Women's Fiction
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Elektra: A Novel
A spellbinding reimagining of the story of Elektra, one of Greek mythology's most infamous heroines, from Jennifer Saint, the author of the beloved international bestseller, Ariadne.
Three women, tangled in an ancient curse.
When Clytemnestra marries Agamemnon, she ignores the insidious whispers about his family line, the House of Atreus. But when, on the eve of the Trojan War, Agamemnon betrays Clytemnestra in the most unimaginable way, she must confront the curse that has long ravaged their family.
In Troy, Princess Cassandra has the gift of prophecy, but carries a curse of her own: no one will ever believe what she sees. When she is shown what will happen to her beloved city when Agamemnon and his army arrives, she is powerless to stop the tragedy from unfolding.
Elektra, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's youngest daughter, wants only for her beloved father to return home from war. But can she escape her family's bloody history, or is her destiny bound by violence, too?
Three women, tangled in an ancient curse.
When Clytemnestra marries Agamemnon, she ignores the insidious whispers about his family line, the House of Atreus. But when, on the eve of the Trojan War, Agamemnon betrays Clytemnestra in the most unimaginable way, she must confront the curse that has long ravaged their family.
In Troy, Princess Cassandra has the gift of prophecy, but carries a curse of her own: no one will ever believe what she sees. When she is shown what will happen to her beloved city when Agamemnon and his army arrives, she is powerless to stop the tragedy from unfolding.
Elektra, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon's youngest daughter, wants only for her beloved father to return home from war. But can she escape her family's bloody history, or is her destiny bound by violence, too?
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Elektra
A Most Anticipated Book (Harper's Bazaar, USA Today, BuzzFeed, Bustle, Goodreads, Veranda Magazine, Historical Novel Society, She Reads, The Nerd Daily)
"A vivid reimagining of Greek mythology's most haunted lineage."
―Harper's Bazaar
"An elektra-fying take on a classic myth focused on a wildly compelling trio of women all caught up in the midst of curses and tragedy."
―BuzzFeed
"Electrifying…Difficult to put down. It's an emotion-laden story of revenge and rage driven by loss and fills a gap by giving Clytemnestra a voice. Both readers who know the Greek myths well and readers who only know glimmers of the story will enjoy this new, epic retelling, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe."
―Booklist (starred review)
"Brilliant… In alternating chapters, each woman relays her own story and is treated to generous and bold character development…The author also does a splendid job managing the timeline, with rich and sustained scenes and seamless jumps. Out of a canonical myth, Saint has built a commanding story of rebellious women."
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Riveting…Together, these voices show how three very different women understand family, the costs of war, and how to exercise their power…Royals, revenge, curses, and prophecies done right."
―Kirkus
"Elektra is sensational. Jennifer Saint has created a version of an ancient myth which is absolutely thrilling to read, and which gives so much depth and vitality to the characters. The book is profoundly moving, and full of beautiful touches which made the story feel fresh and immediate without losing any of the magic of the classical setting. I will be pressing this book on everyone I know."
―Elodie Harper author of
A Most Anticipated Book (Harper's Bazaar, USA Today, BuzzFeed, Bustle, Goodreads, Veranda Magazine, Historical Novel Society, She Reads, The Nerd Daily)
"A vivid reimagining of Greek mythology's most haunted lineage."
―Harper's Bazaar
"An elektra-fying take on a classic myth focused on a wildly compelling trio of women all caught up in the midst of curses and tragedy."
―BuzzFeed
"Electrifying…Difficult to put down. It's an emotion-laden story of revenge and rage driven by loss and fills a gap by giving Clytemnestra a voice. Both readers who know the Greek myths well and readers who only know glimmers of the story will enjoy this new, epic retelling, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller's Circe."
―Booklist (starred review)
"Brilliant… In alternating chapters, each woman relays her own story and is treated to generous and bold character development…The author also does a splendid job managing the timeline, with rich and sustained scenes and seamless jumps. Out of a canonical myth, Saint has built a commanding story of rebellious women."
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Riveting…Together, these voices show how three very different women understand family, the costs of war, and how to exercise their power…Royals, revenge, curses, and prophecies done right."
―Kirkus
"Elektra is sensational. Jennifer Saint has created a version of an ancient myth which is absolutely thrilling to read, and which gives so much depth and vitality to the characters. The book is profoundly moving, and full of beautiful touches which made the story feel fresh and immediate without losing any of the magic of the classical setting. I will be pressing this book on everyone I know."
―Elodie Harper author of
Readers Top Reviews
T A B D
Loved the story but more so that these characters were lovingly brought to life. Total escapism with moments of shocks and anticipation all the way. Great book can totally recommend
Lucy PidgeonT A B
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Wildfire for approving me for an ARC of this book. I read Ariadne last year and enjoyed dipping my toe back into Greek mythology, when Elektra was announced I was eager to give this one a try. I buddy read this with one of my lovely book club pals and thoroughly enjoyed discussing our thoughts. To put it simply I loved this story, in fact I preferred it to Ariadne. Something about the story and its characters swept me up and engulfed me, I could not put this one down. I loved it so much that I immediately ordered myself an hardcover copy to sit next to Ariadne on my shelf. The story follows the well known tale of the Trojan War. This story has been told in so many ways and remade in to films etc but it was always missing that feminine touch. In walks Jennifer Saint, armed and ready to deliver us a story that shows not just the tragedy but the bravery of the women of Greece. The story is told from three alternating POV, Elektra, Clytemnestra and Cassandra. Elektra is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. She yearns for her father to return from the battle of Troy so he can restore order to the palace and finally be home with his children. To say Elektra’s relationship with her mother is strained would be an understatement and as the years roll by it becomes clear just how much resentment Elektra holds for her mother. I had so much sympathy for Clytemnestra and what she witnessed Agamemnon do. As a mother I could understand her grief and her need for revenge but her need to distance herself from her other children was her ultimate downfall. I admired her bravery and determination to dethrone Agamemnon but I wish she had been braver when it came to Aegisthus. Finally we have Cassandra, Princess of Troy, who has been gifted by Apollo with the gift of visions. The only problem is no one believes her. I adored Cassandra’s chapters and how she insinuated at what was going to happen, making me more tempted to keep reading. I felt frustrated for her so many times but it was her scenes with Clytemnestra that really broke me. For someone to want something so horrible to be fall them, as they see it as a way to end their suffering is heart breaking. Jennifer Saint has written a beautiful, twisted and fascinating story. Giving a voice to the women of that time, who arguable sacrificed and suffered a fate worse than death. These characters were wilful, strong, and all consuming in their storytelling. I can not wait to see what Jennifer Saint produces next!
LitShit PodcastRa
I was excited to read this book as I really enjoyed Ariadne from Jennifer Saint last year. This one has 3 POVs of the Greek legends: Cassandra (priestess), Clytemnestra (princess of Troy) and Elektra (Clytemnestra’s daughter with Agamemnon) all around the time of the Trojan War. Overall this book was just lacking. I already knew quite a bit around these stories. I wished for a while book of her, her life, her thoughts and actions. There were two problems for me and the first is Cassandra’s story. While her story is incredibly moving and unfair it just didn’t fit in with the rest beyond that she knew about the Trojan Horse but no one would believe her and Agamemnon brings her home with him. The second is Elektra’s. She is the main character in the book and yet we only get 1/3 of the book from her POV. She’s also not a very likeable character making dumb decisions, being whiny and believing in people after they’ve done horrific things to those she loves. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book
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