Atalanta was brutally cast aside to the wilds of Mount Parthenion simply because she was not the son her father wanted. Found by a mother bear sent by Artemis herself, she is raised learning and growing in Artemis’ Forest amongst the nymphs, and under Artemis’ tutelage Atalanta becomes the Goddess’ protégé.
After hearing of Jason’s quest to find the fabled Golden Fleece, Artemis sends a grown Atalanta to become her champion, being the only female amongst Jason’s Argonauts. Anxious to explore the world, yet apprehensive about how it may change her, she readily agrees.
The quest itself and aftermath have Atalanta battling constant misogyny and enemy forces alongside fantastical elements like vengeful Gods to find adventure and make a name for herself as one of Greece’s heroes.
Atalanta is a powerful feminist take on both mythological versions of the heroine, incorporating stories hailing from Arcadia, and Boeotia. Jennifer Saint is a master of taking classic Greek myths and presenting them from a female perspective while maintaining the integrity of the original tale. Her previous two bestsellers, Ariadne, and Elektra, told the stories of those women forgotten in the shadows of Gods and men who will stop at nothing to get what they want, and Atalanta is perhaps the most powerful tale of them all.
Unlike a lot of other retellings which only loosely follow the lore, Atalanta kept close to the key story points of all the original myths. While this a considerable strength to the book, it also rendered some of the journey glossed over, making a couple of parts feel a bit boring. Choosing to add some creative liberties to liven up one or two of these side stories could have fleshed out some of those side characters a bit more and added some depth to the journey overall. While Saint certainly didn’t shy away from the more brutal components of traditional Greek mythology, jumping from story point to story point didn’t allow the reader to fully experience some absolutely wild events. Some moments will make your jaw drop and your heart break as you learn the fates of various characters.
However, the absolutely beautiful imagery that Saint weaves through the entire book make up for some of the less fleshed out story lines. Her descriptions of Atalanta’s various surroundings and what was happening really make the reader visualise everything so clearly. The rich descriptions of the forest Atalanta grew up in during the first part of the book really set you up for what to expect to experience while you follow Atalanta’s journey to locations no-one has visited before.
Saint also does a tremendous job at communicating the inner turmoil of a character who faces extremely challenging situations. She often finds herself experiencing feelings of unease as situations unfold outside her control she doesn’t agree with but doesn’t know how to challenge. These same situations help her realise that maybe she’s not the same person that left the forest she grew up in.
On the whole, Atalanta is a beautiful tale with some powerful themes that will inspire you to go and find what makes you happy, regardless of what society says, or what stands in your way.
Atalanta is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
From the beloved, bestselling author of Elektra and Ariadne, a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta, a fierce huntress raised by bears and the only woman in the world’s most famous band of heroes, the Argonauts
Princess, Warrior, Lover, Hero
When Princess Atalanta is born, a daughter rather than the son her parents hoped for, she is left on a mountainside to die. But even then, she is a survivor. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing.
Although she loves her beautiful forest home, Atalanta yearns for adventure. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it. The Argonauts’ quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. As she is swept into a passionate affair, in defiance of Artemis’s warning, she begins to question the goddess’s true intentions. Can Atalanta carve out her own legendary place in a world of men, while staying true to her heart?
Full of joy, passion, and adventure, Atalanta is the story of a woman who refuses to be contained. Jennifer Saint places Atalanta in the pantheon of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, where she belongs.
