Review: The Slavic Myths by Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak

December 7, 2023

★★★★☆.5 — I was provided a finished hardback copy from Thames and Hudson — thankyou!

Keep your eyes out for my interview with Noah and Svetlana that will be going up on YouTube with World History Encyclopedia very soon!

The Slavic Myths by historian Noah Charney and anthropologist and historian Svetlana Slapšak is a wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated book delving into various Slavic myths, gods, and supernatural figures and the history behind them. The Slavic Myths is structured in eight chapters, including the introduction to the book, and the Slav Epic. Each chapter includes a new retelling of a myth, reimagined by Noah and Svetlana, followed by a section on the history of the myth and numerous important features within it. This is not a compilation of everything we know about Slavic mythology, but instead, seven hand-picked stories accompanied by accessible academic analysis, allowing the reader, whether they be well versed in Slavic myth or brand new to the corpus of tales, to enjoy the stories, and if they wish, develop their understanding of the myths and history further. Readers of The Slavic Myths can read the book from cover to cover, or they can jump in and just read a chapter at a time — they can just stick to the compelling reimaginings of the chosen myths, or they can dive into the historical analysis of each section. Either way, with the book being a combination of retelling and non-fiction, it can be enjoyed by all!

Slavic mythology is not as clear cut as classical Greek and Roman mythology, there is no equating the Greek king of the gods Zeus with any king of the gods figure in Slavic traditions. Noah and Svetlana had a huge task ahead of them with this book, with Slavic mythology originating first as an oral tradition, and then only being written down in the 19th century, but with specific goals for lending authority and adding history to new cities, and overlain with Christian morals and motifs. As mentioned in the book, a ninth-century Slav would not necessarily recognise their myths today in the form they now take — however, Noah and Svetlana have essentially added a new layer to this ever-developing and rich corpus of stories, deities, and creatures.

This book was a wonderful introduction to Slavic mythology. Upon picking it up, I had a vague familiarity with Baba Yaga, her house with chicken legs, and the creatures of firebirds. Beyond that, I was completely unfamiliar with the Slavic pantheon, or the history behind the myths and tales. What really captured my attention (beyond the stunning woodcut imagery throughout the book), was the first creature, the vampire, which has its roots in Slavic myth. And not only that but in Slavic tradition, the vampire and the werewolf were intrinsically linked creatures! I learnt so much about the history and development of Slavic myths, and particularly enjoyed the analysis of folklore versus fairytales versus mythology, and the creation of myths with ‘mythurgy.’ I was intrigued to find parallels with classical Greek tales such as Jason and the Argonauts, to find hints of well-known fairytales such as Cinderella and her horrible stepmother and stepsisters, and aspects of Ovid’s Metamorphosis with the trials Venus has Psyche complete, all solidly within the world of Slavic mythology. I didn’t know that throwing a coin over my shoulder into a fountain or body of water originated as a Slavic ritual in fear of the dead — did you?

I could not recommend this book enough for those looking to dip their toe into some new myths, or for those who are looking to read a new version of their old favourite Slavic myth.

Review: Arcadian Days by John Spurling

June 29, 2023

Arcadian Days: Gods, Women, and Men from Greek Myths ★★★ | Book thirty-five of 2023 | e-book

John Spurling has crafted a lyrical retelling of some well-known Greek myths, weaving these seemingly disparate stories together with subtle themes. The most prominent common factor throughout this collection of retellings is each features a prominent woman or female deity at the heart of the story. Where his first book, Arcadian Nights, centres around four figures based in the Peloponnese, his new book Arcadian Days features five of the best-known myths from all around Greece. These stories are Prometheus and Pandora, Jason and Medea, Oedipus and Antigone, Achilles and Thetis, and Odysseus and Penelope. Entwined through these overarching stories are smaller myths and other strong women, such as Atalanta, as featured with Jason and the Argonauts, and Penthesilea, the Amazon warrior who goes head to head with the great Achilles.

But if it is difficult for us sometimes to understand the motives of these gods, they themselves often seem unable to interpret the feelings of mortals (170).

This collection of myths draws upon the ancient Greek texts by Homer, Hesiod, and the three tragedians – Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides – while also incorporating Spurling's own voice to fill in gaps and weave a complete story. Arcadian Days has been written for the general public and would be a great starting point for anyone looking to read a new, accessible retelling of some of the most famous Greek myths. The author (as all have to when retelling myths) makes some specific translation decisions that strike me as something of a personal preference, and his clear choice for Achilles and Patroclus to be depicted as just close friends was an interesting decision amidst the fairly popular view that the relationship between these two warriors transcends simple friendship. Personally, some of the decisions Spurling makes with some of these stories and characters don’t feel like they are up to date with modern views and ideas. There were parts that made me think, ‘hmm, interesting decision.’ Of course, retellings are at the prerogative of the author, and what one person (me) may not love, may be someone else’s perfect cup of tea. That being said, it was still well-written and very engaging.

As the stories progress, Spurling often makes comments on the goings-on and offers potential explanations for decisions made by the players in the tale. It feels as though the omniscient author is speaking right to you, which makes the book feel more personal. This commentary seems to answer questions the reader may be thinking and makes fascinating contemplation over the role of the gods. Each myth is written in slightly different styles, with the retelling of Odysseus' journey in the last section written as Odysseus telling his own story to the reader. This helps differentiate the different tales, whilst also capturing the reader in different ways. The stories also explore what it means to be mortal, particularly with his quote in relation to the new armour created by Hephaestus for Achilles, requested by his mother Thetis:

Yes, it was also made to be a shield. And, with all these layers of metal, a real shield to be carried into battle so as to ward off spears and be battered by rocks and the strokes of swords. To submit to time and mortality, like its owner' (164).

Thank you to Pegasus Books for providing a PDF copy of Arcadian Days for review.

Review: Elektra by Jennifer Saint

June 5, 2023

Elektra ★★★★☆ | Book twenty seven of 2023 | paperback

Elektra by Jennifer Saint, despite the name, follows the lives of three women from ancient Greek mythology: Clytemnestra, Cassandra, and Elektra. The lives of these women are intertwined through this book through their three points of view as Saint draws comparisons between the women and their journeys through hope, grief, revenge, and peace.

Cassandra, the princess of Troy and sister to Paris, cursed with the gift of prophecy only to never be believed was my favourite of the three women. By disallowing Apollo to take what he believes he deserves after granting her with the gift of prophecy, she is cursed and shunned by her family and her people. Her powerlessness despite her wisdom and her continuous desire to help, to be heard, struck me time and time again.

Such a man speaks poetry in place of facts and thinks he tells a higher truth when all he spins is fantasy (67-68)

One of my favourite aspects of this book was the transformation of Clytemnestra, from a young woman to a loving mother, to having her child murdered by her husband in front of her eyes. The overwhelming grief and need for revenge that radiated from her throughout the novel was almost tangible. Clytemnstra is branded as a murderer who finally gets whats coming to her at the hands of her own son, but Saint reminds us of the grief that must have driven her hand. Saint reminds us that Clytemnestra lived through the worst betrayal, and her shift in demeaner caused by heartbreak humanises her in a way Greek tragedy does not.

Nothing brought them more joy than the fall of a lovely woman. They picked over her reputation like vultures, scavenging for every scrap of flesh they could devour (87)

Saint presents the Curse of Atreus and the Trojan War being experienced by the women. We don’t read pages upon pages of bloodshed from the battle, but the effect these events had on the women in Troy, and in Mycenae. The most striking element to Elektra was the nuance of Saint’s retelling — despite Cassandra, Clytemnestra, Elektra and even Helen all being women living through war, and despite these women being on different sides of the war, Saint binds these women together through shared experiences, while also conveying the varying ways people react to the same events. Elektra holds her father in the highest regard to the final page, believing his sacrifice of her sister was as the gods demanded, all while Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon for her children, assuaging her grief for Iphigenia. In the final moments of Cassandra and Clytemnestra, the women are the same in their desire for peace. Elektra being feulled by revenge as she always hated her mother for, and for her belief that Cassandra was lucky to have been chosen as a slave by such a great king as her father.

This book was a beautiful retelling of a brutal and bloody episode of Greek myth.

Review: Mythos by Stephen Fry

January 31, 2022

★★★★☆.5 | paperback | book eight of 2022

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry is his first book in his Great Mythology series and a book that has been physically on my shelf for years (probably since it came out in 2017). Stephen Fry has compiled the core myths from Greek mythology, beginning with the cosmogony or creation of the universe with the protogenoi or primordial god Chaos who was quickly followed by Gaia (Earth), Tartarus (the depths), Erebus (darkness), Nyx (night), Hemera (day) and Aether (light). Fry does a wonderful job conveying the beginning of existence, and then moves through the development of the world with the Titans, the Olympian gods, the nymphs, the lesser gods, and all other divine beings.

“The Greeks created gods that were in their image; warlike but creative, wise but ferocious, loving but jealous, tender but brutal, compassionate, but vengeful.”

Fry does an exceptional job at creating a somewhat linear narrative for all of these myths that were undoubtedly collected from numerous ancient sources and authors. After introducing our main gods and their stories, Fry takes us through many of Zeus’ conquests, stories of divine revenge and retribution, and popular stories featuring our Olympian gods. There are a lot of retellings in the world, but this one’s by far one of the most entertaining ones I have read. The thing about myths is that even in the ancient world, they were adapted and changed, so any colloquialisms and quips added into these stories by Fry is simply a continuation of a three-thousand-year long tradition. Fry comments at the end of his book that great ancient writers like Ovid took creative license to these stories, and this fact emboldened him to be as imaginative as he wanted in his retellings.

“Gaia visited her daughter Mnemosyne, who was busy being unpronounceable.”

Although there were a couple of comments and additions here and there that I didn’t exactly like/enjoy or didn't think were necessary, overall I greatly enjoyed Fry’s tone and writing style. He has re-written these stories in a lighthearted way, adding in dialogue and mannerisms that he thinks fit, but without losing the essence of the myth or the heart of the story. I would say that this compilation of myths would be a wonderful place to start for people looking to familiarise themselves with the gods of Greek mythology, but don’t want to dive into Hesiod or Pseudo-Apollodorus just yet. You will undoubtedly leave this book with a detailed overview of the foundation myths and beliefs of the Ancient Greeks, and you will definitely enjoy the ride. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of footnotes about Greek myth in Shakespeare.

Have you read any of Stephen Fry’s Greek Mythology books? What did you think of this one? Let me know in the comments on Instagram!

Review: Lore Olympus Volume One by Rachel Smythe

November 16, 2021

★★★★★ - if you haven’t read this, take this as your sign to start the webtoon (for free!) right now!

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe is different to my usual reads, and yet it is very VERY on brand as well. Lore Olympus is a graphic novel that was initially published on WEBTOON and is now being published in physical format. Volume One only includes episodes 1-25 but Rachel is continuously uploading new episodes online (and is currently at episode 181). Lore Olympus is a contemporary retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone from Greek Mythology, in a stunning and unique graphic novel format. Let me tell you, it is absolutely wonderful.

Okay, lets start with a recap on the myth of Persephone and Hades (remember, there are a bunch of different sources all with contradictory information, this is just a quick rundown of the general myth). Persephone (initially known as Kore) is the daughter of the Olympian goddess of Agriculture, Demeter. Persephone is the goddess of spring, but one day she is abducted by Hades (the god of the underworld) who has fallen in love with her when he saw her picking flowers in a meadow, and eventually becomes the queen of the underworld and wife of Hades. In some versions, Zeus gives permission for the abduction… During her abduction, Demeter is going crazy looking for her, and enlists the help of a number of gods (including Helios, sometimes Hermes and Hecate who gives her torches to help find Persephone). Demeter finds her daughter, but Persephone has eaten a pomegranate seed from the underworld and the rule is once you eat something from the realm of the underworld, you can’t leave. So, Hades and Demeter strike up a deal that Persephone will spend either a half or a third of the year (depending on your source material) in the underworld, and the other portion in the upper world. It is widely accepted that this myth was the explanation of the changing of the seasons - with the time Persephone as in the underworld as the time of Autumn and Winter when the crops die.

Okay, back to Lore Olympus. Rachel Smythe has put the Ancient Greek gods into a semi-contemporary world, with Olympus being very modern, and the mortal realm (Earth) being very Ancient-Greek-esq in style. This first volume follows Persephone and Hades meeting for the first time, and introduces many central events, relationships and characters like Minthe, Demeter, Hecate, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, Zeus and Hera. The art style is absolutely breathtaking, each god/goddess has it’s own colour, with Persephone being pink, Hades as blue and Artemis (and her twin brother Apollo) as purple etc. It is a really distinctive style, and is a really unique way to differentiate characters (and I can only assume would make it easier for readers who aren’t familiar with Greek mythology to keep the characters straight). The story is a wonderful combination of the Ancient Greek myth in a modern setting which includes scandal, gossip and wild parties but also facets of Ancient Greek myth and culture. There is some potentially triggering content in this first volume which continues through the WEBTOON, by Smythe has added a content warning tp the beginning of the book ad adds content warnings prior to potentially triggering episodes online which is really great to see.

So basically, I love this graphic novel. It is such a wonderful combination of old and new in a really beautiful art style - once you start reading you will not be able to stop. I literally cannot believe it took me so long to start reading this, but you can best believe I’ve been reading it whenever I’ve had the chance since finishing this book.

Review: A Touch of Malice by Scarlett St. Clair

September 22, 2021

★★★★☆.5 This is by far my favourite from the Hades x Persephone series so far! This is a non-spoiler review, but will spoil the earlier books!

What is the book about?

A Touch of Malice is the third book from Persephone’s point of view from Scarlett St. Clair’s Hades x Persephone Series. The series is a steamy retelling of Persephone’s abduction by Hades from Greek Mythology, written in an urban setting called New Greece where the gods play an active role in the lives of the mortals. There are three main storylines happening in tandem during this instalment in the series; Zeus deciding whether to agree to let Hades and Persephone get married, Demeter plunging New Greece into a dangerous snow storm, and the ongoing threat of Triad and the Demigods who are getting restless over what they think is the Greek gods tyrannical rule.

“I am not sure who you think I am,” she said. “But let me be clear—I am Persephone, future Queen of the Underworld, Lady of Your Fate—may you come to dread my presence.

My thoughts on the book

Without a doubt this is my favourite book of this series so far, with A Game of Fate in a very close second (which is book number one from Hades point of view). I think the biggest thing that struck me in this book is how far some of the characters (Persephone, Hades and Apollo) have come. The personal development of these three characters in particular really struck me in this book, and it honestly warmed my heart. One of the tropes I dislike the most in books is the miscommunication trope, and is something that was evident between Persephone and Hades in the previous books, but not this one!! I was so proud of how they had grown both independently, and as a couple. Their communication and ways in which they worked together in this book made me feel as if I was a proud mother.

Having enemies is a universal truth. It means you have something worth fighting for.

The character driven style of this book really resonated with me, and I think that may be why I liked it so much. Not only do we see how Persephone’s life is evolving both in the upper world and her business, but in the underworld as future Queen, but we also get a bit more insight into what motivates some of the other characters actions.This book was full of smaller story lines, and introduced a few moving pieces which will surely climax (no pun intended) in the final instalment of this series. I loved the details we got, and the introduction to new characters and deities, and although the ending was heavily foreshadowed throughout the novel and was completely unexpected (although totally keeping with the developing story), I am still eagerly anticipated the conclusion of this story in late 2023 *sobs*. If I keep talking , I am inevitably going to spoil something, so I’ll leave my review there! Have you read this series? Do you have a favourite book? Let me know in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read!

Review: The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

August 31, 2021

★★★☆☆ I enjoyed this one, but also had a few issues with it… Trigger warning - mention of hanging and r*pe.

What’s the book about?

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood is a retelling of the life of Penelope, and the fate of the 12 maids from The Odyssey. In this contemporary tale, Atwood delves into the question of why were the twelve maids hanged and what led up to their fate? The story is told primarily from the perspective of Penelope, dead in the underworld, retelling her life on earth with interjecting sections from the point of view of the maids. These interjecting sections are told in a number of different forms including poetry, a trial, a play and a love song. Penelope’s tale takes us from her birth, childhood and marriage to Odysseus, through her 20 lonely years to her life after Odysseus returned and her afterlife. Atwood has filled in the gaps with how she believes Penelope may have been acting and what she may have been feeling throughout her life, and while using the maids as a sort of tragic chorus, commentating on their lives, Penelope and their hanging.

My Thoughts about the book

Like I said at the beginning, I definitely enjoyed reading this, but there were a couple of things that caused the loss of two stars in my rating. In its essence, this is The Odyssey retold from the point of view of Penelope, and the twelve maids who were hanged in the tale. I had really high hopes for this book but I was slightly underwhelmed. I think I am partially to be blamed for this because there really isn’t that much to work with from Penelope’s point of view from ancient texts, with her letter in Ovid’s Heroides as the only one that comes to mind. What we get is a retelling of the tale of the Odyssey from Penelope who is dead, and she isn’t as much of a subservient wife as she was on earth.

She aims much of her criticism at Odysseus, Telemachus and Helen. While I think that Odysseus and Telemachus deserve the way Penelope described them (especially Telemachus who is rude and disrespectful), for a feminist retelling, I was incredibly surprised with the depiction of Helen. Penelope did not hold back with her scathing remarks about her vain, attention-loving, husband deserting cousin, and I found it truly unbelievable in a contemporary retelling. That is the kind of stance on Helen that I am used to reading in myths from antiquity, because as a woman in the 21st century reading The Odyssey and any other myth relating to the abduction of Helen by Paris of Troy, I firmly believe she was damned if she did and damned if she didn’t. So, we have Penelope reminiscing on her life, with Atwood making some speculations about how she may have reacted in some situations which felt a bit forced and unbelievable. But overall, I liked Atwood’s attempt at reconstructing how Penelope may have lived without her husband for 20 years.

However, this wasn't purely focussed on Penelope and her newfound boldness in death, but also on the fate of the twelve maids who were hung in book 22 of The Odyssey. I really loved many of the sections from the point of view of the maids, they were poignant and gut-wrenching, and the use of different forms like poetry and play format added to the tragedy. I also loved the idea of the maids being like the chorus of a Greek tragedy, adding in their commentary. It added an extra dynamic to what would have been a fairly dull and speculative story. The hanging of the twelve maids in The Odyssey often comes as a bit of a shock, and prior to their deaths, they are made to clean up the carnage left after Odysseus had killed all of the suitors that were eating him out of house and home. The women were killed because they had betrayed Odysseus by sleeping with the suitors without his permission (their master who had been gone for 20 years). Atwood makes it explicit that it was r*pe, and these women had absolutely no choice in the matter (but apparently Helen did???), and continuously questions the reason for their deaths. They haunt Odysseus. He deserves to be haunted.

Many times whilst I was reading this, I noted that it felt like a modern commentary of the ancient story which was supported by Atwood’s use of modern language and having Penelope dead, in the present. She makes many comments about modern physics and spirits using telephone wires to travel and things like this which were quite jarring. I liked that Atwood highlighted the evolving beliefs and rituals attributed to the afterlife, which could also be said about the view of women in general, but I felt she took it a bit too far that it felt disconnected from the overall story. So, as you can see, I have conflicting thoughts over this, but overall it is an interesting take on The Odyssey, from the point of view of Penelope and the twelve maids. Have you read this? I would love to hear your thoughts either in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read!

May Wrap up and June Hopefuls 2021

June 3, 2021

I hope May has treated you all well. Here in Melbourne, the leaves are changing, and the frost is encroaching as the mornings get colder and colder. Alas, the end of autumn is here and it’s time for three months of cold, rain and wind. I feel like May was a long month and I’m not quite as shocked as I usually am that we have reached the end of it. But, enough about me, let’s get into my wrap up for May 2021 and the books I hope to get to in June!

My May 2021 hopefuls (not pictured, The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper because it hadn’t been published yet)

Some things to note about me: I am a slow reader, I love to annotate, I love to read multiple books at once and I cannot stick to a tbr to save my life. At the beginning of May, I posted my ‘hopefuls’ list, which is pretty much just a tbr that has absolutely no expectations of actually being read (which is my favourite type). I like to try and add books from different genres onto my hopefuls list to at least give me a chance to get some of them read, depending on my mood. In May, I read 3 of my 6 hopefuls and I feel really proud of that.

May wrap up

The first book I read in May was one that I started in April and that was the Odyssey by Homer and translated by E.V. Rieu. Reading the Odyssey was such a long time coming, I think I was just super intimidated by it. In saying that, now that I have read it, I wish that I read it sooner 😂 I loved the translation done by E.V. Rieu, although it was in prose rather than verse, it still had such a poetic feel to it which I really loved, and it has made me want to read a verse translation next to really be able to compare the different interpretations of the text. Overall, I found it to be easier to read than the Iliad (which may honestly be because the Iliad is like, 80% names and genealogy), and it wasn’t written in a way I expected. Many of the adventures that Odysseus had embarked on were recounted to Alcinous of the Phaeacians, rather than experienced first hand, which I actually think I preferred. Odysseus’ long-winded journey home was full of adventures, and overall, I really enjoyed the story and the translation. Check out my full review.

My second read of the month was Jennifer Saint’s debut novel Ariadne, which follows the lives of Ariadne and Phaedra, the daughters of King Minos and Crete and Pasiphaë from their childhoods to their deaths. Not only has Saint put together the stories of the two sisters, which are stories that are often told separately, you also get points of view from both Ariadne and Phaedra, which (if you know me at all), you’ll know that I loved! I wasn’t too familiar with the myth of Ariadne past the Theseus and the Minotaur events, and I really loved watching her character evolve, and her relationship with Dionysus change and develop throughout the tale. I thought the contrast of the two sisters, with Ariadne, secluded on Naxos surrounded by women and Phaedra living the life Ariadne wanted for herself with Theseus in Athens surrounded by people hostile to her home city of Crete was so striking. It allowed the reader to draw some fascinating parallels between the sisters that would have otherwise been difficult to do, since their stories are almost exclusively, told separately. I thought the ending was so poignant and bittersweet, and even if you are familiar with the myths of Ariadne, Theseus, the Minotaur, Phaedra and Hippolytus, you will definitely love this new retelling of their stories. Check out my full review! If you’re interested in hearing a bit more about Ariadne, I was lucky enough to have been able to interview Jennifer Saint, and ask her all sorts of questions about her novel which you can find here! (non-spoiler of course!)

The final book I finished for the month was The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper, which was my favourite read for the month, and potentially for the year (it’s neck and neck with The Porpoise by Mark Haddon). The Wolf Den is set in the lupanar, or brothel of Pompeii in the first century CE, and follows the point of view of Amara, a Greek woman who was sold when she was younger after the death of her father. I thought The Wolf Den did such a wonderful job at bringing the ancient world to the modern-day through the intertwining of graffiti found at the site of Pompeii. This graffiti is written by the everyday people of Pompeii, and gives us an incredibly rare insight into the daily lives of the everyday people of Pompeii, rather than the rest of the literature which survives which is almost exclusively written by the powerful men of the Roman Empire. The story emphasises the unbreakable bonds of friendship between the five prostitutes who work at the wolf den, and the contrasting ways in which they deal with their loves and their lack of autonomy. Elodie also does such a phenomenal job of bringing the lives of these women to the forefront, and highlighting the often overlooked fact that prostitutes in the ancient world would not have chosen this life, nor would they have necessarily always been prostitutes. Amara’s main focus in this novel is to change her fate, and do it by any means necessary, which provides her many opportunities for her character to develop, and she often has to make hard decisions which highlight the fact that all of these characters are morally grey, which adds another layer to the relationships and the character development in general. I loved this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone! if you’re worried you don’t know enough about Pompeii or the ancient world, don’t fret! You can absolutely still enjoy this book, but if you want a bit of context to ancient Pompeii before jumping into this novel, check out my full review where I give a rundown of the context and graffiti in Pompeii! I was so lucky to get a chance to interview Elodie harper, and I had such a wonderful chat about the book, her experiences writing it and the development of her characters! You can either watch it, or read it! The interview, just like my review, is spoiler-free!

June hopefuls

It’s getting cold, which means inside our house is going to get cosy and warm which is the perfect setting for reading! This month, I have 5 physical books on my hopefuls list, and one audiobook. The audiobook is The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout which I have been listening to throughout the entirety of May. I cannot believe I am still reading this book, it is SO long and I swear only like, three things have happened. This book needed some serious editing. I only have a couple of hours left of this book, so I truly hope I get it finished this month. Along with finally finishing TCOGB, I am hoping to read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, The Library of Greek Mythology by Apollodorus, The Poems of Catullus and The Bacchae by Euripides which I am going to read with the lovely Erica over at MoanInc!

So! I guess we will see how I do this month, but honestly, as long as I take some time to read something, I consider it a successful reading month! I hope you all enjoyed this post, and let me know down below or over on my Instagram Kell_Read what book you are most looking forward to reading this month!

Review: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

May 15, 2021

★★★★★ (Either 5 stars or 4.75… either way, this book was brilliant!) Head to the end of my review to find my interview with Jennifer Saint with World History Encyclopedia! After you’ve finished watching my interview with Jennifer, I would recommend you then head over to Erica’s YouTube channel MoanInc, where she has built off the questions I asked, and delved even deeper into the story with Jennifer which you can find here!

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint was a hugely anticipated read for me this year, even more so after I saw the beautiful cover art for both editions. So to say I was excited to read this one is an understatement, especially due to my obsession with Greek Mythology and women in the ancient world. I am very happy to say I was not disappointed. If you aren’t familiar with the myths of Ariadne, Phaedra, Theseus and the Minotaur, then this will spoil those for you. Since the book follows the myths very closely, this review details the core myths used in Ariadne, and then my thoughts on the book below will mention key points from the myth which will spoil it for you if you aren’t familiar with it!

Mythological Inspiration (this is a long one…)

Let’s start with the mythology Ariadne is based off. As the title suggests, our main focus of the book is Ariadne, although I was pleasantly surprised that in Part Two and Three of the book (it’s split into four parts), we also get the point of view of Ariadne’s little sister Phaedra. Ariadne and Phaedra were daughters of King Minos of Crete, a son of Zeus, and his wife Pasiphäe who was a daughter of the Titan-god of the sun, Helios. When the ruler of Crete, Aseterion, died, the three sons of his wife Europa with Zeus; Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthus all wanted to be king. Minos claimed he had support from the gods to become king of Crete, and so he said that if he sacrificed and prayed to the gods for anything, they would fulfil the wish. So, Minos sacrificed to Poseidon and asked him to send a bull from the sea, and that if Poseidon did this, Minos would sacrifice the bull to the god. Poseidon sent the magnificent bull, and Minos’ claim was supported. However, when Minos saw the bull and how magnificent it was, he couldn’t bring himself to sacrifice it, and so he kept the bull for himself and sacrificed one of his regular bulls instead, in the hopes that he could trick Poseidon.

Your coronet will guide sailors to safety through the labyrinth of the treacherous seas. Women will look to it for a sing of comfort, a light in the darkness. Children will whisper their wishes to it before the close their eyes to dream. It will stay there, fast and true, for all time. (pg. 239)

Obviously, Poseidon knew exactly what Minos had done and so he plotted to punish Minos for his hubris. The punishment of Minos was done through his wife, Pasiphäe. In some accounts it’s enacted by Poseidon, in some it is by Aphrodite (or Venus in Roman texts) because Pasiphäe hadn’t shown the proper piety to the goddess, and in some Poseidon seeks the help of Aphrodite in the punishment. Whichever myth you read, it ends the same, Pasiphäe is sent an all consuming desire for the bull, and so she seeks the help of Daedalus the inventor. Daedalus constructs Pasiphäe a wooden cow covered in a real cow hide, and so she hid in the contraption and lay with the bull, since it thought that the wooden cow was real. From this union, Pasiphäe became pregnant with the Minotaur who was half human, half cow, and she named him Asterion.

The birth of the Minotaur brought shame to the family, and although Pasiphäe cared for it when it was younger, the Minotaur grew monstrous and ferocious, and his hunger was only satiated with human flesh. To hold the creature, Minos had Daedalus create the Labyrinth underneath the palatial centre at Knossos where the Minotaur lived. There was still the issue of how to keep the Minotaur fed, but after Minos’ son Androgeos was killed in Athens, Minos blamed the Athenians for his death and so requested 7 young boys and 7 young girls every nine years (or every year depending o the source), which he would feed to the Minotaur in punishment for the death of his son. In the third round of tributes, Theseus the prince of Athens volunteered as one of the tributes. When he arrived on Crete, both Ariadne and Phaedra fell in love with Theseus, and so Ariadne sought out Daedalus to help save Theseus. Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of string so that he could find his way out of the Labyrinth. Theseus successfully killed the Minotaur, and then left Crete with Ariadne and Phaedra. On the way home, Theseus abandons Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and takes Phaedra as his wife. Ariadne becomes the wife of Dionysus, and Phaedra becomes the Queen of Athens until she falls in love with her stepson Hippolytus, which does not end well for either her or the youth.

So there you have it, the most condensed version of the myth I could possibly write. If you want a more in-depth article about the myth, check out World History Encyclopedia’s article on The Minotaur!

… but also by the terrible truth that she had sacrificed everything she knew for a love as ephemeral and transient as the rainbows that glimmered through the sea spray. (pg. 1)

Thoughts and Feelings

I have been finding it hard to put my thoughts about this book into coherent sentences, so much so that I’ve taken a few days since finishing it to let it settle before sitting down to write this review. Let’s start off with some general thoughts on Ariadne. The first thing that struck me when reading this book was the writing, it’s absolutely beautiful. Saint’s writing style is lyrical and poetic, and it has given me the same feeling as Madeline Miller’s Circe. The amount of tabs I used for this book is just insane, and it was primarily so I could go back to the sentences that were so beautiful and striking. I thought the descriptive language lended itself well to the story, as it is quite a slow burn. If you are looking for action, then this is not the book for you. I would have liked a little bit more dialogue to help the story move a bit, but when we did get dialogue, Saint made it count. It strikes me as very similar to Greek Tragedy in the sense that any action or violence is never shown, but rather told. You don’t actually read about Theseus killing the Minotaur, but when he exits the labyrinth with the other tributes, you know that a bloody fight has just occurred.

I know that human life shines more brightly because it is but a shimmering candle against an eternity of darkness and it can be extinguished with the faintest breeze. (pg. 229)

The book is split into four parts; the first and fourth part are from Ariadne’s point of view, and in parts two and three, we get both Ariadne and Phaedra’s point of view. Having dual perspectives in this novel was such a brilliant way to tell this story, especially since Phaedra essentially lived the life Ariadne dreamed for herself, the second she locked eyes with Theseus. This book was full of hints to the long history of Greek epic poetry, such as the reuse of epithets commonly seen in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. My favourite, and one that popped up a lot was ‘rosy-fingered dawn,’ which could be found rewritten numerous time in ways such as ‘the rosy fingers of dawn’ (15). You also have the bee pendant given to Ariadne from Daedalus, which can only be inspired by the Minoan gold bee pendant found in the site of Malia on Crete, as well as mentions of the labrys, also known as a double axe which is a very common symbol and artefact found in Minoan sites and contexts. Any time an author intertwines archaeological aspects into a retelling or reimagining of a myth, I automatically like it more.

One very prevalent theme throughout this retelling is the inherent unfairness there was in being a woman in the world of the gods, and in Ancient Greece in general. Furthermore, this idea of women being punished for the actions of men is commented on by Ariadne as early as page 15 with her thought ‘however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do.’ The myths of women such as Scylla who betrayed her father to help Minos, and who was then killed by Minos for her treachery, of Io who was turned into a cow to ‘save’ her from Hera’s wrath after she slept with Zeus, of Semele who was tricked by Hera into forcing Zeus to show her his divine self which then promptly killed her, of Medusa who was turned into a monster with snakes for hair and a look which could kill after being raped by Poseidon, were all brought up time and again in this book, as an emphasis of how women were punished for the follies of men, and I wish Ariadne learnt from these stories. Of course, the myth had to play out, but by having those myths mentioned throughout the story makes it all the more clear how helpless the lives of women were.

I wondered what it felt like; to command the respect of people who had not seen you for years and knew nothing of you except that you were the son, rather than the daughter, of the King. (Phaedra, pg. 152)

This book was very character driven, and I was loving every minute of it. We pretty much get the entire life of Ariadne and Phaedra from their childhood until the day they die in 386 pages, so naturally, their development and growth was a huge part of the narrative. Ariadne was always quite self aware, she knew the consequence of her actions, but she was so naive to assume that everyone else (ahem, Theseus), was as trustworthy as she was. Her character fluctuated between being a relatively naive woman who let things happen to her, to being this strong, courageous woman who did what she wanted for herself. The inconstancies of her character made her all the more human to me, and a loved reading through her life, and the ways which Saint interpreted her life on Naxos with her children and the Maenads. Having the dual perspective of Ariadne and Phaedra was such a great way to show the contrasting lives of the sisters, and how they grew up so differently. The most striking contrast for me was the way in which the two women dealt with becoming mothers and their feelings towards their children. It was haunting, and their different experiences has really stuck with me. This is similar to their relationships with their husbands, Dionysus and Theseus. Dionysus is the god of wine, and the fact that he is a god and has married a mortal is your first sign that this cannot stay so perfect. His development was one of my favourite parts of this book, it was so intriguing to read how the following of mortals in his rites affected him, and consequently his relationship with Ariadne and their children. In contrast, Phaedra and Theseus were never in love, and Phaedra lived a lonely existence as the Queen of Athens. Being in her head as she meets this innocent, pure and outwardly kind man, Hippolytus, really casts her story with Hippolytus in a different light than what we get from primary sources. It was fascinating and tragic, and I loved it. This brings me to Theseus, the opposite to Hippolytus in every way possible. He was obsessed with being a hero, and so I thought that the early description of his ‘cold green eyes’ hints to his cold and cunning soul. He doesn’t care for anyone other than himself, and his lies and manipulation was all calculated and without a second thought for anyone else’s feelings, but only for how it would help him become a greater hero. I really liked the way he was portrayed in this book, but I have a feeling that might change after reading some primary sources of the myth of Ariadne and Theseus.

I will be coming back to this review after I have read 1. The Library of Greek Mythology (also known as the Bibliotheca) by Apollodorus and 2. Plutarch’s Parallel Lives: Comparison of Theseus and Romulus because I’m interested to see how my opinions change about the character of Theseus and Ariadne after reading a couple of primary sources on him. I am also having an interview with Jennifer Saint which I am so excited about, so after I have published that video, I’ll be sure to link it here so you can check that out! The transcription of my interview with Jennifer has been posted to World History Encyclopedia which you can read here! Have you read Ariadne? I would love to hear your thoughts on it either in the comments or find me over on Instagram @kell_read!

April Wrap-Up 2021

May 2, 2021

May 1st! It’s the last month of Autumn in Australia already, how absolutely bonkers. What a whirlwind April was! I feel like I was so busy for the entire month, I blinked on April 1st and found myself at May 1st. It was a great month for me, life-wise and reading-wise. Here’s the thing with me, if I read just one book, or I start a book that’s been on my tbr for a while, or I read a book I really like, that’s a good reading month for me. It isn’t about how many books I read but about how much I enjoy the time I have spent reading. With that in mind, let’s get on to my wrap-up for April 2021! This month was all about Greek Mythology reimaginings, and I was all for it! I read a total of four books this month, two of them audiobooks, one hardback and one paperback.

The first book I finished was the audiobook of A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair. A Touch of Darkness is a retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, but Scarlett has brought it into an urban setting. This book was steamy and binge-worthy and I was absolutely hooked the moment I started listening to it (although the narrator was much more bearable once I got it on 1.2x speed). At its heart, this book is the story of the abduction of Persephone (the goddess of spring) by Hades (the god of the underworld), but Scarlett imbued it with a new life. She has created an alternative world that is so unique, and she has depicted the gods and their stories in new and interesting ways. Persephone annoyed me a lot whilst reading this (and the next one too), but after watching Scarlett’s interview with Erica from MoanInc, I understand her thought processes and motivations better now. This book was like a reality TV show in book form, with roots in Greek myth and legend and I really enjoyed it! I would recommend this (very raunchy series) to all lovers of Greek mythology who are looking for something a bit different! You can read my full spoiler-free review here!

My second read of the month was The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi and translated by William Scott Wilson. This was a bit of a different read for me, as it’s a manifesto written by the undefeated samurai Musashi, at the end of his life. The Book of Five Rings goes through the Ways needed to learn and master in order to become the best samurai possible, but some of the lessons can definitely be transferred to everyday life. It was a fascinating read, written by an incredibly interesting person from Japanese history, and I thought the translation by William Scott Wilson was easy to read. Find my full review of this book here!

My third read for the month was A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair which was, again, in audiobook format. I actually enjoyed this one more than the first one, even though we definitely didn’t get enough Hecate. We did get more Hermes (my ultimate favourite character), and some new gods took more of the spotlight than the first book, namely Apollo. I’ve heard that I need to read A Game of Fate, which is the first book from Hades’ point of view, to understand more about his motives and perspective, and I’m really excited to read it, especially because he was sort of absent in this book? Understanding more about Scarlett and her choices when writing the perspective of Persephone has caused me to warm a bit more to her POV, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy Hades’ perspective more 😂 Anyway, my opinions on this series are sort of chaotic but it’s safe to say they are still VERY steamy, unique and overall, enjoyable reads!

The final book I read for the month of April was Lore by Alexandra Bracken. Similar to A Touch of Darkness, Bracken brought Greek Mythology into an urban setting, but most notably, Bracken brought them into our world. I have NEVER read a book quite like this before. For a week every seven years, 9 of the 12 Olympians are sent to earth and turned mortal, and the bloodlines of many greek heroes such as Perseus, Kadmos and Heracles hunt down the gods and if you kill them, you become the new god and assume their power. This book only covers one week, and it was a wild ride from start to finish. I really enjoyed this book, and I had A LOT of opinions and thoughts about it, which you can read all about here! Lore was definitely my favourite read of the month!

This month I also posted a couple of different blog posts, one on the Mycenaeans and one on Greek Mythology and where to begin if you want to start learning about it. I decided to write the ‘So you Want to Learn About Greek Mythology’ post after chatting to some friends about what a good place to start would be if you’re just beginning to learn about Greek myths, and also because I FINALLY started reading the Odyssey. You guys really seemed to enjoy those posts, so thank you so much for reading them and engaging with my posts on Instagram, really means a lot! Let me know in the comments (or on my insta) what your favourite book of April was, and if you have any requests for guides like my Greek mythology post, or topics for bite-sized ancient history!

So you want to learn about Greek Mythology?

April 27, 2021

Hey friends, and welcome to a different kind of post! I recently made a video for work called The 12 Olympians: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greek Mythology and for me, I had so much fun writing and filming it, and it was probably because I was already really familiar with the stories from Greek Mythology. I thought to myself, this would be a good place to start for people who are just starting to get into the wealth of stories that Greek mythology has to offer, but where should they go from there? So, this is a little post with some book recommendations for people who want to learn about Greek mythology but have no idea where to start, or are a bit overwhelmed with the number of books out there! I am absolutely going to be drawing on my own experiences from learning about Greek mythology, so if you have any suggestions or helpful tips for those people who want to learn more, please leave a comment down below!!

Books to Read (Fiction!)

I know this may sound weird, but the place I started on my journey to learning about Greek mythology and becoming completely obsessed with it was Percy Jackson. Unlike many other people, I didn’t read this until I was about 15 or16, and honestly, I wish I had read it sooner. Not because I thought that it was too young for me (I still adore it), but because it meant I would have been exposed to the world of Greek myths far sooner. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is the place I’d start for anyone wanting to dip their toe into Greek mythology. It’s a 5 book series but they’re all pretty short, easy to read and very entertaining. But, while you’re reading about Percy, Annabeth and Grover go on quests, you’re actually being exposed to a lot of the core gods, monsters and myths of Greek mythology. So much of these books were inspired by myths, and once you finish this series, you will be familiar with the basic family tree of the Greek gods (well, as familiar as a person could be with that incestuous mess), as well as key monsters and stories which you will find in the ancient sources such as the Odyssey by Homer and Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days. If you’re looking for more of a Young Adult book with a bit of action, then I would recommend giving Lore by Aexandra Bracken a read. It isn’t as full of Greek stories as the Percy Jackson series is, but you do still get a good glimpse into some of the beliefs of the ancient greeks, and specifically the myths of the goddess Athena. Along these same lines would be A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair (definitely more of an adult book), which is a re-imagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone, but it’s set in an alternate, urban setting. These books are fun, but also dive into a bunch of different myths concerning the goddess Persephone, the god Hades and a bunch others!

Online resources (Articles, Videos and Podcasts!)

This is the part of this blog post where I’m just going to hype up the company I have the pleasure to work for, as well as some of my friends who are doing an amazing job bringing Greek mythology and history to a modern audience, and making it accessible! Online resources are so handy, especially since they’re easily accessible and more often than not, they’re free! If you’d prefer to read some stuff, then I would recommend World History Encyclopedia (I am biased because I work for them, but they also do amazing work.) You can find an introductory article here on Greek Mythology which is such a great place to start, and from there you can find articles on all the main gods, goddesses, myths and legends! If you’re more of a video lover, then you’re in luck because we publish youtube videos twice a week, and so far we have published this video on the 12 Olympians, a video all about Hermes, a video on Artemis, and a bunch more! If you’re looking for some fun videos that combine cute makeup looks with greek myths, then you should definitely check out Hannah’s videos on YouTube! I LOVE her videos on the myths of Persephone and Hades, and Echo and Narcissus, they’re short and sweet, easy to follow and end up with a super cute makeup look! Finally, your one-stop-shop for videos on mythology, ancient history, philosophers, as well as interviews and book reviews is Erica’s incredible website Moan Inc. You can find Erica and Moan on Instagram, Youtube, podcasts and via her website, and she’s working so hard to bring the ancient world to a modern audience in an engaging and fun way!

Where to Next? Ancient Epics, Texts and Retellings!

Looking for something a bit more challenging? Already know the basics and you’re ready to dive in deeper? I would definitely recommend beginning with Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days. It’s a really short read, and although it’s an ancient text, it’s easy to read and is a great intro to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks. If you want to know a bit more about Theogony and Works and Days you can have a look at my review here! From here, I would then recommend The Library of Greek Mythology (also known as Bibliotheca) by Pseudo-Apollodorus. It reads very similarly to Theogony and Works and Days, but it’s a bit longer and delves deeper into the stories and myths of Greek Mythology, and you will find the stories of heroes such as Heracles, Theseus and Jason. Then, of course, you have the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer! I would personally recommend the E.V. Rieu translation of these two which are written in prose but still keep their poetic roots, and they’re super easy to read for stories that are over 2000 years old. You can read my thoughts on the Iliad here! Just remember, every translation is different, so if you’re not clicking with the first translation you try, pick up a different one! If you’re a fan of theatre, then reading Ancient Greek theatre is an awesome way to become familiar with some of the important figures and stories from Greek myths, and even though only a handful survive from what would have been hundreds of plays, we still have plays about some of the most interesting figures from Greek mythology such as Medea, Jason, Antigone, Oedipus, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Orestes and Electra (just to name a few!) They’re definitely easier to read than something like Shakespeare, and many editions now give you fantastic commentary and background info on the plays! My favourites are Medea by Euripides, Antigone by Sophocles and the Oresteia by Aeschylus. One thing I’ve noticed particularly in the past year or so is a HUGE boom in retellings, especially feminist retellings or retellings from female points of view. This surge in retellings seems to have been pioneered by Madeline Miller with her books The Song of Achilles and Circe, which are both brilliant, but if you’re just starting to dip your toe into Greek mythology, give Stephen Fry’s books Mythos, Heroes and Troy a go! Fry has such an entertaining way of retelling the myths but making them feel new - and, his somewhat linear narrative of the foundational Greek myths in Mythos is truly a massive feat. I would definitely recommend Mythos as an easy and enjoyable first step in learning about Greek mythology. If you’re interested in reading Classical Greek stories from a females point of view, I have a bunch on my TBR pile which include Natalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships, Pandora’s Jar and The Children of Jocasta, as well as Pat Barker’s Silence of the Girls and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne. I haven’t read some of these yet, but I can only assume it would be helpful to come into them with a bit of a basis for the original stories and texts, so maybe hit these types of books once you’re nice and familiar with the core gods, goddesses, myths and monsters of Greek mythology.

Hopefully I have given you everything you could possibly need to start your journey with Greek mythology! As noted, this is from my personal experience, so if you have any book recommendations or tips on getting familiar with Greek mythology then please, leave a comment below or reach out on instagram where you can find me at @kell_read!