Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.

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?Īriadne 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. 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. Ariadne: A Novel Jennifer Saint Flatiron Books, Fiction - 304 pages 15 Reviews Reviews arent verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when its identified A. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.

Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS.Īs 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. (May)Ĭorrection: An earlier version of this review mischaracterized a plot point concerning the character Phaedra's brother.A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Saint expertly highlights how often the women of this world pay the price for the actions of the men around them. As the women navigate their changing positions of power, they court disaster at the hands of both gods and men. Phaedra, meanwhile, is reluctantly married off to Theseus in a political maneuver of her brother’s. The island is the home of Dionysus, god of wine and pleasure, and he takes Ariadne as his wife. Ariadne hoped they would bring her sister, Phaedra, with them, but fickle Theseus breaks his promise, leaving Phaedra behind and abandoning Ariadne on the island of Naxos. When Theseus, prince of Athens, is sent as part of that city’s annual sacrifice to the Minotaur, a smitten Ariadne helps him defeat the monster and they flee Crete together. Her punishment, to fall into obsessive love with a bull, resulted in the Minotaur, Ariadne’s half-human, half-bull brother. She has also witnessed their wrath, unfairly brought down upon Pasiphae by Poseidon, the sea god, because of Minos’s transgressions against him. Ariadne’s life has always been touched by the gods, as her mother, Pasiphae, is the daughter of Helios, god of the sun. Saint’s enchanting debut retells the myth of the minotaur through the eyes of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete.

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