I could not put this book down. It was beautiful and powerful and just so gripping. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a retelling of history and mythology

Elektra by Jennifer Saint *****The mythological tale of the siege of Troy, leading to the Trojan horse, is retold through the three main characters. Elektra, Cassandra and Clytemnestra. Each have their own personal story. Weaving in and out, sometimes with good news, mostly without and always with their own personal ego, are the gods themselves. It was Apollo that once bestowed the gift, to be able to see into the future to Hecabe,Cassandras Mother the Princess of Troy . And It is this same gift that Cassandra also craves for. A gift which is in a remarkable way, granted to her by Apollo. But Cassandra soon realises, to her bitter regret, the gift is really a curse. She foretells that the revered Agamemnon, hero in battle will lead an army against Troy. That a wooden horse, will be the undoing of the Citadel. But no one will believe her. Scorned and ridiculed, she must carry the burden of this knowledge herself. It is Clytemnestra. who really holds the most powerful storyline. Her love for her daughter, Iphegenia is achingly manifested here...Iphegenia didnt move. I was seized for the moment by the wonder that still made my breath stick in my throat.That glorious maternal sweep of pride and delight that was almost painful in its intensity. ... It is only a short while after, as Clyemnestra witnesses the event that takes place on the beach - just prior to the Agamemnon army setting sail to Troy - that changes her life for ever. She vows to all the gods that one day she will have vengeance . Elektra and her role takes centre stage near the end of the novel. She has lived for the moment, when her doted upon Father Agamermnon, returns in triumph from the wars. And he will fulfill his promise, to make her Queen of Troy. This has been her dream for the last ten years. Now, at last is it to be fulfilled? I thoroughly enjoyed Circe, and Song Of Achilles, both written by Madeline Miller And although the gods do not play such a dramatic part in Elektra by Jennifer Saint, as in either of these two novels, the narrative is first class and I found it an engaging read. Genre. Mythological fiction; high on suspense; very emotive; well narrated; thrilling in places; with eight out of ten for a page- turning just- one- more -chapter- kind of novel.

Jennifer Saint does it again. It’s been a real treat that there’s been so many Greek myth retellings recently, written by women, about women and giving women a voice. This exceeds all expectations. I’d never heard of Elektra before this book and it was fascinating to hear a whole new version of the Trojan war and more. Saint writes about the most brutal experiences with the most beautifully ornate language, the contrast is astonishing. My heart broke several times, I gasped, I cringed and I felt the fire that burned in so many of the women in this story. It’s always interesting in many of these recent stories about Troy that Helen takes a back seat to other women. It’s almost a nod from the author that Helen has taken centre stage for years, now it’s time to here of the bravery, loss and love of other characters. I loved this book and it’s very much a deserving recipient of being number one on the bestseller list this week! Thank you @netgalley for the eARC of Elektra in return for an honest review. Elektra is out now.

There is a thunderous, driving force behind the will of Elektra that carries you through right until the end. Written from multiple perspectives (Elektra, Clytemnestra, Cassandra) that offer reason and perspective to the stories of each woman, enriching the plot beyond what one POV might, it is undoubtedly Elektra who holds the reins and charges forward more passionately than any other. As an aside: being a fan of Madeleine Miller, I felt the respectful nod to the romantic love of Achilles and Patrokles was done beautifully, it was a joy to read a flawless rendition of that particular tale within the pages of this one. Any daddy's girl will assuredly feel the same raw, vengeful justice that Elektra does, they will understand her devotion (blind at times but no less faithful) to the figurehead in her youth who loved her beyond all others. The over-simplification of her childish views morphing into unrelenting loyalty wraps a noose around your heart and drags you along with her through the horrific fate of the House of Atreus, desperate to see her avenge her father. She sees the world in a fascinating blend of black and white, never wholly wrong or right, and what softens the story is the addition of Clytemnestra's history, her own grief, and Cassandra's solitary sadness: in between these other two women, Elektra weaves a truly electrifying tale of enduring love and faithful fury. You will come out of this novel agreeing that, yes, you would have chosen violence too.

Jennifer Saint’s last book, Ariadne, was one of my top books of 2021 (you can read my review here) so I really was looking forward to reading Elektra but wondering if she could pull off the same transformation of a seemingly well known story again. The answer is yes, with bells on. In fact, I could almost life my review of Ariadne and paste it, word for word, into the review for Elektra, because Jennifer Saint has taken the same principle, taking well known Greek myths and telling them from the perspective of the women involved, and applied it to the story of the siege of Troy. Interestingly, though, she has chosen not to focus on the main female figure in the tale – Helen, whose beauty brought down an entire nation – but three other women, seemingly on the periphery but actually central to the whole story, Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra. If you are familiar with the written history of the Trojan War, I am sure there are bits of the book you might take issue with. This is a reimagining of events which, after all have many different versions woven around them by different writers, in an attempt to bring events from centuries ago to life for modern audiences, and it is very effective in this regard. These women could be any of us, living, breathing, loving and losing on the page, and the emotions they feel will be recognisable to us all. Frustration at being held back because of our sex, jealousy when the attention of our partner is focused elsewhere, fear of abandonment, grief at the loss of a loved one – these are things that women are still facing today, challenges that ring down through the ages and you will soon find yourselves pulled in to the story and living along with the characters. Let me just tell you, most of the characters in this story are not pleasant. They are largely selfish, ambitious, hubristic and cruel. They do some horrific things to each other, seemingly for small slights that are not commensurate with the price paid in blood as a result. However, the author does a great job of trying to show why they took the actions they did and making the women at least somewhat sympathetic. For example, if you read the story of Clytemnestra baldly on Google, she sounds like a monster. However, as a woman who has been through the loss of a child, I can feel her pain, anguish and fury and understand what motivates her, even if I don’t think I would have done the same, I hasten to add. The scenes involving the captured women on the beach after the sack of Troy are heart-breaking, and give you food for thought when you see the news about what is currently happening in Eastern Europe today. You might ask yourselves how far civilisation has actually progressed in 4,000 years and whether base human nature remains the same down the millennia. This is a fantastic historical retelling of a story that has enthralled Greek mythology fanatics for years, a terrifying morality tale and an exploration of the strength and resilience of women in a world in which they have no actual power. The author blends all of these aspects together into an entertaining, gripping and moving book that I was glued to from beginning to end and could not wait to recommend to my friends afterwards. My only question now is whether to buy a gorgeous hardback to match my copy of Ariadne, or just hang on to the personalised proof that I was so thrilled to be asked to review. I cannot wait to see what this author is going to tackle next; whatever it is, I’m sure it will be exciting.