katiefronk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: War, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, and Animal death
booksandteatime's review
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, and Misogyny
liv_jones's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A masterful retelling of the life of Atalanta, the only female Argonaut and a strong contender for the title of Fastest Person In The Ancient World. Jennifer Saint brings together so many different stories from Classical mythology and remains pretty faithful to them all, although with so much content to cover the pacing of the book is at times a little inconsistent.
Atalanta is a strong protagonist, and her desire for both glory and belonging are well articulated. There are plenty of other strong characters too - particularly Medea, and I definitely appreciate that she is not vilified in this book as she can be in other retellings.
I do wish that the book didn’t focus as much on romance as it does - one of Atalanta’s main character traits in the source texts is that she absolutely didn’t want to be in a relationship (at least until Hippomenes comes along), so to have that part of her character erased is a little disappointing. Also I feel like the ending of the book is pretty divisive, it wasn’t really for me and it felt rather abrupt, but I think other people might love it.
Atalanta is a strong protagonist, and her desire for both glory and belonging are well articulated. There are plenty of other strong characters too - particularly Medea, and I definitely appreciate that she is not vilified in this book as she can be in other retellings.
I do wish that the book didn’t focus as much on romance as it does - one of Atalanta’s main character traits in the source texts is that she absolutely didn’t want to be in a relationship (at least until Hippomenes comes along), so to have that part of her character erased is a little disappointing. Also I feel like the ending of the book is pretty divisive, it wasn’t really for me and it felt rather abrupt, but I think other people might love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexism, and Violence
Period-typical attitudesvelsbooknook's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
5.0
I don't know how to put into words how much I enjoyed this book. First of all it got me through a very rough week and I'm so thankful for it. This book made me forget I was reading I was just so immersed in this world.
The book starts with Atalanta being abandoned by her father, left in the woods to die. She got raised by a mother bear and her cubs and when she was old enough Artemis took her in. She later on becomes part of the famous Argonauts hoping to secure the Golden Fleece.
This story is one big journey. Travel-wise but also character-wise for Atalanta. I found her to be such a beautiful and well-rounded character. Following her finding new friends, love and most importantly herself. I haven't rooted that much for a character in quite some time.
I also enjoyed many of the side characters, especially Meleager. He and Atalanta had such a lovely dynamic and I loved their moments together.
I found every new location, every new person so interesting and I loved to learn more about the ancient Greek world.
I don't want to spoil to much of the story but I just want to say that end of the book really got me. Some very big decisions were made during the end and I loved them all. I did not think that this book would make me this emotional but it did. I had goosebumps all over my body and I couldn't have asked for a better ending. Saint's writing style is absolutely beautiful and I'll think about this book for a very long time.
If you like Greek mythology I think this will be a wonderful read for you. If you don't know much about Greek myth or aren't much into the genre I encourage you to pick it up nevertheless because this book is pure beauty and so worth reading!
The book starts with Atalanta being abandoned by her father, left in the woods to die. She got raised by a mother bear and her cubs and when she was old enough Artemis took her in. She later on becomes part of the famous Argonauts hoping to secure the Golden Fleece.
This story is one big journey. Travel-wise but also character-wise for Atalanta. I found her to be such a beautiful and well-rounded character. Following her finding new friends, love and most importantly herself. I haven't rooted that much for a character in quite some time.
I also enjoyed many of the side characters, especially Meleager. He and Atalanta had such a lovely dynamic and I loved their moments together.
I found every new location, every new person so interesting and I loved to learn more about the ancient Greek world.
I don't want to spoil to much of the story but I just want to say that end of the book really got me. Some very big decisions were made during the end and I loved them all. I did not think that this book would make me this emotional but it did. I had goosebumps all over my body and I couldn't have asked for a better ending. Saint's writing style is absolutely beautiful and I'll think about this book for a very long time.
If you like Greek mythology I think this will be a wonderful read for you. If you don't know much about Greek myth or aren't much into the genre I encourage you to pick it up nevertheless because this book is pure beauty and so worth reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Death, and Violence
bandysbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'm a big fan of all of the Greek mythology retellings that have been cropping up over the last decade or so and I've previously really enjoyed Jennifer Saint's writing, so I was excited to receive an advanced copy of Atalanta. I was even more excited because Atalanta is a character I have not seen previously covered by all of the many retellings (as opposed to Clytemnestra, Helen, etc.).
To start, I loved the characterization of Atalanta. She has been raised to be fierce and independent. She knows no limitations and so she is a very effective warrior. She's never been taught to think that a woman is somehow less capable, so she joins the Argonauts knowing that she will excel. The warning that Artemis gives her to take no husband seems logical, but as Atalanta explores the world, we see her struggle with her obligations to Artemis and the things she now wants as a human. I definitely think this was the strongest part of the book.
The plot was a bit of a let down for me. While there was a lot going on, it didn't feel like much of it was deeply explored. I expected the journey with the Argonauts to be more exciting, but somehow it felt like a secondary plot. There was a lot more time spent on the romance aspect and I think the action and timing suffered a bit because of it. I don't want to make this sound like it was terrible or anything. It was still an enjoyable story. It's just that comparative to Ariadne and Elektra, this one wasn't quite up to the same standard.
All in all, if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings, you'll likely find this one enjoyable as well. Atalanta is an interesting character and the story does move quickly.
As for the narration of the audiobook, I thought it was well done. It was easy to understand and I found the pacing to be typical for an audiobook. (I always speed them up.) It was easy to follow which characters were speaking and overall, I would recommend the audio option if you typically enjoy them.
3.75 Stars rounded up to 4
To start, I loved the characterization of Atalanta. She has been raised to be fierce and independent. She knows no limitations and so she is a very effective warrior. She's never been taught to think that a woman is somehow less capable, so she joins the Argonauts knowing that she will excel. The warning that Artemis gives her to take no husband seems logical, but as Atalanta explores the world, we see her struggle with her obligations to Artemis and the things she now wants as a human. I definitely think this was the strongest part of the book.
The plot was a bit of a let down for me. While there was a lot going on, it didn't feel like much of it was deeply explored. I expected the journey with the Argonauts to be more exciting, but somehow it felt like a secondary plot. There was a lot more time spent on the romance aspect and I think the action and timing suffered a bit because of it. I don't want to make this sound like it was terrible or anything. It was still an enjoyable story. It's just that comparative to Ariadne and Elektra, this one wasn't quite up to the same standard.
All in all, if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings, you'll likely find this one enjoyable as well. Atalanta is an interesting character and the story does move quickly.
As for the narration of the audiobook, I thought it was well done. It was easy to understand and I found the pacing to be typical for an audiobook. (I always speed them up.) It was easy to follow which characters were speaking and overall, I would recommend the audio option if you typically enjoy them.
3.75 Stars rounded up to 4
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Grief, Misogyny, Death, Pregnancy, and Blood
flashandoutbreak's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Blood, War, Violence, Death, and Pregnancy
saskia_ej's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexual content
heather_harrison's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you Headline Publishing & NetGalley for my audio ARC of Atalanta by Jennifer Saint.
Ancient Greek retellings are very on trend right now, and Atalanta certainly delivers. Yet another retelling which highlights the women previously left behind in these tales, and I am absolutely loving it! This is my first of Jennifer Saint's books and I'm certainly more inclined to potentially pick up Ariadne or Elektra.
Saint did a great job of balancing this feminist icon alongside the sheer misogyny of that world. Her writing is stunning - I'd go so far to say that parts were certainly beautiful, lyrical prose.
Plotwise I felt like it all came together very well, however I wasn't a huge fan of the voyage with Jason and the Argonauts. I felt myself getting bogged down and wasn't overly engaged with it. Hearing Atalanta finally return to her father, only to have him attempt to marry her off was frustrating, until she took it upon herself to turn the tables and turn the entire farce into a footrace. It genuinely gave the same energy as "I'll be shooting for my own heart" from Brave's Merida and I feel like there is some overlap between the two characters.
Narration by Beth Eyre was sensational, and I felt she did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.
I did not see the ending coming and it definitely swept me off my feet.
"I am wild, I am free, I am Atalanta."
Ancient Greek retellings are very on trend right now, and Atalanta certainly delivers. Yet another retelling which highlights the women previously left behind in these tales, and I am absolutely loving it! This is my first of Jennifer Saint's books and I'm certainly more inclined to potentially pick up Ariadne or Elektra.
Saint did a great job of balancing this feminist icon alongside the sheer misogyny of that world. Her writing is stunning - I'd go so far to say that parts were certainly beautiful, lyrical prose.
Spoiler
Plotwise I felt like it all came together very well, however I wasn't a huge fan of the voyage with Jason and the Argonauts. I felt myself getting bogged down and wasn't overly engaged with it. Hearing Atalanta finally return to her father, only to have him attempt to marry her off was frustrating, until she took it upon herself to turn the tables and turn the entire farce into a footrace. It genuinely gave the same energy as "I'll be shooting for my own heart" from Brave's Merida and I feel like there is some overlap between the two characters.
Narration by Beth Eyre was sensational, and I felt she did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.
I did not see the ending coming and it definitely swept me off my feet.
"I am wild, I am free, I am Atalanta."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Violence, Death, and Rape
mxbluet18's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Trigger warnings for Atalanta include: death, murder, sexism and sexual violence.
☆
☆
I enjoyed this one more than I have with some of the other Greek mythology retellings and historical fiction novels I've picked through the beginning of this year.
~
I think it might be down to the main character Atalanta having a personality in a way I didn't feel others previously had. But I'm also less familiar with the story of Jason and the Argonauts, therefore for me it's just a story as I'm not comparing it with other retellings of it.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
☆
☆
I enjoyed this one more than I have with some of the other Greek mythology retellings and historical fiction novels I've picked through the beginning of this year.
~
I think it might be down to the main character Atalanta having a personality in a way I didn't feel others previously had. But I'm also less familiar with the story of Jason and the Argonauts, therefore for me it's just a story as I'm not comparing it with other retellings of it.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Murder
velvetreads_'s review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Sexual assault, War, Murder, Rape, Animal death, Death, and Violence