Like many others, I was hoping Ariadne would be on a similar level as Madeline Miller's incredible retellings but I ultimately found it disappointing. This book just didn't hit the mark for me in many ways which is a shame because based on the premise, I had higher expectations for it. I didn't enjoy how choppy the writing style felt with all of the added periods for emotive purposes and the alternating POV's felt kind of clumsy. The actual story had its ups and downs—there were massive blocks of overt exposition which felt like I was reading a Wikipedia article. I think with retellings authors have the capability to rebirth a story for the modern age but to me, it felt as though Saint just stuck to the status quo for the tale of Ariadne.

In Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, the Minotaur has a sister. Ariadne, daughter of Minos, grew up under the shadow of the monster. Taking the first chance to get away that she finds, Ariadne seeks to see the world but ends up saved by Dionysis on his remote island. As she falls in love with the god and settles down, not everything in her life, or her past, is as remote as it seems. In a retelling of the classic myth, we get to know one of the women of greek mythology more.

Favorite Quote

“I would be Medusa, if it came to it, I resolved. If the gods held me accountable one day for the sins of someone else, if they came for me to punish a man’s actions, I would not hide away like Pasiphae. I would wear that coronet of snakes, and the world would shrink from me instead.” - Jennifer Saint, Ariadne

Review

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is a retelling from the point of view of the sister of the Minotaur and the wife of Dionysis. As someone who has read Circe and The Song of Achilles, I knew this would be right up my alley. Ariadne’s story is less epic and has less adventure than other stories in the greek cannon, but still managed to have my full attention.

The book has a very dark ending that I didn’t quite see coming. While there are hints of it throughout, the final climactic scene was more brutal and horrifying than I had expected. Sometimes old myths serve to remind us that bad things can get out of hand quickly and that we should trust our gut.

I received an e-book arc of Ariadne by Jennifer Saint from the publisher Flatiron Books.

I recommend these books if you liked Circe and are interested in retellings of classic greek myths.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is a female-forward retelling of Greek mythology that interweaves the stories of the Minotaur, Theseus, and Dionysus, and a highly recommended read for fans of The Song of Achilles and Circe.

For all of her life, Ariadne has seen women suffer because of man’s foolish mistakes. Her father, King Minos, upset Poseidon and her mother had to pay by birthing the Minotaur. Her sister had to marry into a loveless marriage to ensure peace between Crete and Athens and ended up paying a steep price. And Ariadne herself was left to die by man, only to be saved by the god Dionysus - who turned out to be her downfall. Full of tales of Greek mythology, with emphasis on the role women played in these stories, Ariadne is a fantastic, feminist retelling of some of Greek myth’s overlooked women.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ariadne; this story was full of adventure, action, drama, and even a little romance. I especially loved that this book asks the question - both through subtext and directly in the narrative - why women are always the ones punished for men’s follies. From a young age, Ariadne saw her mother punished for her father’s mistakes. And as she grew up, Ariadne only saw more of the same: her sister sent away to a loveless marriage because of her father’s actions, Medusa turned into a monster because of Poseidon’s actions, and Ariadne’s own ending due to Dionysus’s own power struggle with Perseus. I immediately fell into Ariadne’s story; I admit, it’s a story in mythology I don’t see covered a lot, so I was excited to see another Greek woman at the forefront of the story. Saint has a wonderful storyteller voice, and it was easy to see the events unfolding chapter by chapter. The characters all stood on their own and had unique voices. I’m not always a huge fan of alternating narrators, but the character voices were so strong that remembering which character the focus was on was not a problem. It was refreshing to see females taking charge in their own mythologies, especially when the Greek gods had such a hand in their outcomes. I really enjoyed the story of Ariadne and think it’s a must-read for anyone who loves Greek mythology and books like The Song of Achilles.

If this book does not win all the major fantasy awards, I’ll be both shocked and appalled.

First of all, this is beautifully written with prose that often read more like poetry. Moreover, the social commentary supplied throughout the tale is appropriate to our modern society, and it is supplied in a way that does not detract from the overall plot. It’s not preachy, but it will make you think.

Ariadne’s character development is perfect. She starts as a naive little princess with a serious hero-worship issue and ends as a strong, confident woman. She stops defining herself by the men in her life, and starts making decisions for herself.

Phaedra, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of her sister–as one develops one way, the other seems to shift in the other directions. Their stories, though rarely intersecting, are fantastically balanced.

Honestly, this is one that everyone should read at least once. Also, I want to start teaching this in school. That’s cool, right? I mean, Ariadne is a much more likable character than Odysseus in the Odyssey.

3.5 stars, rounding up.

As a lover of myth retellings (especially ones with a feminist bent), this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021, but I ended up having a pretty hard time with it. Maybe my expectations were just too high? The first 50% of the book moved so slowly for me, and I had trouble feeling invested in Ariadne and her story, maybe because it was just so bleak. It picked up for me once Phaedra's POV was introduced, and I found the interweaving of the two sisters' storylines to be much more compelling then Ariadne's story on her own. Overall, this one didn't work for me as much as I wanted it to, but I did think it was beautifully written, and I appreciated the way that Saint framed Ariadne's story.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is a tragically beautiful retelling of a character from Greek mythology – Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, the granddaughter of Helios, and the wife of Dionysus. And, Ariadne, the novel, is the story of her life, loves, and tragedies that she faced.

What I Loved

I loved the beautifully descriptive manner that is used to tell the tale. It is like bursts of the best lyrical poetry amid incredibly immersive prose. It reminded me of the ancient Greek Tragedies, plays written by such playwrights as Sophocles and Euripides. This language immediately pulled me in and kept me in its grip until the last page.

Men do not fare very well in this story. Time and time again, men that history has elevated to hero status are shown to actually be selfish and ruthless, believing the world to be theirs for the taking. Women were nothing more than pawns used for political advancement and tricked to aid them in their selfish pursuits. Dionysus appeared to be the best of the bunch, providing a safe haven for women who had escaped the misogyny.

The theme of sisterhood runs strongly throughout the story. The only way for women to find any peace and happiness was to band together away from the world that would keep using to fulfill men’s greed. This sisterhood is redeeming and heartwarming as they achieve a life that they could have never imagined.

I also loved Dionysus’s story of his own life from birth to the present in the story. Like Ariadne, Dionysus is a character from Greek mythology that my knowledge, is very spotty. This story fills in all the gaps and builds a wondrous tale of a God who made it his mission to live like a mortal, to enjoy all that nature offered, and to love with his whole heart. While other gods remained outside the human world, preferring Mount Olympus, Dionysus chose to live on an island and visit different lands, taking the time to walk and appreciate the beauty of the mortal world.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are a mythology buff like I am, you will absolutely love this story of sisterhood, love, and loss.

Such a great retelling!! I didn't know too much about the stories of Ariadne, Phaedra, and Theseus before reading but I'm happy that I was able to still have that shock factor.


The writing is so great and poetic! I think the one "critique" that I have was it was very simile and metaphor heavy. They weren't bad, they were actually pretty unique but I just think there was too many.

Id recommend for 16+ due to the violence. I think this is a great book but if you try to compare it to Miller’s Circe or Song of Achilles, you will come away disappointed. The writing style is strong and I really loved Ariadne. Go in with a fresh eye and you’ll enjoy it.

This was absolutely phenomenal. I rarely give a book five stars, and when I do, it is only because said book has been pushed to my top five favorites. Ariadne is one of those books. Saint's writing was mesmerizing, beautiful, and heartbreaking. I am a huge fan of Madeline Miller, so I was very excited for another book that seemed similar in premise. I was not disappointed- if anything, I might have enjoyed this debut more than some of MIller's works. I was astounded by the fact that this was Saint's first novel- it sounded like the last piece from a seasoned, well beloved author, which is exactly what I predict Saint will one day be. I already knew the myth of Theseus, but my knowledge of Ariadne was lacking. Saint did a wonderful job of bringing light to a heroine demoted to historians' footnotes, who truly deserves her own story. Without Ariadne, how much of our childhood stories would've happened? You'll know after this story. This book, while educational and had some chapters of info dumps, told the factual story in an engaging way, which is quite difficult to do. I didn't put this book down, and I fell in love with the characters, and my sorrow for Ariadne was extravagant. This tragedy was heartbreaking, and themes of family and what it means to love and be loved were strong in this story. Ariadne was an extremely well written character, as were those she encounters. While most of the story aligns with the original narrative, Saint took some creative liberties, which were not outlandish, but if anything improved the story. If you're looking for a story about what it means to care for another person, and what we sacrifice to prolong that love, you'll be drawn to this wonderfully told story. I am impatiently awaiting Saint's next novel. I will read her grocery lists, really. I cannot give this book enough stars. Everything about this story was dazzling.

"It was the woman, always the women, be they helpless serving girls or princesses, who paid the price. Cursed to roam the land without refuge, transformed into a shambling bear or lowing cow, or burned to ashes by the vengeful white armed goddess."

When I was a child, scrambling to tear through every Greek Mythology book in my elementary school's tiny library, I fell in love with the sweeping tales of love, loss, and the glorious, god-touched heroes at their core. Odysseys, Achilles, Theseus. Men who defied odds, who stood up to the gods and won. It wasn't until I was older until I began to see a different pattern: Io, turned into a cow by the wrath of Hera. Persephone, kidnapped and dragged beneath the earth. Andromeda, chained to a rock and left to be consumed by the sea monster, Cetus. Jennifer Saint's novel plucks at this discordant feeling, teasing apart the threads of myth to find the dark commonalities among them, few as reflective of these broader themes as the plight of the eponymous Ariadne herself.

"What the gods liked was ferocity, savagery, the snarl and the bite and the fear. Always, always the fear, the naked edge of it rising from the altars, the high note of it in the muttered prayers and praise we sent heavenward, the deep, primal taste of it when we raised the knife above the sacrificial offering."

At its core, Aridane is a grim but powerful tale about the trauma of mythological womanhood and the unstable dichotomy between hero, god, and monster. It shifts the perspective away from the men who dominate historical epics, and similar to Madeline Miller's Circe, shines a light on women most maligned by their stories. I include the quote above not only to highlight Saint's brilliant prose, but also to praise the crackling aura of anxiety that pervades the novel, as both Ariadne and Phaedra's stories spiral closer and closer to a conclusion that is hundreds of years foregone. It takes talent to balance the plot on a knife's edge, leaving me straining for understanding and closure, even as I know how the story ends.

While I enjoyed Ariadne's tale, the familiarity of it meant that I found my attention getting caught on the more minor mentions of familiar women from tales: Scylla, Medusa, Pasiphae. In particular, I was transfixed by their monstorization (directly in Scylla and Medusa's case) and indirectly (in Pasiphae's case) at the whims of cruel machinations outside their control. So often women in myth are divided into monsters and victims - the former being a punishment for "bad" women, and the latter considered a tragedy befalling a "good" one, though both labels strip them of their agency. Saint draws a bead on this brilliantly as Ariadne struggles to make decisions that will save her from either categorization, ultimately culminating in one final act of instrumentality that leads to her demise.

I was nervous about how Saint would approach Phadera's myth, which typically reads as disturbing at best and reprehensible at worst, but Saint did an excellent job of tactfully shifting the original plot and weaving her character into the broader context of the mythology, bringing a deeper level of tragedy to her delusions. Phaedra's relationship with Ariadne, too, was given depth, as the pair struggle to escape the trauma of their upbringing and connect despite the ever-widening gulf between them. For me, their fallout was perhaps the biggest tragedy of the story, as the dark actions of the men around them slowly chip away at their once unshakeable bond.

While I can't say that this novel sets itself too far apart from the recent uptick in Greek Mythology retellings, it certainty serves as a credit to the genre. Anyone who enjoyed Circe, A Thousand Ships, or the Silence of the Girls will certainly enjoy this story as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this! I don't know if reading "Circe" right before this helped warm me up but I did enjoy it more. A bit of the book is actually from the perspective of Phaedra, her sister, which I really enjoyed. I felt like there was more of a story arc here than with "Circe" (which was still great but I didn't feel like I always knew where it was going).

I am looking forward to other books by Jennifer Saint!

Ariadne is a beautiful retelling of the Greek myth of Theseus and the minotaur, with a spotlight on Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. As a Classicist, I am always excited about any Greek myth retelling and snatch them up as soon as possible, and I was particularly excited by the idea of Ariadne because this seems to spotlight a lesser known myth and even lesser known characters.

Ariadne had a slow start for me while the world was being set up and some general background was developed, so I was a little hesitant about what to expect as the story continued. Fortunately, once the general plot really started, things started to fall into place and it became a much easier for me that I had a hard time pulling myself away from.

I really enjoyed following Ariadne and Phaedra on their respective journeys which seemed to mirror one another's in opposite ways. Both of these young women experience so much in this story and their methods of resilience emerge in very different ways, which I found particularly compelling. It was heartbreaking to read various points of this book, but also full of emotion and intrigue. The personalities of both women were wonderfully developed and I think their strong multi-dimensional aspects brought so much life to this incredible myth.

One of my favorite things about this retelling was how Saint worked many original myth elements into the story. The way she retold the minotaur's conception was really well done, as well as the small details added to create plot points matching the myth, but done so in a clever and original manner.

Saint's prose was beautiful and lyrical, and was wonderfully paced, though slightly on the slower side. This isn't a book to be rushed through (despite my desire to find out what would happen), but rather a book to be savored and thought about. I was particularly impressed by and enjoyed Saint's insight into what the dynamics were like for human and god interactions, as well as an exploration of how some gods may perceive human life. For instance, the god Dionysus spends time throughout the book talking about the differences between a god's outlook on life versus a human's, the latter of which often has more passion in it since it is so much shorter, and I just really found myself engaged with these more philosophical discussions and thought experiments.

Overall, I've given Ardiadne four stars! If you love a beautiful retelling full of vivid characters, incredible stories, and an exploration of the relationships between mortals and the Greek gods, then this is the book for you!

While not as compelling as Madeline Miller in the retelling of Greek mythology, Saint’s debut is worth the read. As an elementary school librarian, I often read mythology to the kids. Among the favorites that got kids into reading for themselves, was the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. The female perspective filling in gaps was enjoyable. This is the first time I have really thought about how in mythology the women suffered for mistakes made by men, but its just not as magical as Miller’s retelling.

DNF. I was so excited about this book and wish I could have enjoyed it but it was just waaaaaaaaay too slow for me. I still think it'll be a great recommendation for people who are fans of reimagined greek myths but it wasn't for me.

It’s no secret that I will snap up any Greek myth retelling, especially those with a feminist perspective. Ariadne was one of my most anticipated reads of early 2021.

I will admit that I knew very little about the story of Ariadne in Greek mythology. Iam not as familiar with this story as I am with the mythology of The Iliad or The Odyssey that often is a backdrop for these retellings. Ariadne has largely been lost, beyond her role in helping to bring down the minotaur, and Jennifer Saint helps to fill in the gaps in her story and bring her to life. This story follows not only Ariadne after she leaves Crete, but the fate of her younger sister, Phaedra, who she reluctantly leaves behind. Each move away from home as a pawn of a powerful man, but each also creates their own life and own power where they land.

I would agree with other reviewers that this lacks the magical prose of Madeline Miller and struggles to match up, who not only reimagines mythology, but does so in a way that feels heartbreaking, new, and fresh. Ariadne is a more straightforward and fast-paced retelling, though it imagines new lives and fates for forgotten women. I was invested and enjoyed this read, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys myth retellings.

Thanks to Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Overdone and overwritten. Jennifer Saint has leapt onto the bandwagon of mythologies retold and has seemingly taken on much more than she could handle. There is no question that she knows her Greek mythology. However, it does not need to all be included in one novel. The litany of backstory accompanying every character and action point is exhausting, as is the overuse of adjectives throughout.

Like other current retellings, such as The Penelopiad and Circe, a strong feminist perspective shapes Ariadne. Unfortunately, Saint is more a fan of telling than showing, and a reader is left feeling bludgeoned with the moral of the story: men do horrible things and women suffer from them. To reduce such a rich narrative tradition with, literally, an entire pantheon of unique characters to a simple didacticism is the greatest offense of this work.

Thank you to Jennifer Saint, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley & Flatiron for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I had to DNF at 30%.

Ariadne focuses on the untold stories of the women in Greek Myths that are cast aside in favor of their male counterparts, oftentimes getting villanized in the process. (See: Medusa).

Now, I love retellings, especially greek myths but this one was dull AF. I read Madaline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles so I was spoiled with gorgeous writing. The writing there is lyrical poetry with so much heart behind it. This story felt more like a bogged down version of those stories with no soul in the words.

Cool idea and all, but wasn't really fleshed out that much in my opinion. Circe worked well in that it took bits and pieces from the original mythology and breathed life into them, adding details that weren't there before to make the story more enriching.

Ariadne is more like a step-by-step retelling of the original stories without much heart in them. It's disappointing. No added details, not much extra depth to the characters...the Minotaur was especially disappointing. I mean, he's Ariadne's brother! Perfect drama set up there! Have them explore how mythology has warped their stories and made them forgotten or evil...but no, the Minotaur was exactly as how the mythology portrayed him as, despite going a bit off-script with Ariadne's story.

It doesn't help that the writing style feels off, it's like stilted writing that's trying to be poetic but just made me laugh. Here's an example:

"I opened my mouth to speak again. My face was warm. Stinging. The words were forming, words I knew that I should not say but could not stop from coming."

I don't really. Like when writers. Keep writing like this even though it's annoying. Stinging. Ha!

Well, if you like reimagined mythological stories then you may as well give this one a try but keep in mind it's the author's first work. (I would rather just suggest Miller's "Circe" instead....lol)

Ariadne, the debut novel by Jennifer Saint is a fascinating retelling of Greek mythology that gives voice to the women that aren’t heard. Throughout the story, the perspective switches between sisters Ariadne and Phaedra and shows how women are often pawns in the games of men. It is so interesting to see these well-known Greek myths and characters through the eyes of the women. Most of the mythology I was exposed to focused on the men and depicted them with reverence, so to gain the female perspective, in this case, Ariadne and Phaedra’s, is eye-opening and engaging.

The story shows how women are used and manipulated for men’s greed and ambition. Ariadne, for example, is most known in Greek mythology for helping Theseus defeat the Minotaur, but there is so much more to her story. From her childhood and into adulthood, Ariadne is confronted with the reality that her life is of little importance compared to men. She learns this with her father and then with Theseus when, after risking her life to help him, he abandons her.

Though Phaedra ends up marrying Theseus, she also learns of his treacherous ways and lives in a loveless marriage, happier when her husband is away than when he is home. In other works, Theseus is a hero and is shown in a positive light, so to see this other side of a well-known heroic character is fascinating.

Ariadne ends up marrying and having children with Dionysus, which comes with its own problems since she and the children are mortal and Dionysus is immortal. Their love story becomes quite complicated as Dionysus contemplates his own immortality in comparison to the longevity of humans.

I found it interesting that many of the messages throughout the story are timeless – gender inequities, complicated family relationships, betrayal, the importance of trust in a loving relationship, the hardships of being a woman in a patriarchal society, and the joys and difficulties of motherhood. Ariadne’s story is heartbreaking and tragic, and much of what happens throughout her life can be attributed to the manipulations, arrogance, and exploitations of men.

Ariadne is an interesting and entertaining read that will appeal to readers who enjoy women-centered mythology retellings like Madeline Miller’s Circe or A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes. Though some parts were a bit slow, and I sometimes found it hard to connect with the main characters, the writing is wonderful, the characters are dynamic, and the messages are poignant. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Flatiron Book, and Jennifer Saint for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Ariadne
By Jennifer Saint

Greek Mythology retellings are making a comeback! And I couldn’t be more thrilled!
I have read just about every Greek Book I could get my hands on, even Natalie Hayne’s “One Thousand Ships” which I was so desperate to get my hands on, I ended up ordering the UK version… just to have it released in the US a few days later..

But this review is about Ariadne, the eldest daughter of the feared and hated king Minos of Crete. After her mother is cruelly tricked into coupling with a bull, she gives birth to Ariadne’s half brother, the fabled Minotaur!

You remember the story of Theseus, the brave price of Athens who came across the sea as a sacrifice to the bull, but ended up being his demise? But what role did Ariadne play?

This is a story of love and betrayal, sisterhood and motherhood. A lyrical story of two sisters, who found themselves in the middle of the Gods twisted games, fighting for the truth.

A heads up, this is not a “happy” book. Like most all Greek Myth retellings, this story is tragic. If you are looking for a light-hearted read, maybe look elsewhere, but if you are ready to FEEL, “Ariadne” is for you.

If you are a lover of Greek Mythology, this book is one that must be added to your collection.

Similar books: Circe by Madeline Miller, The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, and of course anything by Natalie Haynes.

5 Stars!

I was given an E-ARC to read of this book and when I got that email stating that I was approved, lets just say I did a happy dance around the house! This type of book is what I spend hours on the internet looking for.

Thank you Netgalley, Jennifer Saint, and Flatironbooks for the E-ARC of “Ariadne”

Ariadne is a greek myth retelling based on the life of the title character. We follow her as she grows up on Crete under the harsh ruling of King Minos, to her finding new life on Naxos, and finding the closer she needs. Jennifer Saint weaves so many myths together expertly never letting it feel weighed down with exposition. When the announcement for this book first came out my understanding was that it was going to be predominately about Theseus's adventures and slaying the Minotaur. But that entire saga is over within the first third of the book. I liked the alternating narrators towards the middle of the story because it allows Saint to fit in more myth while giving the reader a broader understanding of the Greek isles. I'm very excited for Saint's sophomore novel.