Elektra by Jennifer Saint

ELEKTRA

From bestselling author of Ariadne, newly published Elektra is a stand alone slice of brilliance.

Let’s be honest, in this glorious literary age there are now many retellings of the Trojan War, a moment in mythology that has been the focus of some hugely successful books, including beloved favourites of mine – The Song of Achilles, Silence of the Girls, A Thousand Ships and Troy to name a few.

Within such a saturated market, @jennifer.saint.author gives us something different and crucial, looking at women rarely considered or really even part of the war. Elektra is the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, sister of Helen, and the book goes between these two women left behind and the mind of Cassandra to keep the timeline of the war.

Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus come from the House of Atreus, a cursed bloodline tainted by generational familial violence and cyclical revenge and this is the myth given prominence in Elektra. I thought this was completely and utterly innovative, Saint considers the impact of these huge moments in such a deft, imaginative way.

In vivid, emotive prose we are taken into the beating hearts of women seen as a side note, viewed as little more than property by men, and expected to withstand anything thrown at them. The build up of Agamemnon’s return having committed a terrible crime on his departure and Clytemnestra’s grief and leadership in the power vacuum left was riveting, juxtaposed with their daughter’s blind loyalty to her father.

I loved being with these women. This is such a readable page turner which truly brings out a further element to such a well known course of events. Magnificent and deserving of its number one spot in the charts last week ~ C

Ad:PR Gifted item with no contractual obligation to review attached. Thank you to the wonder that is @caitlinraynor for sending over this proof pre-release.

Order your copy here.