This book could almost have been called Ariadne and Phaedra, there was so much about the two sisters, but Ariadne is really the star of the show. The novel tells the story of Ariadne, Princess of Crete, under the rule of her tyrannical father, Minos, and his monster, the Minotaur. We then meet Theseus, the dashing hero from Athens who will slay the monster and free the people. Saint introduces a cast of characters from Greek mythology that any fan will recognize, telling their stories in accessible and exciting ways. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and think any fans of Greek mythology would, too. But even if your understanding or love of mythology were minimal, this retelling is modern and clear enough that you wouldn't feel like you were reading The Odyssey. It's a great topic and a great story.

I’ve always loved Greek mythology, though if I’m being honest, I only know most of the stories vaguely. So when I saw there was a book coming out about Ariadne, a character who had always intrigued me but who I knew so little about, I just knew I had to get my hands on it.

And I’m genuinely glad that I did—Ariadne’s story is full of tragedy and betrayal and yet still, somehow, hope. In a world where women are constantly caught in the crossfire of the misdeeds and vengeance of men and gods (including their mother, who birthed the infamous minotaur of Crete as part of Poseidon’s revenge for her husband’s wrongdoing), Ariadne and her younger sister Phaedra attempt to carve out their own destiny, beginning with the arrival of Theseus, the legendary minotaur slayer.

This novel really delves into the treatment of women in Greek mythology, and personally, I think it’s what it does best. There is so much empathy for characters that are oftentimes villainized (like Medusa) or written off as crazy (like Pasiphae). When it comes to the whims of the gods and the mighty heroes, women are usually just collateral damage. But by giving Ariadne—and even Phaedra, who is often seen as a villain in her own right—her own voice, author Jennifer Saint really is able to take back her narrative, making her a fully-fleshed heroine instead of a footnote in Theseus’ or Dionysus’ epic journeys.

My only real misgiving about this book has more to do with the structure than the story, though. I’m not really a fan of the alternating first-person perspectives, especially when Phaedra’s chapters were few and far between (is it weird that, though I’m not a fan of alternating perspectives in general, it might not have bothered me as much if the two had had equal representation throughout?). The switch between past and present tense also bothered me, though I understand why the author made that choice. So I won’t personally take any stars off for it, but if that’s a big pet peeve of yours, you have been warned.

Altogether, I give “Ariadne” the full five stars—if you get the chance, don’t hesitate to check it out.

⭐ 3.75 / 5 ⭐

Packed with rich storytelling and prose, Saint unfolds Ariadne’s epic in a way that will leave you weeping & yet begging for more.

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods - drawing their attention can cost you everything.

This one hurt like a mothertrucker, dudes. It was gruesome and too honest, and stunggggg. The emotions were real in this one. If you’re looking for a book to make you cry, pick this one up and learn about the sweeping legend of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra.

The story of what happened to Ariadne’s mother Pasiphae hurt too!

(Can you tell that everything about this book pretty much hurt?)


I loved her character so much and the complexity of her arc was so infuriating and heart-wrenching. Anger for the gods really spikes up in every plot point within this book, and as much as I love Greek Mythology, I ended up hated them too 😂 Because as enigmatic and all-powerful as they are, you have to acknowledge most of them truly are terrible. Except for Hades and Persephone.

#CoupleGoals

Ariadne really makes you look at just how messed up the Olympian gods genuinely are because they aren’t human. They don’t know how to appreciate truly beautiful things, because they are immortal. To them, nothing fades, and they can go on pleasing themselves at the expense of mortals forever - but the humans are the ones taught to cherish, to give gratitude. Because nothing lasts forever. The gods will never understand that.

The way Saint explores the reasoning behind why the gods are the way that they are is just so 🙌

There are too many beautifully written lines to quote, and while the plot and pacing did drag a bit, the ending will rip your heart in half. If you were a fan of Circe, The Song of Achilles, A Thousand Ships, or The Silence of the Girls you’ll love this one!

Thank you to Flatiron Books for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

Book Breakdown

Writing Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
World-Building: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Characterization: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Romance: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Dialogue: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Plot: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Enjoyment Level: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

「 Overall: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆」

*Review will also be posted on www.lovefangirl.com ASAP*

When I saw this book first on Netgalley, I was incredibly excited about it. With its comparison to Madeline Miller’s books, it seemed right up my alley. After reading this, I can honestly say it does not disappoint.
Ariadne starts as a little cold, and hard to connect to. Her emotions towards Theseus bring life to her, and her inherent betrayal more emotion. This story truly expanded upon characters that you don’t hear much about. The pacing of this writing was well done. The gentle hints at other myths as they all intertwined were perfect. If you are new to Greek myth, or familiar with these tales, you would appreciate the intricacies of this. Nothing feels too much like it assumes you know the history.

This book is the story of Ariadne, without whom Theseus could not have slayed the Minotaur and escaped from the labyrinth, and her sister Phaedra. The minotaur is just the beginning of their story, though.

I love a good retelling of a Greek myth, and this one is great. It took me a while to get into it (in part because I couldn't remember if Ariadne = Arachne, and thus doomed to become a spider - spoiler alert, they are NOT the same, and Ariadne does not become a spider), but by the end, I was fully enamored. It is wonderfully refreshing to have fully realized female characters from Greek mythology who exist to do more than support the stories of the male heroes and gods.

Ariadne is Jennifer Saint’s re-telling of the Princess of Crete’s epic story. Spanning many well-known events, characters and venues - Minos, Daedalus, the Labrynth, Asterion (the Minotaur), and Theseus, to name a few - leaving the agency and the voice to Ariadne herself.

I knew from the moment this book was announced that it would hold a special place on my bookshelf; I am a woman who has spent a large portion of her life studying the Classics, and therefore, a bunch of men. I stayed in my field of study due to the compelling voices of the women who mentored me, whether it was Barbara Gold, Shelley Haley, or my go-to Mary Beard. All to say, if you love mythology, have heart, and have long wanted to feel represented in its writings, Ariadne is for you!

If you loved - A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes, Circe by Madeline Miller, Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, or the trials and tribulations of Sansa or Aria Stark through GoT - Ariadne is the book (and woman!) for you!

Calliope, the Muse of Epic Poetry, has been busy these days inspiring a number of excellent retakes on Greek myths, revealing again the timeless power of these stories. This recent crop of fine novels told mostly from the women’s point of view, is a treat! Madelyn Miller, Natalie Haynes, and now Jennifer Saint retell these stories through a different lens, and the results make great reading.
Remember Ariadne? The Cretan princess who gave Theseus a ball of yarn so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth after killing the Minotaur? We all suspected there was more to that story. The Minotaur was Ariadne’s brother, who she tried to love but who now is a mad devourer of human flesh. She is blinded by the glow of the Athenian hero, even when he escapes with her and abandons her on the empty island of Naxos, and tells the rest of the world that she is dead.
After weeks alone struggling to survive, the God Dionysus arrives at the shore. Naxos is his home, and he welcomes her with fruit and flowers. He is kind and warm, caring. But we know there’s another side of him, one that comes forth when his followers arrive at Naxos, taking the roles of servants and friends to Ariadne and her children by day, and something completely different by night.
We know that the Greek Gods are fickle and meddling, but we forget the form that might take. Ariadne’s sister Phaedra finds out, as does Ariadne herself.
Add “Ariadne” to your list if you are as riveted by these stories as I am.

Thank you for Flatiron and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I feel like the mythical retelling is just a staple of popular literature these days -- especially women-centric stories. And so I knew that reading this would be a challenge in originality, since so many of these tales are just about suffering and pain. I have to say that Ariadne is nothing new in this way; it is another beautiful, lyrical retelling of two sisters who are taken advantage of by men and gods alike, victims to the whims of the world around them.

I think the first third of so of the book was challenging because it was so bleak that I was not sure I could take the whole book that way. But I did persevere and ended up enjoying the softer parts of the book as time passed and Ariadne experienced love and wonder in her life. However, it made it even more bittersweet when (since it's been 3000 years I don't think this is a spoiler) her end comes around. I had hope in my heart that Saint would subvert the story and give us something beautiful and happy instead of beautifully tragic. Other than that, I really enjoyed this read and it's reflections on the nature of men and people who view the world as something for the taking versus those who view it as something to survive.

This is a 4 star read for me and unfortunately signals to me that I might not be able to stomach many more of these retellings. I think there are some that I'd recommend over this one for their breadth and emotion, but if you're hungry for myths give it a go.

You know how it is when you can’t put a book down, but you also never want it to end? I tried hard to savor the experience of reading this beautiful mythological retelling, but I flew right through it!

This book tells the story of Ariadne and Phaedra, granddaughters of Helios, and princesses of Crete. We learn of their part in helping Theseus defeat the Minotaur, and what happens to them both in the aftermath. Some aspects of the mythology were well known to me, and some aspects were new.

Yes, of course, if you loved Circe by Madeline Miller, you’ll love this book. You will also love this book if you’d like to try a mythological retelling that is told from multiple perspectives, is about sisterhood and motherhood, and is fast paced with plenty of action. Experiencing this tale through the eyes of Phaedra as well as Ariadne added suspense and depth.

I highlighted so many beautiful passages and I am not ashamed to say that I cried. Jennifer Saint is a fantastic storyteller and every time I opened this up I felt immediately dropped into Crete, Athens, and Naxos. Days later and I still feel like I can slip into a daydream of recalling Ariadne’s experiences before and after Theseus. She was loyal to those who deserved her loyalty, brave when she needed to seek the truth, and loving.

I knew better than to expect a happily ever after, but I felt so much love for Ariadne and womankind at the end of this book, that I felt perfectly satisfied with how this story ended. Ariadne is my new favorite female character. Thank you to Jennifer Saint for re-introducing her to me. This story resonates deeply as mythology should.

5 brilliant stars.

Thank you so much to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for an ARC of Ariadne.

Ariadne is an extremely prevalent character in Greek mythology, however, until this novel, I was relatively unaware of her presence in so many familiar stories. I took a Greek mythology course in college as an elective, so it wasn't the most rigorous, but we did learn about heroes and read plays. We read Euripide's "Hippolytus" and I remember thinking Phaedra was selfish and feeling horrible for Hippolytus. I don't remember learning about Theseus's desertion of Ariadne, his rape of the Amazon Queen, and so many other horrors he commits. I remember learning about Ariadne's betrayal and Theseus's bravery, but not Ariadne's resilience and Theseus's cowardice. I remember learning about the maenad's and their maddening and murderous rituals, not the reason they left their homes to begin with.

This novel takes the myths of the minotaur, how Dionysus grew his following, the stories of Theseus, the tragic deaths of Phaedra and Hippolytus, and so much more, and turns them into a compelling and feminist story. The men in these myths are absolutely horrible. Their actions are justified because they were doing it to save their people or they're a god and have infinite power and wisdom. The women who make mistakes do things because they're crazy and vindictive. Reading Jennifer Saint's interpretation and reasoning for the women's (and men's) actions in these myths made the tales come to life. The entire semester I was studying mythology, I didn't learn about the humans in the myths. I learned what they did wrong and why they were punished, but I didn't learn how they came to be in the situations they were ultimately put in. This book sheds a new light on the characters of Greek mythology and I have so much more respect for women like Pasiphae and Phaedra after having read this novel.

Thank you Flatiron Books for both a physical and e-galley.

This was so interesting and totally for fans of Madeline Miller.

If you like learning about new, not-well-known Greek myths, pick this up. I felt totally involved in the story of Ariadne and her connection to the Minotaur and others. I learned things I didn't about mythology, which is what I wanted from this story.

Ariadne looks at the many ways women are subject to men (and to the gods, both male and female). All women face one or more of these at the hands of men: domestic physical and emotional abuse, rape, infidelity, being treated as chattel, forced childbearing. In addition, Saint gives glimpses of those things women do enjoy: domestic joy, happy marriages, maternal bliss, pride in one’s own accomplishments. Saint looks at these through the lens of Ariadne, granddaughter of Helios the Sun God, daughter to King Minos and Queen Pasiphae, sister to the Minotaur, sister to Phaedra, and wife of Dionysius.

Ariadne is best known in Greek literature for helping Theseus defeat the Minotaur. When Theseus arrives in Crete, Ariadne falls in love with him. The infatuation Ariadne feels for him falls a bit flat here. In fact, many of the sexual unions, lusty though they may have been, are essentially sanitized, including rape.

Ariadne proved to be a compelling character who underwent a nice character arc. At times, the novel was written in such a distant point of view that it was difficult to engage with the characters. The characterization of Dionysius makes him out to be almost too human as he doesn’t demonstrate the arrogance of the gods until late in the book. Theseus, on the other hand, was almost too arrogant and

While I enjoyed the novel and had hoped to see it join the ranks of Circe and The Song of Achilles, but the prose didn’t rise to the epic, poetic quality that Madeline Miller does in those two books.

Princess Ariadne must deal with her cruel, tyrannical father King MInos of Crete as well as her "brother" the Minotaur. As Greek youths from all across the country are sent to their deaths as tribute to her father, she decides there has been enough tribute paying to the Minotaur. When a handsome Athenian arrives, Ariadne learns he is Theseus, the Prince of Athens, and he plans to slay the Minotaur to save the Greeks. Ariadne quickly decides to betray her family and her island and sides with Theseus to kill the Minotaur. Theseus promises to take her away to Athens with him, but once the Minotaur is slay, not all plans work as expected. Ariadne is a beautifully written novel and tells the tale of the long forgotten women of Greece who have had to deal with the egos of the warrior men and the petulant gods. An exceptional story, especially if you have read Circe or A Thousand Ships or even if you have not.

Ah my dear Ariadne! You fell into the same trap all women in the history fell million times over: you trusted men! You believed that they are different than each other, one can be better than the other, and they can be humble enough to not to compare themselves to gods and think they will get everything they want sooner or later. You believed that they could listen to reason. You believed that they genuinely love you as an individual not as a vessel to bring children to this world and as a trophy to be put on a shelf (or sky). Ah my dear Ariadne!

Ariadne grew up hearing about women who were punished for the things men did. She had first hand experience of the price women paid by looking at her mother and poor beast of a brother she gave a birth. Ariadne was on her mother's side raising the cursed boy. Once his curse became an trophy for their father, she recognized how tables were turned if the curses benefit men. Ariadne, with the beautiful heart she had, decided that her father and her brother needed to be stopped. However, she forgot what other women had to go through to do the very same thing.

If you love mythology and retellings of those events from women's perspective, you will love Ariadne. It's a powerful story of how she went from princess to traitor to divine goddess who would guide all the late babies and their mothers to safety away from all the men. It's a story of sisterhood where Medusa turned into a victim than a horrendous monster (and many more like her...) I can't believe years later we are dealing with the same thing, but unfortunately this is a contemporary story as much as a mythical one.

<b>5 Stars</b>

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was high on my list of books that I wanted to read. I'm a huge fan of Greek Mythology, especially new and different takes on what we think we know about it. Madeline Miller’s Circe was excellent because we got to see the myth’s from a woman’s perspective, not that of the men who take up about 90% of the mythology. When we do get women in myth they are usually evil or temptresses or some other variety of a woman who is considered bad or wrong. Much like Circe, Ariadne takes the myth as we know it and turns it into a powerful look at sexism and empowerment.

This book was a delight to read on so many levels. Saint’s writing is excruciatingly beautiful and I fell in love with it from the very beginning. There is something so powerful about this writing, and I felt it in my bones as I was reading this novel. It is very prose filled with some dialogue, but the prose is powerful. Much of the dialogue focuses on stories and the myths that we’ve all come to know. One interesting thing is how Saint manages to loop in the other myths and explains how the relate to Ariadne. While the book is titled Ariadne, her sister Phaedra, has some chapters from her perspective as well.

The plot of the book revolves around Ariadne and her family. The choices she makes from helping Theseus and the Labyrinth to after. The book was very detailed in its plot. It stuck to the general feeling of the original myth but elaborates and adds perspective from Ariadne. The plot is almost backseat to Ariadne and her own power.

One thing I loved about this book is we know so little about the women in the myth. Saint has had to create and invent a personality and overall general character for Ariadne. Like many other women in Greek myth she lacks character. The goddesses have a little more, but here we see how powerful Saint is because her characterization is so lovely. From the moment you meet the women in this book you can see what positions they’re in, and how they have to fight. This book shows how women are manipulated for men’s purposes. Saint did it so wonderfully and it was well done - I cannot express how much I enjoyed it.

The pacing of this book is slow. It doesn’t meander, but it definitely has a purpose to the slowness. And it is helped by the fact we flip between what action there is in the book.

Elaborating from myth and real Greece, Saint creates a world and captures the imagination of mythic Greece. The palace of Knossos is vivid in the imagination, and when you look at pictures it is easy to envision Ariadne and her sister there.

This book was just stunningly beautiful on so many levels and I absolutely feel in love with it. It left me breathless and engaged. I can’t put into words how much I adored this book.

I often wish that I remembered the Greek myths in more detail. I have spent time with Edith Hamilton and Stephen Fry but need to go back. So, I was not fully aware of who Ariadne was before I began this novel. At the start, I will say that I have seen some mixed reviews but I found this book to be interesting and engaging. Its’ main subject is the story of the titular character whose relative was the MInotaur.

Ariadne is a retelling of a well-known Greek story but from the woman’s point of view. It will be enjoyed by readers of other books including Circe.

Early in the novel, readers learn about Ariadne’s parents. They are Minos and Pasiphae. He was the ruler of Crete. She was the daughter of the sun god and is beautifully described in the beginning of the novel. What Minos did, how that affected Pasiphae and the circumstances of the Minotaur’s birth are told.

A number of stories of the Greek gods are dramatized. As readers may know, the gods are often like larger than life humans, full of passion, temper and more. They form the background of Ariadne’s world.

Others whom readers get to know include Theseus becomes involved with Ariadne. There are also Daedalus, Icarus and Phaedra. All of their stories led to an immersive read for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

I love retellings of myths, fairytales, etc. so I was thrilled to get to read this one. Ariadne is such an interesting character. You hear to often about Thesus and the Minotaur, but not often about her role in the story. The descriptions of Crete and Naxos were excellent and really transported me to the islands. Unfortunately, overall this book let me down a bit. By the end, I was ready for the story to be over instead of wanting more. I would have loved more actual interactions between the characters and less glossing over of years and events. I also found both main characters to be sort of unlikeable.

Ariadne is a feminist exploration of Greek Mythology, which has historically abused and misused its female characters for centuries. And while I can appreciate the feminist view taken in the book, it ultimately ends up falling flat as a novel.

It is always hard to critic a novel that is a retelling of a myth, because most gripes with the story often come from the Greek Myth, and it's rather unfair to blame an author for something they had little control of. What I can critique is the presentation of the myth through a new and refreshing lens. Saint loves mythology, and that much I could sense as I read the novel. However, Ariadne reads more like a fancy wiki page. The information and the story are all there, but the novel really likes critical dialogue, interactions, and details. So much of what we are told in this novel is just pure exposition, and it becomes so boring, And because we lacked interactions and dialogue, as an audience, we lost a connection with the characters of the story.

When Ariadne meets Thesus and falls in love, I did not feel a wink of attraction. Their meeting consisting mostly of background into his past and Ariadne. Which, assuming you love greek mythology, is something you already know. I don't care about anyone in this story, which is a problem from a storytelling perspective.

Another flaw with this book is just the lack of actual retelling. So much of what was written was just pure regurgitation of classic myths in just fluffy writing, and I really felt betrayed by that. As someone who knows way too much greek mythology for their own good, I just found myself skipping all the exposition, which ended up with me skipping chapters without any real consequence.

However, I can appreciate that Saint managed to also include some very real female pain in the novel, and how that pain was largely ignored. So many women in Greek Mythology are often blamed for acts done without their consent, and so many women suffered, this story included. The end shocked me because I am used to another version of the myth, but it was understandable. No woman in this story left untouched, and unfortunately, Ariadne is included.

I think that going forward, Saint should focus on creating relatable characters and building the world around the character, rather than just plopping us into miles of storytelling. I really wished I could have enjoyed this story more, but it was largely skippable and I felt heartbroken by that. Also, Theseus is the biggest piece of shit in Greek Mythology and no one can tell me otherwise.

*ARC was given by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I have been craving Greek mythology and was so excited to receive this E-Arc.

This is about two daughters of King Minos and you are brought to an island of Crete. You get the background story of the labyrinth and the minotour.

This was written so beautifully and I loved Phaedras story.

I didn't hate this book, but I certainly didn't love it. I read it, I liked it, I moved on. I wanted to get swept up in it and feel a connection to Ariande, but it just wasn't there. I think my expectations were too high, because of my undying love for Madeline Miller's Circe.