Atalanta 🍃

by Jennifer Saint

Published : 13th April 2023

Publisher : Wildfire Books

Format : Kindle, Audio, Paperback

Genre : Greek Mythology

{ #ad / 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜 }

* All words highlighted in Grey are affiliate links to either purchase from a range of sellers or links to the authors sites. Where ever possible I will try and provide different versions of the book on all purchase sites.

Synopsis

When a daughter is born to the King of Arcadia, she brings only disappointment.

Left exposed on a mountainside, the defenceless infant Atalanta is left to the mercy of a passing mother bear and raised alongside the cubs under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis.

Swearing that she will prove her worth alongside the famed heroes of Greece, Atalanta leaves her forest to join Jason's band of Argonauts. But can she carve out her own place in the legends in a world made for men?

My Review

'You have power and courage, speed and skill far beyond what's needed in this forest... And you're better already than any warrior out there. You're greater than any man laying claim to the name of a hero. The world should know the name Atalanta. They should see what you can do.'

I am super excited to share with you my bookish thoughts for the stunning #Atalanta by Jennifer Saint for my blog spot today.

It’s no secret I love a Greek mythology retelling, especially a feminist one and no one writes them quite like Jennifer.

This is the third book by this author that I have read; Ariadne and Elektra were both fantastic stories, and Atalanta equally sits up high with her predecessors.

From the start we are gripped with the prologue of a baby girl left out on the mountain for being born the wrong sex. Taken in and raised by a mother bear Atalanta grows alongside her cubs. It’s only when the goddess Artemis; who’s forest she had been living in, takes her under her wing and trains her in the skills of the bow and arrow does Atalanta truly shine.

She becomes a sister to the nymphs that worship Artemis and live together in her forest, soon feeling the protector roll nudging its way into her conscious when she realises how vulnerable the nymphs are to men and then Artemis’s wrath.

I love how the author weaves each character throughout, defining such moments on paper that I felt truly rooted to the spot when Artemis punished her girls for the wrongdoings of men. I equally liked and loathed this goddess who on one hand loves her girls, but on another was too harsh with her demanded devotion.

It isn’t until Atalanta proves herself by slaying two centaurs in the forest that Artemis sees just how strong she has became and sends Atalanta out to join the Argonauts aboard the Argo to search for the Golden Fleece.

Here the story takes flight. As you can imagine the journey is full of adventure and tragedy and being the only woman on board a ship full of men, and having made a promise to her goddess not to marry, Atalanta finds herself proving her worth over and over and at the same time fight the feelings of love that she promised she wouldn’t fall into.

This retelling spans the life of the wonderful Atalanta. It’s compelling. It’s emotional. It’s a five-star again from me!

Thank you @randomthingstours for this spot and copy 🍃

Q| How many stars was your last book review?

'The oracle warned that I would lose myself, but the opposite is true. I am more myself than I have ever been. I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta.'