Based on my understanding, Atalanta is a very minor character in Greek mythology. Therefore, I’m not sure if this was exactly a modern re-telling of a Greek myth. The author definitely had to create a lot of backstory for this character. Some readers have even suggested that this book is more fan-fiction than the re-telling of a classic story.

Regardless of how the story should be catered, it was an enjoyable book. The author is clearly a talented writer and gifted storyteller. However, I feel that the author chooses the wrong source material for her books. I also read the book, Ariadne, by this author. I would love for this author to write a re-telling of a different female character from Greek mythology, perhaps one less obscure than Atalanta or Ariadne.

I didn’t love Atalanta’s character or the choices she made. Her ending is not as tragic as most female characters’ endings are within this genre. However, I felt the character deserved a more tragic downfall. She is “punished” for the wrong reasons and never shows real remorse for her actions. Based on her actions, I felt it difficult to feel sympathy for her character.

In the end, I’m not giving up on this author and look forward to what she writes next.

Atalanta was left for dead by a father who wanted a boy. Raised by a mother bear, and brought up in the woods, she learns to fight at a young age. Setting out on her own, she finds herself making a home among the forest of Artemis, who trains her. When she is seen as a skilled warrior, she’s sent off with the Argonauts as they set off on a quest for the Golden Fleece. Atalanta is forced to prove herself as the only female fighter through all of the challenges and battles on their journey, but also must stay true to the guidance and warnings that Artemis sent her with: Never marry, or she would lose herself.

This is my first book by Jennifer Saint, but not my first of Greek Mythology. I really enjoyed the strength and principles that Atalanta stood for, even when she was questioned or came up against enemies. She was never afraid to find for what she believed in.

The story itself was a bit long and drawn out, and (like many books of mythology) featured a number of characters that could be confusing to keep track of. But overall, Jennifer Saint has written a beautiful story of a woman’s passion and strength, showing what can be possible when a woman stands up for herself and her beliefs.

I’d definitely recommend this for fans of Madeline Miller (Circe, Song of Achilles), or anyone with interest in Greek mythology, or strong female characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook!

Very fun listen. The story kept me intrigued and I loved the retelling. I love when a story based on myths feels familiar but new at the same time. This felt like a classic example of such.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the audiobook.

Genre: Mythology Retelling
Author: Jennifer Saint
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta."

I had never heard the story of Atalanta before and this was a treat! I am a big fan of mythology retellings and though I knew the legends and myths from this story, I didn't know about the character Atalanta connecting them all. I enjoyed reading these famous stories with Atalanta being the center point. She is a fierce and skilled warrior and I adored her passion and truth to herself. The only problem with stories like these is that there is so much story to cover that pacing can become strange - too fast in some parts, too slow in others. Overall, this was a fun read and I very much recommend the audiobook format!

My huge thanks to Headline and Macmillan Audio via Netgalley for ARC, I have given my honest review.
Pub Date: 13 Apr 2023

I enjoyed this audiobook. Atalanta was a compelling main character, but she worked less as a narrator for me. The premise of this mythological retelling was so strong, but like with so many mythological retellings, I found the voice to rely too heavily on traditional tones and cadences that myths are written in. Even as the story was expanded and reinvented, the story stayed somewhat flat for me due to the monotonous narration (the words, not the reading). This lofty air given to the MC's voice always makes it a little harder for me to connect with the character. If a reader loves mythological retellings, they will surely enjoy this. Unfortunately it wasn't for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgally for the opportunity to read this audiobook in return for an honest review.

This was a wonderful read, I just think I need to step away from Mythologies for a long while. I’ve read quite a few recently. This one doesn’t really stand out too much for me.

Pub date: 5/9/23 (out now!)
Genre: mythological retelling
Quick summary: Atalanta was abandoned when she wasn't the son her parents hoped for, but she found a home and a protector in Artemis. Years later, she embarks on the journey to capture the golden fleece as the only female Argonaut.

I love Jennifer Saint's novels on audio - they just transport me into the story! Beth Eyre did a wonderful job narrating, and I listened to this one in two days. I loved how Saint portrayed the different periods of Atalanta's life and her struggle between her loyalty to Artemis and her desire for a fuller life. There's a good balance of adventure and sisterhood, plus a bit of romance, and I think fans of mythological retellings will really enjoy this one! I'm embarrassed to say I didn't remember who Atalanta was prior to reading, but I will not forget her story!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a joy to listen to. The story is beautifully written and easy to et hooked into. Beth Eyre did a great job of narrating and everything flowed smoothly. Definitely worth a listen/read.

I'm a big fan of all of the Greek mythology retellings that have been cropping up over the last decade or so and I've previously really enjoyed Jennifer Saint's writing, so I was excited to receive an advanced copy of Atalanta. I was even more excited because Atalanta is a character I have not seen previously covered by all of the many retellings (as opposed to Clytemnestra, Helen, etc.).

To start, I loved the characterization of Atalanta. She has been raised to be fierce and independent. She knows no limitations and so she is a very effective warrior. She's never been taught to think that a woman is somehow less capable, so she joins the Argonauts knowing that she will excel. The warning that Artemis gives her to take no husband seems logical, but as Atalanta explores the world, we see her struggle with her obligations to Artemis and the things she now wants as a human. I definitely think this was the strongest part of the book.

The plot was a bit of a let down for me. While there was a lot going on, it didn't feel like much of it was deeply explored. I expected the journey with the Argonauts to be more exciting, but somehow it felt like a secondary plot. There was a lot more time spent on the romance aspect and I think the action and timing suffered a bit because of it. I don't want to make this sound like it was terrible or anything. It was still an enjoyable story. It's just that comparative to Ariadne and Elektra, this one wasn't quite up to the same standard.

All in all, if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings, you'll likely find this one enjoyable as well. Atalanta is an interesting character and the story does move quickly.

As for the narration of the audiobook, I thought it was well done. It was easy to understand and I found the pacing to be typical for an audiobook. (I always speed them up.) It was easy to follow which characters were speaking and overall, I would recommend the audio option if you typically enjoy them.

3.75 Stars rounded up to 4

*Thank you to Netgalley, Jennifer Saint, and Flatiron Books for the Audio-ARC. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

Atalanta was such a wonderful story. Jennifer Saint is such a terrific writer and her stories are so breathtaking. This audiobook was really good and I loved the narrators voice.

Atalanta tells the story of the baby abandoned by her father, raised by a bear, and grew up with Artemis. Cursed by Artemis never to marry, Atalanta's adventures has her joining none other than the Argonauts, on their quest for the golden fleece. Despite the trials and tribulations life throws at her, Atalanta is determined to carve out her place in the world.

I enjoyed this sweeping epic tale of the lesser known huntress, Atalanta. You immediately feel for the woman who can't seem to catch a break no matter how hard she tries. Atalanta is well-crafted and believable character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Beth Eyre was a great narrator, really bringing Atalanta to life.

This is my first mythology retelling by Jennifer Saint, and about an hour in, I requested the rest of her catalog from my library. If you've fallen in love with books like "Circe" or the "Heroes of Olympus," this will give you another bit of retold, sexism-addressed mythology to enjoy.

Now, I say ADDRESSED, not ERASED. Because Saint's version of Atalanta is centrally concerned with her legacy, and is well aware that she fights against Greece's hatred of women just as much as she fights the monsters of the Mediterranean. Again and again, she proves herself an equal to male Greek heroes, and still she is patronized and, when she can't be talked down about, simply left out of the narrative.

And she does not let that stand.

Saint also does not sugar-coat the gods. Artemis is around a lot for the beginning of the book, and her crimes against her followers who have fallen in love or whom have faced sexual violence are acknowledged. Not punished, because she's, well, Artemis. But Atalanta recognizes how dangerous her patroness truly is.

There's romance, in the sort of "pan the camera to the curtains blowing in the breeze" sense. It feels a bit tacked on, but, to be fair, romance feels tacked on to Atalanta's story in the original Greek, as well. The poets just couldn't let her be better than the boys without giving her a "weakness" to roll their eyes at.

A lovely book, and the audiobook narrator's voice is both proud and quite soothing. I made sure to not listen near bedtime, because I'm pretty sure she'd send me to sleep, in spite of the adventures!

Advanced audio copy provided by the publisher.

YES YES YES
This book gave it all, I was obsessed with this story and adventure from the beginning and was not disappointed at all. Highly recommend this to literally everyone because it covers so many bases I think a lot of different genre groups would enjoy this story.

Dear Atalanta,
Going into listening to you, I knew nothing about Atalanta and her myth. I loved Jennifer Saint's retelling of Ariadne, and you are also a wonderful addition to a modernization of the recent Greek myth retelling. I loved the was Atalanta came to life. Each choice that she made felt true to her character, and I loved how strong she was, both inside and out. You were an interesting story full of adventure and gods, with a.tresutr trove of myth woven into you. Your story had so much life and you made Atalanta feel real to me.

A retelling of the Atalanta myth with a modern vibe, but honestly, not enough good new stuff to make this novel stand out from the crowd of retellings out there.

I have a weakness for Greek myth retellings, and I’ve read some truly incredible ones. Circe is a perennial favorite, Stone Blind and Ithaca both recently blew me away, and Olympus Texas is the most unique retelling I’ve ever read. Because I’ve read so many exceptional retellings, I’m a tad picky when deciding which ones to pick up. I’ve come to realize that those that try to completely remove the magic and the gods from the stories, such as Claire Heywood’s work, really don’t work for me. But when I find an author of retellings whom I feel like I can trust, I latch on. Jennifer Saint is one such author. I preordered Atalanta as soon as it was announced, and I’m happy to report that it didn’t disappoint. Like her two previous works, I found Atalanta a solid, immersive retelling, even if it didn’t quite become an instant favorite.

Atalanta is the story of the eponymous princess who was abandoned as a baby by her father, nursed by a bear, raised by Artemis among her nymphs, and served as the only female Argonaut under Jason. She was a huntress unparalleled by any but the goddess of the hunt herself. She was faster and fleeter of foot than any mortal man. And she was essentially erased from the myths of Jason and the Argonauts for the crime of being a woman. I found her story fascinating, largely because I was less familiar with it than I am many of the Greek myths. While I knew the basics of Jason and the Argonauts, it’s not a myth that I found particularly compelling, so I’m not as well versed in it as I am regarding The Iliad and The Odyssey, the tasks of Heracles or the inception of the pantheon of gods. That made the story more engaging for me, especially as it was told solely through the eyes of Atalanta.

As with all of Saint’s retellings to date, this is a very feminist retelling of a typically male-dominated story, focussed on the women who have always been in the periphery of said story but who are generally overlooked. I absolutely love this trend of giving voice to the women who are often seen as either a plague, a prop, or a prize for the men in the story to defeat, utilize, or win. Saint presents Atalanta as a fascinating character who develops more nuance the longer she is out of her forest and surrounded by other humans instead of nymphs and bears and goddesses. I loved her affinity with nature, especially dogs, and her inherent belief in herself and her abilities. There were decisions she made that irked me, and character traits that had me rolling my eyes, but all in all I found her compelling and easy to root for, even if she could be remarkably hard-headed.

I had a lot of fun reading Atalanta, and appreciated the added benefit of it enticing me to read more about the characters involved and seek out some of their original myths. Greek myth retellings has become one of my absolute favorite subgenres, and all three of Saint’s works have more than earned their place on my shelf. I don’t know that this will have the same staying power as some I’ve read, or be as wonderfully absorbing on a reread, but I very much enjoyed my time with it.

After enjoying Ariadne and Elektra, I was very excited to try Jennifer Saint’s newest tale, Atalanta. I enjoy that she takes well-known tales of heroes and retells them from the female’s perspectives who are involved. In this one, the more famous section is the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece where Atalanta was involved. Here, Saint retells Atalanta’s side and expands on her involvement. She was born as the daughter of King of Arcadia who abandoned her in a forest as he wanted a son. The goddess Artemis raises her and eventually Atalanta becomes her champion. The story goes through her life while utilizing the known elements and then embellishing on them to make a more complete tale.

Her journey begins as a baby dumped in the forest before being “adopted” by Artemis and then moving into her adventures. I do wish that there was more background into ancient Greece where the significance of her being dumped in the first place and other smaller details. They are given but I think it is a missed opportunity to integrate some history to make it feel more well-rounded. It would also be a great learning experience for those not familiar with these tales while still telling a compelling fictional story. When Atalanta joins the Argo, it would be more convincing to go into her attempts to fit in and go into the emotional side. As-is, it does come across as some conversations were it and I would have preferred this drawn out and given more depth.

There was some disconnect in the pacing where the faster moments did not quite make up for the slower ones like in Saint’s other two novels. This story struggled a little to balance the characters with Jason’s side, along with the Argonauts, and Atalanta’s side. Also, for me, especially as a lover of romance in novels, felt there was not enough build up for the romance. There was great building on the friendship, but I felt the transition between friendship and romance was not explored enough. Greek mythology has a unique way of telling relationships between men and women and any interaction they have, so it seems this was the main thing I was missing. There were many interactions between Atalanta and various male characters, but I wanted a greater exploration into the emotional side of the events.

Overall, I enjoyed learning more about Atalanta. I was aware of her myths, but I do not recall a lot of details. I appreciate that Saint decided to tackle her story as it was an interesting one. The cool part about Saint’s writing is that each of her three novels are different from each other. While this novel may not be my favorite of the three, it may be for other readers and my favorite may not be the same for others. At the same time, her writing is consistent where there is a familiar style from one story to the next. Each novel has a nice feminist theme that is carried through, and I really cannot wait to see what story Saint tells next.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

This book has my mind still racing around.

A tale of Greek myths and legends, but where the wekk known God's are secondary characters.

Atalanta is a strong female lead who carries the readers through struggles, battles and adventures along side her. This novel is about finding your true self, and not living for other people, or to uphold the societal norms set on you.

I usually am all for a mythology retelling. I wasn't so sure about this one, but liked Ariadene so I figured I'd give it a try.

This book has a definite storytelling vibe, but it really tends to ramble. It rambled enough that it didn't feel like a well defined plot(maybe the audiobook narrator's voice was too soothing). The battle scenes were descriptive and my favorite part, but most of the rest left me wanting.

I hope future books have more of a straight to the point plot or a lot more building of suspense.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book, but wanted more. I had barely heard of Atalanta before and that was a chief motivator to read it. And I did find out more about her, and I liked how the author explored the role of women in antiquity and the reactions of the various men to Atalanta joining the Argonauts and her journey to be accepted by them and prove herself, as well as dealing with the prejudice of the wider world. All that was good. I also really liked the narrator, and the prose. It flowed really well.

I'd just say that outside of Atalanta, every character was bland. If I didnt already know about Jason and Hercules and Peleus, I'd barely be able to differentiate them. Because of that, the plot and character interactions just didn't do much for me.