Elektra ~ Jennifer Saint

Elektra by Jennifer Saint is a retelling of Greek mythology, more specifically from the Trojan War. The House of Atreus is cursed, tainted by violent acts they are doomed to be forever stuck in a cycle of vengeance and blood. It is the story of three women whose lives are linked with this curse: Clytemnestra, sister of Helen and wife of Agamemnon, Cassandra, princess of Troy and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never be believed and Elektra, youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. 

I enjoyed Ariadne by Jennifer Saint but it wasn’t my favourite mythological retelling so I was hoping this one would be a little bit better. It was. I don’t know whether it’s because I have read so many retellings of the Trojan War that it’s familiar enough that I can focus on the characters and their stories rather than the overarching myth. I also feel like I’m unintentionally on a mission to read the perspective of every female character in the myth.

Weirdly enough, I don’t think I liked any of the protagonists in this novel which is a new experience. It didn’t take away from the story but I didn’t agree with many of their choices. The ending for Clytemnestra and Elektra was a little bit of a car crash waiting to happen because you knew from early on that their choices wouldn’t end with a happily ever after. Cassandra was a little different because her story is a complicated mix of wanting too much and lack of consent. I feel like compared to the other two protagonists there wasn’t enough time spent with Cassandra to really get a full picture of who she was. 

I liked that although Troy was a major event happening throughout this novel, it was in the background and only ever came to the forefront when it was imperative to the protagonists’ journeys. 

Overall, I liked this book. It was dark and was almost a warning about letting revenge consume you but done in a non-patronising way. I gave it four stars.

C🌙