Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi Review

Title: Outrun the Wind

Author: Elizabeth Tammi

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

                Everyone who knows me knows that I am a complete mythology junkie, but the one I know best happens to be Greek. I’ve followed Elizabeth Tammi on Tumblr since I first made my blog there, so when I found out that one of my favorite followers wrote a book revolving around Greek myth and female romance, I was sold. It’s been sitting in my library stack for a while, after I had to do another complete overhaul, and once I realized that it had holds on it, I pushed it to the top of my stack as soon as I was finished with The Spellbook of Katrina van Tassel. This book was highly enjoyable, full of heart, romance, painful tension and high stakes, and I really loved the romance between Kahina, one of Artemis’s hunters, and the legendary Atalanta, the girl so fast that she orders footraces, only agreeing to marry the man who can beat her. The only thing that I didn’t like about the book was that since it was set in ancient Greece, the dialogue and speech were a bit too modern for me, and it made it hard to really get into the story. Nonetheless, this debut was strong, romantic, and painful, and I look forward to more from this promising author!

                Kahina is a huntress in one of the goddess Artemis’s band, and there are only two simple rules: Never disobey, and never fall in love. After being rescued from the Oracles of Delphi, Kahina is glad that she has a place among the goddess’s chosen, despite the fact that her prophetic powers still linger. But when a routine hunt goes wildly awry, Kahina finds herself breaking the first rule to save the legendary huntress, Atalanta. In order to regain Artemis’s favor, she is sent to Arkadia, where the woman she saved is revealed as nothing less than the ruler’s daughter. For her part, Atalanta is still reeling from the disastrous hunt and her father’s insistence on marriage, she isn’t quite sure what to make of Kahina, but their relationship deepens into something more than friendship. The two young women join forces to devise a perilous game to avoid marriage, and suitors flock to the city, eager to best one another for the princess’s hand. But when the man responsible for both of the girls’ past pain arrives, the game turns downright dangerous…

                

As I said, this book was really good; I was only vaguely familiar with the myth of Atalanta before now, and I really enjoyed the sapphic reinterpretation of the Greek classic. The point of view went back and forth between Atalanta and Kahina, and it was really nicely paced; I was constantly guessing what was going on, and one of my favorite parts of the book was the girls’ budding relationship. I really liked how they were both huntresses, bound by rules that neither of them could control, but drawn to one another and each forced to face their demons. And the romantic tension between them was so deliciously painful; it was a great counterpoint to the many men who had it out for Atalanta throughout the novel. Feminist retellings for the win! I also adored the ending, and who the villain turned out to be; I wasn’t expecting it at all, it was a welcome surprise. The only thing that I didn’t really like was that the dialogue and writing were a bit too modern for my taste; it really made the book hard to read for me at times. But this is a strong, heartfelt debut from one of my favorite people ever, so I can forgive the small mistakes. I can’t wait to see what Elizabeth Tammi has up her sleeve next! The bottom line: A romantic and beautifully written spin on one of Ancient Greece’s earliest myths, I loved Outrun the Wind, though there were times where the dialogue didn’t seem to match the setting or time. Nonetheless, I really loved it! Next on deck: The Lady’s Guide to Pirates and Petticoats by Mackenzi Lee!