Hera
- Author Jennifer Saint
- Narrator Naomi Frederick
- Publisher Headline
- Publish Date 23 May 2024
- Run Time 13 hours and 47 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Ancient Greek religion and mythology, Fiction: general and literary, Historical fiction, Narrative theme: Interior life, Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales.
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What to expect
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
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
Critics Review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Jennifer Saint's Hera is THE essential mythological book of the decade. With lush descriptions, beautiful worldbuilding and powerful prose Jennifer Saint tells the necessary story of the most vilified goddess who must navigate the world of Olympus both as its Queen but also as a woman constantly betrayed reclaiming her power.
With her signature beautiful storytelling style, Saint takes us on a journey through the eyes of the newly anointed God Queen who faces countless obstacles along her way. This is Olympus as you have never seen it before, the story told through the eyes of Hera, its powerful, complex heroine who is finally given the agency she has long deserved.
A devastating, brilliant story which is a must read for any mythology and fantasy lover, I will be handing this book to everyone I know. Breathtaking work as always from Jennifer Saint, an absolute triumph!
With her signature beautiful storytelling style, Saint takes us on a journey through the eyes of the newly anointed God Queen who faces countless obstacles along her way. This is Olympus as you have never seen it before, the story told through the eyes of Hera, its powerful, complex heroine who is finally given the agency she has long deserved.
A devastating, brilliant story which is a must read for any mythology and fantasy lover, I will be handing this book to everyone I know. Breathtaking work as always from Jennifer Saint, an absolute triumph!
Hera is an absolute triumph! An utterly captivating foray into the world of this much misunderstood goddess. You will experience her in all her power and glory, held beautifully at all times by Jennifer Saint's spellbinding craftsmanship. A must read.
There's never a dull moment in this pacey, triumphant reimagining of the queen of Olympian gods. Once a warrior who fought for power alongside her brother Zeus, before he tricked her into becoming his unwilling wife and reluctant patroness of marriage, Saint's Hera is sometimes cruel, often misguided, but always convincing. Vast in scope and thoroughly entertaining, this portrayal of the most maligned Olympian goddess is a fantastic feat of storytelling as well as a satisfying study of the limits and connivances of female power in a man's world.
Jennifer Saint has an extraordinary ability to craft a tale that is at once sweeping and intimate and Hera is no exception. With Saint's signature eloquent and lyrical prose, Hera is not only a shrewd depiction of a complex female character but an expansive dissemination of the patriarchal pantheon, the roles allotted to women and the inherent power of storytelling.
Jennifer Saint is truly the queen of Greek myth. Powerfully vital, unstoppably wild and heart-rendingly beautiful - this is the story of Hera that should always have been told and never was. The queen steps forward to tell her tale at last, in an unmissable epic of such tender ferocity and magnificent rage that it will burn itself into your heart. I couldn't put it down, and when it finished I was tingling with its fierce and haunting magic. Jennifer Saint's novels are a gift from the gods - and this is one of her finest yet.
User Reviews
I'd recommend this without hesitation.
18/06/2024
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