Hera by Jennifer Saint

When the immortal goddess Hera and her brother Zeus overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see that Zeus is just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed. While Zeus ascends, Hera is relegated to the role of wife and mother, a role she never wanted. 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?

In this enthralling retelling, Greek mythology’s most famous and maligned goddess finally tells her own story, as power, passion, and divine strength collide in the heart of Olympus.

She was born to be a queen.

Jennifer Saint never fails to inspire with her Greek myth retellings. Hera, in my opinion, has to be one of the hardest goddesses to reinvent, yet Saint finds a way. She breathes new life into Hera as Prometheus and Athena once breathed life into humanity. Hera's point of view opens a new door into Olympus, we see a goddess wronged, betrayed and silenced yet she does not become a victim to her suffering. Saint magically keeps Hera as fierce and as frightening as we have always known her to be, yet she also shows us a new perspective, one that, although, may seem harsh, becomes understandable.

Saint magically tells the entire timeline of the Olympians with Hera's interest at the forefront of the retelling. We watch as Titans fall, divine offspring rise, rebellions ascend the mountain and how feuds stir within. The connection between sisters, mothers and daughters is a beautiful point to focus on within the novel but what I felt was done best was the friction between the male and female divinities.

Hera is a stunning retelling which focuses on the ambition of women who aren't willing to be good girls, who are eager for more and who won't let anyone stand in the way of their power, or their birthright whilst also discovering the importance of family bonds and the human condition. Hera as a goddess and as Saint's protagonist now holds a place in my heart.

A wonderfully written retelling of Hera and how she came to be the wife of Zeus and Goddess of marriage. There are a lot more myths intertwined in the novel so that at times it's more like the story of Olympus, and is a lot of information in a fairly short book. That does take away a little from getting to know and connect with Hera, I've enjoyed the character building more in Jennifer Saints other retellings. But Hera's story is so much bigger it's probably not fair to compare them. Overall, although not my favourite retelling, it's really worth the read and I'll certainly buy a copy for my shelf.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy