall, tame given the potential of the subject.”
“how to upset your goddess patron and still somehow suffer the consequences (but you're happy about the outcome, don't worry)”

About Jennifer Saint

Due to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. She spent the next thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. She is the internationally bestselling author of Atalanta, Elektra, and Ariadne.

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