🧵 Growing up in Crete as the daughter of King Minos, Ariadne knows too well how the gods can be unmerciful. When Theseus arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the Minotaur, Ariadne falls in love with him and decides to help him kill the monster, going against his father’s will. Will her betrayal be worth the sacrifice?
❤️ I liked:
👩 The story. I thought this book would follow Ariadne only in her youth, with the Minotaur and Theseus, but it doesn’t. It tells the story of Ariadne’s life, all of it. I love Greek mythology and loved it even more in this book, told from Ariadne and her sister’s Phaedra point of view.
✍️ The writing. It’s beautiful: as elegant as poetry, it flows easily, creating a very special story, especially when the various characters are recounting their tales.
👩🦱 How women are at the mercy of men and gods. Princesses or peasants, rich or poor, through the stories of Scylla, Medusa and Pasiphae, we see how all women bear the burden of men’s and god’s missteps.
👭 Sisterhood. I loved how the individual characteristics of the sisters are so well described. Ariadne is gentler and introspective. Phaedra is outgoing, daring and confident. Even if they are so different, they both survive in circumstances that they weren’t prepared for. And, after years apart, they are still there for each other.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 I wasn’t sure whether I would have liked it or not, but I am really glad I read it.
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