Zenobia Neil

Zenobia Neil's Ariadne Unraveled: A Mythic Retelling explores the full scope of Ariadne's journey and Dionysus's path to godhood. Ariadne, the high priestess of Crete, is completely devoted to her patron goddess, Artemis. Dionysus is a new god, eager to prove himself through his quest for revenge. When Ariadne and Dionysus meet, their instantaneous attraction is undeniable. Artemis, enraged by their connection, declares that she will kill Ariadne if Dionysus does not leave her be. This kickstarts a domino effect that only the Fates could have predicted.

To be totally transparent, it was initially a struggle for me to get, and stay, into this book. While Neil's writing style is beautiful and it was really interesting to see a different perspective of Ariadne and Dionysus, I couldn't help but want for just a little more. I'm not sure if I needed more characterization, more explanation, or a different point of view (first-person POV instead of third-person). There were really great moments throughout this book and the fact that it's a retelling of Greek mythology definitely grabbed my attention.

Overall Rating: 2.5/5 (rounded up to 3)

Ariadne Unraveled: A Mythic Retelling will be available for purchase starting July 7th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Zenobia Neil's website!
I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.… (meer)

Alexandra is a warrior of Sparta. She has become the leader of an army of men and her exploits have her being called the Warrior Queen. She has been fighting for a long time and she has a loyal cadre of men that follow her. Along the way she has made some friends and many enemies. What she didn’t expect was for it all to fall apart so spectacularly.

After rising to heights she could not have imagined it all comes crashing down and Alexandra finds herself seeking those she lost. After meeting with an oracle she realizes she has to go back to her beginnings to find the answers she seeks. It will not be an easy journey but she starts out in hopes of reaching a state of peace.

This was a book that pulls you in from the beginning. It’s not the kind of book that mollycoddles the horrors of war so be aware of that. There are scenes of violence involving war, execution, rape and sexual assault. Any time you read a book about war you are bound to deal with some blood and guts. What I didn’t get with this book was the purposeful placement of a strong female as the protagonist and then the choices made for her downfall and subsequent redemption. I don’t want to go into too many details so as to avoid spoilers but I will admit to a certain disappointment at this treatment.

Overall I very much enjoyed the book but for this last part. The characters are strong and well developed and very interesting. It’s a different take on a novel and I liked that. I am looking forward the the next book in the series… (meer)