Ebook For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts Emily Hauser 9781681778983 Books
Ebook For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts Emily Hauser 9781681778983 Books
Download As PDF : For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts Emily Hauser 9781681778983 Books
Some three thousand years ago, the warriors of Greece journeyed to the ends of the earth in the quest for the Golden Fleece. One woman fought alongside them.
When the king of Pagasae left his infant daughter on the slopes of a mountain to die, he believed he would never see her again. But Atalanta, against the will of the gods and the dictates of the Fates, survived―and went on to bring to life one of the greatest legends of all of ancient Greece...Teaching herself to hunt and fight, Atalanta is determined to prove her worth to her father and, disguising herself as a man, she wins a place on the greatest voyage of that heroic age the journey of Jason and the Argonauts to the very ends of the known world in search of the legendary Golden Fleece. But Atalanta is discovered, and abandoned in the mythical land of Colchis, where she is forced to make a choice that will determine her place in history.
Here then is the legend of Jason and the Argonauts as never told before the true story of the princess who sailed and fought alongside Jason and Theseus and Peleus (father of Achilles), and who ultimately ran a race that would decide her destiny. Based on the myths of the ancient Greeks, For the Winner brings alive a mythological world where the gods can transform a mortal's life on a whim, where warrior heroes carve out names that will echo down the ages―and where one woman fights to determine her own fate.
Ebook For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts Emily Hauser 9781681778983 Books
"Review 5 stars
Emily Hauser’s second novel in the Golden Apple Trilogy, For the Winner, is a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta and the legend of Jason, the Argonauts and the search for the Golden Fleece.
The opening vividly portrays Atalanta being abandoned as a baby on the slopes of Mount Pelion, but she only discovers what happened when she is eighteen – although her father’s identity is not immediately revealed to her.
I knew some of the mythology but loved the way that Emily Hauser retold the tales and early on learnt to expect clever sidesteps. As with many myths, there are different versions and interpretations in the surviving tales so there was room to ‘reimagine’ and this novel is an excellent retelling.
Atalanta is a strong determined heroine from her opening scenes, an athletic warrior with rounded emotions. But she has vulnerabilities and insecurities that she needs to resolve over the course of the novel. In a world dominated by men, she must disguise her identity as a woman to prove herself more than a match. But she is tested at every turn of the adventure and learns quickly whom to trust and who to beware of.
This main part of the novel is written in the First Person POV, so the reader gets drawn deeper into the character’s life and head. Having Atalanta tell her own story, without the male assumptions of the ancient tales, made the words stronger and more realistic. This was a motivated woman at every step of her epic journey,
As in many Greek myths, For The Winner shows the Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus, especially Zeus and his wife Hera, constantly plotting and trying to interfere in human affairs – not to mention sleeping around. Emily Hauser crafts humorous scenes, written in the Third Person POV, portraying them as petty and riven with human frailties – just as expected from what I knew. I was reminded of those Classical Greek writers that chose to portray the Gods in this manner and this thread kept me amused.
I was interested when this thread impacted on the main adventure, and a few times asked, “Where is Artemis when Atalanta needs her?" She prays to this huntress goddess and the answer would be a spoiler of sorts, so read this excellent book and find out if any immortals aid her.
The Ancient world of this Greek period comes alive in the writing and clearly, Emily Hauser has done extensive research. Her author’s notes at the end of the book provide valuable insights into the legends, the historical and archaeological evidence for them as well as identifying many of the places. She is an academic and classicist, but she resists overwhelming the reader and the novel is alive and rich.
For me, I knew that the legendary foot race was inevitable, and I loved the clever resolution to the ‘male plot flaw’ in the legend. It had me grinning, and I was fascinated to read in the author’s notes that this was a ‘starting point’ for reimagining Atalanta’s motivation. At last, the legends make sense.
Story – five stars
Setting/World-building – five stars
Characters – five stars
Structure – five stars
Readability – five stars
Editing – five stars"
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Tags : For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts [Emily Hauser] on . <strong>Some three thousand years ago, the warriors of Greece journeyed to the ends of the earth in the quest for the Golden Fleece. One woman fought alongside them.</strong> When the king of Pagasae left his infant daughter on the slopes of a mountain to die,Emily Hauser,For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts,Pegasus Books,168177898X,FICTION / Fantasy / Dragons Mythical Creatures,FICTION / Fantasy / Epic,FICTION / Fantasy / Historical,FICTION / Historical / General,Fiction,Fiction-Historical,Fiction/Fantasy - Dragons Mythical Creatures,Fiction/Fantasy - Epic,Fiction/Fantasy - Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,HISTORICAL FICTION,SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY,United States
For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts Emily Hauser 9781681778983 Books Reviews :
For the Winner A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts Emily Hauser 9781681778983 Books Reviews
- Review 5 stars
Emily Hauser’s second novel in the Golden Apple Trilogy, For the Winner, is a reimagining of the myth of Atalanta and the legend of Jason, the Argonauts and the search for the Golden Fleece.
The opening vividly portrays Atalanta being abandoned as a baby on the slopes of Mount Pelion, but she only discovers what happened when she is eighteen – although her father’s identity is not immediately revealed to her.
I knew some of the mythology but loved the way that Emily Hauser retold the tales and early on learnt to expect clever sidesteps. As with many myths, there are different versions and interpretations in the surviving tales so there was room to ‘reimagine’ and this novel is an excellent retelling.
Atalanta is a strong determined heroine from her opening scenes, an athletic warrior with rounded emotions. But she has vulnerabilities and insecurities that she needs to resolve over the course of the novel. In a world dominated by men, she must disguise her identity as a woman to prove herself more than a match. But she is tested at every turn of the adventure and learns quickly whom to trust and who to beware of.
This main part of the novel is written in the First Person POV, so the reader gets drawn deeper into the character’s life and head. Having Atalanta tell her own story, without the male assumptions of the ancient tales, made the words stronger and more realistic. This was a motivated woman at every step of her epic journey,
As in many Greek myths, For The Winner shows the Gods and Goddesses on Mount Olympus, especially Zeus and his wife Hera, constantly plotting and trying to interfere in human affairs – not to mention sleeping around. Emily Hauser crafts humorous scenes, written in the Third Person POV, portraying them as petty and riven with human frailties – just as expected from what I knew. I was reminded of those Classical Greek writers that chose to portray the Gods in this manner and this thread kept me amused.
I was interested when this thread impacted on the main adventure, and a few times asked, “Where is Artemis when Atalanta needs her?" She prays to this huntress goddess and the answer would be a spoiler of sorts, so read this excellent book and find out if any immortals aid her.
The Ancient world of this Greek period comes alive in the writing and clearly, Emily Hauser has done extensive research. Her author’s notes at the end of the book provide valuable insights into the legends, the historical and archaeological evidence for them as well as identifying many of the places. She is an academic and classicist, but she resists overwhelming the reader and the novel is alive and rich.
For me, I knew that the legendary foot race was inevitable, and I loved the clever resolution to the ‘male plot flaw’ in the legend. It had me grinning, and I was fascinated to read in the author’s notes that this was a ‘starting point’ for reimagining Atalanta’s motivation. At last, the legends make sense.
Story – five stars
Setting/World-building – five stars
Characters – five stars
Structure – five stars
Readability – five stars
Editing – five stars - I do not know Emily Hauser personally, but was approached to read "For The Winner" for a cover quote, and was very glad I did. Atalanta has always been one of the more interesting heroines of Greek myth a fleet-footed huntress who challenged her suitors to a foot-race, slew the Calydonian Boar, and made a name for herself as the only woman to join the quest for the Golden Fleece. She makes a bold and appealing heroine in "For The Winner," which simultaneously grounds the legend of Jason and his Argonauts in a grittier, more realistic ancient Greece than we usually see in the myths, and weaves in the gods themselves as they comment on the human adventures below. Atalanta, determined to prove her worth to the kingly father who abandoned her as an infant, disguises herself as a man to join the cold-eyed Jason and his Argonauts as they set sail for Colchis. Atalanta battles the hardships of the voyage, the dislike of Jason who I was pleased to see as the villain of this piece rather than the hero (I never liked him, even in the myth), and the mistrust of her fellow Argonauts who will certainly cast her out if they discover her secret...or will they? Periodically the gods interject themselves from Olympus, deliciously and hilariously vain, more inclined to screw things up for the hyper-competent Atalanta than aid her along. "For The Winner" is a delightful read, all pathos and humor and a heroine to make you cheer--I can't wait for Hauser's next.
- Hail, Atalanta! It's rather odd that the subtitle of this wonderful book is "A Novel of Jason and the Argonauts," when the focus is mainly on Atalanta. She made me think of an ancient version of Wonder Woman strong, brave, determined and smart. As well as a superb huntress, a fleet-footed runner, a warrior, and a loyal friend. There's adventure, romance, drama, even a bit of humor. And I'm impressed with the depth of reseach Ms. Hauser must have done to create a truly believable depiction of ancient Greece (including its mythology). Jason comes off as an arrogant jerk with a streak of cruelty - a description that fits more than a few leaders. And the gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus are gleefully portrayed as rather silly and petty. The descriptions of the ancient cities, the soaring mountains, the deep forests, and the "wine-dark sea" (Hauser is using Homer's words here) are richly detailed.
I also highly recommend "For the Most Beautiful," Hauser's first novel in her planned trilogy, and I look forward to her next book.
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