Published 23rd May 2024 by Widlfire.
From the cover of the book:
As they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed.
She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world?
Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and most importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.
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In her most ambitious novel to date, Jennifer Saint tackles the story of Hera, Queen of the Gods. She begins with an unconventional introduction to the mightiest of all the goddesses of Greek myth, not as the jealous figure we are familiar with, but as the warrior who fought at the side of her brother Zeus to bring down their father, the Titan Cronus - and it is a powerful foreshadowing the Hera she wishes to portray in this story.
This Hera is quite rightly angry at the way Zeus subsequently subverts the era of peace and equality that came following the war against Cronus, scheming to place himself above his brothers and sisters - and to coerce her into marriage she does not want. This Hera is consumed by the bitterness she feels over the stripping away of her birth right, and it provides an ideal opportunity to turn the trope of jealous wife on its head. As Saint journeys through the ages at the side of Hera, she offers us an alternative history of the well-trodden environs of an Olympus that venerates the male gods, and it is incredibly compelling.
The interactions between Hera and her sisters, Hestia and Demeter; the new Olympians who come to reside on the mountain top; her own children; and the products of Zeus' amorous adventures are especially interesting - but is is the inner feelings, vengeful thoughts, and continued striving to bring nasty old Zeus to his knees that keeps you turning the pages. A little knowledge about Greek myths will be helpful here, as Saint does an excellent job of touching on so many, and there is is so much to enjoy in the way she gives them a fresh look in the process.
The most impressive thing in this novel is the way Saint weaves the story not just about divisions, but the things that Hera and the other female characters find common ground in, but this is not always easy to do. Saint does her utmost to bring out the more relatable side of Hera, and although this works in part it is a big ask to paint her as a sympathetic protagonist given her deeds. Hera is a mass of contradictions, and there is still a lot to forgive her for in the way she treats others, especially the defenceless women who fall prey to Zeus' prodigious desires. Feminist icon she is not.
What Saint does do in spectacular style however, is to widen the focus of her story to include the characters of other goddesses too, which does allow her to revel in feminist themes. There are some very interesting storylines about the way some of them cleverly manipulate Zeus into giving them at least some of the freedom they crave, and the lessons Hera learns from this - Hestia, Demeter, and Athena are especially well written, bringing out the qualities that set them apart from their scheming kin. I have always had a soft spot for Hestia, and adored her portrayal in these pages. She was by far the most engaging character for me.
This is a fascinating book, full of lovely detail about Greek myth and the hidden stories of the women normally consigned to supporting roles in the power games of their male counterparts, as to be expected from Jennifer Saint. As I was reading, I began to wonder quite how she could possibly bring all the threads together to create a satisfying ending. I am thrilled with the way she manages this, building hefty poignancy in the philosophical meandering of the final chapters.
If Greek mythology is your bag, then you will find much here to please - and like never before, this latest Saint cracker is packed to the megaron with themes to discuss.
Hera is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Wildfire for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote ARIADNE which tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from the perspective of Ariadne - the woman who made it happen. Ariadne was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was Waterstones Book of the month in January 2022. Her second novel, ELEKTRA, was a Number One Sunday Times bestseller and explores the curse upon the House of Atreus, giving voice to three women who are caught up in its shadows: Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra whose lives are shattered by the Trojan War and who seek to find justice at any cost. Her third novel, Atalanta, tells the story of the only female Argonaut and is a Number One Sunday Times bestseller.
Jennifer Saint is now a full-time author, living in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two children.
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