ARIADNE By Jennifer Saint

 ARIADNE

by

Jennifer Saint

    Ariadne is Jennifer Saint's debut novel. Ariadne is a princess of Crete, sister to the infamous Minotaur who roams Daedalus's labyrinth beneath the palace. Ariadne is essentially the story of King Minos and the Minotaur told from Ariadne's point of view. Ariadne helps Theseus, who arrives in Crete to kill the Minotaur, and then leaves with him for Naxos. We learn of her life with Dionysus and her younger sister Phaedra's life in Athens.

    I did not particularly care for Ariadne. It felt to me like a Circe (by Madeline Miller) wannabe, and I loved Circe. I am tired of the myth of the Minotaur, and I do not care for Dionysus. The book is dark; there is a lot of death and destruction, particularly involving animals. This is something that I do not enjoy reading in general, and I find it worse to tackle during pandemic times.

    Saint's writing is fine, and I appreciate her presenting a new perspective on an old myth. Nonetheless, I was not thrilled with this reading experience.