Book Review: Elektra, Jennifer Saint

Title: Elektra

Author: Jennifer Saint

Published: 26th April 2022, Wildfire
Pages: 341
Source: Bought/Netgalley
Format: Hardback/eARC
Rating: 5/5
The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This si the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra

The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon - her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra

Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra

The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence.

Elektra is a brilliant retelling of Troy and the House of Atreus. It's my first Greek retelling so I'm unsure of how unique it is, but it had me captivated. I flew through it.

Elektra is set in Ancient Greece as per the myth, and I could really picture it. Jennifer Saint is phenomenal at describing the scenes, as well as the emotions.

The story is told from the perspective of three women: Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra. I wouldn't say I found any of them particularly likeable, but they were memorable, and Cassandra was my favourite. I really grew to care about what happened to them, and their story did make me cry. They were well-rounded characters too, with great aspects to their personalities as well as not-so-great ones.

In a way, the story was predictable - who doesn't know the basics of the story of Troy - but I wasn't aware of the details or the aftermath. It was such a bitter ending that left me gobsmacked. I also found Elektra a fast-paced read - helped along by short chapters, easy-to-follow writing and action. The story is split into 4 parts and I found part 3 to be the real climax. It was the quickest to read and so action-packed, but part 4 did round the story off nicely. 

I found all the characters acted logically for their motives - even if I did not agree with their choices. Everything made sense and nothing was unclear. All choices fit the story and characters perfectly. There were a few twists along the way and they kept me hooked.

I really loved Elektra and enjoyed everything about the book, even if I didn't particularly like the characters. I'd definitely recommend this to those wanting to learn more about Greek myths.

My favourite parts? Clytemnestra's revenge had me hooked.

My favourite character? Cassandra

Did I learn something? More about Troy and Greek mythology

Will I read Jennifer Saint again? Yes

Will I read the rest of the series? N/A

Worth the price? Yes

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