But instead, the goddess Artemis takes her under her wing, raising her to become a powerful huntress. The nymphs who cared for me were dedicated to following her: dozens of ageless daughters of rivers, springs, oceans, and winds, young women who ran and hunted and bathed alongside the goddess. The author obviously loves her subject and that comes though clearly in the wonderful descriptions and emotional prose. As the nymphs had told me, it was under the protection of Artemis that I had the chance to grow free and joyous.

This is a novel full of fun, with quests and contests, gods and giants, heroes and witches, and a woman fighting to make a name for herself. She remains confident in her abilities and is determined to gain glory for her goddess, not to just prove men wrong, but because it is simple what she desires to do. Raised by a mother bear under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis, Atalanta grows up wild and free, with just one condition: if she marries, Artemis warns, it will be her undoing. I do think the start of the novel felt a bit slow and the Argonauts' quest was over fairly soon (I would've loved more detail about each of their stops and battles), but then again, this isn't just about Jason's quest, this is Atalanta's full life recounted in one novel. While Ariadne will be hard to beat for me as my favourite novel of hers, Atalanta very much follows in similar footsteps of putting an often forgotten and ignored Greek heroine front and centre.Now, Saint tells the same story from the point of view of Atalanta, the only female warrior among the Argonauts.

She doesn’t need any rewriting to make her into a female role model: she’s always existed in ancient art and literature as a fearless woman famed for being faster, stronger and more adventurous than even the greatest male heroes. Like in her previous books, Saint gives a voice to a female from Greek mythology that doesn’t often get one.I also really appreciated the way this book dealt with the romance and motherhood aspects of Atalanta’s story. I love Greek mythology and always have, but I also am very grateful for books I read growing up that featured female protagonists who were good role models. That’s why I was delighted when Jennifer Saint chose Atalanta as the subject for her next myth novel, following Ariadne and Elektra. When Artemis offers her the chance to fight in her name alongside the Argonauts, the fiercest band of warriors the world has ever seen, Atalanta seizes it.