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Hera

The dazzling story of the Queen of Mount Olympus from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne

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Hera

By: Jennifer Saint
Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
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Summary

 The beguiling story of the Queen of Mount Olympus, told by Jennifer Saint, the bestselling author of ATALANTA, ELEKTRA and ARIADNE.

From Jennifer Saint, the bestselling author of ATALANTA (UK, Sunday Times, April 2023) ELEKTRA (UK, Sunday Times, May 2022) and ARIADNE (UK, Sunday Times, April 2021), comes the captivating story of Greek mythology's most famous wife.

'A spirited retelling' Times | 'Beautiful and absorbing' Fabulous | 'A vivid reimagining of Greek mythology' Harper's Bazaar | 'Jennifer Saint has done an incredible job' Red

When the immortal goddess Hera helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, the ancient Titan Cronos, she dreams of ruling the world at his side.
But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see another side to Zeus, a side just as ruthless and cruel as Cronos was.

She was clearly born to rule, but does that mean perpetuating a cycle of violence and cruelty that has existed since the dawn of time?

Will assuming her power mean that Hera loses herself or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Praise for Jennifer Saint:

'Relevant and revelatory' Stylist

'Energetic and compelling' Times

(P) 2024 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2024 JS Writes Ltd Ancient Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Mythology Ancient Greece Greek Mythology
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Critic Reviews

In Hera, Jennifer Saint has portrayed her protagonist, not as the jealous and vengeful wife of legend but as a fierce resistor of authority, who is driven by a desire to regain her lost equality in a world defined by cruelty and destruction. Saint has a knack of making even the immortals relatable and she brings this most dysfunctional of families into vivid life in her thrilling depiction of a much misunderstood Goddess. (ELIZABETH FREMANTLE, author of Disobedient)
I didn't think I could love Jennifer Saint's books more... and then she wrote Hera. Hera is an exceptional achievement - Jennifer Saint immerses us into a vibrant, magical world, with a wonderfully compelling heroine, yet also examines so many profound and complex ideas around the mythology, wearing her deep knowledge of the subject so lightly. Hera is an incredibly gripping tale of passion, power and retribution. It is also one of the most original, thought provoking meditations on ancient mythology I have ever encountered. (ELODIE HARPER, author of The Temple of Fortuna)
Hera is a sweeping, epic story of Greek mythology's most complex goddess. Jennifer Saint weaves her own original threads into the ancient tales, resulting in a story that is subtle, nuanced, and utterly gorgeous. (SARAH UNDERWOOD, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea)
This is a very special novel . . . With echoes of Miller's Circe, Hera is an epic novel that follows the queen of the gods through her battle against the Titans, her marriage, and her quest for vengeance. The goddess is transformed from a bad-tempered wife to a compelling character readers can root for, even when she is being wicked. With an unforgettable cast of characters (Gaia, Hestia, Demeter and so many more), Hera tells us the story of the Greek gods and their unending quest for power, their ambition, their passion and retribution and, finally, their relationship with mortals. (COSTANZA CASATI, author of Clytemnestra)
Hera is Jennifer Saint's best book yet, and every bit as fierce, powerful and captivating as the Queen of the Gods herself. For too long Hera has been relegated to the sidelines of mythology, serving as the comic punchline, the 'nagging wife'. In Hera, Saint rips the Queen of the Gods out from Zeus' shadow, letting her blaze her own path through these famous myths. Saint does a masterful job of humanising Hera without detracting from her divine power, she is still a fearsome queen but through Saint's expert storytelling we are able to understand and sympathise with Hera like never before. This is a must-read for fans of mythology! (ROSIE HEWLETT, author of Medea)
All stars
Most relevant
I’ve always enjoyed Jennifer Saint’s work. I would’ve enjoyed it more if the narrator could pronounce the names of gods and Demi gods correctly. It took away from the overall story. How does one manage to mess up the name Ares? Give this a listen to find out. Would suggest the book over the audiobook so you can truly enjoy it.

Guess the God

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I enjoyed the way the author brought out a more personalised side of the Greek Gods, exploring the inner workings of Hera gives an in-depth look into the Olympian reign

humanity within the Gods

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We've all seen Hera portrayed as a jealous and vengeful queen, but in this retelling we hear a woman who's rights were taken from her, no choice but to marry her rapist, and take a role she would never have chosen for herself. A woman fighting for her equality and to be heard. A woman who was the divine embodiment and protector of marriage, but who's own husband was the most famously unfaithful of all.

Best one yet

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Loved it - the narrator is very good but she mispronounces most of the names which is very frustrating but once you get past that it’s very well read.

Great story

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I kept getting pulled out of the story when ever a new name was mentioned because there were a few that I thought “that’s not right?”

Mispronounced names and phrases

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