Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This was my first Jennifer Saint book, and it will not be my last. I loved her writing style, it was fast-paced and lyrical. I enjoyed that I got to learn about a Greek mythology person that I never knew about, I know a lot of us have learned in school or have read about the main Greek mythologies but there are so many that have interesting stories and I am so happy that Jennifer Saint shines a light to these great people.

I enjoyed getting to know and watching Atalanta grow throughout the book. I enjoyed seeing that even though she was not raised around other humans she still understood their meanings and the reason why they act the way they do. You will find yourself reading about a very strong mind and body, who is determined to make Artemis proud of her when she makes her name known to the world.

She bravely travels with all males on the Argonaut to retrieve the golden fleece. She knows that she will have to prove herself at every step of the way, it’s not always easy but she does.

I enjoyed reading about the adventures the Argonauts had, the hardships and even the small amount of human connection she found with one of the males on the ship.

This story isn’t in depth with feelings, and it does feel like something is off but for me the way that it is told is more like an older folklore/myth being told about this amazing female.

I received the audio for this book, and I loved the narrator. I felt as if it was Atalanta, there telling me the story about the adventures of her life and how everything ended. She was able to bring this book to life and I could picture all the scenes happening, I know a lot of that has to do with Jennifer Saints writing but also with the way the narrator tells the story as well.

I cannot wait to read the other books by Saint. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Greek mythology, retellings and strong female characters.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

Narrative review: I adore the Greek mythology retellings that have been coming out - I just love them so so much. Some are more well done than others, and Atalanta is definitely in the top tier!! I loved seeing her perspective and exploring the world through her eyes. I also appreciated the fullness and nuance of the rest of the characters. In particular, the men were incredible. Of course, the typical misogynists were there to get in our heroine's way, but I really liked how Atalanta's partners were allowed to be good men who cared deeply for her. Meleager was such a fantastic character (probably my favorite) and I was really glad to see that Atalanta respected and honored him in death. Hippomenes was also super sweet, and even tho his arc was short, it was still very good.

Audiobook specific review: Beth Eyre did a FANTASTIC job bringing this story to life! I loved the emotion he inflected into the characters and the suspense she was able to build. It definitely added to my reading experience. However, I was a little annoyed because I could occasionally hear her swallow? I wish those parts had been edited out because it took me out of the reading experience.

Loved this book. There was action & adventure. Greek mythology. Death & betrayal. And a little bit of romance.

I loved learning about Atalanta and reading about Artemis and others from Greek mythology.

If you're a fan of mythology or romance, you should add this to your tbr!

This was a wonderfully narrated retelling of the classic Greek myth of Atalanta. I love all these feminist retellings that take relatively minor female characters in Greek mythology and bring them fully to life. Atalanta’s agency and strength shone through from the beginning of her life with Artemis’ nymphs, to her adventures with the Argonauts, to her adult life. This was my first book by Jennifer Saint so I’m excited to read her back catalogue!
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this advance audiobook copy for review.

I received this book for free for an honest review from Netgalley.

This was not my usual type of book. I normally go for contemporary. However this one seemed to reach out to me so I gave it a try and I'm glad that I did. But the mix of legend and the historical detail it was something that was very difficult to put down.

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Atalanta
Written by Jennifer Saint
Read by Beth Eyre
Book 109/200
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology
Format: Audio, ARC
Pages: 352
Published: 2023
Rating: 9/10

"Jason thought the world was built for heroes. I knew we had to build it ourselves."

Back-Cover Blurb:
When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.
Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis's warning, she begins to question the goddess's true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?

With the quality of stories put out by authors like Jennifer Saint, I don't see myself getting tired of mythological retellings any time soon. Atalanta is Saint's new adventure of the titular Argonaut. With all of Saint's work (ok so I guess just Ariadne because I still need to read Elektra), she takes these classical myths and manages to make them feel fresh and exciting. Beth Eyre's narration is really great throughout the audiobook, really bringing the hero to life. Saint manages to stay true to the heart of the myth, while still making changes to the story that work better for a modern narrative. The most obvious change like this is in the ending, where normally a tragedy, Atalanta becomes a heartwarming story. Jennifer Saint manages to maintain her title as a Titan of mythological retellings. This is a definite recommendation in my book.

Jennifer Saint is a mythological mastermind. She has spun Atalanta's tale to one of heroic perfection. This is one story that needed to be told, and has not been beaten like the trojan horse. 10/10

Having read and enjoyed Jennifer Saint's last novel, Elektra, I was thrilled to start Atalanta. Centered on one of the few female heroes in Greek mythology, Atalanta is a breezy read that captures the same fabled tone as Elektra, allowing it to tell a complete story without losing the opaqueness that characterizes ancient legends. Without becoming anachronistic, Atalanta celebrates Greek mythology while also acknowledging the issues imbued in these epic tales--namely the misogyny of the men, and the cruelty women will inflict on each other. Gods and mortals are not so different, it turns out, and with age does not always come wisdom.

That said, the story is not without its flaws. For a heroine as accomplished as this one, Atalanta can be a disappointingly dull protagonist. Rather than following an arc, her experiences merely reaffirm her beliefs and goals, even when they should challenge them, such as when the sworn maiden takes a lover. The epic quest that covers two-thirds of the book is also underwhelming. The obstacles Atalanta and the Argonauts encounter are more like minor inconveniences, and the author's determination to include as many details from the mythology as possible--such as a dead-end subplot about visiting an island where the women rose in revolt and killed all the men--only weakens the story. This is most evident during the novel's conclusion, which is more puzzling than profound.

Flaws aside, Atalanta is still an engaging tale that will certainly delight anyone with an interest in Greek mythology. I look forward to seeing what Jennifer Saint writes next.

"Jason thought that heras blessing was the same as her protection. He didn't see that she had merely given him the chance to succeed. If he failed her it would be better to die then survive long enough to face her disappointment. But He knew nothing of the gods. Jason thought The world was built for heroes. I knew we had to build it ourselves."
▪️ Atalanta, Jennifer Saint

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio arc to listen and review! This book and audiobook published yesterday, May 9!

I've now read Ariadne, Elektra, and Atalanta by Jennifer Saint, and Atalanta is my favorite! While all those myths have tragedy and adventure, this one was the most adventurous and the least depressing. It's also written in only Atalanta's POV which I prefer to the multi-POV narratives in the other novels; it was waaaay easier to follow the story. The audio was a great listen!

This book is just tedious. There is no character development and somehow even the epic adventure of Jason and the Argonauts seems dull. While I appreciate the author's attempt to bring female figures in Greek mythology to light, Atalanta is flat and unappealing.

I had never heard of Atalanta's story before and it did not disappoint. Atalanta was left on the cliffside by her father, a king, and then raised by bears and Artemis. With being raised by Artemis, she was never around men and also in turn very skillful with the bow. With her skills, she takes on a quest with a gang of men to retrieve an item. This was a fun adventure to listen to and to see how the different individuals in this group worked with eachother and didnt work with each other. With being a strong woman amongst many men, Atalanta had some difficulties being treated the way she ought to be. I really felt like Atalanta had tremendous growth in this story from the girl we met at the beginning to the wise woman we ended with. Jennifer Saint did an outstanding job of telling Atalanta's story. I highly recommend.

This was a very enjoyable book for a myth that I hadn't reread in a long time. Tracing the story of Atalanta from bears, through Argonauts, and to a marriage that is less doomed that we normally hear, Saint does a solid job of making the story of the only female Argonaut accessible and relatable. I always loved the story of Atalanta as a runner and raised by bears. I hadn't connected her to the Argo before, which is actually wonderfully on point for the way this story comes together. If you have an interest in Greek mythology or are generally a fan of Saint's work, this will land well for you.

I really enjoyed listening to the book! The writing and narration were beautiful and very well done. I felt that it was easy to follow for the most part, if it a bit drawn out sometimes. However, it made for a nice listen, and I would definitely recommend!

I hate to admit that I have several Jennifer Saint books and haven't read them yet and this great book makes me wish I have read them already so much more.
Even if you're not familiar with this retelling it's a joy to read.
There's forbidden romance, trials, and the main character is such a badass.

Atalanta is a retelling of the Greek story surrounding the girl who was left on a mountain by her father and raised by bears. There she was taken in by Artemis and raised to be a hero. When Artemis pushes her to join Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece she leaves her with the prophecy that getting married will bring her undoing.

I loveeeee Greek retellings. Circe is my favorite and I had high hopes for Atalanta. Although I did like this story I felt a bit like a bunch of things were happening to Atalanta without much impact or reason. Regardless the story was dreamy and the narration was fantastic. Great story to get lost in if you enjoy Greek mythology.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint was a fun and beautiful read. I loved how Saint weaves together Atalanta's story. The writing was magical and had me enthralled. The world of gods and monsters felt real, like I could reach out and feel Artemis’s tunic or a rough oar of the Argo.
I adored how Atalanta was written with her strength and stubbornness. Atalanta did not let anyone tell her what to do! Her bluntness was delectable. Atalanta was a wonderful and hilarious narrator.
This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2023!
Random note: the audiobook narrator did an amazing job! Their voice was perfect.

As someone who really enjoys anything Greek mythology, I really enjoyed this one!

Atalanta is a character that I had never heard anything about, so that piqued my interest in this story. I felt that it was really empowering to read this book about a woman who was abandoned by her father on a mountainside, was raised by a bear, then was taken under Artemis’ wing to become a powerful huntress.

You immediately knew that once Atalanta had received her prophecy that it would come to fruition. That’s always how Greek mythology goes. And Saint keeps you guessing for a little while who will be the one to fulfill that prophecy with her, and I did like who she ended up with. But I definitely was not expecting the ending, and wish that it had been stretched out a bit longer than it was.

In terms of the book overall, I did find the journey with Jason and the Argonauts interesting, but nothing really substantial happened. It was just a large moment in her life that others tried to erase her from, because they were embarrassed after the fact that she was a woman. But I think the journey (which was the first half of the book) could have been condensed further to have more of Atalanta’s self exploration after the fact.

The narrator of this audiobook was fantastic, I’d definitely recommend it!

✨ pub day book review: Atalanta by: Jennifer Saint ✨

The author of Ariadne has blessed us with yet another retelling of one of the Greek mythological stories through a female centric lens.

As a fan of reimagined stories and retellings of infamous sagas, this did not disappoint. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about Atalanta prior to reading this, but loved hearing of her story, rewritten to be her own.

Fans of Greek mythology most likely know about Jason and his quest to find the Golden Fleece with his band of Argonauts. Amongst the ranks of heroes was the huntress herself, Atalanta.

From her tragic beginnings to her heroic adventures, Atalanta forges her own path, refusing to let her contribution to the greats go unnoticed.

A huge thank you to Jennifer Saint for shining new and bright light on these women of Greek mythology and giving them the story and epic they deserve.

I am middle of the road with this one. I loved Ariadne, I’ve still yet to read Elektra but I most definitely want to. This one wasn’t as compelling for me. I liked getting to see Atalanta grow up and get such an intimate look into what her life was like. But once the epic quest began things started to get really slow. The middle definitely drug from a plot perspective. I also found that sometimes some of the small side stories of other myths to be more interesting than the overall story itself. Saint’s writing is, as always, beautiful, with her sweeping prose, vivid imagery, and almost lyrical way of telling events. It’s why I loved her other book so much. She has a talent for drawing you into the story and immersing you into the world. But this story in particular just didn’t click right for some reason. This one just really lacked that spark that I found in Ariadne. I found some of the men in the book felt like caricatures. I didn’t feel that same emotional connection with the protagonist. And while the events were sort of interesting, they lacked the urgent drive and motivations that would make them feel daring, harrowing, and triumphant to overcome. It wasn’t a bad read by any means, it just wasn’t on par with my expectations from what I know this author is capable of creating. I feel it’s generally unfair to compare works, but for this one, because it is in such a similar vein being a mythology retelling, I feel it was fair to expect, at least on some level, a similar experience - and that just didn’t happen for me. Nevertheless, Saint is still an auto-read for me and I will read anything she writes. As far as the audiobook, I did really enjoy the narrator. I thought she brought the perfect tone and vibe to the story.

Thank you Net Galley for the Audiobook ARC!

I love the narration of this story, the narrator did a fantastic job. I was immediately sucked in and really enjoyed the writing. This is my first time reading Jennifer Saint’s work and I’m very excited to check out her other books now as well. Atalanta was such a wonderful and strong female main character.