Atalanta

Following Atalanta from her miraculous upbringing to her epic quests, Atalanta by Jennifer Saint offers a detailed insight into one of Greek mythology's few heroines.

Atalanta was an interesting exploration of gender and myth - most of the 'heroes' believe Atalanta will be nothing but trouble and continue to belittle her impact after the quest is complete. She is chastised for the same things her male counterparts are praised for and, despite her immense victories, her only value to her father is as a potential bride. However, perhaps in contrast to her quests and heroics, Atalanta is still drawn into feminine roles of motherhood and marriage, and Saint explores how these conflict with her longing for adventure.

My favourite moments were with the nymphs in Artemis's wood as Atalanta grew and trained, but I also enjoyed how Jason and Medea were portrayed. There was plenty of foreshadowing and Medea could definitely carry her own novel.

I found it interesting reading this so soon after Herc (which also featured Atalanta as a character) and I loved how different it was, with the same myths told in such contrasting ways.