This book archived before I could get too far in it (my own fault). But from what I did experience it was like a beautiful siren song that lulled you in and held your attention. The voice for this is spectacular. It felt like a live action myth or fantasy tale because it used real myth that has been around for more than a millennium and combined it with fresh new myth that was so well woven into the older stuff it was hard to separate the two.

First line: Let me tell you a story of a righteous man.

Summary: Ariadne is a princess of Crete. She is the daughter of the mighty king Minos. She is the half-sister to the fearsome Minotaur. As she grew up in the palace she learned from a young age how women can suffer because of the men in their lives. But she sees her savior in the hero, Theseus of Athens. He has been sent to Crete as an offering to the Minotaur. Ariadne takes pity on him and helps him navigate the Labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur. With Theseus’ victory they escape the island but will this be Ariadne’s happy ending or will the legends repeat themselves?

My Thoughts: This book was so much better than Circe. I struggled through that one so I was a little hesitant reading another Greek myth retelling. I know that it isn’t the same author but it was still something I thought of as I picked up Ariadne.

I loved the cover. It is eye catching but simple. I remember seeing it many times before it was released. The marketing was really well done for this book. I felt like the story moved along at a perfect speed, the characters were likeable. It stuck to story lines of the original myths while also giving the sisters their own personalities.

I was not familiar with Phaedra and Ariadne’s stories. I knew of the Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus and Theseus but not all the details. Greek mythology is filled with shocking tales, death, and tragic love stories. I liked how the author intertwined the story lines. The love and devotion of the sisters was a strong theme but also how women are ruled by the men in their lives. I think it was a great read and a fun retelling.

FYI: Death, gore and disturbing events.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ariadne is a pretty interesting character, which is probably why I devoured this book to begin with. While not always being in the spotlight, she does a ton to help other people. Especially when it comes to her brother, Theseus. Yet, that's not the only thing about her. She definitely has a ton of struggles throughout the book so I liked seeing how she handled it all. Even the consequences that came after her tough decisions.

Then there's her sister, Phaedra, who helps Ariadne release their brother. She has her own struggles to go through and I liked seeing her gain confidence in herself while this was all happening. It's safe to say that both sisters had their own growth and it made them very likable in my eyes.

Honestly, I just really enjoyed this book. Each page and chapter just completely sucked me in. I had no idea what was going to happen next and once I reached the ending, well, it was bittersweet. I'm sad that it's over and I sort of wish that the book was longer. I guess I will accept what I got and just go on with my life. Maybe.

I've recently been on a Greek mythology binge and was so excited to see another myth be reimagined! I thought it would be fresh and fun! and parts totally were.. but it wasn't as much as a homerun for me as I wanted it to be. I liked Ariadne and Phaedra but both characters felt inconsistent. There was a LOT of action that had me on the edge of my seat and I was definitely mad at all men by the end of the book (was this the point? HA.)

Thought the audiobook was good! Bit hard with how many greek names there were so I got lost sometimes without proper context clues.

The best Greek Mythology retelling since Madeline Miller’s Circe. Circe introduced Greek retelling to many people and many fall short by comparison and there have been quite a few to come on the scene recently. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint stands in no shadow and shines its own light. This wonderfully written novel tells the story of Ariadne, the often shadowed sister of the minotaur.

I wanted this book because I’ve always had a fascination with mythology. This book put much more details into it. Emotions and smaller details were added.
This book is definitely for those who love mythology or paranormal type tales.
I listened to the audiobook and was enthralled by the reading. Inflection was used perfectly to show emotions.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

I have always enjoyed mythology, but I have to say I love that we are getting retellings that focus on the mostly forgotten women of the original myths. They were briefly mentioned and usually, the context around them was not good. I took a mythology class in high school (no one needs to know how long ago that was) and we studied the Greek myths. So when the only thing I could remember about Ariadne was that she liked to dance I knew I was in for a treat. The original story focused on Theseus and the Minotaur and little was said about the Minotaur’s sisters. Also, the original story used the mother as a lesson to be learned. So I really enjoy that this story dives into the fact that the mother is used by the gods to punish her husband and it shows her trama. In many ways, this story gives back to all the women that were just brushed over. And it does help that some of the men do get what is coming to them.

I found the writing to be lovely and I was pulled into the story from the beginning. This is a wonderful book for anyone that loves retellings or is a fan of Madeline Miller’s Circe.

What a fun change of pace from what I typically read.
I got back into fantasy a bit this fall, and decided to dabble in some with the rest of my summer reading. This book was a BOTM selection so I knew it was going to be great.

The story reminded me of the old Ancient Greek stories, like The Odyssey and wove in all the stories you know about Greek gods and monsters.
This novel tells the tale of Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. What I appreciate about this book is that it touches on the well known mythology we know, but shares a story I did not know what well at all. I don’t remember the name Ariadne in my history of Greek myths. But hers is a sad yet addictive story with loss and love in it.

I have to be honest, I was worried I would not like this when I initially picked it up, but I was pleasantly surprised!
This was an exciting adventure a story and such a cool era to read about.

Ariadne is the latest in a wave of myth retellings from a different point of view. It joins the ranks of [book:The Song of Achilles|11250317], [book:The Silence of the Girls|37969723], [book:Circe|35959740] and others. In this book, we learn more about Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos. We know of her in Greek mythology for her role in helping Theseus, the Athenian hero, escape the labyrinth & the Minotaur. In this book, we hear from her point of view, how she had to flee the country after betraying her father (by helping Theseus) and yearns for a life with Theseus. Theseus abandons her and Ariadne grows into her own. This book brings her to life as more than just a side note in the story of the Minotaur. Ariadne is upset about her role in the machinations of powerful men and she becomes a woman of strength who learns what is important and what love is.

I recommend this one to fans of mythology, retellings, and historical fiction.

This book is a little bit of a mixed bag for me. I love Greek mythology, and this was a great retelling of Ariadne's story. However, I missed a little bit of the emotional connection to the story. I think some of that had to do with the narrator. The voice she used for Ariadne was a little stiff for me. I had an easier time feeling connected to Phaedra, and I was glad to have her be a part of the story. The scope of this book was great. It did not feel like it encompassed too much or too little. As many Greek myths are, this was a little depressing. It did however highlight the difficulties of being a woman during this time and in this world. I enjoyed the little tidbits of other stories within this one (like Icarus). I also enjoyed that this was centered around a myth that was a little more out of the way than those that come to mind first. I enjoyed getting a little bit of a wider scope of Greek mythology. I think I might have enjoyed this a little more if I had read it instead of listening to the audiobook, but all in all, I did enjoy it and will look for more work by Jennifer Saint.

Ariadne checked a lot of boxes for me- I adore Greek Myth retellings, Theseus and the Minotaur is one not often explored, and seeing it from the POV of Ariadne, a women regarded often as a footnote in the stories of men, made it all the more compelling, and just as tragic.

We follow Ariadne's entire life- her upbringing, her siblings, her brief but very literally life-altering time with Theseus, her time with Dionysus, and how the decisions of men men men changed/ruined/destroyed everything.

This book is overall well written, but it didn't elicit an emotional connection with me the way I was hoping it would. While I did love being immersed in the vivid world Saint built, the story was almost so constantly tragic I mostly wanted it to be over. That said, Jennifer Saint is an author to watch, and I'll definitely be interested in whatever is next.

Jennifer Saint has created a book that equates to Circe by Miller. The story of Ariadne is one that should be told time and time again. And the narration in this blows the listener away.

Great work here. Thank you for the e-arc!

Wonderfully told. Follows the feminist telling of Madeline Miller's Circe and Pat Baker's The Silence of the Girls.

I love Greek mythology retellings, and this was no exception. The narrator was phenomenal and really sucked me into this story. I loved having the voices of the two sisters learning more about them as they grow, the decisions they make, and their dynamic with each other.

I just thought the writing was magnificent. This book will please all fans of the genre, I think!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this early!

Yeah, it's great. Are we surprised? The re-centering of women in Ancient Greek mythology retellings is almost old-hat by now, but still, Jennifer Saint made this work. Wonderful narrator too by the by.

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

(A quick note: I listened to the audiobook version of the book, and the narrator performed wonderfully! Highly recommended.)

Many books have claimed to be spiritual successors to Madeleine Miller's phenomenal Circe, but Ariadne is the first one that, for me, really earns that distinction. Although it can be argued that the story does not stray far enough from the source mythos to be considered a feminist retelling in the same way that Circe challenges our assumptions about the famous witch of the Odyssey, showing her in a new light, I still feel Ariadne does an excellent job of framing the decisions of its characters in such a way as to give us fresh emotional context for Ariadne and Phaedra's choices.

It's impossible to talk about this book without mentioning how beautifully written it is. The prose is gorgeous from start to finish, and the alternating first-person POVs between the two sisters invites a sense of intimacy. Saint knows exactly when and where to linger in her scenes to capitalize on the emotion therein. Likewise, the pacing is excellent for a story that heavily relies on the internal experiences of the characters and their relationships to one another, with the big mythological moments many readers are already familiar with (slaying the Minotaur, etc.) nestled between rather than dominating the story. While the ending devastated me, it also felt completely earned by all that had come before it, which is really all one can ask for!

As someone with only a passing knowledge of Ariadne from Greek mythology—and none of her sister—I was constantly surprised by what happened, leading me to read quickly on. Readers with more familiarity may not find the plot twists as shocking, but Saint's execution entertains nevertheless.

Overall, this was a fantastic debut, and I'm only sorry that I'll have to wait to see what this author writes next!

This retell of Ariadne makes the original more fulfilling. You get sense of her POV of her actions and characteristics in which we all know she deserved the first time around. Am I right? I mean without her how would Theseus be alive?

Ariadne wants more than what she was bargained for. In greek mythology the women never had a saying and never had their story shared. She seemed kind and loving. She definitely took a risk and that is admirable for a women in that time.

Having two POV in the book between Ariadne and her sister, Phaedra was something I didn’t expect but it was nonetheless still good.

I was left astounded towards the end between the sisters. Overall this book was a great book and i would recommend it if you are of fan of Greek mythology such as The Song of Achilles, Circe, and The Silence of The Girls, this will surely grab your attention. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I was provided an audio ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this. The narrator was wonderful, giving a voice to both Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. While most of the book is told from Ariadne's perspective, it was nice to get the chapters from Phaedra's perspectives as well. She is a character that I don't remember from mythology so it was nice to see not only the sister dynamic between them, but to have the author tell of yet another lesser known character. I loved how Jennifer Saint wove many of the famous Greek myths into this story. If you are an avid reader of mythology, I'm sure you will recognize many of them, but I also enjoyed seeing the authors own personal take on the myths.

If you enjoyed Circe, I really think you will enjoy this. Ariadne, like many of the women of mythology has always played a supporting role in the stories of the Greek gods and heros. In this, she takes center stage, often questioning why the women were punished by the gods for the crimes of men or the gods themselves. She experiences first hand when her mother is driven mad as punishment for her father's behavior. She has her own personal experience with gods and men when Theseus leaves her for dead on a deserted island. I really loved that we meet Ariadne prior o the birth of the Minotaur and get to see her as a princess of Crete, as a sister, a daughter, a eventually a wife and mother. We see her go through so many emotions and trials, and just when you think she is going to break she finds that inner strength to push through yet another bad situation and survive it.

I very much enjoyed the writing and this has inspired me to get back to reading mythology again. I used to devour it and it has been too long since I've read the Greek tales. I really liked some of the messages put forth in the book. I thought the pace was good, but I have read some reviews that said they felt it was a bit slow. I did listen to the audiobook so if pacing is an issue for you, maybe give the audio a try as I very much enjoyed it. I often find that I enjoy slower paced books on audio a little better. I look forward to reading more from Jennifer Saint in the future.

Unfortunately, this audiobook is not for me. While I was very excited to read this book after hearing about it a couple of months ago, the narrator is hard for me to listen to. She has a very robotic way of speaking, and it feels very unnatural. This distracted me from actually paying attention to what the narrator was saying. I have an interest in still rereading the book, so I might try the print version.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jennifer Saint, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the audiobook edition of ‘Ariadne’ by Jennifer Saint in exchange for an honest review. It was narrated by Barrie Kreinik.

I love the current trend for novels inspired by Greek mythology. ‘Ariadne’ is a retelling of the story of the daughters of King Minos, Princesses Ariadne and Phaedra. They grow up aware of their half-brother, the Minotaur, who has been imprisoned in the Labyrinth beneath the palace. Every year Athens sends a ship to Crete containing seven youths and seven maidens as tribute to be sacrificed to the beast.

Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as part of the current sacrificial tribute. He has volunteered to come as he secretly plans to kill the monster and free Athens from its subservience to Minos. Ariadne falls in love with him and so helps him to navigate the Labyrinth. Of course, in doing this she has betrayed her family condemning herself in their eyes. And what of the capricious gods who rule over the fates of humans? Will she come to their attention?

Ariadne’s story extends beyond Crete and Jennifer Saint also explores the story of Princess Phaedra, Ariadne’s younger sister, who remains loyal to her family and yet becomes a pawn in the ambitions of powerful men.

Overall, I felt that ‘Ariadne’ was a beautifully crafted retelling of this famous Greek myth. Jennifer Saint is clearly well versed in Greek mythology and explores in depth this interlinked tale of love and betrayal as well as the powerful bonds of sisterhood. I felt transported by her rich descriptive prose back in time to ancient Crete, Naxos, and Athens to witness these events as they unfold.

With respect to the audiobook, while I am not familiar with Barrie Kreinik’s previous work I see that she has narrated a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction titles as well as being the recipient of an Earphones Award. I found her voice rich and melodious, perfectly suited to bring Ariadne and her world to life.

I found ‘Ariadne’ an impressive debut and look forward to Jennifer Saint’s next project, which will be another mythic retelling.