Member Reviews
This is a lovely story woven Greek Mythology.
The main character rubs shoulders with the usual pantheon. Finding herself through trial and error. Definitely an empowering story for younger and older women alike.
Atalanta was left on a mountainside by her parents to perish simple because she was a girl, She survived because a mama bear took her as her own. Once the mama bear's own cubs were grown, Artemis then took Atalanta under her wing and left her in the care of her nymphs. Atalanta became skilled with the bow and an excellent hunter. When word spread that Jason was gathering the strongest and best heroes to find the golden fleece, Artemis chose Atalanta to go and be her champion. I love that she is smart, strong and capable, a real bad-ass!
She finds herself in the company of men for the first time and subject to many misogynistic views pertaining to women. Since this retelling has a very feminist vibe, I found myself wanting her to be more assertive in situations. However, her subtle ways did make me smile.
I can't tell you how much I loved listening to this book. The writing and narration were both excellent! Once I started listening, I did not want to stop. What a fitting ending for a Greek retellling!
This book pulled me into the world of audiobooks. I already love Jennifer Saint's writing and any book that has to do with Greek Mythology is a must-read in my opinion (due to my own fascination) but the narrator is what really brought this story to life. I found I couldn't wait to get into my car to go to work because I would get to dive more into Atalanta's world and go on yet another part of the adventures with Jason and the Argonauts.
Highly recommend if you love a good adventure story. 100% recommend as an audiobook. Pick up a coloring book and just sit and listen to some good, old fashioned storytelling.
As a huge fan of Saint’s previous two Greek myth retellings, I was disappointed by this one. The beginning of the novel starts out very slow with the backstory failing to suck me in. Still, I pushed through and did find a handful of striking scenes. In the end though, Atalanta’s story felt watered down, slowed by the excessive filler moments included throughout the story.
This feminine look into the Argonauts gives a different side to the heroes' tale. I loved that there was a strong woman who decided what she wanted and how to get it. I'd give this five stars but the ending kind of took away from Atalanta's decision about life. The narrator was great with a rich voice that brought descriptions to life.
I love Jennifer Saint and her ability to paint a portrait into another world. It was not my favorite of hers, however the audio kept it moving along. I felt it could have been trimmed up and shortened at times, but I do love a female interpretation of Greek mythology.
I think I tried to start this one at least 3 or 4 times and I couldn't get into it. The narrator was fine, but all I ever remember is that I put the audiobook on, start doing something, and just completely not care about the book.
Maybe I will borrow a print from the library, but as it stands I can't do this one. Too boring, and too many times I've lost interest to try it again.
Thank you for this ARC!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jennifer Saint is such a good author and I really appreciate her versions of her take on classic greek myths. Atalanta was empowering and ended in a way that left the reader satisfied, despite the circumstances.
The narrator was a horrible choice for this book. Beth Eyre has a very cultured British voice that suits historical romances and murder mysteries. A Greek heroine book? Just an awful choice.
I love the way Jennifer Saint tells her stories. Greek mythology stories can be pretty hit or miss for me but hers always hit. I think this is my favorite of hers I’ve read so far. So good and I was intrigued and interested the entire time.
Narrator was fantastic
I REALLY enjoyed this book. I am upset by the ending but I know it's what is supposed to happen...sigh, can't a girl dream? Anyways, I read this after having read a really BAD, horrific, terribly written greek retelling, so Atalanta was a breath of fresh air! This one was so entertaining to listen to. Honestly I did everything I could to keep listening to it until I finished it! I am definitely going to read Jennifer Saints other books now!
I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes GOOD, well-written greek myth retellings!
Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC Audiobook! ♥
I really enjoyed this audiobook! It was definitely out of my comfort zone but I’m so glad I decided to listen!
A fun adaptation of greek mythology. I knew little about Atalanta before this novel and didn't know she was involved with Jason and the Golden Fleece.
GENRE: Retelling, Greek Myth, Female Lead
RATING: 4/5
This is a very solid Greek myth retelling. If you are someone who enjoyed Circe and Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, then Atalanta is definitely a great pick for you. I have to say, as far as placing this novel, I would say I preferred it over Circe but it did not hit the same way Song of Achilles did for me. All three have very similar writing styles and tones (which is expected in Greek myth retelling). The reason that Atalanta is just so exceptional compared to Circe, is that she is very relatable. She realizes through her story that she does not need to fit the definition of “HERO” that is attributed to men. She learns that she can fight and find challenges in her name rather than “the name of others”. It would be fair to call this a feminist or female empowering retelling of Atalanta.
I really wanted to like this title, I am a fan of Greek mythology and retellings, but I just couldn't get into it. None of the characters were particularly catching to me, I didn't have a connection with any of them, and all of the nymphs felt the same. The narrator was a decent narrator, but there was no inflection in their voice, so it felt very monotone when listening. I honestly didn't make it past about 20% in the book because I had no desire to learn what happened next to the characters. Even the start of the book was slow, learning about the bear and how Atalanta was raised with them, felt so passive that I was waiting for the meat and potatoes of the book. I would potentially try reading this title, but unfortunately would not recommend the audiobook.
I enjoyed this retelling. I think it was very atmospheric and obviously very character driven. I usually don’t like retellings but I did find myself enjoying this one.
I didn't really like this Greek retelling. It almost felt like reading Genesis in the Bible with its list of Greek family members. I read about 75% and didn't finish.
But, I know a lot of people who loved it. Just wasn't my cup of tea.
"Men who thought the world belonged to them, who imagined I was just another trophy that they could win. needed to remember who I was, who I had always been. A woman who was unafraid. The world beyond was such an alien place; I was learning every day how different it was."
I love Jennifer Saints writing style, so it really was no surprise to me that I absolutely loved Atlanta. As a whole this book is breathtaking, but broken up into pieces I think that this book is so clever. There are so many quotes that when dissected I just had a moment of "I wish I lived in this persons brain" because WOW. I am a sucker for retellings so I am always a little nervous, but this retelling of Atlanta was everything I could've asked for and more. I definitely need to get myself a physical copy because I definitely plan on rereading and annotating this absolute gem.
Thank you to the publisher for the ALC. I love a good Greek mythology retelling and this one was so fun.
What a girl boss. I love the story of Atalanta and I thought this was a pretty faithful and entertaining modern telling of her story.