The enthralling tale of a powerful Greek goddess maligned in both myth and ancient history, as told by Sunday Times bestselling author Jennifer Saint.
When Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronos, helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side.
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 mostly importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.
Title : Hera
Author : Jennifer Saint
Format : Physical/audio
Page Count : 352
Genre : Greek mythology retelling
Publisher : Wildfire Books
Release Date : May 23 2024
Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★
Micky's 4 star review
Headlines:
Rise and fall
Patriarchy meets matriarchy
Competitiveness
What a screwed up bunch the Olympians were...hedonistic, egotistical and all about power. Hera led this tale with empowerment that rose from within herself, I had to admire so much about her characterisation. And yet, she was cold, lacking in feelings towards those you'd expect and she was fiercely competitive with Zeus.
A lot of this tale was about Hera's plotting and her long term strategy to rise above Zeus. I cannot say she had integrity because she didn't. I found the tales of her progeny and her disconnect from them somewhat shocking. Through Hera's eyes, there really wasn't one god or goddess I could really say I liked but their scheming made for gripping reading.
I really loved the last quarter of this book. The demise of the Olympians was exciting and messy; the final paragraphs of this book were superb.
I read this and also listened on audio in parts. The narration was great and channelled the cold calculation of Hera.
Thank you to Wildfire Books for the review copy.
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