Title: Ariadne
Author: Jennifer Saint
Genre: Fantasy, Greek Mythology
Plot: Ariadne is a daughter of Minos, strict ruler of Crete. His legend is being the ‘father’ of the Minotaur, the half man, half bull. Minos demanded sacrifices in human form from Athens to satisfy the Minotaur’s need for meat. Then Theseus comes along. Ariadne is smitten with him. She helps Theseus escape the Minotaur’s labyrinth and kill the Minotaur. The two of them escape the island, but they’ve abandoned Ariadne’s sister who wanted to escape with them. Only Theseus abandones Ariadne on the island of Naxos. When she’s about to give up, a ship appears carrying Dionysus. Dionysus agrees to let Ariadne stay and care for the island. He proves he’s not like anyone else Ariadne’s ever met. But will it last? Is it a god’s trick? While she thrives on Naxos, her sister grows up under Theseus watch and married him once she comes of age. No matter how hard she tries, she’s never happy. Will the girls get their happy endings? Or will the men ruin everything again?
Rating: 3.6 – a different take on the legend of the Minotaur
Opinion: This was a good take on a classic Greek myth. But instead of focusing on the myth, it focuses more on the aftermath of the myth and all of its consequences. It’s definitely not the happiest book I’ve ever read. Just when I thought it’d have a happy ending, it changed course. A happy ending would’ve been nice, but that’s Greek mythology. Something that bugged me about the book was that the characters didn’t really seem to learn from their mistakes. Ariadne kind of does but her sister doesn’t. Overall I did enjoy this book. It’s a different spin on a classic tale. It’s not the happiest, but it’s still a good story. I’d recommend this book for anyone who enjoys new takes on mythology.
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