📚 The more things change, the more they stay the same: Greek mythology is seeing quite the resurgence thanks to their stories remaining prevalent in some way, shape, or form in modern day contexts. No stranger to feminist retellings of Greek mythology, British author Jennifer Saint has penned quite a few. Her latest installment, Hera, the queen of all queens herself, joins the pantheon alongside Saint’s Ariadne, Elektra, and Atalanta.

Saint’s retellings are hit or miss. Her first, Ariadne, left audiences divided. While it received many raving reviews, we personally found it a not-so-successful attempt to mimic the success of Madeline Miller’s Circe or Nathalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships. Her second novel, Elektra, was more of the same, but her third novel Atalanta, following mythology’s only heroine, left us in awe, and prompted a reread. Naturally, when approaching Hera, we were skeptical. This would either outdo its predecessors, or fall right into the same traps. Our verdict? It’s complicated.

“Queen of the immortals is she.” In Greek mythology, Hera is painted as the jealous, murderous wife of Zeus, condemning his mistresses and bastards to tortuous ends, and while the retelling doesn’t seek to change that, it provides some much needed context. The novel’s prologue begins with the infamous battle between the Olympians and the Titans, and showcases Hera’s battle prowess as she cuts through scores of titans. However, it quickly becomes clear that Hera is yet to become the unforgiving goddess the years would shape her to be.

Following the Olympians’ victory, Zeus forces Hera into marrying him to secure his claim to the Olympian throne and discredit Hera’s own as the eldest Olympian. From there, Hera begins a life of misery, domestic abuse, and becomes a victim of serial infidelity and assault at the hands of her brother-king. The novel notes Hera’s transformation, and details the events that turned her into a villain, forged by millennia of painful experiences.

However, the novel isn’t without its flaws. Hera is written in third person, so it’s not as personal as Saint’s first three novels. However, given Hera’s own regal and grand aura, the author’s choice to keep readers at an arm’s length is understandable. While the comprehensive account of the Greek myths adds to the novel, it falls into the trap of having too many plotlines, with lots of famed mythological figures coming into play.

That said, it’s one of our favorite Jennifer Saint Greek novels. While it boasts the lowest Goodreads score of any of her works at 3.56 stars, we’d argue that it fares better than most of them. It’s an engaging read, an interesting characterization, and a novel that invites a great deal of introspection. While most retellings center on showcasing on redeeming certain figures, this one doesn’t — it embraces Hera’s cracks, which come from a place of suffering. While you will feel for Hera, you won’t necessarily root for her.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can find the paperback version at The Bookspot. You can also find the eBook on Amazon.

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