So often, the stories of Greek Mythology are told through the glory of the gods and the male heroes. There are women who have striking stories, but they aren't often heroines that get the same honour and recognition as the heroes whose stories they facilitate. In this retelling of King Minos, Theseus, Daedalus, Dionysus, and the Minotaur, it's Ariadne and her sister Phaedra who tell the tale, sharing their fuller version of history and telling the more realized stories of other female figures in mythology who are often made victims for the action of men.
As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up greeting the dawn from their beautiful dancing floor and listening to her nursemaid's stories of gods and heroes. Beneath the palace they hear the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echoing from the Labyrinth. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.
When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods - drawing their attention can cost you everything. In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition?
This book gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. It is said that it is beautifully written and completely immersive, hypnotic, propulsive, and utterly transporting. It puts the forgotten women of Greek mythology back at the heart of the story, as they strive for a better world.