Member Reviews
3 out of 5 Stars
It was okay. Much like Jennifer Saint's other novels it was a fun spin on a Greek mythology.
This is Hera's story, told from her own perspective. I usually go into books completely ignorant, and I do that so that I do not have expectations of the material. In this case, I knew about Hera. Because of my expectations, I felt that it didn't fully capture Hera's fierce nature. Hera is betrayed by her brother and forced into a marriage with him. She has always believed she was meant to rule alongside Zeus as an equal, but instead, she is constantly reminded of her roles as a woman: wife and mother. I wished to feel more of Hera's anger, sorrow, indignation, and passion.
This is a well written retelling, and I will be recommending this book to my friends and followers!
A retelling of the Hera focused on the strong, powerful goddess that she is ! It starts at the creation of Hera and Zeus and the evolution of their relationship as children, to enemies, to lovers, and rulers.
When Hera and Zeus are the only living siblings during the titans rule, they vow to rule together. However, when the titans are defeated, Zeus realigns himself with his brothers- Hades and Poseidon- and gives them rule over the seas and underworld, leaving Hera with…….. nothing. When Hera asks what she is the God of, Zeus assigns his sisters with lesser rulings and makes a show of the hierarchy and his power amongst the gods and goddesses. And Hera spends the rest of her existence trying to make him pay for this betrayal and many more to come as he cheats and abuses women, mortals and immortals alike.
From these origins, the book also explores the creation of more gods, the Trojan War, the birth of Heracles, all the gorgons and monsters and more. You don’t need to be a Greek expert to enjoy this story and it will leave you wanting more!
I’m not going to say that this will make you feel good about Hera’s infamous actions, but it will make her “human” and bring perspective to how she turned into that scorned woman.
I requested this after reading the Touch of Darkness series and needing more from the Gods ! I enjoyed the book, I’m no expert on the Greek God world, so the accuracy and comparison to origin stories isn’t something I’m factoring into my rating. I want the version where Hera is in charge, like an alternate reality!
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 8/13/24.
Is there nothing Jennifer Saint can't do?
Seriously. Throughout most mythology, Hera comes across as bitter and resentful, jealous of her husband cheating his way through life, siring demigod after demigod. And while this is shown here, you get his emotional story behind why Hera feels the way she does. I have a newfound respect for our mother Goddess. Our queen Goddess. Even knowing Zeus being the terrible and selfish King of Gods, I never thought much of Heras plight.
This has elevated her in my eyes. Her love for what others perceived as monsters. Her misguided love for her children with Zeus, thinking she was birthing allies and learning she loves them for who they are.
Ugh this book was perfect. I just need her to humanize and make me love them all. Well, female wise. Because these stories are amazing.
When Kronos, the god of Olympus is overthrown by his children, Zeus steps up to declare himself god of the heavens and assigns his brothers to rule over the other realms while ignoring roles for his sisters. When Hera protests, Zeus offers to make her his wife which she reluctantly agrees to, thus becoming the goddess of women and marriage. Secretly, Hera hopes to one day convince her children to overthrow Zeus. As time goes by, Zeus continues his philandering and the gods create the well known stories from Greek mythology whenever they are bored and Hera alternates between seeking revenge and advocating for women who are wronged.
While Hera was the main focus of this book, the author also did a nice job of including many well-known stories and I appreciated the recap of these myths as well as the explanations of the various relationships between the gods and goddesses. Hera is a strong and likable character and was someone to cheer on. My prior impression was that Hera was harsh and a goddess to be feared but this story provided her side of things which made this perspective entertaining. I listened to the audio version of the book and the narrator was very good. I did feel like some of the stories were rushed and would have liked more details even if the book would have been made longer.
Hera
A Novel
by Jennifer Saint
Narrated by Naomi Frederick
I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.
This beautiful work of Jennifer Saint’s is soul stirring in the most magical way.
She brings myths and magic into reality in such beautiful and believable ways. This is my second audiobook of hers and I find it just as alluring and wonderful as I did Atalanta.
The last time I felt anything in my soul from a book like Hera was when reading Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Avalon books, I love those preceding Mists of Avalon the best, but I love them all.
I recommend this book highly. It is deep and full of mythology - so be prepared to pay attention. It will 100% be worth your time and attentiveness.
The narrator, Naomi Frederick, was remarkable. Truly wonderful narrator.
Normally I would give a synopsis here, but I just can’t summarize this book. But, I can name myths you may be familiar with:
Jason and the Argonauts
Helen of Troy
Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Metis, Gaia, Cronus, Hercules, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Demeter, Cora, Persephone, Hermes, Iris, Hephaestus, Ares, Aphrodite
I love this book and I hope you will too!
Another great read by Jennifer Saint! I was skeptical going into this one, as Hera has always been my least favorite Greek goddess, but Saint does a wonderful job of bringing Hera to life and making us see her nuances and struggles in a different light. This novel is a powerful tribute to a goddess who has often been relegated to the sidelines in classical myths. Jennifer Saint's novel reclaims Hera's story, presenting her as a multifaceted heroine whose strength and determination resonate through the ages.
I have always felt Hera has gotten a bad rap in history. From being SA'ed by Zeus who then forces her to marry and then tortures her by cheating on her, Hera had a rough life. However, it doesn't excuse the pain she inflicts on others.
This story does a great job addressing the complexity of Hera's character. Saint does a great job portraying Hera not just as the victim or aggressor, but also Hera the mother, Hera the goddess of the married, Hera the young goddess who fought the Titans, Hera the goddess who wanted to protect herself, and Hera the woman. This story was difficult to listen to because Saint is able to show the pain of womanhood and the joy through the telling of the Goddess Hera.
I rounded this book from a 3.5 to a 4. This was my least favorite of Jennifer Saint's books. I was expecting a jealous, fierce, starting Queen. This Hera left me wanting more. So many of the Gods and Goddesses were only briefly touched on and the narrator mispronounced SO many of their names - it was maddening.
Find your inner goddess and unleash your rage with this book.
I love that Hera's story is one of feminine rage, and power. I love Greek mythology and retellings. So I came into this book already knowing a lot about Hera. Unlike most other gods from Greek mythology, she doesn't have her own story. Instead she pops up throughout the stories of others from Hercules to the Trojan War and more. She steps in an out of stories, taking her vengeance and then leaving. In this retelling, we follow Hera as she pops in and out of the many stories we know her from, which makes the book feel more like a collection of short stories.
If you don't know a lot about Greek mythology, this is a great book to learn from, as Hera touches all of the major gods and heroes.
Since Hera doesn't have a trusted friend, love interest or really anyone she can talk to, this book feels one-sided and lonely. Which I know it Hera's story ultimately, but since this is a retelling, I was hoping for something to make the story more dynamic or feel more cohesive.
The ending of this book was fascinating and attempted to provide an answer to 'what happened to the Greek gods'? I love Jennifer Saint's approach to this. I had to stop listening to the book in the car because I was so focused on the story.
I've read the other three books in this series, Ariadne, Elektra and Atalanta. This is probably my least favourite of the series. That said, Jennifer's writing is always so strong, that's not to say this book is 'bad'. It's just not my favourite.
Naomi Frederick does an amazing job at the narration for this book. Her voice control comes across as commanding and as intimidating as I assumed Hera would be. And she is able to make it soft, for the moments the book asks vulnerability of Hera. It was a joy to listen to her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
This book is best read while sitting on a golden throne.
Jennifer Saint takes a lethal stab at legitimizing Hera, the oft regarded jealous and vindictive wife of Zeus, as her husband's equal. This retelling of her mythology is raw and unflinching while laying the deeds and misdeeds of all Olympians bare. Fans of Saint's other work will be sure to like this one too.
Who is Hera behind the facade of the archetypical jealous wife? Like Saint's other works of mythological retelling, this seeks to fill the gaps in myth with ebullient emotion. The anger, scorn, grief, shame, indifference, and perhaps a bit of joy all come through in this audiobook,
A really good and interesting take on Hera. Gave a very thoughtful and in depth look at Hera and how she is more than Zeus’s wife and goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth.
I really wanted to love this book, as I have loved Saint's other books. I think this one didn't work for me because it was a little TOO ambitious. The problem with centering your book on a goddess is that you have the entirety of Greek mythology to contend with. As such, this felt a little rushed and lacked the compelling nature of a book that is centered on a mortal woman. Yes, I liked the humanizing effect that Saint's writing had on Hera, a goddess who is usually portrayed as a one dimensional jealous wife. I enjoyed seeing her as a whole woman with motivations beyond those of jealousy. It just seemed too grand a scale to tackle, and a lot of the emotional pull was lost in the vastness of the story.
HERA!!!! I have read all of Jennifer Saint's books, and this is my favorite! To deal with the story of an immortal goddess is...I have to say it....a herculean task! Reframing the relationship of the first couple who made a great case for the benefits of divorce in a true to the myth, but also new is brave. Unless you count their parents because swallowing one's own offspring is definitely divorce worthy. The author did a great job of retelling the myths surrounding the Queen of Olympus, and I'm so glad she took this on. It reads like The Odyssey, it builds and winds the story in a lovely way. It was great to see not only Hera throughout the ages, but I got a sense of the other deities' personalities as well. Saint did a great job bringing them to life. About the middle part of the book, I will say that I lost some of my sympathy for Hera, as she becomes what the myths have told of her. However, toward the end I absolutely LOVED her character. I also have to say that the author did an excellent job with the ending, because ending the story of an eternal being is challenging. I definitely give this 5 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan audio and Jennifer Saint for making this ARC available, I enjoyed it immensely!
I appreciate the idea of retelling these Greek myths, and it seems they are becoming more and more popular lately. I think it's a good idea to have a bit of a base in mythology before you read this because there are a lot of names, some very similar, and it's easy to mix up some characters. As for an amazing retelling of a badass queen, this missed the mark a bit. I feel like it didn't add much to what we already knew about Hera. It gave us a little more of a backstory, and humanized her a bit, but she spends most of this novel just being the bitter and spiteful queen we've always heard about. I wanted to feel more pity for her in this story, but I just didn't. Her anger had always seemed misguided as to whom she takes it out on, and it didn't differ in this story. The writing was well done though, and I was able to picture myself there with the characters. I did like that aspect of it. For people who just want to learn a bit about mythology, this would be a good one for you.
Jennifer Saints retellings of Ancient Greek mythology are always captivating and intriguing. You don’t need to know a lot about the original myths in order to get pulled into to the characters and their stories and love them for how Saint depicts them.
In this book you see the struggles that came with being the wife of Zeus and queen of the god’s. You feel Hera’s pain and grow with her through the years and trials that she faces.
Something about how jennifer saint writes makes me feel like I'm being told a story instead of reading it. When I got approved to read this... it became a priority and every time I sat down the world vanished and I was surrounded by marble halls, and warm hearts. Heras story is one you hear but from the lense of men, and the stories of old. The tale that's woven here gives us a new perspective and a Faire with purpose that just feels right. I was curious where the story would end based on her other books not being about immortals. I was not disappointed
Deep dives into mythological figures appeal to both the fantasy lover and the history lover in me. Hera is a well-researched book about the Queen of Olympus, usually dismissed as Zeus' spiteful, jealous wife, and takes the bits and pieces scattered about her throughout history to craft a fully fleshed character.
Hera and her siblings win the war over the Titans (including their father Cronos), but instead of becoming an equal partner, she finds herself subjugated by her brother Zeus. He sexually assaults her and then forces her to marry him, while continuing to scatter bastards all over Earth, and becoming as much as tyrant as Cronos once was.
Her rage turns into a finely honed weapon of revenge, both on Zeus' other women and his children, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not, until she finds herself a shell of the vibrant goddess she once was. Her every dream shattered, her own children distant, Hera must make the choice of continuing her bitter existence or finding a new way to spend the rest of her long, immortal life.
There are a lot of characters from mythology here, I had a pretty good grasp on who was who most of the time, but sometimes I did have to go back and look someone up. I loved the characterizations of the rest of the Olympians, and the rest of the gods and goddesses. I enjoyed Ariadne a lot and now Hera, and must now go check out Jennifer Saint's other books.
3 stars
Having read all of Saint's novels thus far and enjoying her approach to feminist retellings (especially in _Atalanta_), I could not wait to start the audio version of this most recent effort. While it's an intriguing retelling, it's also a challenging one.
Folks who have any incoming knowledge of Hera will be a at least a little prepared for some difficult content. Saint does not spare readers. This novel is filled with references to rape, sexual assault, and incest. I was expecting this content, and I still found it more pervasive than I was anticipating...and more disturbing. Folks who are sensitive to this material should find their way to another text (and maybe not to Greek mythology, but especially not to this character and the ancillary women who appear throughout).
There's no denying that Hera has a rough go of it in classic renditions, but in a feminist retelling, I want her - and the other women characters who are abused by men - to have more agency and justice and generally better responses to each other than they do here. While a retelling will always be limited by its point of origin, there can also be a mix of freedom and artistic license with that attachment to tradition, and I wanted to see much more of the former in this novel.
This is well written, and while it is not my favorite of Saint's works, those who can manage the challenging content will find a ruthless but engaging depiction of Hera within.