Elektra

by Jennifer Saint

[Quirky Cat]

If you love Greek Mythology and retellings, you're probably already aware of Elektra by Jennifer Saint. Elektra is the second Greek retelling Saint has written, the first being Ariadne (which I adored).

Sometimes a family indeed can be cursed. That certainly feels true for Elektra and her family. Her aunt, Helen of Troy, may have caused a thousand ships to sail. But did that do her any good? Her mother, Clytemnestra, had hoped to help avoid the curse but knew it was no avail when her sister disappeared to Troy.

Then there's Elektra's older sister, Cassandra. She's been cursed with the powerful gift to see the future. This is a twofold curse, first for seeing what is to come and second for never having anyone believe here. So, what about Elektra? Is she cursed, or will she find a way to change her fate?

“To what end did I teach them to weave or dance or sing? How did I know I did not raise another child for slaughter?”

Naturally, I went into Elektra with pretty high hopes. I loved Ariadne, so even though I've been feeling pretty burnt out on Greek mythology and retellings, I felt confident that Saint could find a way to charm me again.

That was partially true. I mostly enjoyed Elektra, though perhaps not as much as I had hoped. As always, I appreciate seeing Greek tales from a new perspective – mainly a feminine one. It's refreshing to take their stories into account.

To be clear, this retelling takes some creative license from Greek mythology. I think that's preferred because otherwise, it can get pretty tricky to bend the original tale into something new for us readers. So don't go into this book expecting it to be perfectly accurate – enjoy it for what it is.

Seeing the Trojan war from a completely new perspective was fascinating – that drew me in when many other points failed. If this is something that you've always been fascinated with, I think you'll love Saint's take on the war.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and #Goodreads for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks