AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: Atalanta by Jennifer Saint

 

Publication Date: May 9, 2023 Format: Audio Genre:  Greek Mythology Narrators: Beth Eyre

Publisher: Macmillan Audio Length:  11 hours 9 min Buy: Kindle | Audio

Synopsis

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.

Review: 

I received this book for free from the publisher through netgalley.com.  I am leaving this review voluntarily. 

I have always loved mythology. I remember hearing of Atalanta as a kid listening to the album Free To Be You And Me - I was always in awe of the woman who could run faster than anyone else.

She has all but been erased from mythology - rarely do we ever hear about the only female argonaut who sailed to claim the Golden Fleece.  

This book tells her tale, from her abandonment as an infant, being taken under a Goddesses wing, to finding herself the only female on the ship that sets off on a grand adventure.  

In a world where men fear strong women it's no wonder her story is rarely told.  This is a brilliant book and an excellent audio. The ending matches the mythology except in myth it was supposed to be a punishment but the book gives it a different take which I loved. The narrator was excellent at bringing Atalanta's story to life.  If you love Mythology this is one not to be missed. 

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