[Review scheduled for October 31st]
Elizabeth Tammi’s debut novel takes place in the world of Greek mythology. Two heroines are placed between the god siblings Artemis and Apollo, destiny and love.

In Outrun The Wind, the novel explores how a woman can choose her own path even in a time where it wasn’t common, and only causing one to only fight harder.

The Huntresses of Artemis have to follow two rules: never disobey the goddess and never fall in love. This should be quite easy for Kahina who was kidnapped by her cousin Hippomenes out of jealousy because she would inherit her father’s fleet one day, so he brought her to Apollo who turned her into one of the Oracles of Delphi.

Artemis hears about this and comes to Kahina’s rescue. Still feeling the Oracles powers deep in her, she feels at home with the Huntresses. That is, until one day, she saves the legendary huntress Atalanta and broke rule number one.

Kahina is then sent to the Arkadia by Artemis where she is asked to complete a task. That would have been no problem if Atalanta didn’t turn out to be the long-lost daughter of the king, and now he’s only interested in marrying her off. Atalanta will no longer be a legendary huntress if she bends to her father’s words. She will marry, but only if her husband-to-be will race her for her hand in marriage.

Both warriors find themselves in new places in which all their knowledge from a life in the woods cannot help them at all. The question is, can they Outrun the Wind?

It was enjoyable reading about women in a leading role who does not need another person to make a story of their own and be in balance with themselves. To read about such women within a time that does not allow that at all is fascinating to me because they need more energy to keep fighting. Of course, this fight is mixed with Greek mythology, and this makes everything interesting since some gods like to play with your life as you are merely one pawn on their chessboard.

Artemis and Apollo, for me, are one of the most interesting gods. The constant love and hate between them along with their competitiveness makes a great basis for a story.

As the book title states, it is more about the Hunt than about the Oracle. Personally, I would have like to read more about Delphi and how the life there is. The story does not take place in the Hunt either, but you get quite a picture how it is.

Atalanta is a modern woman in a time where you should be married at the age of 14 and if you are 17 and are not, you a disappointment and bring shame upon your family. Kahina and Atalanta have not had it easy in their lives and still see some silver lining in front of them and that keeps them going. As the two get to know each other better, they see that they are connected more as they knew. In the end, this makes Kahina break the second rule of Artemis: she falls in love.

There are some scenes where I would have liked to see explained in further detail as well as to see more about the other characters around them, which seemed to be quite important to the story.

This book can easily be recommended to everyone who likes mythology, along with romance mixed together. Plus, if you like to see not one, but two, strong female characters in the center of a story then how could you pass this one up!

I really really enjoyed reading this story. It was a fun and enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone interested in Greek mythology and retellings.

OUTRUN THE WIND is such a wonderful addition to the pantheon of Greek mythology novels. This one is a retelling of Atalanta's story, and it is everything I hoped for and more.

The first chapter opened with a main character who seemed—at first—like a rather typical YA heroine. But by the end of the chapter, I was thinking, "Ooooh I haven't seen this before." Even though I have read countless fiction and nonfiction books on Greek mythology, this story felt fresh.

I loved the slow-burn romance, which progressed at a nice pace. Most of all, I loved that it was f/f! Let me make that clear: THIS BOOK HAS F/F HUNTRESSES! :D I enjoyed each of their characters. The girls have a lot in common, which helps to solidify their bond, but they also stand out as individuals. (Well, their personalities stand out. Their POV voices, however, sound identical. I often got confused as to whose POV chapter I was reading.)

My other small pieces of criticism:
- After the fast, exciting pace of the first few chapters, the middle slowed considerably and lost some tension. I remained interested in the growing f/f relationship, though, and the pace absolutely picked up toward the climax.
- The writing was pretty much perfect on a technical level, which was great. But for me, it read a little dry, without quite the level of emotional punch that it could've had. It wasn't a huge issue, though.

I really appreciated the feminism imbued throughout the book. Yes, ancient Greece was patriarchal, but these girls and women are strong, complex characters who fight back against the status quo. The two main female characters struggle with trauma at the hands of men, which I'm usually wary of reading, but I thought it was written respectfully in this case.

Also: I adore seeing gods on the page. Artemis and Apollo were magnificent in their godly splendor.

I LOVED this book and cannot recommend it enough.

ARC provided from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Flux and North Star Editions!

We are huge fans of modern fairytales but this one takes that t a,whole new level and adds more drama and twists that take the story in a completely different direction. Every page was a surprise and just when you think you understand the plot, the book takes a new direction. Everyone in their own way will relate to Kahina and Atalanta and the struggles they faced throughout the story.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This title will definitely be considered for our YFantasy collection. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

When I saw this beautiful cover, I knew I had to read it. And when I learned it was a fantasy book with a FF relationship, then I was even more excited.

Outrun the Wind follows two girls: Atalanta and Kahina. Atalanta is a talented young woman who's been raised by hunters. She doesn't know who her parents are, so it comes to her as a surprise when she learns that she's the long-lost princess of Arkandia (if I'm spelling it wrong, please excuse me). Kahina on the other hand, is one of Artemis' huntresses who escaped Apollo (Artemis' brother).

I will admit that I feel that this book lacked world-building and explanations. There are some things that confused me but eventually, I was hooked by the story and its characters. I really wanted the girls to be together and kiss and make-out so it was cute to see how their relationship developed. Kahina wasn't Atalanta's biggest fan at first, even though(view spoiler).

This book has a lot of potential and even though it isn't perfect and I had some minor problems with it, I still ended up enjoying it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author & publisher for letting me read and review this book.

Kahina was saved from the life of a priestess in Apollo’s temple in Delphi is now a Huntress of Artemis. She and her friends have been tasked with protecting the goddess’ wild boar from human hunters, but when she makes a rash decision to slay it to save the beautiful and legendary huntress Atalanta, her entire world falls apart. Artemis banishes her to Arkadia and promises to restore her position only when she makes Apollo’s temple there Artemis’ once more. However, Atalanta, lost as a baby, is found by her father, the king of Arkadia, and now Kahina must complete her task while serving as Atalanta’s handmaiden, and she’ll have to fight growing conflicting feelings along the way.

My initial reaction to this book is, “Jeeze, the gods are jerks!” Joking aside, though, overall, I really enjoyed this book. I had a bit of trouble following the plot and characters at the beginning of the story, as if it had begun several chapters before, and I was struggling to catch up. Once I got in the groove of the story and got some more background information as the plot unfolded, I was hooked. I loved the characters, and though stressful plot-lines often turn me off, in this instance, it kept me reading and rooting for the characters. I laughed and cried with the characters, all the time rooting for them. I liked the slow burn between Kahina and Atalanta. Their initial adversarial relationship slowly blooms into something else, and the pacing flows smoothly.

This one hits shelves on November 27, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you have an interest in mythology and or awesome, warrior ladies.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for November this year and i spent numerous minutes jumping for joy after receiving this ARC.
PRO'S:
This Cover - this is one of the most stunning covers i have seen this year ...you instantly want to pick it up and buy it.
The basis of the book has an underlying 'Greek Mythology' subtext which i loved.
The characters felt real and their descriptions were detailed enough to be able to see them clearly in my mind but not so over-described i got bored.
All in all a really enjoyable read.
CON'S
Not much to complain about - except i feel this is a rather hyped book and while good...i had high expectations and wanted great !

All in all a really enjoyable read...

Atalanta is a really interesting character, a huntress-orphan with a dark past. I found her to be charismatic, a little selfish, and wholly intriguing. I loved how she held her own with the men's hunting party and didn't let their options get to her too much. Her story is one of finding herself and accepting who she really is rather than what her circumstances have made her.

Kahina I didn't care for so much as a character, which kind of made me love the story that much more. I love when an author can write a character with such depth and darkness. She has her own issues to work through, as well. Thay doesn't stop her from helping Atalanta several times throughout. 

I seriously loved their coming together in Arkadia. Atalanta's idea for who will win her hand in marriage is a stroke of genius. Love it when a character uses their strengths to their advantage! I would absolutely recommend this Greek-inspired tale to friends. If you loved Michelle Madow, you'll love this!

This is one of the first books I've read about Atalanta and while it was a good book I thought it was predictable and slow. I was really looking forward to this book first because it was about Atalanta and Greek mythology and second I was really curious how the LGBTQ would pan out. The book started out really good but then it started to slow down and get predictable. Once an event happened I could pretty much see where that would lead and what would happen next. Especially when the men from their past show up. World building is a major thing for me when it comes to books and that's one of the things that didn't disappoint me in this book. I love being able to picture where the book is taking place and be transported there and I was easily able to do that with this book.

Atalanta and Kahina’s story is something I never imagined I’d read. It’s LGBTQ for one, but I found as I got deeper into their story, I did not mind. Their romance was real and flawed and cute.

Atalanta and her running incredible. Her being a princess was exciting.

Kahina reclaiming her birthright is cool.

Personally I’m hoping for one more book.

3/5.

This book was really hard for me to get through. I found the plot rather boring and it just wasn't for me.

Basically , this book travels with two POV. Kahina and Atalanta. Outrun the wind totally focussed on two teenage girls with full focus and spite. What is more interesting?
The story gets into a castle and happens mostly in Arkadia . But never gets boring.
I love it when the characters react as human beings. When Atalanta hears she is actually a princess , she doesn’t get along like another day. She reacts .
There was no line ” she released a breath she didn’t knew she was holding” . Someone else urges the said character to breathe which is total reality.

This story is a take on the myth of Atalanta. It changes a great many things but remains true to the heart of the myth. Atalanta is a hero by Ancient Greek standards. She is up there with Hercules and Perseus. However, as Elizabeth Tammi explains in the back of the book, there are two "generations" of heroes. Atalanta is in the first while Hercules and Perseus are in the second. All of that means that Atalanta fights with their fathers.

She is known as the fastest woman on earth. Men line up to race her and she beats every single one. That part of the myth is held in this book. The rest....well...that can be debated. The original myth did not expressly state why Atalanta did certain things. Why she killed the men she raced. Why she needed to beat them in the first place. And Elizabeth Tammi does a very good job of taking that portion of the myth that was left out of the original on.

Atalanta and Kahina form a bond that carries both girls into difficult obstacles. Both girls had been abused by men, making them wary of any male friendship. The only one that seems to break into their bond is Phelix, Atalanta's brother. He bonds with them both, together and separately, making their friendships even tighter. Elizabeth Tammi also includes the gods in this rendition of the Greek Myth. Artemis and Apollo both make appearances and are prominent throughout the book. The whole sibling rivalry that the twin gods have is an interesting dynamic to include. It seems to highlight the easygoing relationship between Phelix and Atalanta.

The two girls fight for their lives at the end of the book, in more ways than one. While the entirety of the book seems OK with Atalanta and Kahina as a couple, it's never truly expressed.

Honestly this book would have ranked five stars for me, but the relationship that was promised with the description of the book wasn't really factored in. I am glad that it was there but it seemed as though it were a bit of an afterthought. There are only two POV. Atalanta and Kahina's. I would have thought that there would have been more hints along the way about their feelings toward each other. There was some inklings on Kahina's behalf but Atalanta seemed as though she just viewed Kahina as a best friend. And while there is nothing wrong with that, I was hoping for more substance on the relationship front.

This is the first ARC I’ve ever received, and I can resolutely say I could not have asked for a better experience. I’m always here for retellings, especially myth retellings and extra especially (Is that extra especially a thing? Probably not but we’re going with it.) gay myth retellings, and this book delivered on all three of those fronts beyond my wildest dreams. There’s so much to love about this book that it’s almost like Tammi picked the idea straight out of my own brain. Or gay out of my own brain, I guess. Either way, I enjoyed reading this immensely, and I can’t believe there’s finally a book about gay Huntresses of Artemis to bless us in 20gayteen.

CHARACTERS: 10/10
Usually I can pick out a flaw in characterization, in fact I pride myself on my ability to find the place where an author strayed from their own road, but I cannot, for the life of me, think of one such occurrence in Outrun the Wind. Tammi knows her characters so well that it’s almost like she made them herself, which she did, mostly. Obviously the gods and goddess are true to Greek mythology, and Atalanta, as well as Meleager, Hippomenes, and Iasus, are also not Tammi’s creations, but the rest of the characters are and she has done such a fantastic job of breathing life into them. Kahina was a personal favourite, I quite enjoyed her inner struggle and I thought her backstory was interesting and unique. I also found Phelix to be a fascinating character, and I really wish he’d gotten more page time with characters other than Kahina. Tammi did a very good job bringing depth to Atalanta as well, I find that sometimes retellings are less enjoyable because the protagonist is as flat as a pancake, or flatter in some cases (I’m looking at you Ella Enchanted).

PLOT: 10/10
I’m gonna preface this portion of the review by saying that I knew absolutely jack shit about the story of Atalanta, not even nothing, less than nothing, I knew as much about Atalanta as the average person knows about thermonuclear microbiology, which no one knows anything about because I just pulled that out of my ass. That being said I found the plot of this novel engrosing, I was always on the edge of my seat, always wondering what was going to happen next, and, generally speaking, guessing wrong. There were quite a few twists I didn’t see coming, especially regarding Atalanta’s past. It sometimes felt like I was on a roller coaster in the dark, in a good way.

The thing I think Tammi did the best on was the relationships forged through the events of the novel, most notably Kahina and Atalanta, who went from enemies to friends to lovers which is one of my all time favourite dynamics. I also thought there was a lot of potential for a good relationship between Phelix and Atalanta, and it’s unfortunate that we won’t get to see them develop at all.

ATMOSPHERE: 9/10
I definitely can’t say this is the most atmospheric book I’ve ever read, but it’s still pretty solid all things considered. It felt like a grown-up, gayer version of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, full of not quite whimsy but something very close. I really liked the scenes in Delphi and Arkadia, I think Tammi did a great job capturing the essence of two very different cities, one held together through the darkness snaking around it’s people, and one falling apart at the seams.

PACING: 9/10
Y’all are gonna get sick of me complaining about pacing real fuckin quick, but here I am. I actually generally thought the pacing in Outrun the Wind was pretty good, not the best pacing I’d ever read, but very solid. It kept the tension pulled taut incredibly well, I can’t particularly think of a time it began to unravel in front of me. What then, you might ask, kept this from being my second ever 10 rating? And the answer would be the part of the story before we had an end goal, when the story was just Kahina stumbling around Arkadia and Atalanta bruising her knuckles in Delphi. Its not like that portion of the story wasn’t enjoyable, it simply wasn’t paced very well, and it dragged the story down just the smallest amount.

ENJOYMENT: 10/10
I’m sure it’s shined through but I genuinely enjoyed this book, maybe even more than I expected, and considering I would’ve put this on my most anticipated reads of 2018 had i not procrastinated that to the high heavens, thats a pretty big accomplishment. I really hope this encourages more LGBT+ retellings of classic myths (I’m desperately hoping for some gay Hades and Persephone, please let me have this). I honestly can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book to add to my collection when it hits shelves on November 27th.

<i>Outrun the Wind</i> hits just the right balance in how it approaches a retelling of Greek myth and is the best way to write this sort of thing for a modern audience, in my opinion. It’s clear from the details themselves (and the afterword) that the author knows her source material well and has put in a good deal of effort in researching the history, culture, and mythology from which she’s drawing. This book isn’t meant to be a painstakingly accurate portrayal of the time. Some of the problematic aspects of ancient Greek society are tweaked where they don’t work and other gaps are filled or borrowed to make the story work for a modern retelling of the Atalanta myth. But there are details galore, especially involving clothing, scenery, and culture references that make the story “feel” like ancient Greece, which satisfies the expectations of the premise. This schema allows for a new take on the tale that expresses themes a modern YA audience can enjoy and relate to (okay, maybe an older audience could too) while still touching on that historical fiction point. As well, these modifications help to tell a F/F love story that wouldn’t have fit as well in ancient Greek literature, at least not in such an overt and celebratory form.

We get a classic forbidden love setup with Kahina sworn not to love and Atalanta destined to marry a man for political reasons one day. Then other circumstances put the girls in opposition to each other, further muddying the waters. I really liked how clear and potent this budding conflict between them is. The book opens with the hunt of Artemis’ Calydonian Boar. Atalanta is a part of the hunting party set on taking down the boar and hopefully prove herself worthy among the men of the hunt. Kahina is one of Artemis’ huntresses and sent to ensure the boar’s safety as it causes all manner of destruction across the countryside. Atalanta is cornered by the boar and in danger when Kahina, in a moment of empathy for Atalanta, kills the boar to protect her without being seen. Atalanta is then left to take the glory (and face Artemis’ anger for killing her boar) and Kahina is in deep trouble for having killed her goddess’ beast, in complete contradiction to her duty. The decision to save Atalanta is admirable, but the fallout is frighteningly dangerous for both of them, incurring the wrath of Artemis. I felt drawn into the story immediately by this conflict and felt for both characters and wanted to see what would come of it, making it a really effective introduction.

Atalanta and Kahina are both good characters. We get to know each of them through alternating first-person chapters and neither really falls by the wayside as less important or too passive. Without a doubt, my favorite thing about them is that they’re both very strong young women. I know basically every YA book ever sells itself on having a “strong female protagonist.” But often, said protagonists are just kind of sassy and are otherwise fairly weak and still constantly being rescued by the seemingly-inevitable stronger (handsome) male lead who’s the actual competent and strong one, not the protagonist, which is frustrating. This book doesn’t have this problem at all. Part of that is because this is F/F obviously, so there’s not a male love interest to fulfill that traditional role, but neither does one or the other girl fall into the weak and passive role either. Atalanta and Kahina are both flawed and interesting characters, but they are quite strong in other ways. They also have admirable principles and are willing to stick up for each other and those they care about when things get rough. The only character that is a bit more passive and emotional is Phelix, Atalanta’s bastard half-brother, but even then, the archetype works better with a male character (and isn’t all that strange for ancient Greece which celebrated “manly” men, but featured some fairly emotional moments from its male heroes, at least by modern masculinity’s standards).

Although the book starts with a bit of the hate-to-love trope that I’ll never understand, it quickly fades away and the girls develop a very positive and supportive relationship that makes me root for them as a couple. I also don’t mind the hate-to-love schema here as much since there is good reason for Kahina to resent Atalanta as the catalyst for her punishment, even if she’s being a bit irrationally bitter about something that isn’t Atalanta’s fault. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the relationship aspect doesn’t come in until late in the book and there’s little physical intimacy. I personally enjoyed this more gradual development, but I know that could be a turn-off for some readers so it’s worth mentioning.

I really enjoyed the prose in this book. The narrative voice is strong with a good balance of physical description, emotion, and reasoning throughout that made the characters come to life and kept the plot mostly clear. The author demonstrates a solid grasp of metaphor that is refreshing for this genre where I find often only a few lines in a YA book sound poetic and end up standing out as awkwardly purple prose compared to the rest. Here, there is a good deal of lofty metaphorical description throughout, but it feels very consistent and never feels out of place. Instead the voice does what it’s meant to and illustrates the ideas being presented more potently.

There were a few things here and there that bugged me about this book that I don’t want to omit, but as should be clear from my rating, these mostly weren’t too major to me. My biggest issue is that Atalanta and Kahina didn’t have much voice distinction. When you have two different first-person narrators, it can be a struggle to distinguish them already, but I don’t feel like there’s much there to help me as a reader to tell them apart. There were several times I was a ways into a chapter and would forget for a couple paragraphs who was narrating until she mentioned something about her circumstances or named the other girl in third person that I realized who we were with. This was disorienting and it could’ve made the characterization more compelling had the voices been more distinct. This is further hindered by the fact that the two protagonists aren’t incredibly distinct personality-wise either. They are similar in being fairly powerful young women both emotionally and physically (though that is at least a plus!) and they’re both skilled huntresses/athletes. This issue was the only one that bothered me that much. Otherwise, there was a bit of a show vs. tell issue here and there where details that probably could have and should have been shown more potently were simply told to us, but this wasn’t excessive. I also felt like the novel sometimes oversold its conflict without enough follow-up. I can’t speak much on this without spoilers, but I sometimes felt like the language was really playing up the consequences of the characters’ actions when not as much came of them in some cases, despite the punitive image of the deities and social forces the book implied.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book and was impressed with it for a debut release. I plan to follow this author, especially if she writes any sequels to this book as I’m interested to see where she goes from here both within this world and outside it. This is a pretty fun and simple, but solid read that I would recommend, especially if you like Greek myth retellings, <b>*actually*</b> strong female protagonists, or F/F romance. It does well what, in my opinion, a lot of other books in the genre tend to struggle with and gives some positive representation where it’s needed.

I was provided an advanced copy by NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own.

I've decided to stop reading the book about 45% through as the story couldn't grab my attention and neither could the characters. I don't want to force myself to finish reading this book as I feel like it would negatively affect my overall rating of the book which isn't fair to the author or anyone who might've been thinking about picking up the book and sees a potentially negative review.

4 STARS

TW: slavery, violence and gore, implied assault, panic attacks

From the moment I heard Outrun the Wind was a sapphic retelling of the Atalanta myth, I knew I had to get my hands on it. That's two of my biggest interests bundled into one, and even better, by the time I finished the book, it did NOT disappoint! We have myth! We have sapphic girls! We have knives! We realize I have an overwhelming tendency to choose the stabby sapphics as my favorite characters!

Anyway, I really did have a wonderful time reading Outrun the Wind. Speaking as a classics major, I loved how it incorporated other figures from classical mythology (hey there, Laertes and Peleus, dads of Odysseus and Achilles!), and it covered most of the major parts of the Atlanta myth. Meleager and Melanion were both there (though Melanion was known as Hippomenes this time), Atalanta was still raised wild after being abandoned as a baby because she wasn't a boy, and there were lions, as fits some variations of the end of the myth. Some people might complain that this doesn't follow any one distinct version of the myth, but it's MYTH. There are always variations of myth, and creating yet another one is fully in the spirit of the source. It doesn't take away from the nature of myth to put this spin on Atalanta's story so much as it makes it feel all the more mythical.

Beyond that heavy myth element, I LOVED the relationship between Atalanta and Kahina. This is another one for the sapphic enemies to lovers count, and I am THRIVING on it. We have a stabby knife lesbian and a scrappy woods bisexual just trying to be themselves without being beholden to anyone, and I adored every minute of their interactions. They each embody a difference sort of ferocity, Atalanta so tied to her wild upbringing, and Kahina so desperate for her freedom, but once they pull it together that they love each other, they're so sweet. There's dancing. There's bed sharing. There's my heart, full to bursting with how cute this gets.

I think my biggest disappointment is that this is a standalone, and as a result, the characters and plot felt a little as if they were on the shallow side. Kahina's personal subplot in particular felt rather basic and hazy, while Atalanta's desires fell on the flat side through most of the story, never stretching too far beyond not wanting to tie herself down to a man. Ultimately, it's a standalone, and one based on a myth, so maybe that kind of distance is warranted, but I personally would have liked more depth and development.

On the whole, though, Outrun the Wind was a joy to read, and anyone who grew up on the Percy Jackson series is probably going to have an interest in reading this, particularly queer readers, particularly sapphic readers looking for stories where the girls get a happy ending at last. If it sounds like Outrun the Wind appeals to you, make sure to preorder it before it releases on November 27 this year!

[This review is expected to go live on my blog, The Words Gremlin, on November 1st, to maximize hype before the publication date.]

I DNFed this book because it is the worst Greek retelling I have ever read and do not ask me what the plot was because I would not be able to tell you. I love Greek retellings but this book had me dying especially when it came to describing the Greek Gods and Goddesses. Don't tell me the god looked otherworldly. I want a new description for the god instead of the typical oh my gosh he looks perfect...
Let's just say I should not be able to talk about it in a negative light without saying what the title is or who wrote it and having people know exactly which book I am talking about. And do not get me started on the love interest...
I'm being generous with giving this book a 1.5 star.

3.5 stars

At first I couldn’t really get into the story, it was all a bit too chaotic. But after the first third the plot got pretty interesting and I was eager to know what was going to happen.
The characters were interesting and the story was definitely something different from what I’m used to read in stories set in ancient Greece. The fact that she decided to race her suitors was quite original and entertaining to read.
I think this book would have worked better as the first of a duology. There were a lot of things to resolve and it was all done pretty quickly and easily. Even the end scene and the death of one of the characters didn’t really surprise me much. I would also have loved to know more about the future of Arkadia and most importantly about Atalanta and Kahina’s relationship.
Still, it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Greek mythology and sapphic characters, what more could I ask for?

[Rating closer to 3.5, actually]

Elizabeth Tammi wrote a wonderful story about two Greek heroines who have been through a fair share of tragedy and who both don't act like people around them want them to. Atalanta and Kahina are forced to get along and it takes some time for them to get used to their new situations.

I'm quite the fan of both Greek mythology and stories about sapphic characters so I knew this would be my thing. And it was! I really liked the characters and the plot was inventive, original and felt like a great extension of a Greek myth.

What I'm not such a fan of is flowery prose and long descriptions. I know some people will love this story more because of that but I'm just not one of these people. I liked Tammi's writing but I would have enjoyed it more had it been 20% shorter. Long descriptions tend to bore me and through that, the story was quite slow paced and I took me a long time to get into it.

Still, I enjoyed reading this book and I can certainly imagine reading more of Tammi's works. This is a debut novel after all and for that it's certainly impressive!