Jennifer Saint

A mesmerizing debut novel for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe. Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind? Hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting, Jennifer Saint's Ariadne forges a new epic, one that puts the forgotten women of Greek mythology back at the heart of the story, as they strive for a better world.

A Novel

Ariadne

The Mesmerising Sunday Times Bestselling Retelling of Ancient Greek Myth

Valentina

Dionysus had once seemed to me the best of them all, but I saw him now for what he was, no different from the mightiest of the gods. Or the basest of men.

What I did not know was that I hit upan a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.

A mesmerizing debut novel for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice every year. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved little sister she leaves behind? Hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting, Ariadne forges a new epic, outside the traditional narratives of heroism and glory that leave no room for women.

Nina

I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself.

What I did not know was that I had hit upon a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.

Savannah

The price we paid for the resentment, the lust, and the greed of arrogant men was our pain, shining and bright like the blade of a newly honed knife.

Ausrine Blazyte

I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself. 

The gods do not know love because they cannot imagine an end to anything they enjoy. Their passions do not burn brightly as a mortal's passions do, because they can have whatever they desire for the rest of eternity. How could they cherish or treasure anything? Nothing to themn is more than a passing amusement and when they have done with it, there will be another and another and another, until the end of time itself. Their heroes do not know love because they only value what they can measure - the mountains they make of their enemies' bones, the vast piles of treasure they win and the immortal verses are sung in their name. They see only fame and are blind to the rewards that only human life can offer, which they simply toss aside like trash. They are all fools.

I know that human life shines more brightly because it is but a shimmering candle against an eternity of darkness and it can be extinguished with the faintest breeze.

He kissed me then. It was a bolt of lightning, a shattering of the sky, a shaking of the earth and everything that stood upon it. And when he drew away and held my face between his hands and fixed me with that steady gaze and the world grew still once more, I knew that despite the chaos and confusion left in its wake, my path was clear. 

Ruby Emmeline Fisher

What I did not know was that I had hit upona truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.

But when I thought of Scylla, I thought of the foolish and all-too- human girl, gasping for breath amid the froth of waves churning in the wake of my father's boat. I saw her weighed down in the tumultuous water not just by the iron chains in which my father had bound her but also by the terrible truth that she had sacrificed everything she knew for a love as ephemeral and transient as the rainbows that gimmered through the sea spray.

Syrina

The golden statue of a child fell back to the golden ground, the metallic dang echoing through the suddenly silent air" Dionysus paused, taking in the full extent of my appalled expression. "And as her father wept, the salty tears solidified on his cheeks like glinting jewels."

This is such a powerful quote that I adore and cherish. Everytime I read it I can feel it in my every fiber of my being and it truly is a shame that I've never heard anyone talk about it.

Vi<3

I would be Medusa, if it came to it, I resolved. If the gods held me accountable one day for the sins of someone else, if they came for me to punish a man's actions, I would not hide away like Pasiphae. I would wear that coronet of snakes and the world would shrink from me instead.

Madison Martin

I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing, make me doubt the value of myself

We might only have one mortal lifetime, but it will belong to us and no one else

taylor miles hopkins

My tears had stilled now and I listened intently. I only knew Medusa as a monster. I had not thought she had ever been anything else. The stories of Perseus did not allow for a Medusa with a story of her own.

Rina

Bees are beloved by all the gods. It was bees who fed the infant Zeus on honey in his hidden cave whilst he grew strong enough to overthrow the mighty Titans. Bees produce the honey that Dionysus mixes with his wine to sweeten it and make it irresistible. 

Lilly 

I was not Minos' captive daughter; I was not Cinyras' trade for copper; nor was I Theseus' diversion between heroic feats of glory. Somehow, I had survived them all and here I was, free of them at last.

“Perhaps Artemis sent a madness upon us all“; he answered stiffly. I tried to twist my hands free of his. “Did Artemis send a madness when you gave me directions to the wrong cove?“ He was startled. Unprepared. Had he expected me to be meek, overwhelmed, so happy to be here with him that I would not think to question him?

"[…] But in the morning, when he [Theseus] went to wake her [Ariadne], he found her cold, coiled in the grip of the mighty snake whose venom had killed her. He battled the immense creature - so big, he said, he knew it must have been sent by a god - and he prevailed. […]“ 

I was not afraid - or not so much. Acceptance stole its way through my veins, filling my body with the weight of understanding. I had walked away from Crete, freely and pur- posefully, in the knowledge that I could never return. No more children would make that fearful voyage from Athens, quaking at the prospect of being devoured in the dark. Perhaps my life was a fair price to pay.

Tija

 I had learned enough to know that a god in pain is dangerous.

A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS. As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods - drawing their attention can cost you everything. In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition? Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.

Retelling of Greek myths that focuses on how women always pay the price for the greed and anger of men. 

Abigail F

Man, I should stop reading greek mythology retellings, because I always end up heartbroken. Such a beautiful story about sisterhood and womanhood and love, but also so shattering and telling, that women were so so often blamed for actions of men. Heartbreaking. Infuriating. However, true reality. 

The only fault is that I feel parts dragged when Ariadne was on her own on the island not much story developed from it for a while

Rose Donovan

I enjoyed this version of the Greek myth overall 

Nadine Ebbott

Firstly... I just wanted to say that you can't spell 

t without Ariadne. Literally -- just rearrange the letters and you'll see for yourself. 

Progress: 37% Okay, fun time's over. This book was disappointing, to say the least. 

I was so excited to read this book. It had the potential to be an intriguing retelling of Greek mythology. It really did. Unfortunately, it falls short on many accounts, in so many aspects. As I delved into 

, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment and a lack of connection with the story and its characters. 

I feel like what the book suffers from is 

a lack of a compelling and well-defined storyline

. Instead of a cohesive narrative, it often felt like the plot was dragging on without a clear direction. The initial focus on the Minotaur's story, told from Ariadne's point of view, was promising. That's exactly what I wanted. However, it swiftly shifted to become more of a "love story" between Ariadne and Theseus -- and her just whining over him for the last two chapters of part 1, which is where I read up until. 

The escape of Ariadne and Theseus lacked tension and excitement. It also didn't seem like they had planned it through. If she knew she was never planning to come back, why did she send Phaedra back? (END OF SPOILER) 

One of the most significant disappointments was the lack of character depth and development. The characters in "Ariadne" came across as mere stereotypes, lacking complexity and relatability. I struggled to connect with any of them, even after reading over 120 pages (37% of the book). 

The portrayal of younger and weaker female characters as heroes or virtuous ones (such as Ariadne, Phaedra and Pasiphae themselves) felt contrived. While the older and stronger goddesses, such as Medea and Hera, were depicted as being villainous. Perhaps it was not the intention, but that's how I interpreted it. And I suppose most of these negative things came from male characters, however, Ariadne didn't seem to stand up for these women/goddesses. 

So, for a book that's marketed as being "feminist," I don't know where the feminism is lol. The most profound thing she [Ariadne] said was: It was the women, always the women, be they helpless serving girls or princesses, who paid the price. Cursed to roam the land without refuge, transformed into a shambling bear, a lowing cow or burned to ashes by the vengeful, white-armed goddess. 

Anyways, here are some quotes which sort of villainise the goddesses:

She was no simple brute upon the path, preying on lonelypassers-by, but a far more conniving and dangerous creature.

Another shame we carried with us; another stain that befouled our name. For everyone knew that Medea had run away with the hero Jason.

 - said by Ariadne, herself. (Because she's related to Medea.) (END OF SPOILER) 

Later on, when he had drunk deeply of our finest wine, he told me with tears in his eyes how he had slaughtered his own wife and child under the madness that jealous Hera had sent upon him.

Now there are still so many more quotes, obviously. However, these are the ones I highlighted, and the ones from Part One of Four. 

Jennifer Saint's writing style proved to be another stumbling block for me. The storytelling felt disjointed, making it difficult to maintain interest throughout the book. And maybe it was the audiobook that was the problem, but I don't know. I'd been enjoying the story before, and I started it with an audiobook while following along occasionally to highlight and make notes. The descriptions and pacing often felt monotonous, contributing to the overall sense of the narrative dragging on without purpose or excitement. 

In conclusion, "Ariadne" disappoints as a retelling of Greek mythology. Readers who into this book seeking a gripping and innovative retelling might find themselves longing for more. "Ariadne" falls short of its potential and fails to leave a lasting impression.

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

Firstly... I just wanted to say that you can't spell ReAl DisAppoIntmENt without Ariadne. Literally -- just rearrange the letters and you'll see for yourself. 

Short Review Rating: 2.5/5 

Progress: 37% Okay, fun time's over. This book was disappointing, to say the least. 

LONG REVIEW 

I was so excited to read this book. It had the potential to be an intriguing retelling of Greek mythology. It really did. Unfortunately, it falls short on many accounts, in so many aspects. As I delved into Ariadne, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment and a lack of connection with the story and its characters. 

Plot Analysis: 

I feel like what the book suffers from is a lack of a compelling and well-defined storyline. Instead of a cohesive narrative, it often felt like the plot was dragging on without a clear direction. The initial focus on the Minotaur's story, told from Ariadne's point of view, was promising. That's exactly what I wanted. However, it swiftly shifted to become more of a "love story" between Ariadne and Theseus -- and her just whining over him for the last two chapters of part 1, which is where I read up until. 

The Not-So-Sweet Escape (SPOILER) 

The escape of Ariadne and Theseus lacked tension and excitement. It also didn't seem like they had planned it through. If she knew she was never planning to come back, why did she send Phaedra back? (END OF SPOILER) 

Character Analysis: 

One of the most significant disappointments was the lack of character depth and development. The characters in "Ariadne" came across as mere stereotypes, lacking complexity and relatability. I struggled to connect with any of them, even after reading over 120 pages (37% of the book). 

The portrayal of younger and weaker female characters as heroes or virtuous ones (such as Ariadne, Phaedra and Pasiphae themselves) felt contrived. While the older and stronger goddesses, such as Medea and Hera, were depicted as being villainous. Perhaps it was not the intention, but that's how I interpreted it. And I suppose most of these negative things came from male characters, however, Ariadne didn't seem to stand up for these women/goddesses. 

So, for a book that's marketed as being "feminist," I don't know where the feminism is lol. The most profound thing she [Ariadne] said was: It was the women, always the women, be they helpless serving girls or princesses, who paid the price. Cursed to roam the land without refuge, transformed into a shambling bear, a lowing cow or burned to ashes by the vengeful, white-armed goddess. 

Anyways, here are some quotes which sort of villainise the goddesses:

 Medea (SPOILER) 

➳ She was no simple brute upon the path, preying on lonelypassers-by, but a far more conniving and dangerous creature.- said by Theseus

➳ Another shame we carried with us; another stain that befouled our name. For everyone knew that Medea had run away with the hero Jason. - said by Ariadne, herself. (Because she's related to Medea.) (END OF SPOILER) 

Hera (SPOILER) 

Later on, when he had drunk deeply of our finest wine, he told me with tears in his eyes how he had slaughtered his own wife and child under the madness that jealous Hera had sent upon him. (END OF SPOILER) 

Now there are still so many more quotes, obviously. However, these are the ones I highlighted, and the ones from Part One of Four. 

Writing Style: 

Jennifer Saint's writing style proved to be another stumbling block for me. The storytelling felt disjointed, making it difficult to maintain interest throughout the book. And maybe it was the audiobook that was the problem, but I don't know. I'd been enjoying the story before, and I started it with an audiobook while following along occasionally to highlight and make notes. The descriptions and pacing often felt monotonous, contributing to the overall sense of the narrative dragging on without purpose or excitement. 

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, "Ariadne" disappoints as a retelling of Greek mythology. Readers who into this book seeking a gripping and innovative retelling might find themselves longing for more. "Ariadne" falls short of its potential and fails to leave a lasting impression.

Don’t think I was intended audience but I really liked this book. I am a huge fan of Greek mythology and seeing one of the most famous stories retold in a way that justifiably spotlights a female character is awesome.

One thing I want to highlight is Saint’s great character development. And not just for Ariadne and her sister. The way she’s able to show Dionysus’ change from Ariadne’s POV was great and made me feel like I was genuinely reading Ariadne’s diary or something.

I will be reading more stories from this author. Even the ones about men being bad 

Maxwell B

Don’t think I was intended audience but I really liked this book. I am a huge fan of Greek mythology and seeing one of the most famous stories retold in a way that justifiably spotlights a female character is awesome.

One thing I want to highlight is Saint’s great character development. And not just for Ariadne and her sister. The way she’s able to show Dionysus’ change from Ariadne’s POV was great and made me feel like I was genuinely reading Ariadne’s diary or something.

I will be reading more stories from this author. Even the ones about men being bad 



It was good got a bit slow in the middle but good book 

Bethany Ling 

Heather Margaret

“What I did not know was that I had hit upon a truth of womanhood: However blameless the life we lead, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.”
  
Men ain't shit, especially if they are Gods. I have been obsessing (again, hello childhood) over Greek mythology, and this book did it for me. If you have read Circe before this book there is an overlapping that will make you feel excited. I love this story and I loved the way it was brought to life.

carolina

i love everything about Ariadne, I love the characters and the way they are described, I love the writing that is so beautiful and rich yet easily readable, I love the plot of the story itself and its pace and I love the relationships between the characters.

sarah

solid greek mythology retelling, kept me rly engaged throughout. did feel like the end of the book felt rushed / some parts weren't fully developed properly, but overall a good time, love the emphasis on women's role in mythology.

elizabeth

Ariadne is a book that was remarkably engrossing, then remarkably disappointing. 

I absolutely loved the first half of this book. First and foremost, it was gorgeous. The world pulled me in. I was excited to enter this world it every time I picked it up. I feel so strongly about these things that I'm giving three stars despite some pretty important weaknesses.

When what I thought would be the climax happened in the first third of the book, I was excited to see where the plot would turn. But it doesn't really turn in any one direction. Instead, there's a casual, kind of disordered unraveling of character development and conflict that doesn't do justice to the characters that Saint wrote in the first half. The characters simply don't do enough to become the fully realized, saturated characters that the beginning set them up to be. And by the final pages where they are doing something, it's difficult to fully understand their "why."

Miscellaneous comments:
- Jennifer Saint can (and should) give up any form of the verb "dandle." 
- I felt that there could have been more oomph and more closure to Ariadne's relationship with the minotaur. She seems to see more than his monstrosity, but this never really comes to the fore of the plot or her development. 
- I'm begging publishers to stop calling their books "feminist" as though books have the agency to advocate feminism simply because they contain loosely relevant "girl power" and "uteruses before duderuses" sentiments.

Hanna Rybchynska

This was so sad and beautiful... Loved it so much.
Definetly one of my favourites books of 2023!

Teresa Bonifácio

Loved it!!! This retelling of Ariadne story is amazing. And I loved that we got to know the story of her sister told by her. 
The way women’s fate is left to the hands of men that only want power and that everyone worships them really makes me mad. The story of these women, and all of other just like them, could be so different if they had to power to change things how they wanted.

Sumaiya 

Marcy Pursell 

Prior to listening to the audiobook, I was unfamiliar with Ariadne's story in mythology. Overall, I was interested to learn about her and her life, angry on her behalf at times, and yet, by the end, had lost interest.

Beautifully and thoughtfully written but good lord that was bleak. There was pretty much zero hope for the victim characters and zero redemption for the perpetrator characters. Whereas Song of Achilles was tragic in a way that was beautiful and insightful about the human experience this was tragic in a way that was just depressing and I’m not sure what the point was. 

Jessica Gagliardi

ARIADNE.

Julie Burszan 

Beautifully written. I learned so much about Ariadne and Phaedra. Not what I expected, in the absolute best way.

Macy Johnson

UGH THE STYLE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL BUT THE BOOK ITSELF KINDA DESTROYED ME

Greek myths, gang. Who knew they didn't always (ever?) end well?

This was soooo interesting, so I can't regret reading it, but it was v gritty and dark? Tragic? Devastating? But if you know that going in, it's better. I mean, I assumed, so I'm okay, but also, still very much not OK. 

But GAH HER WRITING STYLE. PURE GOSSAMER.

I cannot with this one.

Fabulous, fun and moving story from Saint. This one has a quality to it that I don't often see in Greek retellings — where the story feels new and immersive rather than a bland and monotone retelling with multiple vague and pretentious one-liners. 

Everything moved me and no real portion bored me other than the tiring long dialogue sequences. But here in Ariadne, I really felt for every character and thought that this was a triumph of a novel. I loved it!

Holly

Fabulous, fun and moving story from Saint. This one has a quality to it that I don't often see in Greek retellings — where the story feels new and immersive rather than a bland and monotone retelling with multiple vague and pretentious one-liners. 

Everything moved me and no real portion bored me other than the tiring long dialogue sequences. But here in Ariadne, I really felt for every character and thought that this was a triumph of a novel. I loved it!

Mia Caven

this book pissed me off to new levels. It wasn’t bad, or badly written, and it was actually a great book. But what annoyed me was the consistent miscommunication and things that didn’t need to happen. Of course it was a retelling and as a Greek person I loved it but the sadness itself was not for me it is not a happy book lol

anne caroline

Straight bummer. I don't need any more confirmation of the unfairness of the old greek gods but although the main character is continually confronted with this she never truly grows from it. Ariadne gets older but she never truly changes as a character. 

Maria Tapia

Lara Engle

I'm really into these modern retellings of mythology, especially the ones focused on women. When I read Circe earlier this year, I thought, "I'd really like to hear more about Ariadne." And then this book appeared! It retains the episodic feel of Greek myth, but intertwines stories from both Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. Like Circe, Ariadne delves into the deeper thoughts and feelings of characters long known on a surface level, but it never feels overly dramatic or maudlin. It makes these characters from myth feel like real people in a way that makes the reader empathize and mourn along with them.

I was disappointed by Ariadne. I don't think Saint brought any new insight into her retellings. At the beginning of the novel, a young Ariadne reflects that in all the stories she knows, when a men seduces or violates a woman, it's always the woman who's punished by the gods. And that's basically it: the must insightful thing this book had to offer. And this idea and only this idea will be repeated throughout the novel both before and after every event that Saint chooses to retell. And these are very straightforward and uncreative retelling of these myths. The worst are the mini stories within the story where a character, Theseus say, will go "let me tell you about how I became prince of Athens" and then you're subjected to an entire chapter presenting a basic, uncritical summary of the stories you already know.

The events also felt disjointed because Saint constrained herself into building the plot out of a collection of myths featuring these characters. But  the time gaps between these tales weren't managed all that well. I'm Greek mythology, the same characters are often depicted across different myths and different versions of those myths. Unifying these changes to her characters would certainly be challenging, and the changes in personality and outlook for the characters were awkwardly rendered and unconvincing here. 

The events are also so constrained by the mythology that they're based on, and not just for plot, but for motivation and characterization. Frankly, I consider this cowardly. I'll give spoilers for the story of phaedra and hippolytus as an example.  The only "reinterpretation" that Saint brings is that Ariadne was physically in Athens at the time, but then she's off literally putting her baby down for a nap at the time that anything happens, leaving the exact traditional incident intact. Do Ariadne or Phaedra have any original thoughts or reactions to bring to the story. No, the same boring, expected, one note tragedy "wow phaedra went crazy. Oh the tragedy, the irony. I guess that's what she gets for having unnatural urges like her mother. But I'm her sister, so I feel bad for her :("

You're not making a feminist reinterpretation simply by showing the perspective of female characters. Not if they replicate the same thoughts and assumptions that have always been applied to these tales

Boothby

I was disappointed by Ariadne. I don't think Saint brought any new insight into her retellings. At the beginning of the novel, a young Ariadne reflects that in all the stories she knows, when a men seduces or violates a woman, it's always the woman who's punished by the gods. And that's basically it: the must insightful thing this book had to offer. And this idea and only this idea will be repeated throughout the novel both before and after every event that Saint chooses to retell. And these are very straightforward and uncreative retelling of these myths. The worst are the mini stories within the story where a character, Theseus say, will go "let me tell you about how I became prince of Athens" and then you're subjected to an entire chapter presenting a basic, uncritical summary of the stories you already know.

The events also felt disjointed because Saint constrained herself into building the plot out of a collection of myths featuring these characters. But  the time gaps between these tales weren't managed all that well. I'm Greek mythology, the same characters are often depicted across different myths and different versions of those myths. Unifying these changes to her characters would certainly be challenging, and the changes in personality and outlook for the characters were awkwardly rendered and unconvincing here. 

The events are also so constrained by the mythology that they're based on, and not just for plot, but for motivation and characterization. Frankly, I consider this cowardly. I'll give spoilers for the story of phaedra and hippolytus as an example.  The only "reinterpretation" that Saint brings is that Ariadne was physically in Athens at the time, but then she's off literally putting her baby down for a nap at the time that anything happens, leaving the exact traditional incident intact. Do Ariadne or Phaedra have any original thoughts or reactions to bring to the story. No, the same boring, expected, one note tragedy "wow phaedra went crazy. Oh the tragedy, the irony. I guess that's what she gets for having unnatural urges like her mother. But I'm her sister, so I feel bad for her :("

You're not making a feminist reinterpretation simply by showing the perspective of female characters. Not if they replicate the same thoughts and assumptions that have always been applied to these tales

Ariadne A Novel

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