Outrun the Wind

The book deserves all the stars for its F/F, bi and lesbian representation. Queer Greek mythology is my favourite kind, and Outrun the Wind just. Gets me. It was positively represented, with secondary characters of the Hunt voicing their support, and the way that their affections grew wasn’t painstakingly obvious – slow burn, almost. It was glorious.

The characters were likable and empowering. I loved Kahina, and I loved Atalanta. I loved Kahina and Atalanta. I was pleasantly surprised by their relationship and the way it developed, how gentle, yet fierce, it was. It was all so refreshing. Kahina was just. so. relatable. I need more of this in my life.

Atalanta was a strong female lead who bowed to no man, who wanted to be seen as equal and was just as good, if not better, at archery than the men she fought alongside with. I grew to love her more and more as I read, and I really admired her for her drive.

Kahina. I have so much love for her. I miss her. She was a beautifully developed character and I warmed up to her pretty easily because of it. I thought she was rather mild at the beginning, but she definitely bloomed as the story progressed. She was amusing and quirky, tough and cold, and I just LOVED her.

The writing style was easy-going and not hard to follow. It wasn’t a brick load of information, and the balance between description and dialogue was great. However, I found myself disconnecting with the setting and story because of some word choices or just the way some characters spoke in some parts. Another issue I had whilst reading was that I was unable to tell whose POV I was in the middle of sometimes. Atalanta and Kahina had such distinguishable voices to begin with, but it dwindled in the latter half. Overall, the writing was vivid and imaginative, which is important for a legend/mythology-based story.

I also thought this involved an ample amount of Greek mythology, and I do love anything involving Artemis as she’s one of my favourite goddesses. And the Huntresses – I would do anything for more stories about them, I really would. I loved the focus on women and their presence in a world of men and how empowering some were.

Overall, the worldbuilding was well done, the characters were beautifully alive and their development admirable, and the plot was just…breathtaking. I loved this even more for the relationship between Atalanta and Kahina, a positive representation of bisexual and lesbian women, both sweet and alluring (I need more). This was a really wonderful tale, and I enjoyed every page.

This was a fun book that I flew through. It's told in alternating first-person perspectives of Atalanta, the legendary huntress who has proven herself worthy of joining an otherwise all-male hunt, and Kahina, a member of Artemis' inner circle.

While Atalanta is hunting with a group of men to kill a creature created by Artemis, Kahina and other members of the Hunt are present to observe. They have been given orders by Artemis not to interfere with or help the hunting group - but Kahina disobeys the goddess. Things inevitably go terribly wrong and Kahina is essentially exiled from the Hunt until she can earn back Artemis' favour through a quest.

I love Greek mythology. I devoured Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series growing up, and I could tell that Elizabeth Tammi has the same passion about it. I appreciated the little nods in her novel to important Greek figures like Odysseus, and key places such as Corinth and Delphi. I've never read any tales about Atalanta, though I've heard of her, so I really appreciated this novel for introducing me to a version of her life.

I hadn't fully read the blurb about the novel (I feel like they spoil too much sometimes) so I had a few pleasant surprises as I read. I really enjoyed the changing dynamic between Atalanta and Kahina throughout the novel. In a male-dominated world where women's roles seem limited to servants or mothers, both girls found ways to challenge these expectations.

Sometimes, I found the alternating perspectives a bit confusing to keep track of who was narrating, since it was first-person for both girls. If I happened to zone out mid-chapter or the chapter didn't mention Kahina or Atalanta's name for a while, I'd forget who was the "I". The girls had unique voices in the first few chapters, but they sounded nearly the same after a while, and I needed reminders of who was narrating.

I found the characterization of Artemis a bit strange at the beginning of the novel, as she defers to a male prince to get Atalanta to join her Hunt. Artemis traditionally doesn't respect male authority and she'd certainly never ask a man to do something she could do for herself. Atalanta is also able to just casually run away from Artemis, while Artemis and her huntresses just stand there without doing anything. It was just a small, unrealistic moment that took me out of the novel.

I also feel like Kahina's backstory and relation with Apollo could have been better explained.

But overall, I enjoyed this novel! I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys Greek mythology or a story about female relationships.

This review will appear on my Goodreads account, along with a short, spoiler-free blurb on my Instagram (@karenwrites7), on June 7, 2018.

Modern take on the Artemis rule breaking - lesbians of course The bold take in a typical mythological young adult novel kept me going from start to end.

This was a good variation of Atalanta's story. The author explored various topics including treatment of females in that time period and types of love. I was genuinely impressed with the storyline.

Why..Why is this book over... I need more... Like please write book two now. This book was really well written. I found this novel to be one on my top 5 favorite lists of mythology re-tellings. I believe this is her debut novel but yet she writes like a seasoned author similar to that of Rick Riordan.

Overall I found the plot interesting and sharp. The writing was flawless. The characters were well built and grew throughout the story. The world building was so well done. 

This is a one click read and gives a fresh take on a lesser known mythology retelling. I can see this book rising to the top.

4/5 stars

***I received an e-arc of this title through NetGalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review*** 

#OutrunTheWind #NetGalley
Paperback, 360 pages
Expected publication: November 27th 2018 by Flux
Shelved: YA, Fantasy, Mythology Retelling

I LOVED this book. My only issue is that there wasn't more of it. I felt that some aspects deserved to be delved into deeper.

This book had the perfect elements for me to love it: Artemis, badass female characters, lesbians, a great setting. This book is going to stay on my mind for a while. I can't wait to read more of this author.

Meinung
Oh mein Gott! Lesbian Fantasy trifft auf griechische Mythologie! Ich. Brauche. Es!!! Das in etwa waren meine ersten Gedanken, als ich von diesem Buch gehört und es auf Netgalley angefragt habe. (Vielen Dank an dieser Stelle!) Nun, knapp zwei Tage später, habe ich es bereits ausgelesen, was eindeutig für das Buch spricht.

Ausschlaggebend dafür war unter anderem der Schreibstil. Obwohl ich zugeben muss, dass ich mich am Anfang erstmal hineinfinden musste. Der Beginn war eher seltsam und ich habe eine Weile gebraucht, um zu verstehen, was eigentlich gerade los ist, aber nach den ersten drei Kapiteln hatte ich den roten Faden gefunden und ab da gab es kein Halten mehr. Die Autorin hat einen sehr angenehmen, beschreibenden Stil, der Gefühle auf eine subtile Art zwischen den Zeilen herüberbringt, ohne dabei die Handlung zu vernachlässigen. Erzählt wird aus den Sichten von Kahina und Atalana, was kapitelweise wechselt und immer vor dem Kapitel gekennzeichnet ist.

Die Handlung selbst empfinde ich als sehr außergewöhnlich, da ich noch nie etwas Vergleichbares gelesen habe. Lesbian Fantasy ist ohnehin rar gesät und noch dazu in Kombination mit griechischer Mythologie? Nope, da habe ich bisher nichts entdeckt. (Wenn ich mich täusche, lasse ich mich gerne eines Besseren belehren.) Die Geschichte der beiden jungen Frauen steht klar im Vordergrund, doch nicht die Liebesgeschichte. Nicht nur, dass sowohl Kahina als auch Atalana nicht die leichteste Vergangenheit hatten, so kommen im Hier und Jetzt weitere Konflikte auf sie zu.

Der größte Punkt nehmen wohl Atalantas Bemühungen ein, ihre Heiratsanwerter wieder loszuwerden und obwohl in diesem Teil des Buches durchaus Routine einkehrt, empfand ich die Geschichte an keinem Punkt langgezogen. Es sind die subtilen Dinge, die das Lesen zu einem absoluten Vergnügen machen und einen förmlich in das Buch springen lassen. Und das hat die Autorin wirklich gut gemeistert.

Wie zuvor erwähnt, gibt es auch eine Liebesgeschichte, allerdings ist die wirklich sehr hintergründig und steht kaum im Fokus. Aber das ist gar nicht so schlimm, denn die wachsenden Gefühle zwischen Kahina und Atalanta sind spürbar und die Annäherung hätte kaum besser sein können, so unterschwellig sie auch war. Dazu die ganzen versteckten (und nicht ganz so versteckten) Konflikte, die die Liebe der Beiden unter einen schlechten Sternen stellen, obwohl noch nie von Liebe gesprochen wurde. Hach, ich schwärme hier, aber das beweist wiederum, dass man die Romanze nicht immer in den Vordergrund stellen muss. Weniger ist manchmal eben mehr.

Zu den Charakteren: Ich bin ein großer Fan der beiden jungen Frauen, denn nicht nur, dass beide wirkliche starke Persönlichkeiten besitzen und sich niemals kampflos ergeben würden, ich mag auch die Art, wie sie die Welt sehen. Was um sie herum passiert. Beim Lesen fühlte es sich an, als sähe man die Welt aus ihren Augen. Das war … mal was anderes und einfach schön. Dazu gibt es noch Nebencharaktere, die ich ins Herz geschlossen habe. Allen voran Phelix, Atalantas Halbbruder, der sich schnell zu einem guten Freund entwickelt. Er ist ruhig und besonnen, aber auf eine liebenswerte Art und Weise. Tatsächlich habe ich ihn innerhalb weniger Seiten in mein Herz geschlossen. Vielleicht sogar ein wenig mehr als Kahina und Atalanta.

Bei “Outrun the Wind” handelt es sich um einen Einzelband und ich bin verdammt froh, dass Elizabeth Tammi die Story so beendet hat, wie sie es nun mal getan hat. Denn das Ende hat mir wirklich Tränen in die Augen getrieben. Letztendlich konnte ich das Buch mit einem Lächeln auf den Lippen schließen und werde die Story sicher nicht so bald vergessen.

Fazit
“Outrun the Wind” ist ein wunderbarer Debütroman mit einer außergewöhnlichen Geschichte, starken Charakteren, die man lieben muss, und einer ganzen Menge Herz. Ich bin so froh, dass ich das Buch entdeckt habe, und empfehle es jedem weiter, der mal richtig gute Lesbian Fantasy lesen will.

I want to start off with that I requested to read Outrun the Wind from NetGalley.com and was approved to give an honest opinion on the book before it's publication date. I have not completely finished the book but have read up to Chapter 6 and feel I am able to give a pretty good review based on those chapters. I will continue to read the book and will update this review, or add a new one, later on when I am done.

I've always been a fan of Greek/Roman mythology and appreciate any author giving it the time of day to put their own spin to the original stories. We encounter Atalanta in the woods trying to impress a prince, and a couple of other guys, with her hunting skills against one of Artemis' creations: the boar. As the boar is about to kill Atalanta, a random golden knife appears out of no-where and saves her from death. Artemis is pissed about the boar getting killed and Atalanta is on the run.

Throughout the book we go back and forth between two different POVs of Atalanta and Kahina. Kahina is one of the Huntresses of Artemis and is on a quest provided by her "boss" and screws up by saving Atalanta and killing the boar. Kahina has to prove her worth to Artemis and is sent on a journey on her own.

Based on the six chapters I have read I am enjoying the two characters and their two views on each side of the coin. The story has an interesting and realistic view on Greek mythology and keeping to the facts but with a little more spice to keep it from being boring.

I will continue to read this book and I have it on pre-order to get my own copy.

Outrun the Wind comes out on November 27th of this year and I'm excited to see if this will have a sequel.

(Link added below with review on my blog: https://sequoiawritesathousandlives.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-review-courtesy-of-netgalley.html )

I received a copy of Outrun the Wind through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm not overly confident in my rating of this book, but I'm going with 4 stars, but it was almost 3. Depending on what mood you catch me in, I may well change my mind between the two, but right now I'm feeling generous.

The Huntresses of Artemis have two rules which they must follow: never disobey the Goddess Artemis and never fall in love. Having disobeyed a direct order from Artemis in order to protect the renowned warrior Atalanta, one member of the hunt - Kahina - finds herself desperate to get back into the Goddesses good graces. For Kahina to do this, she is set a dangerous mission in Arkadia; where the long-lost Princess is finally returning to the Kingdom and it just so happens to be Atalanta.

Atalanta is a fierce warrior who finds herself fighting for sport in order to support herself, then her estranged father appears to take her 'home' to become the Princess of Arkadia. When the 'fatherly love' turns out to be the King's way of manipulating his daughter into saving his kingdom, Atalanta turns to Kahina for help in a dangerous game of dodging suitors and avoiding marriage.

What I Loved:
- The Greek mythology. I'll confess I'm not a huge Greek mythology buff, but the references (I'm not sure how loose they were) were great, and if anything I would've loved more.
- Girl power. Seriously, the women in this story are badass!
- The portrayal of various sexualities and the slightly more unconventional relationships.

What I Didn't Like:
- Some bits of the story seemed a little rushed, both Atalanta and Kahina's backstory made sense but just needed fleshing out a little more for my taste.
- I was not ready for the end of Atalanta's first love.
- The dual POV storytelling. This was, I think, the only way of telling this story but the two voices were just so similar that whenever I put the book down when I came back I had no idea who's chapter I was reading.
 
“Ugly words don't always mean ugly feelings.”
― Elizabeth Tammi, Outrun the Wind.

✨SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF OUTRUN THE WIND✨
❤️
I received an ARC of Outrun The Wind by @elizabeth_tammi through Netgalley, which is due to be released 27th November! I really enjoyed this book which gave a completely different angle on Greek mythology and had completely engaging characters and plotlines. ✨
Outrun The Wind follows Atalanta, the fastest girl in Greece, and Kahina who is one of the Huntresses of the goddess Artemis. When Atalanta is reunited with her long lost family and Kahina is sent away to prove her loyalty to Artemis, the girl’s end up closer than they ever imagined. Both girls need each other to save themselves, but can’t seem to get past the feelings of hatred they harbour for each other...
✨
I really liked both of the girls’ characters and backstories and so I really liked the switching between their POVs.
I recommend this book to all YA fantasy lovers or those interested in Greek mythology. Overall I rate it 4/5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Check out my full review on my blog! (Link in bio)
✨
Will you be adding this to your TBR?

It's been years since I read any Greek mythology and so I wasn't sure whether I was going to like this book. I should have not worried. The story captivated me from the start and I fell in love with the two main characters, Atalanta and Kahina.

Kahina disobeys the orders of the Goddess Artemis and kills Artemis' boar in order to save Atalanta. Everyone believes Atalanta killed the boar herself as she already had the reputation of a fierce warrior, being brought up by hunters in the wild. Kahina detests Atalanta for taking credit for killing the boar and hiding the truth. Atalanta is soon reunited with her father, King Iasus, who is keen to find her a suitable husband. Atalanta has no interest in marriage or men and grows more and more fond of Kahina, and Kahina reciprocates her feelings.

I loved the bad-ass driven women of Outrun the Wind. In a male dominated world, these characters are so strong and distinguished. There is Artemis, Atalanta, Kahina, Isidora and Nikoleta. They’re powerful and honest – they create this feeling of sisterhood. Each is special and unique in their own way and as the reader you root for them to succeed

This is a dramatic retelling of the myth of Atalanta including the gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon. It was a great, fast-moving story with themes that are applicable to today. It really brought these characters from Greek myths to life.

Im going to give this like 3.5 stars.
If you like rick riordan books i think you would like this.
Lgbt
I wish there was more greek mythology. It was pretty easy to guess where the story was going to go.

I overall really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read, yet there were a few issues.

What I liked:
Let’s start with the fun and important part. The representation. The main romance is an f | f romance, including a bi and a lesbian rep. It’s a love to hate, slow burn romance, and that’s always fun, right?

The romance was well done. The two MCs slowly got to know each other, hate each other less, and fall in love with each other over a time period of about half a year. The beginning of the story takes place in autumn, and ends at some point during spring. So that’s quite a slow burn. I liked how even if they had their differences, and they were as different as day and night, they always managed to get along more or less, and respected each other and just listen to each other. You could very much feel how they slowly fell in love.
The MCs were fun to read about, but I definitely liked Atalanta a bit better. At least at the start. It took a while to get used to Kahina, but I eventually ended up liking her, too.

The mythological aspect was also great. Now, the story was set in ancient Greece, one of the MCs is a huntress of Artemis, and there were of course a few demigods running around. It had a nice Percy Jackson vibe to it, and I liked that. (a daughter of Ares always ready to fight something ;) )Apollo was a real ass though. Lol.

The story overall felt really atmospheric, and it truly felt like it was set in ancient Greece.

What I didn’t like:
There were times where it was really hard to tell the two POVs apart. Sometimes when I had to stop reading in the middle of a chapter (annoying, I know) and I would come back either the next day or a few hours later, I couldn’t remember who’s POV I was reading because if they didn’t exactly think of the other, or if Kahina wasn’t complaining about Atalanta, I really couldn’t tell the POVs apart and always had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to check.

The pace. While the book started out strong, and the first few chapters had action, after that the pace slowed down. It took almost the first half of the book for something to happen again. And after the hunt at the begging was over, and both Kahina and Atalanta were sent away, it took quite a while to get to the new point. Like, what’s the ultimate goal or task? They were just sent away. Separately, both didn’t know of the other yet. And it just wasn’t very clear what at least Atalanta’s task/goal was, and in what kind of direction the story was heading. Then, when the plot twist happened, I was taken aback. It sort of came out of nowhere, and it just happened so fast? Basically Atalanta finds out she is a lost princess, and her father-the king-had been looking for her. When he finds her and tells her who she is, she just rolls with it, and is basically like ‘yeah, cool, I come with you’ without questioning anything? 17 years she had been an orphan, and I get it, she wants a family, but to not even question the guy who just marched towards her and told her she is his daughter?? She sees that his features are similar to hers; but I at least would have still questioned things further. And all happened so fast! It didn’t even take one entire page. And then when Atalanta basically lives with her father, she still never questions him any further. Why was I gone? How did I get lost? Did someone steal me away? Why didn’t you come looking for me sooner? 17 years is a long time after all. To me this whole situation seems super fishy, but she never questioned it further. She just accepts ‘you were lost when you were just a baby’, and goes with it.

Some scene changed too quickly as well. One scene they are in the palace, but the next scene they were in a forest or at some temple. It was confusing.

All in all it was a very enjoyable book, and if you like to read about mythology, ancient Greece, hate to love f|f romances, then this definitely is a book for you.

I've been mutuals with this author on Tumblr for a couple of years, and I was so happy for her when she announced that one of the novels she'd written was being published! I was even more excited when I found out that it featured a f/f relationship with Greek mythology. Unfortunately, this was not the book for me.

I enjoyed the characters Tammi has written. Atalanta is strong-willed and independent, Kahina passionate and willful. They're all fairly fleshed out and have intricate backstories. I didn't know much about the Atalanta story other than her races, so I learned some more about her.

The writing was really the thing that did it for me. It took me weeks to finish this because unfortunately, I did not mesh with it; it was difficult for me to get into the book, and I was often bored. There are two points of view, Atalanta's and Kahina's, but they both read the same and they're both first person. I mean, I would be halfway through a chapter, and I couldn't tell who was narrating.

Also, this was mostly plot and not romance, which is probably something I shouldn't be complaining about, but the summary writes it out to seem that the romance was part of the plot. It felt like it was supposed to be a slow burn but didn't really have the build-up that the slow burn trope usually has. Don't get me wrong, I did like what parts of it we got, but I felt like it could have been written better and fleshed out more.

Outrun the Wind was not the book for me, but that is my personal opinion. I think you'll like it if you like Greek mythology! And having a f/f relationship is fairly rare in YA right now, let alone in a mythology-inspired novel. Give it a try if you're looking for these aspects.

Outrun the Wind was really good!

This story was a good one. I can tell the author did her research on greek mythology!

Outrun the Wind follows the story of Atlanta and Kahina.

Not gonna say more for spoilers sake, but I would definitely pick this one up when it comes out.

Thank to NetGalley and North Star Editions for letting me borrow this!

I’ve been wanting to read Outrun the Wind ever since Elizabeth Tammi said that she was writing a book about Atalanta and lesbians. I’ve been following Elizabeth on tumblr since 2013, primarily for the book and Percy Jackson content on it. I knew from reading her fanfiction that she is a good writer, and I had high expectations for Outrun the Wind, but it met and surpassed my expectations.

Outrun the Wind is a retelling of the story of Atalanta from Greek mythology, and follows, in a first-person dual perspective point-of-view, Atalanta and Kahina, one of Artemis’s huntresses in this story. Atalanta is a huntress of legendary speed and fighting ability, who was raised by hunters and later recruited by Prince Meleager to join the hunt of heroes for the Calydonian Boar, which the goddess Artemis had sent as revenge against King Oeneus for not honoring her. Kahina is one of the huntresses Artemis sent to follow the boar and ensure its safety, but in a moment of compassion, she violated her mission. As punishment, Artemis required her to restore a temple of Apollo in Arkadia to one honoring her, and there Kahina’s path crosses once more with Atalanta’s, where Atalanta is forced by her father to choose between suitors. Here is where Atalanta announces the races that are told of in mythology, in which Atalanta refused to marry any man who could not beat her in a foot race.

Atalanta and Kahina are two of the strongest female characters I’ve ever read of, and two of the only ones I liked as characters. Atalanta is a female hero who is driven by desire for pride and respect – she is equal and often superior to the other Greek princes and heroes, but they don’t take her seriously, thinking of her as a prize to be won. She desperately wants respect and to be her own person, but she is also compassionate. Kahina is a huntress with mysterious ties to Apollo, and is equal to any man in fighting abilities, but her main goal is to escape being under the thumb of the gods. She is empathetic and has a dry sense of humor. Kahina is also half-Ethiopian, but her racial heritage is definitely not a defining characteristic in this book.

The story itself was great, right from the beginning. It immediately hooks you in and does not let you go. As soon as I started it, I wished that I didn’t have to go to work the next day, even though I’d only read the first chapter. It has good pacing, nicely weaving in the action/adventure, political intrigue, and romance plot lines. The characters were compelling, including the secondary and side characters, and villains. Character development was also spot-on, especially with King Iasus. I knew it was coming, but I liked him so much when I met him, I didn’t want him to betray me like that.

Outrun the Wind is a spectacular debut for Elizabeth Tammi, and if you are looking for a book based on Greek mythology, with strong female characters, or LGBTQ characters, you should definitely check it out. Or just check it out as it’s an awesome book as a whole.

I’m not overly clued up when it comes to ancient Greek mythology, but this didn’t dull my enjoyment of Outrun The Wind at all.

I mean, what’s not to love about kickass girl warriors trying to find their place in the world and falling for each other in the process?

I love that this was a slow burn romance, and that part of the connection between Atalanta and Kahina felt real, but sometimes I wasn’t sold on whether it was a romantic connection or something else entirely. It definitely strayed into frenemy territory at points and therefore the payoff between the two felt a little undeserved.

The power dynamics however were interesting, and I love that no matter other people tried to change them, they stood true to their values.

Outrun The Wind deals with some complex issues in a relatively delicate manner and isn’t afraid to showcase strong, complex female characters. For that, it’s a must read.

I don't know much about Greek mythology other than the basics, so Atalanta was someone I'd never heard of. Didn't even realise the book was based on the author's interpretation of the stories about her until I read the notes at the end. I researched her after I finished reading this, but I much prefer this version of her life! Bit gutted that Kahina is purely fictional though and that Atalanta actually did end up married to the guy who won the race. I connected with all the characters, have a soft spot for Atalanta's brother and was really rooting for Atalanta and Kahina. Wasn't sure what sort of connection it was they had at first, but I'm glad it turned out the way it did.

I enjoyed this book. A huntress of Artemis defies her and is sent away to prove herself. She is in danger of breaking the other rule and falling in love with the princess she was sent to protect.

4.5 stars!

I enjoyed it! A fresh new tale of greek mythology!

The writing style was fluid and both the character development of Atalanta and Kahina were great!

I had a great time reading this!

Edit: I just added my full spoiler-free review for this book! The link is attached below!

So the other day, i was able to snag an arc of Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi for a honest review!

I am a lover of mythology and this book definitely brought me that. Elizabeth Tammi clearly did lots of research to make this book as accurate and amazing as she possible could. This book was quick and definitely an easy read, especially perfect for the summer time.

The story follows two girls, both huntresses. One who belongs to the hunt of Artemis named Kahina and the other named Atalanta who discovers she is a lost princess/royalty.

Since the story was told from 2 POVs it got kinda confusing sometimes but i was able to sort out who was talking after a bit.

In the book, Atalanta, with the help of Kahina creates a foot race challenge to avoid marrying the suitors that her father brought to the kingdom. Atalanta, the fastest in the lands, races all the suitors that come her way but unable to race the last. This part is definitely where a major part of the myth comes into play! you don’t really need to know the greek myth of Atalanta before hand but if you do, it will create an even greater depth in the story.

Elizabeth Tammi did a wonderful job of creating a old greek style fantasy world. I loved how the greek myth, Atalanta, was used in this story since its quite and uncommon myth.

Overall this book was filled with twists and turns! although it was her debut novel, it was jam packed with greek myths and interesting plots. A 4 star read for me! I would definitely recommend this to whoever is a fan of greek mythology, fantasy or LGBT reads.

This book draw me in at first because of the cover – it’s beautiful. I kind of want to have that in my shelf some day.

And then the description. I love mythology and I love retellings of myths, especially when they involve the ladies of myths falling in love with ladies and/or getting their happy endings.

This book ended up being very different from what I expected it would be, but that is neither bad or better. It was different than I imagined, but I still liked it very much.

I liked the aesthetic, the gods walking amongst humans and badass warrior ladies. At times I thought the characterization of Atalanta was a bit off (in a way that after we met her again at Arkadia, she didn’t feel like the same person we’ve seen before), but I liked both main characters and some of the side characters. And the oracle-storyline was a pretty cool detail.

Oh and all the men are losing against the girls (unless they’re cheating), which I appreciate. And I sure didn’t mind Atalanta stabbing a guy for Kahina.


One thing tho – for me, it kind of feels like a book that’s a setup for a longer series. Like this first book where the characters meet and the reader gets to know them and they grow together by overcoming a (in the bigger picture of the series) minor challenge and NOW we have a common basis for the main story to unfold.

That’s not supposed to be a real critique, it’s not like the book itself feels unfinished, it’s just how I felt after finishing it. Like we have the introduction done, we have established how the world in this story-verse works and met some gods and now our heroes are off to their adventures, that we will read about soon.

… what I want to say is, will there be a second book??

“Among all these men, these famous warriors and princes and heroes- I made it here. I will show them what my name means. Atalanta, equal in weight.”

3.5/5 stars

There are several key tales in Greek myth that converge the key players of their time into one setting. Many people write about the Trojan War, and sometimes, they will mention Jason and the Argonauts. But....in my experience, people rarely write about the Caledonian Boar. People rarely write about Atalanta, and that’s a shame, because her story is so unique if you consider it in context of ancient Greece: She’s a woman who refuses to take a man’s hand in marriage. She’s strong and intimidating enough to earn a place among the heroes of Greece. She’s a freaking badass is what I’m saying here, and Elizabeth Tammi has brought her to life in Outrun the Wind.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came across this book, but I definitely know what to say about it now that I’ve finished it. Outrun the Wind will tell you a tale of Atalanta like you’ve never heard before, and it will do that by *drumroll* giving us a wlw romance.

!!!! yes !!!!

So here’s what to expect from this book:
- two strong heroines
- a cute platonic m/f friendship
- horses (yes)
- appollo being a f*ckboy
- cute ! romance !
- girls escaping from sh*tty men and misogyny

I wished that even more time was given into the development of Kahani (our other main character) and Atalanta’s relationship, but I think the author did a good job at explaining their importance to each other. I definitely feel that Outrun the Wind’s strongest point is in its characterization: it was so easy to want to root for the characters in this book.

Surprisingly, I think this book could have benefited from more content. Ancient Greece and its elaborate mythology is always a boundless setting to explore, and I think that Elizabeth Tammi could have developed more of her own unique interpretation of that atmosphere. More elaboration on the progression of the plot could have helped us to understand the journey in this book, too.

Overall, I think this book was a short, enjoyable read. It’s a good debut.

(and gdi, i want more now)

*furiously tries to look for more wlw greek mythology novels*

***I will post my review to Goodreads in the month of publication

This book seriously surprised me with how entertaining it was!

It's set in ancient Greece, when there were Gods and demigods and all that jazz, which do play a roll in the book, but it definitely read like a normal YA Fantasy book so don't let that scare you off if you're not into ancient Greece!

PLOT:
I found the plot to be fast paced enough that it kept me engaged, but I would say it leaned on the slower pace side of the spectrum - which is definitely not a bad thing! I like a good slow burn read where the author takes the time to flush out the scenery and setting and gives you some day-to-day normalcy that some fast past books lack. A lot of people probably don't like that in a book, but I definitely do! However I do think it was a little bit repetitive for the middle section, and I would have liked a little more action or drama in that portion of the book.

WRITING:
I loved that it was descriptive and filled with imagery without being metaphoric or pretentious. I will say one thing, you can tell it's the author's first published book. And by that I mean that it was a little basic in writing style and I could sometimes predict what people were going to say or how they would act. But that's just something that improves with time and experience so I by no means hold this against the author/book; I seriously applaud her for her work and all that must have went into writing and researching for this book.

CHARACTERS:
Guys, this was a LESBIAN FANTASY, HECK YES!!
I really enjoyed both characters, Kahina and Atalanta, and loved getting both of their perspectives! Sometimes they felt a little too similar, and I would have liked to see more distinct personality traits in them each, but seriously they were a joy to read about.
Atalanta's hard on the outside but gooey on the inside and Kahina was similar yet a little less hard and a little less gooey.
I loved their relationship and guys, this was slowwww burn romance. I loved that about it, but also wouldn't have minded seeing a few more lovey-dovey romance moments hahaha.

OVERALL:
I really loved it! I hope there is a sequel because I need to see what happens to these characters and need more romance scenes between my two gals!!!

This was a fast read for me. Interesting and well written, I was initially intrigued by the storyline (I love Greek Mythology) and for the most part felt that that author retold her variation well. I was disappointed with the ending. Out didn't feel right with the initial part of the book. However, the author did an excellent job at character development and descriptions.

*I would like to thank the author/publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review *

3.5 stars!

A lovely retelling of the Greek myth of Atalanta. Atalanta meets Kahina, who is a Huntress of Artemis. Together they come up with the idea for Atalanta to race all her potential suitors, while they draw closer and closer together in their relationship.

The prose is lovely and some of the descriptions were beautifully written.

The story is told from alternating viewpoints between Atalanta and Kahina. I really liked Atalanta and wish we had had a little more depth into her mind and view. Kahina was okay but sometimes she kind of annoyed me, though she comes through in the end. Both girls have suffered at the hands of men and been abused, but they rose up stronger from those trials. This story is really about the two of them claiming their place in the world, and I loved that.

Probably the biggest thing for me was the setting didn't really feel like Ancient Greece? I know the author took a lot of liberties with the story and historical setting, which is fine (except FORKS. People in ancient times did not eat with FORKS), but if you took away Artemis and Apollo, it would have just felt like some generic fantasy setting.

The two main characters are lesbians, which made this story somewhat refreshing from most young adult books that I read. It was hard to tell which character each chapter was being told from the viewpoint of, especially towards the middle and end when Kahina no longer ranted on and on about how much she hated Atalanta. She didn't switch right from hate to love which I appreciated, but at the same time one day they simply liked each other and the next they were sleeping together. As far as side characters go, I liked Phelix and thought that his place at the end of the book was well thought out. I also think that Isidora really grew as a character and came out of the adventure as a stronger person. Overall it was a very good book and definitely one I would recommend.

Quick Rating: 4 stars

This book is a mythological retelling about Atalanta, but you do get to see Apollo and Artemis as well. Now I’m all about mythological retellings and I do think for her first debut novel she did a wonderful job, but depending on how you approach the novel you may love or dislike it more.

It is told from two POV (Atalanta & Kahina) which definitely helps the story move along a bit better, but sometimes I felt it was hard to tell who was talking because they almost became like one plus side note my arc had almost all of chapter 20 missing which confused me hella bad for a bit. The characters could use some more defining touches I feel, but I enjoyed them.

The plot I felt was very intense in the beginning like I was like holy crap what a beginning this book is going to be so intense….just kidding the plot dies down pretty fast for a good chunk of the book which kind of left me bored with potential until the end when it finally picked up again.

The world building I felt was like pushed to the background and barley there really. You hardly get an ancient greek feeling to me and since I’m very focused on story and plot and with this retelling it wasn’t as important the neglect didn’t bother me, but some I know it might and if she plans on adding more it could benefit from more work.

There is also some surprise F/F romance in this novel which I did not expect and enjoyed! It wasn’t rushed or forced like I feel some novels do and it didn’t completely take over the whole entire novel.

Overall for a debut novel, it was a good! I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to others that are fans of greek retellings

I’ve dreamed of being able to request ARCs to review for a while now, but I thought I didn’t have enough followers to actually get approved for one. But when I saw that Outrun the Wind was available on NetGalley, I decided to go for it. It was the perfect book for my first ARC; although it’s not a famous book (yet), it’s one I’m excited about since I’ve been following Elizabeth’s tumblr (annabethisterrified) for a while. When I got the email telling me that I’d been approved for an ARC, I was so happy and excited!! I started reading right away.

I’m happy to say that this book was worthy of my excitement to read it!! I’ve been a huge Greek mythology nerd since I read Percy Jackson all the way back in 2007, so this adaptation of Atalanta’s myth was a lot of fun to read. This story in particular isn’t one I’m super familiar with, but I could still tell that Elizabeth really did her research to make the story authentic while making it her own. I loved all of the characters!! Each of them had their own backstory, their own personality, and their own flaws, and they all felt so real. It didn’t take me long to care about them. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the way the characters were so connected to each other, even though many of those connections weren’t obvious as first.

Speaking of connections, this book was the longest enemies-to-friends-to-lovers slow burn I have ever read. I shipped Atalanta and Kahina from the beginning, and as I watched them both very slowly recognize their feelings for each other, I just kept thinking, “You’re both gay. You both like each other. Hello??” It took them so long but when they finally got it together, it was so worth it. I was hoping for a different ending than what happened, but I can save that for a fanfic : ) The actual ending was definitely not what I expected, but it was still satisfying and wonderful.

The only thing that kept me from giving this book a higher rating was that the story, while intriguing at first and very exciting at the end, dragged a little bit in the middle. The length allowed for plenty of character and plot development, which was necessary, but it still felt long to me. I can’t complain too much, though, because this book was incredibly well-written, especially considering that this is a debut novel written by a 20 year old author. Kudos!!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Outrun the Wind, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Percy Jackson as much as I do. I will definitely be hyping this book up before publication, and I hope it gets the attention it absolutely deserves. Congrats, Elizabeth!! : )

My review is live on Goodreads and will be live on my blog (bookswritinghappiness) on August 1 at 5:30 PM.

The story between Atalanta and Kahina is more interesting than the main plot and the various subplots. I love the premise and the intrigue, but felt that the story went a little too long.

This book was everything I hoped for. I am trash for greek mythology and the myth of Atalanta is amazing. The author did a lot of research and you can feel it as the book mostly follow what we know about Atalanta. Artemis and her huntresses are badass and awesome, the love story is perfect. I've loved everything !

The changing point of view was sometimes confusing, but over all a good read. Enjoyed the mythology bits.

This was a pleasure to read. It has the best mix of fantasy, historical fiction and lovable people in Atalanta, Philix, and Kahina.

The romance too is done with finesse and seems creditble given how young they all are. So much life, worry and weight on them and they're only 18. They all try to do their best with the hand they've been dealt. And they deal with it with as much grace as possible.

I look forward to reading more novels from Elizabeth Tammi.

because i don't know how else to ever explain the immense love i have for this sapphic (!!) story, here's me pretending i'm a green brother:

Dear Outrun the Wind,

When I first heard of you, months ago, I knew I would love you. And I was right; as soon as I got about three chapters in, I fell in love with you. I fell in love with Kahina and Atalanta, and I fell in love with their relationship.

[insert gif of boyle anytime he's in the same frame as peraltiago]

This is a sincere thank you for existing. Thank you for being a book about greek mythology with queer main characters; thank you for being a which includes Artemis; thank you for being a book that made me feel content and satisfied (and smile for fifteen minutes straight).

Sincerely,
A Sapphic Mess

3.5 stars

Wow! What an excellent first novel, this was an exciting and very well written story. I haven’t read a lot of Greek mythology or retellings but I really enjoyed this take on common myths and legends that even a novice would be familiar with.

My favorite aspects of this were definitely (in order) Atalanta and Kahina. While I did feel their voices were written fairly similarly and there were times when my wires got crossed with who I was reading I really enjoyed them as MCs. Atalanta is a strong willed, bad-ass protagonist who managed to maintain that strength while also showing and feeling fear and anxiety. I thought it was a very realistic depiction of someone facing Gods and monsters and I think it added a lot of depth to the story and her character. She was easily my favorite part.

I really enjoyed the subtle, under-played romance between Atalanta and Kahina. I thought it was sweet and charming and didn’t detract from the story or come into play at unrealistic times.

This loses it’s 5th start for me because while the writing was excellent throughout the novel, the over attention to detail left parts of the book a little slow and sagging. I also felt the “rules of magic” could’ve used a little more fleshing out. It felt a little like Tammi felt it didn’t need further explanation because…Greek mythology so….Gods, duh. I wish we could’ve gotten a bit more world / magic building here to better understand this retelling, versus knowing things about Greek mythology and having to fill in it ourselves.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I’m really excited for this author. I think it was generally a fast paced, fun and enjoyable read that I would certainly suggest to anyone interested in Greek mythology and retellings.

— I recieved a free review digital copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own —
I really enjoyed reading this book - a solid four star read (I try to reserve five stars for all-time favourites that stay with me). I’ve really been into re-interpretations of mythology recently, and gotten back to my original love of historical fantasy, so this book was really up my alley. At times things felt rather predictable, but for me that didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story. I loved the many many fierce female characters and their diverse facets of strength, and who doesn’t love an LGBT-inclusive read!

Oh wow!! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I absolutely loved it!! I was hooked from the first page! So full of action and suspense, I couldn’t put it down!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

WOW!  What can I say, this book caught me totally off guard.

It's been years since I read any Greek mythology and so I wasn't sure whether I was going to like this book. I should have not worried. The story captivated me from the start and I fell in love with the two main characters, Atalanta and Kahina. 

Kahina disobeys the orders of the Goddess Artemis and kills Artemis' boar in order to save Atalanta. Everyone believes Atalanta killed the boar herself as she already had the reputation of a fierce warrior, being brought up by hunters in the wild. Kahina detests Atalanta for taking credit for killing the boar and hiding the truth. Atalanta is soon reunited with her father, King Iasus, who is keen to find her a suitable husband. Atalanta has no interest in marriage or men and grows more and more fond of Kahina, and Kahina reciprocates.

I'm giving this book 4.5 stars and highly recommend to anyone who is into Greek mythology, or anyone looking to venture from their usual genre like myself. 

I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a treat, honestly!
Badass MC? Check. A great love interest who has an actual character and is also badass? C h e c k. No insta-love, love triangle or romance that takes over the plot? Double check.

Also, this is kind of a retelling based on greek mythology so HOW AWESOME IS THAT????? I don't read nearly enough of those and Outrun the Wind was so good and enjoyable! I'm not giving this five stars though, because I do think that the novel missed some things. I feel like the worldbuilding could've been elaborated much more, and that the plot moved kinda slowly. Also, I was initially super intrigued but it took me a few chapters before I got hooked. Maybe it was me? I honestly don't know, but one thing I do know for sure is that you should definitely give Outrun the Wind a try.

Wow apparently I know nothing about Greek Mythology because before this book I had never heard of the story of Atalanta. Thanks to wikipedia I was introduced to a whole new world of Greek figures and was then blown away by what the novel does with them. I love the idea of reinventing Atalanta's story. Despite the ancient setting, the book's themes are very timely. It's a story that's both sweet and slightly dark with themes of abuse hinted at, but not in much detail. However, there's literally a warrior goddess who saves a princess and so that's pretty much the best.
The writing is simple, but not always easy to follow. At times I had a hard time remembering who was narrating each chapter because the girls had similar voices. I also wanted a little more background on some of the characters who weren't Kahina or Atalanta like Isadora and Nikoleta and what exactly Apollo's plans were with all the girls he kidnapped. But I loved the romance. Oh the romance. It was so sweet and tender and young and innocent. I loved the characters finding each other and themselves in the process. That alone was worth the read.

This story has my heart.

From the first page, let me share a sentence -
"Sunlight glimmers like a jewel through the shifting leaves."
This sentence captures the beauty of something we see all the time perfectly in a few and simple words.

Outrun The Wind takes you back in time to when gods walked the earth and women had to fight for the right to live their lives as they wanted too. To leather sandals and wild huntresses, you will feel each whisper of wind against your cheek and smell the heat of sun-dried earth.

We meet our two heroines, each with personalities the opposite of the other.
Each with histories that have molded them but not broken them.
Kahina; fierce, wary and dry humored, she can be as aloof as she can be warm once her walls are let down and only a precious few see the beautiful kind soul beneath.
Atalanta, (mind yourself here or you may get punched) our proud, wild and dangerous huntress is like a wolf, she will protect her pack to the death but those she's loyal to will never ever have to fear for their lives.

This story takes our heroines on a journey of discovery, of family and betrayal, of desperation and hope, through the struggle against those who will oppress women for their own selfish gain, and ultimately of love, and loves of many different colors.

There is nothing I would change about this story, the writing is balanced and paced so I am always left wanting to know what happens next.
The characters develop beautifully over time as do their relationships.
The world and Mythology feel as realistic and fantastical as they are meant to be, the magic of gods and goddesses taking away none of the believability of the ancient world around them.
The love story within this story is important but is written so it does not drown out everything else yet will have your heart completely in it's grasp from the first chapter.
Outrun The Wind has representation at its core with two main LGBTQ+ characters that are written realistically and relatably, I was particularly pleased to see a bisexual character fully explored as this color of love seems to be something I have read very little of in my time reading books.

I desperately want read more about Kahina and Atalanta in this beautifully realized ancient world and will hold out hope for a sequel!

So, if mythology, romance and action are your thing, read this now, (you will not regret it).

Thank you too NetGalley and Flux for sending me this digital ARC of "Outrun The Wind" in return for an honest review.

A fun and refreshing twist on Greek mythology, Outrun the Wind was a truly enjoyable read from start to finish (and oh my god, that cover! So stunning!). I especially appreciated how nuanced the gods were - even Artemis, who we're meant to feel positively about isn't all sunshine and rainbows. As someone who studied Classical Civilisations and often marvelled at the general state of f*cked-upedness of the entire pantheon, it was nice to see that none of them were shown to be all good or all bad. An absolutely lovely retelling of the Atalanta story, and one which I will definitely (and happily) accept as canon from now on :D

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

It was the summer between third and fourth grade when I fell in love with Greek Mythology. It was actually part of the mandatory summer reading and I found myself utterly fascinated. So as a general rule I like all things that incorporate those myths.

"Outrun the Wind" is a wonderful retelling of Atalanta’s story with a LGBT spin on it. From the very start it was obvious that this story will be very different than the original myth and that it will explore some difficult, heavy themes. Personally I don’t think they were handled well but I’ve read worse. Actually that handling and the way most men are portrayed are the main reasons why I gave it a 3.5 rating. However, it has that special thing that makes you want to keep reading despite the flaws. So I’d recommend "Outrun the Wind" to people who love retellings and the Greek Myths. I promise you won’t regret giving it a chance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I found the pace of the book good. The MC was easy to get into. I don't know this enough about greek mythology to say if this is somewhat true to it, but I still found it engaging and the story quite pretty. i'm glad i read it. the writing will draw you in and wanting for more, at least from my perspective.
I also like that it is a f/f romance which i enjoyed a lot.

i would recommend this to those who have been on the look for an LGBT book and maybe likes a bit of greek mythology.

3.5 stars

I liked this book and especially for a debut I think the author did a great job, but there were also things I was looking for in a book set in ancient Greece that simply weren’t there, and that’s the reason why this isn’t a five star, but let’s slow down a little.

The book is narrated from two alternating POVs, Atalanta’s and Kahina’s. I think this type of narration was the best choice for it, but one problem I had with it is that the two voices weren’t distinct enough. I think it makes some sort of sense, because the two characters are kind of similar on many levels, but that made it difficult to differentiate their internal monologues. But other than that, I think they were both well-written, just like well-written was the whole book. Sometimes, dare I say, a little too well written. This might make no sense, but I don’t know how else to put it. I just felt like every sentence was thought over meticulously, with great attention paid to the show, don’t tell and other rules, but sometimes that made the narration a little dry and perhaps impersonal. That’s obviously a very minor thing and it’s not really something I even thought about until writing my review, and it didn’t influence my rating negatively.

My favorite aspect of the book was probably the f/f romance, and not just because it’s f/f. It honestly wasn’t even a huge part of the book, it’s just something that happens within the book, but that’s what made it special. I don’t really want to say much about it because it should be experienced while reading the book.

The plot was at times a little slow and I think a few elements could have been removed or made less relevant in order to focus more on other aspects. Something else I didn’t necessarily agree with is the characterization of Artemis and Apollo, but I respect the author’s choice, and it’s true that Greek mythology isn’t always consistent and that there’s not two versions of a god or a Greek hero that are the same.

But speaking of ancient Greece, I didn’t find it in this book. If you replaced the names of places and people with random ones, this would read as a generic fantasy. I didn’t see Greece in the culture, in the way gods were worshipped, in the way men and women related to each other, I simply didn’t see it anywhere. The author note explains that liberties were taken, since the mythological Atalanta belongs to the first generation of heroes, even before the Trojan war, and not a lot is known about many aspects of life back then. This, in my opinion, resulted in a worldbuilding that’s not here nor there. You could tell me it’s set in the same universe and time period as Cinderella and I’d believe it. I think that a retelling of a Greek myth loses a lot of its value if it doesn’t transport the reader back to ancient Greece, and that’s truly what bothered me most about an otherwise above-average book.

All in all, I would recommend it if you can look past the missing ancient Greece and are looking for a f/f romance that’s not the focus of the book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I love books that deal with retellings of myths, legends or history, and that is what first drew me to Outrun the Wind. What made me devour this book from start to finish was a strong action packed opening you did not want to tear your eyes from all the way to an end that was fit to be a Greek myth in its own right. The author really did her research on Greek mythology, and while the story does not go along with the actual tale of Atalanta it does hit on all the key parts of her tale and weaves them in a more compelling story for current readers. The problems that the characters face also touch on a lot of the problems that existed in Greek society at the time, and some issues that are still current to today.

I would really say this book reminded me a lot of The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller which is perhaps one of my favorite books of all times. I would say this book is not quite as good, as the love story in Achilles really makes you feel the pain, while this love story does seems to rely on the archetype of fate and they were destined to be together but does not really develop why they like each other. This does not mean I did not like the relationship of the two main characters, I just felt it could have been developed a little further. However, I really would strong recommend this book as a must read.

If a fun female-female romance that takes time involving Artemis and her Huntresses doesn't convince you then I don't know how.

** 3.5 but rounding up **

A fast pace retelling of a Greek myth with a few twists to make it a story highlighting the strength of women when faced with adversity and that love can be found in the strangest of places.

“Outrun the Wind” tells the shared story of Atalanta, a girl determined to prove herself among the men and Kahina, a huntress for Artemis, who cross paths on the Calydonian Boar Hunt and as a result of that meeting find themselves desperate to seek the approval and redemption of those closest to them. As they struggle with their respective tasks they find they have more in common than originally thought and when their pasts catch up to them they have to team up in order to make sure they have a future worth living.

I have to say I knew very little of the Atalanta myth going into this book and decided to keep it that way until after I finished so it was interesting to have this version first and I have to say I like it a lot more than the original, though that’s probably because some of the characters in this are painted in a much different light than the latter so I’m probably biased.

There was also a change in the God playing the antagonist that I also think is a strength to this novel given the overarching theme of the treatment of women at the hands of men and having Aphrodite be the villain so to speak would lessen the impact of that message.

I really enjoyed this story and it was a great idea to have each of our leads share the narrative because both were understandably distant and cautious while navigating this world and without that insight into their minds this could have read very differently showing us two characters made of stone when in reality they each have fire in their hearts and the determination to live for themselves and no one else.

If you’re looking for something that highlights Greek mythology but with less angst granted to that of Madeline Miller’s work this is perfect for you and it doesn’t hurt that this comes with a great romance between two amazing women.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

This is an amazing retelling of the greek myth of Atalanta.
The writing is great, it flows really well while depicting every character with care and precision, making the story a very compelling one.
The WLW-interracial romance is well developed, enjoyable: I loved the fact that one of them is a biracial lesbian and the other one is bisexual.
This is a great book and I can't wait for the author to publish more books!

Since I heard about this book I was so excited about it, even more when I started reading it, and actually, all the way from the first page to the end. I love mythology, I love retellings, I love f/f romances, so Outrun the Wind was everything for me.

I didn't know a lot about Atalanta before so I'm glad I learned so much with just one book. Since this was not a Greek myth retelling about a god or more known heroes, the story felt authentical, I'm not sure I can explain well but there was the right amount of mythology in it. We're in the myth, it's an important part of the story, but it was actually so much more than just that. Like I said, I didn't know a lot about Atalanta but I really enjoyed this take on her story.

I loved both main characters, and especially their relationship. It didn't seem rushed at all, and the mutual respect was really important to me. On their own, Kahina and Atalanta are both strong girls who I admire very much. I would totally enjoy reading more about them.

Atalanta is a really interesting character, a huntress-orphan with a dark past. I found her to be charismatic, a little selfish, and wholly intriguing. I loved how she held her own with the men's hunting party and didn't let their options get to her too much. Her story is one of finding herself and accepting who she really is rather than what her circumstances have made her.

Kahina I didn't care for so much as a character, which kind of made me love the story that much more. I love when an author can write a character with such depth and darkness. She has her own issues to work through, as well. Thay doesn't stop her from helping Atalanta several times throughout. 

I seriously loved their coming together in Arkadia. Atalanta's idea for who will win her hand in marriage is a stroke of genius. Love it when a character uses their strengths to their advantage! I would absolutely recommend this Greek-inspired tale to friends. If you loved Michelle Madow, you'll love this!

Basically , this book travels with two POV. Kahina and Atalanta. Outrun the wind totally focussed on two teenage girls with full focus and spite. What is more interesting?
The story gets into a castle and happens mostly in Arkadia . But never gets boring.
I love it when the characters react as human beings. When Atalanta hears she is actually a princess , she doesn’t get along like another day. She reacts .
There was no line ” she released a breath she didn’t knew she was holding” . Someone else urges the said character to breathe which is total reality.

This story is a take on the myth of Atalanta. It changes a great many things but remains true to the heart of the myth. Atalanta is a hero by Ancient Greek standards. She is up there with Hercules and Perseus. However, as Elizabeth Tammi explains in the back of the book, there are two "generations" of heroes. Atalanta is in the first while Hercules and Perseus are in the second. All of that means that Atalanta fights with their fathers.

She is known as the fastest woman on earth. Men line up to race her and she beats every single one. That part of the myth is held in this book. The rest....well...that can be debated. The original myth did not expressly state why Atalanta did certain things. Why she killed the men she raced. Why she needed to beat them in the first place. And Elizabeth Tammi does a very good job of taking that portion of the myth that was left out of the original on.

Atalanta and Kahina form a bond that carries both girls into difficult obstacles. Both girls had been abused by men, making them wary of any male friendship. The only one that seems to break into their bond is Phelix, Atalanta's brother. He bonds with them both, together and separately, making their friendships even tighter. Elizabeth Tammi also includes the gods in this rendition of the Greek Myth. Artemis and Apollo both make appearances and are prominent throughout the book. The whole sibling rivalry that the twin gods have is an interesting dynamic to include. It seems to highlight the easygoing relationship between Phelix and Atalanta.

The two girls fight for their lives at the end of the book, in more ways than one. While the entirety of the book seems OK with Atalanta and Kahina as a couple, it's never truly expressed.

Honestly this book would have ranked five stars for me, but the relationship that was promised with the description of the book wasn't really factored in. I am glad that it was there but it seemed as though it were a bit of an afterthought. There are only two POV. Atalanta and Kahina's. I would have thought that there would have been more hints along the way about their feelings toward each other. There was some inklings on Kahina's behalf but Atalanta seemed as though she just viewed Kahina as a best friend. And while there is nothing wrong with that, I was hoping for more substance on the relationship front.

<i>Outrun the Wind</i> hits just the right balance in how it approaches a retelling of Greek myth and is the best way to write this sort of thing for a modern audience, in my opinion. It’s clear from the details themselves (and the afterword) that the author knows her source material well and has put in a good deal of effort in researching the history, culture, and mythology from which she’s drawing. This book isn’t meant to be a painstakingly accurate portrayal of the time. Some of the problematic aspects of ancient Greek society are tweaked where they don’t work and other gaps are filled or borrowed to make the story work for a modern retelling of the Atalanta myth. But there are details galore, especially involving clothing, scenery, and culture references that make the story “feel” like ancient Greece, which satisfies the expectations of the premise. This schema allows for a new take on the tale that expresses themes a modern YA audience can enjoy and relate to (okay, maybe an older audience could too) while still touching on that historical fiction point. As well, these modifications help to tell a F/F love story that wouldn’t have fit as well in ancient Greek literature, at least not in such an overt and celebratory form.

We get a classic forbidden love setup with Kahina sworn not to love and Atalanta destined to marry a man for political reasons one day. Then other circumstances put the girls in opposition to each other, further muddying the waters. I really liked how clear and potent this budding conflict between them is. The book opens with the hunt of Artemis’ Calydonian Boar. Atalanta is a part of the hunting party set on taking down the boar and hopefully prove herself worthy among the men of the hunt. Kahina is one of Artemis’ huntresses and sent to ensure the boar’s safety as it causes all manner of destruction across the countryside. Atalanta is cornered by the boar and in danger when Kahina, in a moment of empathy for Atalanta, kills the boar to protect her without being seen. Atalanta is then left to take the glory (and face Artemis’ anger for killing her boar) and Kahina is in deep trouble for having killed her goddess’ beast, in complete contradiction to her duty. The decision to save Atalanta is admirable, but the fallout is frighteningly dangerous for both of them, incurring the wrath of Artemis. I felt drawn into the story immediately by this conflict and felt for both characters and wanted to see what would come of it, making it a really effective introduction.

Atalanta and Kahina are both good characters. We get to know each of them through alternating first-person chapters and neither really falls by the wayside as less important or too passive. Without a doubt, my favorite thing about them is that they’re both very strong young women. I know basically every YA book ever sells itself on having a “strong female protagonist.” But often, said protagonists are just kind of sassy and are otherwise fairly weak and still constantly being rescued by the seemingly-inevitable stronger (handsome) male lead who’s the actual competent and strong one, not the protagonist, which is frustrating. This book doesn’t have this problem at all. Part of that is because this is F/F obviously, so there’s not a male love interest to fulfill that traditional role, but neither does one or the other girl fall into the weak and passive role either. Atalanta and Kahina are both flawed and interesting characters, but they are quite strong in other ways. They also have admirable principles and are willing to stick up for each other and those they care about when things get rough. The only character that is a bit more passive and emotional is Phelix, Atalanta’s bastard half-brother, but even then, the archetype works better with a male character (and isn’t all that strange for ancient Greece which celebrated “manly” men, but featured some fairly emotional moments from its male heroes, at least by modern masculinity’s standards).

Although the book starts with a bit of the hate-to-love trope that I’ll never understand, it quickly fades away and the girls develop a very positive and supportive relationship that makes me root for them as a couple. I also don’t mind the hate-to-love schema here as much since there is good reason for Kahina to resent Atalanta as the catalyst for her punishment, even if she’s being a bit irrationally bitter about something that isn’t Atalanta’s fault. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the relationship aspect doesn’t come in until late in the book and there’s little physical intimacy. I personally enjoyed this more gradual development, but I know that could be a turn-off for some readers so it’s worth mentioning.

I really enjoyed the prose in this book. The narrative voice is strong with a good balance of physical description, emotion, and reasoning throughout that made the characters come to life and kept the plot mostly clear. The author demonstrates a solid grasp of metaphor that is refreshing for this genre where I find often only a few lines in a YA book sound poetic and end up standing out as awkwardly purple prose compared to the rest. Here, there is a good deal of lofty metaphorical description throughout, but it feels very consistent and never feels out of place. Instead the voice does what it’s meant to and illustrates the ideas being presented more potently.

There were a few things here and there that bugged me about this book that I don’t want to omit, but as should be clear from my rating, these mostly weren’t too major to me. My biggest issue is that Atalanta and Kahina didn’t have much voice distinction. When you have two different first-person narrators, it can be a struggle to distinguish them already, but I don’t feel like there’s much there to help me as a reader to tell them apart. There were several times I was a ways into a chapter and would forget for a couple paragraphs who was narrating until she mentioned something about her circumstances or named the other girl in third person that I realized who we were with. This was disorienting and it could’ve made the characterization more compelling had the voices been more distinct. This is further hindered by the fact that the two protagonists aren’t incredibly distinct personality-wise either. They are similar in being fairly powerful young women both emotionally and physically (though that is at least a plus!) and they’re both skilled huntresses/athletes. This issue was the only one that bothered me that much. Otherwise, there was a bit of a show vs. tell issue here and there where details that probably could have and should have been shown more potently were simply told to us, but this wasn’t excessive. I also felt like the novel sometimes oversold its conflict without enough follow-up. I can’t speak much on this without spoilers, but I sometimes felt like the language was really playing up the consequences of the characters’ actions when not as much came of them in some cases, despite the punitive image of the deities and social forces the book implied.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book and was impressed with it for a debut release. I plan to follow this author, especially if she writes any sequels to this book as I’m interested to see where she goes from here both within this world and outside it. This is a pretty fun and simple, but solid read that I would recommend, especially if you like Greek myth retellings, <b>*actually*</b> strong female protagonists, or F/F romance. It does well what, in my opinion, a lot of other books in the genre tend to struggle with and gives some positive representation where it’s needed.

I was provided an advanced copy by NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own.

4 STARS

TW: slavery, violence and gore, implied assault, panic attacks

From the moment I heard Outrun the Wind was a sapphic retelling of the Atalanta myth, I knew I had to get my hands on it. That's two of my biggest interests bundled into one, and even better, by the time I finished the book, it did NOT disappoint! We have myth! We have sapphic girls! We have knives! We realize I have an overwhelming tendency to choose the stabby sapphics as my favorite characters!

Anyway, I really did have a wonderful time reading Outrun the Wind. Speaking as a classics major, I loved how it incorporated other figures from classical mythology (hey there, Laertes and Peleus, dads of Odysseus and Achilles!), and it covered most of the major parts of the Atlanta myth. Meleager and Melanion were both there (though Melanion was known as Hippomenes this time), Atalanta was still raised wild after being abandoned as a baby because she wasn't a boy, and there were lions, as fits some variations of the end of the myth. Some people might complain that this doesn't follow any one distinct version of the myth, but it's MYTH. There are always variations of myth, and creating yet another one is fully in the spirit of the source. It doesn't take away from the nature of myth to put this spin on Atalanta's story so much as it makes it feel all the more mythical.

Beyond that heavy myth element, I LOVED the relationship between Atalanta and Kahina. This is another one for the sapphic enemies to lovers count, and I am THRIVING on it. We have a stabby knife lesbian and a scrappy woods bisexual just trying to be themselves without being beholden to anyone, and I adored every minute of their interactions. They each embody a difference sort of ferocity, Atalanta so tied to her wild upbringing, and Kahina so desperate for her freedom, but once they pull it together that they love each other, they're so sweet. There's dancing. There's bed sharing. There's my heart, full to bursting with how cute this gets.

I think my biggest disappointment is that this is a standalone, and as a result, the characters and plot felt a little as if they were on the shallow side. Kahina's personal subplot in particular felt rather basic and hazy, while Atalanta's desires fell on the flat side through most of the story, never stretching too far beyond not wanting to tie herself down to a man. Ultimately, it's a standalone, and one based on a myth, so maybe that kind of distance is warranted, but I personally would have liked more depth and development.

On the whole, though, Outrun the Wind was a joy to read, and anyone who grew up on the Percy Jackson series is probably going to have an interest in reading this, particularly queer readers, particularly sapphic readers looking for stories where the girls get a happy ending at last. If it sounds like Outrun the Wind appeals to you, make sure to preorder it before it releases on November 27 this year!

[This review is expected to go live on my blog, The Words Gremlin, on November 1st, to maximize hype before the publication date.]

3.5 stars

At first I couldn’t really get into the story, it was all a bit too chaotic. But after the first third the plot got pretty interesting and I was eager to know what was going to happen.
The characters were interesting and the story was definitely something different from what I’m used to read in stories set in ancient Greece. The fact that she decided to race her suitors was quite original and entertaining to read.
I think this book would have worked better as the first of a duology. There were a lot of things to resolve and it was all done pretty quickly and easily. Even the end scene and the death of one of the characters didn’t really surprise me much. I would also have loved to know more about the future of Arkadia and most importantly about Atalanta and Kahina’s relationship.
Still, it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Greek mythology and sapphic characters, what more could I ask for?

[Rating closer to 3.5, actually]

Elizabeth Tammi wrote a wonderful story about two Greek heroines who have been through a fair share of tragedy and who both don't act like people around them want them to. Atalanta and Kahina are forced to get along and it takes some time for them to get used to their new situations.

I'm quite the fan of both Greek mythology and stories about sapphic characters so I knew this would be my thing. And it was! I really liked the characters and the plot was inventive, original and felt like a great extension of a Greek myth.

What I'm not such a fan of is flowery prose and long descriptions. I know some people will love this story more because of that but I'm just not one of these people. I liked Tammi's writing but I would have enjoyed it more had it been 20% shorter. Long descriptions tend to bore me and through that, the story was quite slow paced and I took me a long time to get into it.

Still, I enjoyed reading this book and I can certainly imagine reading more of Tammi's works. This is a debut novel after all and for that it's certainly impressive!

Outrun the Wind is a fantasy debut novel about sapphic girls and Ancient Greece, and that's already enough reasons to buy the book.

Atalanta and Kahina are the narrators of this novel, and while I did really like both girls, I felt that their POVs were quite similar, and occasionally I couldn't differentiate between the chapters. Their voices just weren't distinct enough, and it was hard to get a feel for the characters. The book, however, was very well-written and the prose was lovely.

My absolute favourite aspect of the novel was the romance between Kahina and Atalanta. It's a slow burn romance; in fact, it's not even a large part of the novel itself. Sometimes that was a little disappointing, but the tension was enough to keep me reading.

Occasionally, the plot was a little slow and dry, but there were plenty of entertaining scenes to assist the plot. I do have to mention that I didn't especially like the representations of Ancient Greece in the book. Because ... it wasn't really present. Aside from the names of the characters, there's no feel of Ancient Greece in Outrun the Wind, and although the author's note explains this, it's still a bit disappointing because it's definitely marketed as Ancient Greece romance (hello, Artemis). It just felt like the world building, then, wasn't very strong.

I would still recommend Outrun the Wind, if you're looking for a quick, fun f/f romance to read on the weekend. It's a great debut.

Plot: Kahina, a hunter of Artemis, accidentally messes up a mission by saving Atalanta's life but in the process, killing the boar that Artemis created to punish the mortals who forgot to honour her. Kahina is sent to Arkadia, and meets Atalanta, by then the returned princess. The two girls get off to a rough start, since Kahina resents Atalanta for taking credit for slaying the boar and indirectly causing her dismissal Artemis' Hunt. Atalanta, meanwhile, is being pursued by suitors, even though she dreads the very idea of being married and bound to a man. Weaving through this plot is Kahina and Atalanta's intertwined lives and love for each other, and how it guides them through the suitors and the tension between Artemis and Apollo.

Language: The language is simple and accessible, and on very rare occasions lapses into the beautiful, while still not seeming too embellished. I was a little thrown off by some of the dialogue at first, since the characters spoke in modern colloquialisms, like someone telling another character not to "screw up". It was a bit jarring for me at first because it's supposed to be set in ancient Greece, but after a while, I got used to it. Besides, this book isn't trying to make itself out as a faux Victorian novel where all the characters speak like they've graduated with Literature degrees from Oxbridge. I think, stylistically, what did irk me a little was that some expressions/phrases were used a little too much and it got repetitive; case in point, "dread pools in my stomach," which I think I read from both Atalanta and Kahina's perspectives so many times earlier in the narrative. I would've appreciated a little more variation there, but that's my only substantial protest for this book.

Characters: The key characters were very vibrant and loveable. Apart from Kahina and Atalanta, I was also very fond of Atalanta's half-brother Phelix, and the hunters Isadora and Nikoleta. The latter three are pulled into the web woven around Kahina and Atalanta's intertwined lives, all through Hippomenes (also from the original legend of Atalanta). I loved hating Hippomenes because I felt like he was written to be toxic and fragile masculinity rolled into one. As a matter of fact, the only male character I liked in this book was Phelix, and even he took a little time for me to warm up to.

Overall:
I loved the different forms of love that this book explores, without ever naming them, and I loved the development of the relationship between Kahina and Atalanta, how they go from enemies to friends/companions, and grow to try to understand their true feelings for each other. I loved that this book normalised their queer relationship, and that none of the other characters really bat an eye about it. Without resorting to labels, we're presented with a female-female relationship that grows naturally.

I think choosing to breathe new life into the legend of Atalanta by giving it a modern feminist twist leant Tammi a lot of creative freedom in using the figure of Atalanta to go against the canon into something more empowering for women. This book is about the battle of the sexes: from Artemis vs Apollo (and by extension, Apollo's men and Artemis' hunters), to Hippomenes' repeated efforts to best women whom he sees as a threat to his assumed superiority, to the races in which Atalanta bests all the suitors who vie for her hand in marriage (a lot like that scene in Brave, only with footraces rather than arrows). I liked that Tammi didn't let the bareness of the canon restrict her story, but instead chose to build on, and in some occasions reject, it, in order to come up with her own original tale.

Outrun the wind was a great read! Outrun the wind a based on the story of Atalanta in Greek Mythology. Atalanta is a bad ass hunter who can outrun anyone. Kahina is one of Artemis huntresses. Through a series of events their lives intertwine with one another. I absolutely loved reading about Kahina and Atalanta. They had a very organic relationship and it was really refreshing to read. I really appreciate the research the author put into the story. Although she did fill in many of the blanks in the story I felt that she still kept to the original Mythology. Overall, I would highly recommend this story!

Loved this book, just couldn’t put it down! It was a great story that had me hooked, what was going to happen next and why do men have so much control over the characters??

Another little treat was the description of mythology in the back of the book, I learnt a few things from there but it was nice to see the author highlighting the dramatic flairs she included for the readers sake!

First and foremost, thank you NetGalley, North Star Editions, and Elizabeth Tammi for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had very high expectations of this book based on a number of the reviews I read that are already out there. While it didn't quite meet my expectations, Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi was still a very engaging and exciting read.

The story: Atalanta was raised as a warrior, and Kahina is a huntress of Artemis. When Kahina kills Artemis's boar to save Atalanta, she must redeem herself to get back into Artemis's good graces. When Atalanta turns out to be none other than the Princess of Arkadia, she is not thrilled at the fact that her father wants her to marry as soon as possible. Kahina comes up with the brilliant plan of having suitors race Atalanta, since it will be impossible for anyone to outrun her.

This plan seems like a good idea, until it turns into higher stakes: life and death. When  suitors see they are  bound to die, they leave Atalanta alone. All except one who refuses to back down, a follower of Apollo sure of his own victory.

One thing that originally drew me to the book, based on other reviews, was the female/female romance aspect. I enjoyed this, but I really with there was more of it a lot sooner in the novel. The lack of action made the romance feel rather stilted and unbelievable.

I really enjoyed the hunt at the beginning of this book. It really made the setting. There's even a reference to Odysseus's father, which was a nice Easter egg and a way to show the time period without having to explicitly say. The part between the hunt and the racing (a huge chunk of the first half of the book) felt a bit slower and dragged slightly in comparison to the rest. Once the races start, the story becomes exciting again, and the stakes are pretty high.

The writing style itself is very nice and elegant, as well as easy to read. The only problem I had was that the voices of the two different characters tended to feel too similar more often than not, and I would occasionally forget who's perspective I was reading.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read and would recommend it to teen girls specifically. There's a good takeaway from this book about not letting your past define you and really finding who you are and being comfortable with that person. A person shouldn't let others try to change them. Great message!

Outrun the wind by Elizabeth Tammi

I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

Rep: f/f romance, lesbian mc, bi mc

For a debut novel this book was phenomenal. Well written story, the character development was truly outstanding. I haven’t read a lot of books about Greek Mythology but this book makes me want to go read all the story’s and retellings.

Being part of the LGBT+ community I’m always in awe when books; especially retellings have that aspect in the them. For me it brought in more for the story of Kahina and Atalanta, the hate to love relationship grows so perfectly throughout the book.

The world building and characters are all very strong points for the story. While reading, I could definitely imagine the world as I seen the words. I highly recommend this story to anyone who is into Greek mythology, or anyone looking to venture from their usual genre.

When I read the synopsis for this book I just knew I had to read it and I’m so glad I did!
The pace was fast but, didn’t feel rushed. This was a nice quick read for me and it held my attention right to the end. I only wish that some things had been fleshed out a little more. For example, the backstory of the main characters was pretty vague and I feel like if those had been explored or shown more I would have understood some aspects a little better but, either way this was a fantastic story!
I loved the main characters and thought that they had great chemistry (and yay for lbgtq rep!). I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop throughout the story. I thought both girls were badasses and loved how they both looked out for one another and protected each other.
The battle scene at the end was great as well. I usually don’t like battle scenes because they tend to be drawn out but, this one was done perfectly.
I really didn’t have any issues with this book other than that I wish there was more. It was a great debut for Elizabeth Tammi and I look forward to reading future works from her.

*~~*ARC kindly provided to me for an honest review *~~*

- Review to come

Review originally posted on my blog with added content on Mikku-chan / A world full of words

This book had badass girls and also lesbians and I don't think I need to say more, but I will, for purpose of review.

Atalanta is a archer who has been chosen by the Prince to help fight a beast terrorizing the kingdom. The other men on the hunt don't have faith in her tiny girl body, or whatever excuse they give. Atalanta takes credit for the kill in order to prove herself to these men, but it wasn't her kill.

Enter Kahina, the true slayer of the beast, who is one of Artemis' hunters. She is not supposed to kill the beast, but she can't seem to let the beast take Atalanta. She is also not supposed to fall in love, buuuuuut things get a little complicated.

I don't want to spoil anyone, but I really did enjoy the romance in this book, the overall badassery, and the female power. The male characters are very appropriate for their time and world this feels set in, especially some of the men both Kahina and Atalanta know. It was very appropriately frustrating. However, the girls know their worth, and fight for it, and I loved that about them. Two very rounded out female characters who are emotional, vulnerable, and loving- what more could a girl ask for? The amount of girl power in this book is freaking fantastic, and I very much enjoyed it.

Also the characterization of Artemis was really interesting and I enjoyed the dynamic between her hunters. She made sure to do her mythology research, and I loved the way she bent the myths to her story while still keeping them true. I will say however, that I have never read the myth of the Calydonian Boar (and also thought it said bear for like five pages) so I would've liked maybe a little more explanation of that. Also apparently Atalanta is a figure in greek mythology too, so I liked learning about her.

This book took me a little to read, because I was really busy, but also because I was very confused at the beginning because I didn't know the backstory or context for this specific part of Artemis' myth. I think if I hadn't been given this book specifically to review, I might not have kept going. That being said, I'm glad I did.


Also P.S- I say this all the time, but I LOVE this cover. Gorgeous.

I have an innate fascination when it comes to mythology, but, this comes hand in hand with a critical view of anything that uses mythology for the purpose of a storyline.

That being said, I found Outrun the Wind intriguing. It has a certain feel to it, that I cannot name, but, it’s something I’ve felt before.

When I started reading, I was immediately grasped by a character with which I could relate. Atalanta, was STRONG, and as a female that strength is paramount to the construction of many characters. Her strength was literal, but also constructed through subtle character aspects which weaved, and flowed her character into being. She wants freedom, but open opportunity. She wants family, but she doesn’t want things that tie her down. She wants love, and she loses that, time and time again. She is an enigma, and I wanted more.

Premise wise, I didn’t know what I was expecting but I know what I was not expecting, and I think this is it. Usually, with mythology you get the lovely coming-of-age novella about a child of the gods realising their potential and going on a quest etc. etc. Yet, what Tammi has created is just, more. Yes, it has that expected concept of gods, and the children - but our main character was not one, and that is probably what drew me into continuing (combined with Atalanta saying no to Artemis - like?????)

All in all, and to not give away too many spoilers, I’d suggest this novel with 4/5 starts. What prevents it from hitting 5 you may ask, was simply the struggle to read - while it flowed and there was so much reason to WANT to read it, there was a choppiness that I didn’t like (and I’m not a game of mixed POV).

We loved this book and loved the plot and character development within it. With a mix of mythology, a touch of romance and trials, this book is sure to touch all your happy points at once.

I really enjoyed this book, I can see it becoming one of the next big YA hits. The story centres around the mythological character Atalanta and features a variety of Greek gods. If you liked 'Circe' or 'A Song of Achilles' you will enjoy this book. The story flows really well, the characters are developed well and I commend the author on including a same-sex relationship. Overall, would definitely recommend!

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

This was initially a hard book to get into. Maybe because I wasn't expecting the first narrator. From the blurb, it sounds like the focus will mainly be on Kahina. Instead, the reader is thrown into Atalanta's mind. While this was a shock to the system I powered through and am so happy I did. This is a book that was so unexpectedly good. While I love a good book with a romance at the front and center this is one where the love was more subtle. It isn't until the middle that even the characters understand what they might be feeling. While the ending was a bit rushed I think it was what was needed. If it was drawn out much longer I think it would have lost its path. This is a book I will totally recommend to those who love retellings of Greek mythology.

What luck!

I received this as a NetGalley ebook, but I found out about it months and months ago from a Twitter thread by @readingpeaches/lesbianna in January quite by happy accident. I'd been looking for LGBT+ novels with mythology in them for quite some time, although m/m is quite popular likely because of The Song of Achilles and historical novels by Mary Renault, f/f is a rarer find - but not impossible as The Dark Wife and Alcestis prove.

Now you can count Outrun the Wind among them!

First as this is a proof, I feel compelled to tell of the errors I took note of here:
typo gievn location 1847, ch 13
typo turs location 2612, ch 18
chapter 20 events are very confusing and need to be adjusted, paragraphs skip and are repeated.

I like names so I took note of Kahina's right away, it's not in any naming list of Artemis' nymph or mortal maids, but it is the name of a intriguing and powerful woman who is also called Dihya (but she's not related to the Kahina of the book, so if you'd like to know more of her, look up her history!), it's meaning is something of a hint to Outrun the Wind's Kahina too, meaning "priestess seer/soothsayer". I think the 'Wind' part of Outrun the Wind is a hint to her race with Hippomenes (hippo=horse, menes=vigor/age/power) as the wind gods of Greek myth became the horses of Zeus' chariot and also fathered horses.

Atalanta is one of the few women in Greek mythology who went on to have adventures, it's hinted that she traveled on the Argo with Jason (and possibly Medea), but the more popular start is the Calydonian Boar hunt and the odd love stories with Meleager and Melanion/Hippomenes that surround her. Elizabeth Tammi does not stick to purely classical knowledge, this is a fantasy like take of the mythology, which both takes and gives, making something new of the old stories.

Kahina and Atalanta do not take a quick liking to one another, but fates (or rather Artemis and Apollo) pull them closer together, and the attraction grows from every meeting between the two. I was confused at why Artemis and Apollo were antagonizing each other over temples and power, they did tit-for-tat in myths but usually this was due to lovers of Apollo or Artemis' hunters, exploring that would have helped the story along, possibly helped Kahina with her task - we're left with questions on why Meleager's father forgot Artemis (did it have something to do with Hippomenes/Apollo?) or if Apollo taking of oracle maidens was a attack against Artemis that began things.

I enjoyed Kahina's huntress friends Isidora and Nikoleta, as well as Atalanta's brother Phelix and the explanation of her history with Zosimos ...although I think it rather flimsy that Atalanta's race was to determine a marriage as a legitimate heir.

Iasus of myth had three brothers, two of whom went through the Calydonian Boar hunt in fact in myth Melanion/Hippomenes - supposed cousin of Kahina, is the son of Amphidamas, brother of Iasus the Tammi doesn't make clear if she knows of that, but neither does she name the parents of Kahina or Hippomenes that I recall, only tells about her father and his father being brothers who have a shipping business and her mother from Ethiopia.

While this book does wrap up things between Atlanta in Arkadia and with the hunters of Artemis, I do hope her adventure with Kahina is just beginning.

I'd like to see in a sequel Atlanta meet Kahina's family and sail to Ethiopia, or go together on the Argo after the golden fleece.

Outrun the Wind was my most anticipated YA release of the year. I'm a complete and utter Greek mythology fangirl and the idea of a book that featured both the Hunters of Artemis and Atalanta, one of my favourite heroes, was always a massive draw for me.

Unlike most people (it seems), enemies-to-lovers isn’t usually one of my favourite tropes. However, I really liked it in this story. Kahina and Atalanta are both wonderful characters. I liked how strong each girl was, determined not to be forced down a path she didn’t want. They’re both complex and had complicated emotions toward each other. I really liked seeing how the distrust and wariness between them very slowly developed into a solid, dependable friendship and then a romance. I really appreciated how Tammi took the time to really build it up gradually. The supporting characters were well written too: Hippomenes is suitably slimy, Phelix is a sugar-pie and it was wonderful to see how supportive the Huntresses were of each other. Both the gods featured -- Apollo and Artemis -- felt suitably ‘other’: distant, powerful and arrogant.

I thought the plot was interesting, and that Tammi managed to work the more unbelievable elements of the original story (because, mythology, right?) into the more historical feel of the overarching plotline - for example, the golden apple distraction. I also thought that the elements of the various Atalanta stories (the boar hunt, the race etc.) into something that felt fluid. The moments were tied together with nice original scenes and well-rounded original characters.

The one complaint I had was that the world building felt a little lacking in terms of description. I think if you've already read a lot of mythology or history you’ll fill in the gaps just fine yourself, but things like dress, food and architecture etc. are very glossed over. It would have been nice to have a more solid picture of the world.

This review will go up on my blog, Foxes and Fairy Tales on 29 October 2018
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2018/10/29/arc-review-outrun-the-wind

What a great story, I was so excited and intrigued about it!There are a lot of things I enjoyed in this story.Outrun the Wind is a fantasy inspired by Greek Mythology, one of the main characters Kahina being a huntress of Artemis and the other main character Atalanta being accused of killing Artemis's boar, and wanting to be recruited by her. I love Greek Mythology and I find the story unique!

An artfully crafted retelling of the Atalanta legend. Atalanta must learn to outrun the wind in order to remain free. But she is sought by both cruel warriors and gods.


Although this is based on the Atalanta legend Elizabeth Tammi brings her own voice to the tale and fleshes out the characters while keeping much of the legend intact.

It took a bit to get into because Greek Mythology is not something that I know very well. There are still a few things that I’m a bit confused on but I didn’t mind. Most of the things I’m confused about are things I would need to do my own research on.

The switching perspectives was a little confusing at times. I had to flip back several times because I didn’t know who’s perspective I was reading. This especially happened when the perspective switched in the middle of chapters.

The LGBQT+ representation was great. I knew from the beginning who was going to fall in love with who. The story for how they came together was great. I liked that they had their own things going on and helped each other vs only one of them helping the other. Kahina and Atalanta also took their time getting to know each other and working on their relationship and I like that.

Kahina was my favorite character. She was like the girl next door with a fierce side. She was so relatable and I loved her. Atalanta was the girl I loved to hate. She was so good at everything and you wanted to hate her but then she would do something nice and you just couldn’t hate her anymore. Kahina and Atalanta together are great. They balance each other out and it just works beautifully.

More background information on most characters I think would have been helpful especially Artemis and Apollo. Even Kahina and Atalanta need a little more background information but without the background information it does make me want to read more and draws me with the mystery of it all.

I would definitely pick up another book by Elizabeth Tammi.

You had me at Greek myths, cool women and warriors. Because I’m a total nerd for all of these things. And I was not disappointed.
First off, the characters. The story is told from the POVs of the two protagonists, Kahina and Atalanta. They have quite similar voices, with only a few differences, so sometimes I got confused from which character the story was told at some points. I’ll start with Kahina who is basically the incarnation of the pure, sweet cinnamon roll. I don’t know how else to describe her. She is just so cute and amazing. She acts cool, trying to save herself and not letting anybody too close because of all the losses and shit in life she had to go through. But when she really takes a liking to someone and comes closer to them, she would not stop for anything in the world to help them.
And Atalanta! She is just a force of nature. The complete opposite of Kahina. Where the latter is thoughtful and calm, Atalanta seems to be always angry at everyone and everything. But same as Kahina, she changes towards someone she likes, being really sensitive and cute.
The other characters were either friend or foe. Most of them being foes though and basically all of them men who use their positions of power to do bad things.

The relationships between the characters are quite compley in some situations, because almost every character went through a lot and still has to deal with much stuff, it seems to be hard for all of them to really commit to anything, some are turning in complete egoists, some are driven by fear from or for somebody else, some out of love. But especially the relationship between Kahina and Atalanta is highlighted, the two being the main characters. Hello hello, favourite trope. Hate to friendship to lovers. Because yup, this book was the Ancient Greek lesbian story I’ve been waiting for. And their bantering and just generally the process of them starting to like each other….yes. Loved it.

The plot was also pretty cool as well. It’s basically those two girls against the world and especially against the villain who was… aan unconventional one? I really did not expect it and I still have some problems wrapping my mind around it, though on the other hand it makes sense and fits really well into the story.

My major points of critique are, as I mentioned before, the similarly told POVs, and that Kahina’s plot wasn’t developed enough. Atalanta and the thing with finding a husband is very detailed where as Kahina solving the task for Artemis really only gets a few pages. I wish that would have been a bit more elaborated.

But apart from those things, I totally enjoyed this book!

Inhalt

Bei den Jägerinnen der Artemis gibt es zwei Regeln: Widersetz dich deiner Göttin nicht und halt dich fern von der Liebe. Kahinas Welt wird völlig auf den Kopf gestellt, als sie bei einer Mission im Auftrag von Artemis die erste Regel bricht und damit das Leben der Jägerin Atalanta rettet. Zur Strafe soll sie eine weitere Mission für die Göttin erledigen – und stößt dabei erneut auf das Mädchen, das für ihre Situation verantwortlich ist. Doch Atalanta hat mit einer Zwangshochzeit ihre eigenen Sorgen. Da hilft nur zusammenhalten – doch wenn Kahina auch die zweite Regel bricht, steht niemand mehr zwischen ihr und ihrem Schicksal als Seherin Apollos …

Quickfacts

Antikes Griechenland, die Jägerinnen der Artemis und LGBT-Protagonisten? Count me in! Als ich dieses wunderbare Buch entdeckt habe, war ich unglaublich gespannt und gehypet. Immerhin vereint es nahezu alles, was mich begeistert, und der Klappentext von „Outrun the Wind“ klang echt spannend. Dementsprechend hatte ich hohe Erwartungen, die zum Großteil erfüllt werden konnten.

Die Geschichte wird aus den Sichten von Atalanta und Kahina erzählt. Atalantas Sage kennen manche möglicherweise, sie wird für ihre herausragende Schnelligkeit gelobt. Und Kahina als ehemalige Seherin Apollos, aus dessen göttlichen Klauen sie Artemis Jägerinnen gerettet haben, war mir auf Anhieb sympathisch. Beide haben ihre eigenen Kämpfe, die sie austragen müssen, ihre eigenen Ängste, die sie runterziehen. Kahina möchte nichts sehnlicher, als nach Corinth zurückkehren zu können, doch in Folge ihrer Taten hängt sie bei Atalanta fest. Und die soll verheiratet werden, um als Prinzessin ihrer Polis die Armut zu bekämpfen.

Diese Geschichte spielt mit vielen Tropes, die manche als kitschig empfinden würden. „Outrun the Wind“ hält sich nicht streng an die griechische Mythologie oder die Geschichtsschreibung, was ich aber nicht störend fand, dafür liegt der Fokus eher auf der Entwicklung der Charaktere und dem Ausbruch aus den patriarchalen Strukturen, die sowohl Kahina als auch Atalanta gefangen halten. Hier die Jägerinnen der Artemis zu instrumentalisieren, war clever gewählt und spannend gelöst, sodass ich mitgefiebert habe. Außerdem hat mir auch gefallen, wie sie die Beziehungen der Mädchen langsam gewandelt, und so dem Buch mit den vielen Nebencharakteren noch mehr Facetten verlieren haben.

Was mir an manchen Stellen allerdings negativ aufgefallen ist, waren zwei Punkte. Zum einen verwischen Atalantas und Kahinas Erzählstimmen im Laufe des Buches. Anfangs konnte ich sie noch gut auseinanderhalten, etwa ab der Mitte fing es jedoch an, dass ich an dem Schreibstil nicht mehr wirklich erkannt habe, wer da gerade erzählt. Auch wenn es durch die Handlung klar ist, sollte man das als Leser aber auch am Schreibstil erkennen können. Noch dazu verfällt die Autorin in „Outrun the Wind“ immer wieder in moderne Begrifflichkeiten und Verhaltensweisen, die das Ganze zwar aufgelockert haben, aber meiner Meinung nach zum Setting unpassend erschienen.

Der rote Faden der Storyline ist anfangs etwas schwer zu finden, das gebe ich zu, aber sobald beide Mädchen wieder am selben Platz sind, wird doch klar, wo Atalantas Mythos mit reinspielt. Danach hatte ich auch konstant das Gefühl, die Charaktere besser kennenzulernen und ihre Sorgen zu verstehen. Die verschiedenen Intrigen und Machtkämpfe waren gut reingebracht und sehr abwechslungsreich. Außerdem muss ich einen sehr fetten Pluspunkt dafür geben, dass es „Outrun the Wind“ tatsächlich schafft, eine süße und realistisch wirkende Liebesgeschichte zwischen weiblichen Protagonistinnen im antiken Griechenland zu erzählen – das war super erfrischend! Alles in allem fand ich es richtig gut umgesetzt und hoffe, es wird bei Flux in Zukunft noch mehr davon geben. Wenn ein deutscher Verlag noch Lizenztitel sucht: Nehmt dieses Buch!