Brooke Nelson

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

For many, it was Percy Jackson. For me, it was Elektra that made me fall in love with Greek mythology. I’m a little late to the obsessing-over-Greek-myths club, but better late than never!

Following the story of three different but interconnected women, Elektra takes an insightful look at the complex, rich, albeit sometimes tragic relationships between mother and daughter, as well as the devastation of war on both sides of the battle. While I didn’t know much of the stories of Elektra, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra before reading, I was able to catch on easily to their roles.

Each character was written with the utmost care, particularly the three main woman, in such a way that I was able to discern one’s emotions and actions from one another early on in the story. This is something I find particularly important in books including multiple viewpoints; I could tell one woman from another, and I wanted to hear every perspective in turn. None of the women’s stories were a disappointment, and therefore, none of the chapters became boring. Admittedly, I didn’t particularly like Elektra, as a person, but her story was just as interesting to me as the others’.

Next comes the writing: beautiful and poetic, yet not forced. The creative language used in Elektra only made the story richer, and didn’t feel like a tool to fluff up an otherwise disappointing author’s writing.

I was also impressed that Saint was able to include such a long span of time in just one book, and then make it flow naturally. But that’s just what she did.

I don’t say it often, but this is an easy five-star book for me. Jennifer Saint is truly a talented writer, and I will definitely be picking up more of her stories in the future.