A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a chance to listen to Jennifer Saint’s “Elektra”… I absolutely LOVED it!

Jennifer Saint’s debut novel, “Ariadne” was wonderful. Beautiful language, top notch storytelling, the kind of Greek myth retelling we’re looking for… or at least I am. But wow you can see how her craft has evolved and I loved the writing in this! It has the familiar language of “Ariadne” but Elektra is impressive in its characterization of not just Elektra but also Cassandra (one of my favorite mythical figures) and Clytemnestra. We see, running alongside these women, the story of Troy, Helen, Achilles and Briseis. The themes of generational violence towards women and children, and the ways that - despite however women try to combat their lack of power - they are forever victim to the whims of gods and men. It never shies away from acknowledging that they are victims, but affords them the nuance of complex identities, smart and political, feeling and devout.

Parts of this book are almost dreamlike, the atmosphere lush and foreboding. You do not need to be familiar with the source material. Jennifer Saint always does a wonderful job of helping you to understand the original myth, breathing life into the women in a way that makes sense. You can feel the passion she has for mythology and feminism.

I see she has another book coming and I’m going to need it as well! Highly recommend to anyone who loved Myth Retellings, loved “Circe” or “Silence of the Girls” or even “Ariadne”.

Greek myth retellings can be really hit and miss for me, but this was definitely a hit.

While the book is called Elektra, the subtitle of "A Novel of the House of Atreus" is far more accurate. Elektra is only one of three POVs, with the other two being her mother Clytemnestra (Agamemnon's wife and sister of the famed Helen) and Cassandra, Princess of Troy.

Overall, I thought Saint did a great job of crafting a tale most people have at least passing familiarity with into something new. I loved seeing the contrast between Clytemnestra and Elektra, specifically with how they view Agamemnon, and liked how Saint used Cassandra to show us the other side of the war and the lack of agency women had on both sides.

Also the Iphigenia chapter was so well-crafted! I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I read the way Saint subtly built up the tension. Like I knew what was going to happen and still gasped at the reveal.

I will say that despite Elektra being the title character, she was my least favorite POV. I think she was well written but her blind adoration of a father she hardly knew was irritating and very reminiscent of Malta in Robin Hobb's Ship of Magic.

Contrary to the title the story surrounding Troy’s war and King Agamemnon is told from the eyes of three women Clytemnestra, Cassandra, and Elektra.
Clytemnestra’s back story growing up in Sparta as Helen’s less remarkable twin is explored so are her conflicted feelings when Helen’s abduction causes a war. Iphigenia’s story is told as seen through her mother’s eyes. As the war continues, Clytemnestra tries to unravel the curse that plagues her husband’s family and fears for her children’s safety from their father.
Cassandra, a princess of Troy and priestess of Apollo, is cursed with premonitions no one believes. She is not mad in this retelling, she is quite lucid but nobody wants to listen or take her seriously.
Elektra is Clytemnestra and Agamemnon’s youngest daughter, living in awe of her father and his heroic deeds though he’s been away for so long. When her family’s curse ruins her idyllic childhood and renders her mother ravaged by grief she turns to her father’s hero like stature as her guiding light.
Told through the three women’s points of view, Saint gives us an amazing retelling of the war for Helen of Troy. It doesn’t glorify violence or it shows us the horror of war and it’s effect on the women at home.

A perfect book for fans of ‘The Song of Achilles’ and ‘Circe’ - I enjoyed it a lot !

It’s official. I will read anything that Jennifer Saint writes because she nails it every time!

Elektra is told from the perspective of three women linked to famed ruler Agamemnon. His wife, Clytemnestra, his daughter, Elektra, and the Troy princess, Cassandra.

Starting with the Agamemnon sacrificing one of his daughters to the gods of war, we see how these three women’s lives are impacted by his involvement in the Trojan War and how trauma can have a profound impact on those that experience it.

In Elektra, Saint once again weaves a masterful tale of greek mythology. She’s the modern-day Homer and I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next!

A engaging and well written read. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy Greek mythology retellings.

The audio narration was well done.

Elektra by Jennifer Saint
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Jennifer Saint is the QUEEN of mythology retellings!

Elektra follows the interweaving stories of Elektra, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra. We see both sides of the Trojan War and the events from the point of view of the prominent women in these stories.

Jennifer Saint has fit so much into this retelling without it being overwhelming or overly long. Her writing is captivating and I listened to the audiobook in less than a day as I could not put it down! There is something about knowing what is going to happen but still wishing it will end differently that made it impossible to stop listening - especially with Cassandra's chapters. I am confident that this retelling will appeal to mythology lovers and new readers alike.

Elektra was released TODAY, May 3rd, and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sharing an arc with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

It’s all about The House of Atreus and boy do they have some drama over there!! Instead of focusing on the men, the story follows Clytemnestra, sister of Helen who has been kidnapped and sent to Troy, wife of Agamemnon who is raging war because of this kidnapping. When tragedy strikes Clytemnestra personally she is enraged and has her own agenda for her family.

Cassandra is cursed by Apollo with the gift of seeing the future but nobody believes her. She knows that her city of Troy will fall but is powerless to save it.

And finally, Elektra, who is the youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. She is super loyal to her father and wants the curse on her house to be over. She is strong-willed, but will her strength be enough against the gods in order to escape her family’s curse?

Thoughts
- A fast-paced story that is told in three POVs.

- Loved learning more about the women behind the scenes during the Trojan War.

-I listened to the audiobook and loved the narration. Fantastic job by Beth Eyre; Jane Collingwood; Julie Teal. I loved that there was a different voice for each character.

-The chapter do not open up and tell you which women we are now hearing from so it took me a minute to realize who’s POV we were hearing from. The story is written in first person so while listening I kept wondering who is “I” now? I did have an Advanced Listening Copy so hoping that changes to help ease the listener into the next chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am glad I was able to read this book so soon after reading The Song of Achilles. This book had characters from the sidelines that I wanted to hear about! Also, I love some feminism mixed with my retellings.

Electra is a Greek retelling of three women who were connected to but not directly involved with the Trojan war. Clytemnestra is the sister of Helen(the face that launched a thousand ships) and the wife of Agamemnon who led the army against Troy. Her story is about her discovering her family's curse and what it costs. Electra is Clytemnestra's daughter who is devastated when her father goes off to war. Cassandra is the princess of Troy. She receives a gift to see the future from Apollo but also a curse that no one will believe what she sees.

This story is tragic as are pretty much all Greek retellings. I just loved seeing how all of the pieces came together surrounding the war. I especially loved Clytemnestra's storyline. It was devastating but also powerful. Watching her story unfold alongside her daughters was a ride. I was able to see what made them into the people they are while also not agreeing with the choices they were making.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes Greek retellings, especially if you want to hear perspectives that are not often heard. If you also enjoyed The Song of Achilles, I think this is such a good accompanying story.

4.5 stars

I don’t know why I sometimes hesitate to start reading retellings of Greek myths; when they’re written well, I tend to love them, and this one wasn’t an exception. For a while, I wasn’t sure that the book should be called Elektra, since it seemed to focus on other characters’ stories as much as her own, but that eventually changed, and they did all ultimately weave together, of course. There were a couple of “ick” moments in this one because of assaults (physical/sexual) and because of suggestions about some of the title character’s feelings, but they weren’t unexpected, and they didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book. I don’t think I’ve read the author’s previous book, Ariadne, but I’m pretty sure I have it on one of my reading apps, so I’ll have to pick that one up in the near future because I really enjoyed the way she told this story.

I was really excited about this books but I have to be honest, it was a bit of a letdown.

For starters, the audiobook experience isn’t great. For about the first 1/3 of the book, when the next chapter would start I would be VERY confused about which character was actually speaking - Elektra, Cassandra, or Clytemnestra. I loved the narrators voices, but there was really little distinction to help me follow, and with so many characters I felt it would’ve benefitted from more separation. It disrupted the flow of the story significantly.

In terms of the story, I did like it. I always enjoy a book about strong headed protagonists, and this was certainly that with our three women of the House of Atreus. However, I found a bit confusing that Elektra wasn’t entirely at the forefront of the story. The book is titled after her, after all. I think Cassandra’s perspective, while interesting, could have been removed entirely as it distracted from the growing tension between Elektra and Clytemnestra.

Also - and this is just me - but Jesus did they have communication issues. I understand that it’s older times and texting wasn’t a thing. But my therapist would have so much to say. Elektra’s dedication to her father is not developed enough for her anger towards her mother to be justified or clear. It just looks Elektra was being stubborn without the context.

Overall, it’s very clear that the author did a ton of research for this one, and it’s wonderful in terms of world-building. Transitions and over ambitious character storylines aside, I always enjoy a good Greek retelling and the details are beautiful.

3/5

This was a beautiful audio experience! From that standpoint alone, it was breathtaking to listen to the way these different women were brought to life! For the story, I have almost no real knowledge of mythology outside of Song of Achilles. This book very much reminded me of that. Being able to live in each of these women’s minds in such a way was a real journey. I am looking forward to getting the hard copy of this to sink even further into the beautiful prose!

An amazing re-telling of the Trojan war. Told in 2 different voices and none of them are Helen! We hear from Clytemnestra, wife of the Lycenean king, Agamemnon. She is also Helen's sister. The tale is also told through Cassandra, daughter of Priam of Troy and cursed with the Sight by Apollo. It is a curse, as no one ever believes the truth Cassandra tells. And finally, we hear how this war and the absence of her father have impacted Elektra. Although the tale of the Trojan war has been told far and wide, you won't get a more in-depth perspective than in Elektra.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron for this audio e-version.*

Almost everyone knows the story of the Trojan War, the Trogan Horse, and Helen of Troy. The men of the House of Atreus, with the help of their egos, have brought a curse upon the house, and sadly the women in their lives are some of the many the victims of this curse. Three women–Clytemnestra (the wife of Agamemnon), Cassandra (a princess of Troy with the gift of prophecy and the curse of never being believed), and Elektra (a daughter of Agamemnon determined to escape her family’s curse)--are determined to take their lives into their own hands and control their own destinies as best they can. 

Elektra is a wonderful retelling of the House of Atreus , the Trojan War, and the events that make up the lives of Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra. The way in which Saint tells the story drew me in, especially since I am a fan of Greek mythology. I liked that there are three characters acting as narrators, and I enjoyed each woman’s perspective , especially their unique viewpoints about the same events. Overall it was a story I could really immerse myself into.

The thing that I loved the most about this audiobook is that there are three people reading as the three main characters/narrators, and for me I was able to better distinguish each woman from the others, and that made listening to this story so much more enjoyable. I liked the life brought to these characters by Eyre, Collingwood and Teal. I don’t always enjoy audiobooks–I prefer to read books–but Elektra may very well be my absolute favorite audiobook. 

I highly recommend Elektra, both the book and the audiobook, to any fan of Greek mythology. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for girting to me an advanced audiobook of Elektra, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

I love reading a Greek myth retelling because they always have strong female characters and interesting takes on the stories.

This one follows Clytemnestra, Helen's sister, whose husband Agamemnon is the leader of the army, and he will do anything to win. Cassandra, a princess of Troy, who is cursed by Apollo to see the future but have no one ever believe her visions. Elektra, youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. She hates that her father is away at war and wants nothing more than to be with him again.

I enjoyed the story and the narrator. I did find that the story drags in place especially at the beginning of the war. This one reminded me of Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood as there is a lot of character overlap. Also must add that I love the orange cover of this one!

I know literally nothing about greek mythology so I don't know any of the context for this book/ the characters. I think if I had the physical book, it would be easier to follow but the audiobook is not working for me given the type of story. I really like that the different POVs have different narrators, that does help with the distinction. Even though there were distinct voices, I still had a hard time figuring out what was going on. I would like to try this book again with the physical book.

I do still like the writing itself but I couldn't get into the story because I personally needed the physical. I love audiobooks but I guess this is one of those stories where I needed the physical book.

A feminist retelling of the stories of Cassandra, Clytemnestra, and Elektra, this book is pretty dark but well done and pleasingly written.

I have a psychology degree, so I am well aware of the Elektra complex….if you aren’t, you will be by the end of this. Clytemnestra probably has the most interesting plot as Helen's sister and wife of Agememnon, Cassandra is the most likable/pitiable as a Trojan Princess and Priestess to Apollo. Elektra is……Elektra, daughter of Clytemnestra and Agememnon. This largely covers the story of Helen and the Battle for Troy, which book readers will have seen from Achilles and Patroclus’ viewpoint in Song of Achilles. Now you see it from the point of view of a daughter of Sparta, a daughter of Troy, and a daughter of Agamemnon. A lesson in fate, curses, revenge, and living with grief and rage at the expense of the life in front of you.

*formal review to be posted on my blog this week. Free early audiobook obtained from NetGalley

Thank You to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an Advanced Listener’s Copy of Elektra by Jennifer Saint. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

This was an outstanding audio production. The three distinct and evocative narration provided by multiple readers was passionate and enthralling, adding to the beauty and poetic prose of Jennifer Saint. While I read and enjoyed Ariadne last year, this retelling was even more memorable. Even though I was already familiar with parts of the story, I was still riveted to Saint’s fresh perspective of the years before, during and after the Trojan War. The title is somewhat misleading as this was VERY MUCH Clytemnestra’s story, interspersed with Cassandra’s & Elektra’s perspectives as well. I appreciated having the focus on these three woman who are often overlooked in the Greek Tragedies but definitely deserve to have their own stories highlighted. Jennifer Saint covers a lot of ground in this novel, introducing reader’s to many Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Mortals, Nymphs, Queens, Kings, Princes & Princess. I could have easily listened to another dozen hours. I hope Jennifer Saint continues to delight us with more of her gorgeous Greek re-tellings. I absolutely recommend the audio.

I liked this take on the mythology to an extent. It was good but a bit boring in places too if I am honest. Sometimes it flew by and other times it dragged by so much.

4.5 rounded up

I read Ariadne, also written by Saint, at the beginning of the year and both are beautifully polished stories. I enjoyed this one more than Ariandne and I think that’s due to the characters evolution and their complexity growing as the story went on.

This was a very beautifully written book with each perspective giving insight and depth to the story as a whole. I knew a bit about Cassandra but the stories of Elektra and her mother were brand new to me and so interesting. With almost all Greek Mythology there is a lot of war, death, and sadness, but I also really appreciated the strong women that were the focus.

The narration is fantastic but the POV’s aren’t entirely clear so it did take a few chapters for me to easily move from on character to another without confusion.

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillanaudio for the alc in exchange for an honest review!

(I will be posting this to Goodreads and Booksta on Wednesday and will add the link then)

If you love Greek mythology, you HAVE to pick this one up!

🗡 REVIEW: ELEKTRA 🗡

By Jennifer Saint

📖 SUMMARY: This novel follows three women before, during, and after the Trojan War: Clytemnestra, wife to Agamemnon; Cassandra, princess of Troy; and Elektra, daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Clytemnestra wants to avoid the curse that has plagued her husband’s family for generations, but Agamemnon commits a savage betrayal at the start of the Trojan War and leaves behind his wife wait for his return — and plan her revenge — for ten long years. Throughout that decade, Elektra, eternally faithful to her powerful father, grows to hate her mother for dishonoring him. Cassandra, cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed, knows that her city will fall in a fiery blaze and is powerless to stop it. They all hope to put an end to the cycle of violence and vengeance, but their fates are tied to the curse of the House of Atreus.

💭 THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed ARIADNE, and this one blew that out of the water for me! So much of Greek mythology is dominated by gods/goddesses and larger than life (mainly male) heroes, so I love the focus on these mortal women. Even further, Saint chose three women other than Helen to focus on, which is interesting when writing about the Trojan War! The writing is top tier and although it’s about this story from Greek mythology, I think anyone would enjoy it. Clytemnestra, Cassandra, and Elektra are such interesting and intriguing characters, and I enjoyed each one’s POV equally. The audio of this is fantastic — each narrator has her own voice actor. I highly suggest listening to it!

Thank you to @ netgalley and @ macmillanusa @ macmillan.audio for the ALC. This comes out Tuesday, May 3!

✨ RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you liked Jennifer Saint’s ARIADNE and loved SONG OF ACHILLES