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Ariadne cover art

Ariadne

Written by: Jennifer Saint
Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
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Publisher's Summary

"An elegant performance by narrator Barrie Kreinik recounts the life of Ariadne...This production, with its outstanding narration, makes the classic story new again. Kreinik is the perfect voice for Ariadne, a noble young woman who bravely stands up for her values." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner)

A mesmerizing debut novel for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe.

Ariadne, Princess of Crete, grows up greeting the dawn from her beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid’s stories of gods and heroes. But beneath her golden palace echo the ever-present hoofbeats of her brother, the Minotaur, a monster who demands blood sacrifice.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives to vanquish the beast, Ariadne sees in his green eyes not a threat but an escape. Defying the gods, betraying her family and country, and risking everything for love, Ariadne helps Theseus kill the Minotaur. But will Ariadne’s decision ensure her happy ending? And what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind?

Hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting, Jennifer Saint's Ariadne forges a new epic, one that puts the forgotten women of Greek mythology back at the heart of the story, as they strive for a better world.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

"Jennifer Saint's Ariadne is a shimmering tapestry of two sisters bound by deceit and the shadows of family history...With a fresh voice and keen insight, Saint adds flesh and bone to an ancient myth, drawing the reader into an uneasy world of ever-afters." (Yangsze Choo, New York Times best-selling author of The Night Tiger)

©2021 Jennifer Saint (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

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What listeners say about Ariadne

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • M
  • 2023-01-03

Captivating story with an abrupt ending

I was drawn to this book after falling in love with Madeline Miller’s Circe and Song of Achilles.

What left me slightly disappointed was Ariadne’s character arc. The book recounts so many instances of women suffering at the hands of men and gods. This sets up an expectation of Ariadne to stand up against these transgressions, but the story falls slightly short.

The story was overall captivating, I was just hoping for a more satisfying ending.

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1 person found this helpful

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Excellent story

I really enjoyed this book! Both the story and the narration kept me engaged from start to finish.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

No “Circe” but a great story

After reading Circe by Madeline Miller I have been on the hunt for a similar book and this one fit the bill. It is definitely no Circe, don’t get me wrong but the story is just amazing and so sad all at once! I think someone needs to do a book like this for every goddess I want to hear the story of Pasiphae, Perse , Selene, on and on. This was a really good book and kept me up into the wee hours of the night listening highly recommend it for anybody who loves Circe or Greek mythology or or historical fiction in general! Very glad I got this book :)

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Pleasant and well read

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Is a welcomed myth.

I must say I knew about the Minotaur, Theseus, and a bit about Dionysus but I knew nothing of Ariadne or that of Phaedra. (Could we guess why?)

As a feminist retelling we focus solely on Ariadne and Phaedra’s telling of their story. And it is clear from the start Ariadne shares her story from a distance, of age and space. Her voice is wise, calm and knows the tragic end. As do we all.

But wait I like is that none of this takes away for the story. The reader can tell what will happen, but a 13 year old child does not. And it was interesting to see these two girls/women experience that same love, pain, deaths because of men.

I truly enjoyed the undercurrent of who gets to tell the story, who’s the hero, who’s saved. It truly puts doubt in one’s mind, like did Theseus really forget to change the black sails or was that planned so her could ruled unbound by his father?

It was enjoyable read different enough to keep the reader entertained and fell comforted.

This book is for anyone interested in retelling of myths with more depth and different perspectives.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Such a captivating story!

Wow! Really really great! I binged listened to this! Good performance as well as a good story.

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  • E
  • 2023-02-15

Love love love

As I continue through reimagined Greek mythology stories this one was fantastic!!! I loved the story and the main character Ariadne.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good but infuriating

Overall, I enjoyed the book, though it pales in comparison to Madeline Miller’s Circe or Song of Achilles.

I found the female protagonists of both Ariadne and Phaedra to be irksome in their ignorance and the voice they were written in was a bit grating, especially when paired with the repetitive theme of how women were always the ones paying for the errors of men.

For me, the best parts of the book came from the relaying of the actual myths of the gods and their overlapping stories. I would have liked to see more gods included as characters beyond only Dionysus. There could have been more added there with an increased presence of Hera.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Rough

I really wanted to like this. I finished it but it was a struggle. I found it very dry. I understood everything but man that was rough. I feel like you’ll either love it or hate it.

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1 person found this helpful