X-Book

Ariadne

Click Buy to Log in and see personalised pricing.

Send as a gift Get in the xigxag app
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

**The mesmerising retelling from the woman at the heart of one of Ancient Greece's most famous myths.**

'I absolutely adored this book and am encouraging everyone I know to buy a copy.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW

'The last few pages will easily become tear soaked. I loved every minute of this book' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW

'A lyrical, insightful re-telling' - Daily Mail

'If you like Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne [. . .] Saint makes it a page-turner' - Glamour

'Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour.' - Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN

'ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.' - Stylist

Ariadne, Princess of Crete and daughter of the fearsome King Minos, grows up hearing stories of gods and heroes. But beneath the golden palace something else stirs, the hoofbeats and bellows echoing from the Labyrinth below. Every year its captive, the Minotaur - Ariadne's brother - demands blood.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne sees in him her chance to escape. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that drawing the attention of the mercurial gods may cost her everything.

In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to risk everything for love ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition?

ARIADNE gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this exceptional debut novel is perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS.

'With her wonderfully executed debut that reimagines the classic tale of Theseus, Adriane and the Minotaur, Jennifer Saint joins the likes of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker in forging mesmerising retellings of ancient Greek myths from a female perspective.' - Waterstones.com

'Saint's immersive novel thrusts the reader straight into the heart of Greek mythology with this wonderful reimagining of the story of Ariadne.' - iPaper

'What happens after the monster is defeated and the princess leaves with the hero? Jennifer Saint's ARIADNE is a shimmering tapestry of two sisters bound by deceit and the shadows of family history. . .With a fresh voice and keen insight, Saint adds flesh and bone to an ancient myth, drawing the reader into an uneasy world of ever-afters.' - Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of THE NIGHT TIGER

WHAT THE READERS ARE SAYING...

'Stunning writing, fabulous storytelling and surprisingly real characters who you could empathise with' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This is an essential book in the new and rising volume of retelling from the women's point of view - so revealing and questioning. The ending 5 pages of this book killed me.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'So real, so matter of fact, like a good chat on a girls' night out.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Critics Review

ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.
Stylist
What happens after the monster is defeated and the princess leaves with the hero? Jennifer Saint's Ariadne is a shimmering tapestry of two sisters bound by deceit and the shadows of family history. One marries a hero, the other a god. As their lives criss-cross through girlhood and womanhood, the secrets that their husbands keep become a monstrous backdrop to their relationship. With a fresh voice and keen insight, Saint adds flesh and bone to an ancient myth, drawing the reader into an uneasy world of ever-afters.
Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of THE NIGHT TIGER
With her wonderfully executed debut that reimagines the classic tale of Theseus, Adriane and the Minotaur, Jennifer Saint joins the likes of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker in forging mesmerising retellings of ancient Greek myths from a female -perspective.
Waterstones.com
Saint's immersive novel thrusts the reader straight into the heart of Greek mythology with this wonderful reimagining of the story of Ariadne.
iPaper
An ancient story of love and sisterhood reimagined, Jennifer Saint's ARIADNE is a truly masterful debut - compulsive, absorbing and lyrical. Saint breathes new life into the forgotten women of Greek mythology with a novel that's both incredibly absorbing, and full of heart.
Katie Lowe, author of THE FURIES
In ARIADNE, Jennifer Saint places women centre stage. It is a beautiful exploration of the bond of sisterhood, the challenges of womanhood and the desire to forge one's own destiny in a world dominated by the will of heroes and gods. Utterly absorbing and brought to life in lyrical prose, ARIADNE is a joy from start to finish.
Elizabeth Lee, author of CUNNING WOMEN
Saint's enchanting debut retells the myth of the minotaur through the eyes of Ariadne . . . As the women navigate their changing positions of power, they court disaster at the hands of both gods and men. Saint expertly highlights how often the women of this world pay the price for the actions of the men around them. Lovers of mythology should snap this up.
Publishers Weekly
In a world ruled by temperamental, petulant gods, Ariadne is a shining beacon of female strength and courage - making this a story that's impossible to forget.
Culturefly
The story is well known, of course, but Saint tells it skilfully and, like Miller and Haynes, gives a twist to familiar myth by offering the perspective of women characters
The Sunday Times
Here, Ariadne takes centre stage in a lyrical, insightful re-telling that explores her motivations and emotions and the grievances caused by grumpy, cold-hearted gods and warm-blooded men, who are equally vengeful and self-interested
Daily Mail
If you like Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles, you will eat up Ariadne, a retelling of yet another engrossing and horrifying classic Greek myth . . . Saint makes it a page-turner
Glamour
Exquisitely written and exceptionally moving, this is a mythical retelling to savour.
Elodie Harper, author of THE WOLF DEN

User Reviews

Book 4.5
Narration 4.5
Author Jennifer Saint
Narrator Kristin Atherton
Duration 13 hours and 42 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781472273895
Format x-book®
Publisher Headline
Genre Ancient Greek religion and mythology, Fiction: general and literary, Historical fiction, Narrative theme: Interior life, Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
4.5 (2 reviews)
Narration
4.5 (2 reviews)

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag and the x-book®

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK’s only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by “x-book” to find them.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at £8.99. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from £3.99. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.