Catching up with my holiday reading reviews! Jennifer Saint is another author I’ve followed for awhile, reading her Ariadne, Atalanta, and Elektra books in this same “series” of revisionist books about Greek goddesses or mythical women. For me it’s an easy pick and a great holiday read as the narrative tends to draw you in and moves in a well-paced way.
Hera is a complex character. She’s long been maligned, and I love Saint’s less obvious take on her, but she’s also a bit challenging to warm up to. At the same time, I’m a firm believer in not having to have likeable characters. The book explains her motivations well and is a good portrait of thwarted female power. It’s just maybe hard to relate to her.
The story really follows Hera’s character arc and takes us through to the “end” of the age of the gods. It’s an elegiac and sad novel, but there’s also a lot of emphasis on forgiveness, or knowing yourself. It’s an entertaining read that captures some beautiful moments and important realisations. Loved the characters of Athena, Demeter & Hestia.
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