Hera by Jennifer Saint

⭐⭐⭐/5

Find your inner goddess and unleash your rage with this book.

I love that Hera's story is one of feminine rage, and power. I love Greek mythology and retellings. So I came into this book already knowing a lot about Hera. Unlike most other gods from Greek mythology, she doesn't have her own story. Instead she pops up throughout the stories of others from Hercules to the Trojan War and more. She steps in an out of stories, taking her vengeance and then leaving. In this retelling, we follow Hera as she pops in and out of the many stories we know her from, which makes the book feel more like a collection of short stories.

If you don't know a lot about Greek mythology, this is a great book to learn from, as Hera touches all of the major gods and heroes.

Since Hera doesn't have a trusted friend, love interest or really anyone she can talk to, this book feels one-sided and lonely. Which I know it Hera's story ultimately, but since this is a retelling, I was hoping for something to make the story more dynamic or feel more cohesive.

The ending of this book was fascinating and attempted to provide an answer to 'what happened to the Greek gods'? I love Jennifer Saint's approach to this. I had to stop listening to the book in the car because I was so focused on the story.

I've read the other three books in this series, Ariadne, Elektra and Atalanta. This is probably my least favourite of the series. That said, Jennifer's writing is always so strong, that's not to say this book is 'bad'. It's just not my favourite.

Naomi Frederick does an amazing job at the narration for this book. Her voice control comes across as commanding and as intimidating as I assumed Hera would be. And she is able to make it soft, for the moments the book asks vulnerability of Hera. It was a joy to listen to her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

This book is best read while sitting on a golden throne.