A review by demib
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

  I’m a huge lover of Greek mythology retellings - but this one I have mixed feelings on. 

It’s advertised as a feminist take, but I fail to see where that happened? Ariadne started naive and ended naive. She made a choice to leave with Perseus, and from then on became frail and scared of everything. 

Phaedra deserved better. Her character was strong, blunt, intelligent beyond her years desperate for change. Yet it doesn’t end well for her, and all because of unrequited love? 

Dionysus and Ariadne is one of my favourite stories, and whilst I’m not always looking for a happily ever after, this was meant to be about women finding strength and yet she ends up in the stars. Even though there is mythology out there of her becoming immortal like his mother. 

I loved the start of their relationship, friendship and talks, him providing her a home after being abandoned and all the other women who were abused and unhappy. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but it just fell flat for me. <\spoiler>
Expand filter menu Content Warnings