As a baby Atalanta is left on a mountain to die and rescued by bears. Later Artemis takes her in and places her in the care of nymphs, secluded deep in the forest. Atalanta grows strong and tall until her speed and prowess with the bow is surpassed only by that of Artemis herself. When the Argonauts sail to take the Golden Fleece Artemis decides that it is time for her protégé to prove herself in the world beyond the forest. But the world of men is not made for strong women and Atalanta will have to fight to find her place in it.
Atalanta is a great character. She has an unusual backstory, a deep sense of purpose, and a huge amount of inner and outer strength. Yet she also has flaws; her lack of experience, her stubbornness, her impulsivity, and her slightly off-centre moral compass. From the beginning you can see the path that her life is going to take and each mistake she makes seems almost inevitable. Despite this I did not see the ending coming. It was both more abrupt and more satisfying than I had anticipated.
One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was how the gods were portrayed. Like Atalanta, Artemis was stubborn, impulsive, and had a slightly off-centre moral compass. Unlike Atalanta she had the power to back her up and follow through, regardless of the consequences for others. Other gods are mentioned, but rarely seen, and there is definitely a sense that the humans in the narrative are their playthings. The events of the book, which are so world-changing for many of the characters, barely seem to register with the gods.
Escape to the Bookshelf 