Elektra by Jennifer Saint Review

 Title: Elektra

Author: Jennifer Saint

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

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

Trigger warnings: Murder on page, death on page, sexual assault on page, war, gore, parental death. If any of these topics trigger you, I would highly suggest not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!

I have a confession to make: I’ve had Jennifer Saint’s first book, Ariadne, for the better part of a year, as it was one of my choices for my Book of the Month Club pick. I finished Pandora’s Jar and was in the mood for a deep dive into Greek mythology, and Elektra more than delivered in spades, so I ordered this from my local library. Elektra tells the story of three women, often shoved aside from narrators: Clytemnestra, who plots revenge after an unforgivable betrayal, Cassandra, who spurned Apollo and was thus cursed with the gift of prophecy as a result,  and the titular Elektra, daughter of Agamemnon, desperate for her father to return from the war unscathed. But the gods have their own plans, and blood will run red from The House of Atreus, cursed by the immortals generations ago. As war comes to Trojan shores, these three women must decide if they will conform to their fates or forge their own path, come what may…

This book was brutal and bloody, a story stripped down to its bare bones. An epic worthy of The Illiad itself, this book puts a decidedly feminist spin on the event of The Trojan War. This book went back and forth between three different women: Clymenestra, whose heart is taken by vengeance when her husband betrays her, Cassandra, gifted by the god Apollo with the gift of prophecy, with the added sting that nobody will ever believe her, and Elektra, burdened by her bloodline’s dark past, desperate to make things right in the eyes of the gods. The pacing was breakneck, though it took a little bit for me to get used to the shifting points of view. Each woman’s voice was distinct and true to the story; I love how Saint took The Illiad and used it as a foundation for three different but still believable women. I loved each of their journeys: one for clarity, and two for revenge and retribution. The Greek myths that were the framework for this stunning novel were given a woman’s perspective, and I loved every moment of it. Brutal and stark in its depiction of war, Elektra was a novel that pulled no punches. I’m looking forward to Ariadne even more now than before! The bottom line: Rich with detail, brutal, and feminist, I loved Elektra! Next on deck: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci!