Atalanta: The dazzling story of the only female Argonaut

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Atalanta may not be the most interesting character in Greek mythology, but we often only hear about her as a bit of a side character. The author obviously loves her subject and that comes though clearly in the wonderful descriptions and emotional prose. In fact, that’s what marks the difference between Atalanta and the other strong female characters in the novel: the others look for men to dominate or manipulate so that they can live comfortable lives within a patriarchal society, while Atalanta exists completely outside that society.

The consequences of her transgression with Meleager will ultimately transform her from Artemis’ favorite to outcast. I don’t know if it was the first myth I loved, but the first Greek myth book I remember being utterly captivated by was Roger Lancelyn-Green’s children’s novel The Tale of Troy. Will Atalanta succeed in her quest to prove herself and will she stay true to the oath she swore Artemis? Deep in the Arcadian forest, secluded from Greek society, Atalanta grows into a formidable huntress.Sue Lynn Tan, Sunday Times bestselling author of DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS A stunning retelling filled with breathtaking adventure, Atalanta brings to life a heroine who stands tall among the ancient gods and heroes of legend. Another female who seems to have been relegated to a few minor lines in spite of some daring escapades but who now enjoys a reimagining of her deeds. With the blessing of Artemis, Atalanta joins the quest, but it won’t be easy to persuade Jason and his men to accept her as a fellow Argonaut. The heroic story of the only female Argonaut, told by Jennifer Saint, the bestselling author of ATALANTA (UK, Sunday Times, April 2023) ELEKTRA (UK, Sunday Times, May 2022) and ARIADNE (UK, Sunday Times, April 2021). As I said, it’s been fairly hit and miss for me with these retellings from the perspectives of lesser known female characters from various pantheons.

She provides vivid descriptions of Atalanta as a warrior, of her backbreaking, painful work rowing the vessel, as well as of her thrilling and excruciating foot races, wrestling matches, and archery competitions. Like the others, it explores the life of a woman from Greek mythology, in this case Atalanta, famous as a hunter, a runner and the only female Argonaut. I loved diving into this story more – especially from the perspective of Atalanta – and seeing all the obstacles they faced. Atalanta's father was so disappointed when she was born and wasn't a boy that he left her on the side of a mountain to die. The appeal to the senses, particularly the use of sound, is simply gorgeous so that the reader truly feels part of the story.Atalanta joins a crew of men and sets out to live a life just as unrestrained as those around her, unwilling to be limited by false chains that others would place upon her based on her sex. A stunning retelling filled with breathtaking adventure , Atalanta brings to life a heroine who stands tall among the ancient gods and heroes of legend. Though action-packed and dramatic, the sheer number of these episodes becomes tedious; the author may hew too closely and too inclusively to the original epic. The fight sequences are too brief, the epic quests go by too fast, characters vanish before the end of their story can be told, and the book’s conclusion (don’t worry – I won’t tell you anything about it! The detail and description is lush: you can hear the rustle of the green leaves and taste the salty spray of the sea as the Argo rides forth on its quest.

The Argonauts’ quest for the Golden Fleece is filled with impossible challenges, but Atalanta proves herself equal to the men she fights alongside. At first, I liked it best when they recounted my own—how I’d been left on the mountains and rescued by the mother bear and later by Artemis. So constructing her character meant inventing a backstory and using the figure we meet on stage to work backwards and understand how she became so warped and twisted in her thinking in the first place. She chose a life in the forest instead, preferring to bathe in the pools by silver moonlight and run through the trees by day, swift and graceful, a quiver of arrows slung across her body and her bow always ready.I do relish the compelling mixture of fact and fantasy in classical stories and Jennifer elucidates this element so elegantly here. Saint’s Atalanta, abandoned on a mountainside because her father wanted a boy, cared for by bears and raised by Artemis and her nymphs, grows up with a unique view of the world. I knew a little about the Argonauts but certainly didn’t know there was a female one, so it was fascinating to read her story.