by Jennifer Saint
Flatiron, 2024. 389 pages. Fantasy
Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronos, helped her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father so that they could rule the world. But, as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as their father was, and she begins to question her role at his side. She was 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? Traditionally portrayed as a jealous wife, a wicked stepmother, and a victim-blaming instrument of the patriarchy, Hera is ripe for a retelling that shows her as a powerful queen―ruthless when she needs to be, but also compassionate, strategic, and ambitious.
When I think of Greek mythology, I vividly remember some heroes and deities, but Hera is never one of them. In my mind, she always appears as a minor character in someone else's story. The decision to give the Queen of Mount Olympus her own narrative was ingenious, and this iteration is remarkably well executed. Having read Saint's Ariadne and Elektra, and Madeleine Miller's Circe and The Song of Achilles, I thought I knew was I was getting myself into. However, Saint channels the story of the most powerful female being of the Greek pantheon into a nuanced and remarkably introspective tale of feminism under the patriarchy, sexual abuse survivorship, and privilege with complex, evolving characters, all without coming across as pedantic nor preachy. It was a remarkable read with a quick pace and a bittersweet (yet fitting) ending: I mean, how else did I really expect the story of the Queen Goddess to end? In death? Hardly. I can't wait to see what she writes next.