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nebulasaurus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Theseus may be one of the most famous heroes of Greek mythology, but this retelling shows us Ariadne’s side of the story.
Before reading Ariadne, I only knew of the titular character for her role in Theseus’ escape from the labyrinth. I was surprised by both the rest of Ariadne’s story and my ignorance of it; the twists and turns—especially Ariadne’s eventual marriage—make for a dramatic story. The Olympians are usually so cruel and capricious, both so much more and so much less than human. So it was interesting to see Dionysus, the god of wine and madness, no less, acting so compassionately to human women. And, though I was not surprised, his betrayal and the violence he used in pursuit of more power was a disappointment.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending): Not happy at all. Even though the ending is tragic, it feels inevitable, which tempers the sadness somewhat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail