Elektra: The mesmerising story of Troy from the three women its heart

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If you’re desperate to read every single book written about the Trojan War, then absolutely read Elektra.

Saint creates a sense of complete and utter dread that builds and builds until the truth is revealed. Next we have Cassandra the princess of Troy who upon refusing the god Apollo’s advances was cursed to be able to foretell the future but never be believed. It was competent enough, and as I was reading it, at least through the halfway point, I kept thinking it was OKAY, assiduously so, but something was bothering me. And once we get to the "action", it's over in two sentences and then the book keeps droning on and on and on for far too long yet again.The characters in this book weren't characters: they were symbols and shadows meant to convey a murky higher message. We also follow Cassandra, a princess of Troy with the gift of foresight but the curse that none would believe her.

I know Saint's just following the original text, but my GOD does Elektra get exhausting after a while. Patroklus’ death is presented as a major moment even though he is never mentioned before dying, and Achilles himself never actually appears in person.So when you put the two things together, a good chunk of the latter part of this book felt like a trudge, without the spark of something new and exciting to engage the reader. Also, Iphigenia's death scene was so gruesome and so well-done and Clytemnestra's raw pain after was quiet painful to read that I actually skimmed some because I couldn't handle the gore and grief anymore. There was much of this that I loved- Jennifer Saint has wrote another fantastic retelling and I enjoyed how certain aspects she’s twisted to suit her own narrative. Jennifer Saint has thrown her hat into the ring retelling the story of the curse of the House of Atreus. In this, it's mostly a whimper and daddy worship and mommy hating her husband and taking a lover and then going "Oh, My" when crap hits the fan.