Age old story - girls to be wed, boys to be warriors, bearer of the family name, owners of heirs (like they can pop the baby themselves...). Atalanta was not a special in this case. Her father ordered her to be thrown away because she didn't have the right genitals. But she was special in other ways.

She was raised by bears and admitted by Artemis into her clique. She was an athlete; she was a warrior; she was a challenge to be taken. She was everything that men aimed to be. Artemis chose her to be the part of the crew bringing together best "men" of Greece. Of course they did not like her; of course they did want her around them. However, Atalanta was not your average person.

While she was rising to the ranks of legends, her body and her emotions put her back to where she was "supposed" to be. The body made her better than anyone else was getting rounder to make space for her baby. She was not her father though, she was not going to leave her child to bears. She would be the mother, the warrior, and the legend - no matter what

First line: When I was born, they left me on a hillside.

Summary: When Atalanta was born, she was not the son her parents had hoped for, so they left her on the side of a hill. But Atalanta was stronger than her parents believed. She was raised along with bear cubs and taken in by the goddess, Artemis. As she grew up she longed for adventure and when the chance to join the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts she was chosen by the goddess to help the men on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Initially despised by the men she quickly proves her worth through her skills with a bow and her speed. However, she is warned that if she marries she will lose the goodwill of the goddess. Can she defy the goddess and find love while forging a place for herself in the legends?

My Thoughts: Before reading Atalanta, I was not familiar with the tale of Jason and the Argonauts. I knew the name but not their story. And I feel that this was a great introduction into the story. Jennifer Saint’s books have been interesting and fun to read. I feel like some bits of the story I knew but did not know how they all fit together until now. Saint does a great job of bringing to life these ancient female legends and giving them new life. Plus the cover is beautiful. If you loved the other books than you definitely need to pick this one up as well.

Thank you Macmillan audio for an ARC of Atalanta in exchange of my honest review.

Atalanta was rejected by her father, a king, because she was born a girl and he wanted a male heir. She was left to die but got adopted by a mother bear. When she grew up, she got under the supervision of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. Because she became an amazing hunter, Artemis requested Atalanta to join Jason and the Argonauts in an expedition as he "champion".

Right out of the bat I must say that the prose of this book is amazing. It flows amazingly and it really transported inside the book. The pacing of the story is also very good.
By my rating you can totally see that I truly enjoyed this book. I just deducted 1 star because I think Saint really sticked to the myth of Atalanta in this book and I think as a retelling, you can get a little more of creative freedom. For example, throughout the book we see men being men (they are misogynistic, condescending, stealing her accomplishments, flat out cheaters etc etc) and gods just being awful as they usually are, and I thought that maybe Atalanta's wins could have made her fiercer than it was described or coming out of it with some sort of strong character growth. Basically, I just wanted her to have a better triumph moments than the ones she got in the book. Since there were so many instances of them just putting her down, I really wanted her to stake her claim and worthiness in some moments. Because of that I thought she didn't have as much depth as she could.

Overall a good read for the fans of greek mythology!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jennifer Saint for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for Atalanta coming out May 9, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Princess Atalanta should have been born a boy. Her parents had hoped for a son to carry on the bloodline. As a daughter, she is left on a mountainside to die. But she survives and is taken in by a mama bear. She grows up under the protection of the goddess Artemis. Atalanta grows up wild and free to be who she wants. She has just one condition from Artemis: if she marries, it will ruin her.

Although she loves her gorgeous wilderness home, Atalanta longs for travel and adventure. She wants to explore and experience life. When Artemis offers her the opportunity to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the strongest warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta jumps at the chance. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with difficult trials, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men. As she is thrown into a passionate affair, in direct defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta find her own legendary place in a world of men, while following her heart?

I’ve read Jennifer Saint’s book Ariadne, so I was interested in listening to this one. I have an interest in Roman and Greek mythology. I think it can be hard to understand at times, but there’s a lot of retellings helping make it easier to understand. This book started a little slow for me. But I soon started to see how strong of a character Atalanta was and started to love it. I definitely enjoyed when she got to go on adventure. I loved that she followed her heart. The writing was poetic and I think she definitely brought the characters to life. I loved that Atalanta was strong and feminine. I enjoyed the plot and journey.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Greek mythology!

Words cannot adequately describe my excitement in getting the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!
I have read one other Greek mythology retelling, which I loved, and has made me incredibly eager to explore the genre more.
Atalanta was my introduction to Jennifer Saint and a Greek mythology retelling from the perspective of a female heroine.
What an interesting story!
I thoroughly enjoyed Jennifer Saint's descriptive writing, her attention to detail, her desire to make Atalanta's environment a character of its own.
Getting insight into the lives of women during this time was fascinating. The role of women, how women are blamed for things beyond their control, the violence of women, their cunning nature: It was all so intriguing.
Did the life of Atalanta make me sad and angry for her? Yes! And the depth of my feelings are a direct correlation to the beauty of Jennifer Saint's lyricism in her writing.
You won't regret reading (or listening to) this gorgeous story.

The best Jennifer Saint book so far!

I consumed this story as an audiobook and thought it was fantastic in that format. As someone not particularly familiar with the story of Atalanta, I thought this was an excellent introduction. I enjoyed the way Saint wrote Atalanta, the fierceness of her spirit, and the ways she always stood up for herself and stayed true to what she wanted. It was such a pleasure listening to this story. I couldn't put this down and recommend it to other beginners to this myth.

Huge thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced listener copy.

I have read all of Jennifer Saint's books and this one is my favorite, so far!

The story of Atalanta was beautify done and the performance of the audiobook was well done. I will be recommending this to patrons!

This is the story of Atalanta, starting with her birth to royal parents who left her on a mountainside to die. She is adopted, in a way, by Artemis and her nymphs, though she is warned not to get physically involved with men or to marry. Trained as a fierce hero, Atalanta joins Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the golden fleece, but she struggles to earn their respect and understand the ways of mortal men. She gets entangled despite herself, and her compassionate heart will lead her down a trail she never expected.

I enjoyed reading a greatly expanded version of Atalanta's story, as she only gets tiny snippets in the larger body of Greek mythology — here we get not only her adventures with the Argonauts, but also her youth in Arcadia and her famous footrace. I really love Jennifer Saint's other mythology fiction, but I found Atalanta to be disappointing compared to Ariadne and Elektra. For me, Atalanta's character didn't invoke an emotional connection, so the story ended up episodic and flat. There were points in the story that dragged, and I wish more time had been devoted to the depth of Atalanta's character.

Overall, the author's writing is beautiful and the story is interesting, but this is not where I will direct readers craving a mythology retelling. Thank you to Jennifer Saint, Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my advance audio copy.

While I’ve enjoyed Saint’s other novels, this one definitely has a different feel to it. Maybe it’s because of the heroine, but this book is fiercer and more joyous in a way to match its heroine. Atalanta isn’t like any other woman (no not in a “not like other girls” kind of way). She was raised by bears and a goddess. She’s swifter and more skilled than men. And she refuses to be limited in what she can do. Even her final defeat is on her own terms.
And of course we get biting insight into the other “heroes” of Greek mythology. Jason was not all that great and it’s made very clear that his victory was Medea’s victory. Peleas, father of Achilles? Bitter and misogynistic. Hercules? In one of the more poignant sections, Atalanta asked, and who remembers his wife’s name? The one whose murder he is supposed to atone for with all his legend-making tasks.
In all of these stories, the gods and goddesses are cruel and vengeful creatures. Athena and Aphrodite and Hera are no different here either. But still Atalanta refuses to respond how she’s expected to. Her story is not a tragedy, but a triumph and a release and ultimately, joyful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy for review. All opinions are my own.

A fast paced, feminist retelling of Atalanta’s tale. I flew through this story (LOVED the ending) and am going to check out more of the author’s work.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Atalanta" is another Greek mythology retelling from the wonderful mind of Jennifer Saint. Atalanta is a woman who was raised by bears and later by Artemis and her nymphs in the forest. This novel tells the story of Atalanta sailing with Jason and the Argonauts on their adventure to capture the golden fleece, and Artemis warns her that she is not to fall in love or marry because not only will she not be welcomed back into Artemis' forest, but marriage will spell her undoing.
Going into this, I knew very little of Apollonius' "Argonautica", but it didn't prove to be an issue because Saint always does such an awesome job of rebuilding the world of the myth for those that may not be so familiar. I also really liked that Saint included how vengeful Olympic Goddesses can be because I think, especially in modernity, that people often overlook how they were depicted as just as vicious as their male counterparts. For example, so many people have changed the myth of Medusa so that her snakes are a gift of protection given by Athena when in actuality they were a curse given as punishment for being assaulted in Athena's temple. Anyway, Artemis is depicted similarly as we and Atalanta see Artemis punishing different nymphs for being assaulted or nearly assaulted.
I found Atalanta's exploits on the Argo entertaining and was invested in her adventure and even in her fling with Meleager. This accounts for about 55-60% of the novel, but the next half follows Atalanta and her life after the Argo and to be frank, I found it hard to get through. Compared to the first half of the novel, it was incredibly slow and shifted into even more literary fiction than it was before. I still wanted to finish it to see how the prophecy she was given came to be.
I definitely think that if you enjoyed Jennifer Saint's other novels or Madeline Miller's myth retellings you should give this shot!
Even though I wasn't as invested in the second half, I still gave this novel 4 stars because it is still an amazing and enjoyable work.

Jennifer Saint does it again! Going into this with no knowledge of Atalanta and her story, I came out of it with an admiration for her character. She was unafraid to speak her mind and it was a joy to read about (even though it was equally heartbreaking at times.) Paired with Saint’s beautiful writing, I couldn’t help but love this story. I’m already waiting for the author’s next book with great excitement!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me of this audiobook arc in exchange for a honest review.

'm a huge fan of any mythology, Greek holding a very special spot. I love almost all retellings that stick closer to the original myths but with more fluff and feeling to male it a novel. I love that Jennifer Saint has taken it upon herself to give us these. And not the the big, popular ones. I love that she hands us out retellings of Myths that get overlooked or aren't as well known.

This one is of Atalanta. The voice she gave her is is perfect. I can see her being exactly this way. I loved how Atalanta knew who she was and who she wasn't and wouldn't compromise herself to fit the mold of men's ideas of what a woman should be like. She's strong and fierce. Intelligent and intuitive.

I will read *ANY* retelling that Jennifer Saint feels worthy to gift us.

The narrator has such a soothing and calm tone. Her voice is a delight to listen to.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I’m not typically a massive fan of magical retellings, but boy, I hyper-fixated on Greek Mythology as a kid, and now this is my Superbowl. I didn’t know too much about the backstory of Atalanta, but I was happy to learn along with readers of the mythos and lore behind this born-again goddess, who provides true support for women everywhere.

I am so thankful to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, Jennifer Saint, and NetGalley for granting me advanced audiobook and physical access before this baby publishes on May 9, 2023.

Atalanta was born a female, which angered her father, who sought a male to take over the throne when it was his time, so he abandoned his daughter on the mountaintops, where a mother bear took her in as one of her own. She wrestled with her cub siblings and learned the lay of the land until she was taken into Artemis’s sanctuary to begin training with a bow and arrow and defending herself against the horrific dangers of men.

Soon enough, it’s understood that Atalanta is a speedy runner and fairs well in battle. She’s recruited by the Argonauts and journeys across chopping seas to defend the honor and armor she’s entrusted with. At first, she has some haters, for how could a woman be a soldier? But soon, she proves these nay-sayers wrong and earns her spot amongst the men, symbolizing that women can do jobs and hold roles that men do and sometimes do it better.

A true feminist.

Another beautiful and captivating Greek mythology retelling from one of the best!

If you love Greek mythology but haven't heard of Atalanta's heroic adventures, this is the best place to start. The first part of the book focuses on her participation as an Argonaut, helping Jason to steal the golden fleece. While she stands out as one of the best of the team, retellings of this adventure often leave her out all together, and Jennifer Saint bolds and underline's the importance of her gifts to the success of the quest.

The second part of the book we find Atalanta without a quest, a home or a patron in the goddess Artemis. Her battles turn from external to internal even as dramatic events continue to unfold around her. The weight of her decisions feel heavier and the story's emotional arc hits all the right notes.

The audiobook is narrated by Beth Eyre, who also narrated Saint's last book, Elektra. And there is a reason she was invited back again, because her narration casts a spell on the listener that will make it hard to pause until the end. Her voice is Atalanta, and when I read the hardback (which I've already pre-ordered!) I'll be reading it in her voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy.

This book is best read after picking golden apples, but before training for a run.

3.5 stars.

After reading “The Song of Achilles” and “Circe,” I found a new genre that I love - Greek myth retellings. “Atalanta” falls into this category.

I was immediately drawn in from the beginning. However, it did start to drag halfway through. I felt that the author was unnecessarily spending a lot of time on some parts of the story, which in turn started to bore me. I struggled to get back into the book for about a third of it.

It does start to pick up around the 80% mark, which helped make it interesting again. I do feel that the ending didn’t finish as strong as the story began. I really thought this book was going to blow me away, but it fell just a little short.

I did like the narrator - I found her accent and tone pleasing, which helped me get into the story.

All that to say that I liked the book, but it just wasn’t as good as other similar books I’ve read. Even so, I am curious about the author’s other books, so I will check those out.

Oh my Atalanta!

I have enjoyed all of Jennifer Saint’s feminist Greek myth retellings. This may possibly be my favorite. I had no clue about Atalanta’s story going into this one so I was pleasantly immersed into her world. A forgotten heroine raised by bear cubs under the eye of Artemis. Who will journey with argonauts proving her place amongst the group of men.

I loved hearing her story told, a great one to share with young girls about persevering, fighting the norms and taking center stage.

An epic tale that was truly special! I’m excited for what’s more to come from Saint!

Thank you to the publisher for an ALC!

4 stars

Readers who enjoyed Saint's _Ariadne_ and _Elektra_ - or even found themselves somewhat skeptical coming into those works - will finish this read feeling extremely satisfied.

Atalanta has such a great backstory, and unlike so many other women in mythology, the potential for her to, well, outpace her foes is seemingly boundless. Saint absolutely capitalizes on all of the coolest parts of Atalanta's story and embellishes in appealing ways to make her speak even more to modern readers.

It's easy to get bogged down in the misogynistic threads that run through Greek mythology, but the writers who are most successfully reworking those characters now are the ones who are highlighting their strengths. Saint not only explores Atalanta's wins; there's also evident attention here to quick plotting, seamless character integration, and contemporary sensibilities.

For me, Saint's novels are just getting better. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to recommending it to students. When and where accessible, I especially recommend the audiobook, which is wonderful.

Atalanta by Jennifer Saint: ⭐⭐⭐🌟
Format: audiobook courtesy of MacMillan Audio through NetGalley

Jennifer Saint’s latest novel based on Greek mythology regales the story of Atalanta. A mortal raised in the forest by bears and nymphs under Artemis’ protection, Atalanta has devoted herself to a life of service to the goddess’ service. After proving her talents, Artemis sends her to join Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to claim the Golden Fleece. Having never left the secluded forest, Atalanta faces otherworldly obstacles and very human challenges as the only woman in the Argonaut’s ranks.

This book was the first I have heard of Atalanta, whose unique story of feminine excellence has faded over time. This book was interesting from beginning to end, told in first person POV and narrative in structure. The writing style focuses on events as they are supposed to have happened, with less emphasis on Atalanta’s emotions and reactions to these events. This keeps the story moving along quickly, but makes the titular character less relatable, and I did not feel a strong emotional attachment to the story.

Writing a story based on historical or mythological characters is interesting, as the story already has a plot and an ending. If the author chooses to tell the story as accurately as possible, they must try to make the best of the story and put their own spin on it. I think Jennifer Saint did a great job at bringing Atalanta to life and her adaptation provided a satisfying insight to her motivations and virtues. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys Greek mythology retellings.

Thank you to Jennifer Saint, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audio-ARC of Atalanta in exchange for my honest review. Atalanta is set to publish in North America on May 9th, and is available now abroad.

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley.

Atalanta was my first modern Greek mythology retelling, and it won’t be my last. I was impressed by Jennifer Saint’s lyrical writing style and Beth Eyre’s immersive and enchanting narration.

I studied mythology in college. My class focused on the tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece for weeks and discussed it during multiple sessions. Yet, I cannot recall Atalanta as a member of the Argonauts. Had it not been for Saint’s retelling I likely would’ve always believed the story of Jason to comprise only of men.

Atalanta is a fast-paced, dreamlike tale that I highly recommend reading via audiobook for the excellent narration.