Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is a captivating read for fans of historical and mythological fiction who appreciate strong female protagonists, feminist retellings, and epic storytelling, as this enchanting novel weaves a spellbinding tale of love, family, and self-discovery set against the rich backdrop of ancient Greek mythology.

Ariadne was a really wonderful retelling of the various myths involving her all woven together. It did get pretty slow in the middle, but overall it was a wonderful read for anyone who loves Greek mythology.

Wonderful retelling of Ariadne myth. Enjoyed the writing as well. I will definitely be grabbing other books by this author

If you found yourself bereft after you finished reading Madeline Miller and no other Greek mythology retelling has come quite close, then Ariadne is a good candidate. It is vivid in its description and bold in its characterizations, going places with the legends of mythology that have not been explored before. Recommended in particular if after reading Circe, you never quite felt like yourself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is an excellent Greek retelling. It ended up being featured by Book of the Month and I liked the cover so much, I purchased the print copy from there! I am looking forward to Saint's next book, Elektra.

adequate - still fairly dry. i think the problem with a lot of these mythology retellings is that it's still difficult for authors to imagine an interior world for these female figures (characters doesn't feel quite right) other than "proud noble victim," and as a result the characterization is always so passive and flat, as is the case here. i feel like the monkey's paw curled 15 years ago when i was lamenting how few novels there were about greek mythology and now we've got the publishing equivalent of the MCU on our hands, quite honestly

I absolutely enjoyed this book and it's one of the many favorite Greek retelling stories I come to love. Jennifer Saint made this as richly detailed and immersive story as possible. It's a fabulous story with characters that you can truly empathize with. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Greek mythology and any forms of storytelling

Complicated feelings about this book. Generally liked it but the characters felt undeveloped, until maybe the very end where they were finally defined by their respective endings. I was unequally unfamiliar with the story of Ariadne as I was with Circe, but this book just didn’t draw me in in the same way. Still, a decent mythology retelling. Just wish it added a little bit more to the story.

After the sensation that was CIRCE, I'm always looking for feminist retellings of classic myths and ARIADNE understood the assignment. It was a delight to chat with Jennifer Saint for the podcast as well. Great world building, tons of empathy for the Minotaur, three-dimensional characters all around. Well done.

This was a fantastic ARC! I actually went on to buy a physical copy. I adore Greek Mythology, but especially stories that feel under-told. I loved this fascinating story and how powerful and captivating she was as a heroine!

I really tried so hard to love this novel because it was a retelling of my favorite Greek myth. Also, I thought it would be like the epic novel, Circe. However, all the characters seem very passive. Ariadne is not a strong woman and is often a pawn by men. Also, all the male characters are stereotypical bad guys that they came off as cartoonish. I really thought there needs to be more character development from Theseus and Dionysus. The story of the Minotaur was very rushed. Afterwards, it drags. I found Phaedra’s story to be unnecessary. Since the focus was about Ariadne, then Phaedra should have been eliminated. If the author wanted a story about Phaedra, she should have written a different book. Overall, this was a disappointing to a famous myths. There are better novels about Ariadne out there. They are Ariadne Unraveled by Zenobia Neil, Ariadne by Daniel Agnew, and Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett. Thus, skip this and read the other Ariadne retellings that actually take their time developing the characters and the story.

I am loving the voice and tone of this book. The style of writing is very similar to a lot of mythology retellings I've read in the past all with its formality and sense of remove. It seems like Saint has done a great job both evoking and building upon the classic stories in new and exciting ways. I will be recommending this book for sure!
Full review to come on YouTube.

I am a sucker for retellings of Greek myths. Ariadne is very much in the spirit of Madeline Miller, not in the lyricism of language (Miller is rather unmatched when it comes to epic prose, given her background) but Saint does have similar concerns as Miller's Circe - the way women are often relegated to receptacles of male desire or rage, with very little agency, and often sacrificed as pawn or punishments to the gods.

This novel is a retelling of the Theseus and the Minotaur myth from the perspective of Ariadne, princess of Crete and sister to the Minotaur. Appalled by the carnage wrought by the Minotaur and witness to the treatment of her mother at the hands of the gods, she decides to help Theseus conquer the labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur. That she is infatuated with him is only half her motivation. She seeks freedom from the oppression of her father's rule.

However, her life is upended when she leaves with Theseus and he betrays her by abandoning her on an island to die.

As a sensual novel, it does fall a bit flat, despite having an intense romance subplot propelling a good part of the narrative. However, Ariadne's connection to her children, and her own ruminations about her life carry the story. I would read another book by this author.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Ariadne was a bit of a slog to get through. This is supposed to be a modern retelling of the Greek myth; however, the story needs to be written for a modern audience. The author was trying too hard to tell the story in a "classical" style. The use of archaic terms made the story feel bogged down--I kept thinking, "Get to the point."

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't want to review a book that I didn't finish.

One of the most memorable books I read in the last year. Looking forward to more by this author. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I really enjoyed this book!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS BOOK WITH ME!
I got behind in the COVID DRAMA and missed posting about this important book when it came out.
Thank you! I am looking for the right place to write about it.

This was a very enjoyable version of Ariadne. The author provides plenty of background content to explain why Ariadne found herself in the situation she did. One of the downsides of retelling a minor character's story is that there needs to be time spent on many other characters as well. This can seem to take away from the main character. In this version Ariadne is portrayed as one who falls in love easily, one who wishes to right certain wrongs, and one who overcomes adversity to succeed. She is not a fierce warrior but does what she can to ensure that people are given chances and not taken advantage of. Ariadne helps to guide and govern her wild husband Dionysus as his cult builds. She finds herself content on her island home surrounded with her children.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

Ariadne is an immersive retelling of classic Greek mythology that contributes to the current renaissance of works centering women's experiences and women's voices in these epic tales. Alternating between Ariadne's perspective and her sister Phaedra's, this story takes us through them growing up with the monstrous Minotaur as the brother haunting the labyrinth beneath their feat, loves gained and lost, and the multitude of ways women pay for the hubris and follies of men, god and mortal alike.