Quiver

Great retelling of the Atalanta myth. I was charmed and read it in one sitting. Atalanta is a wonderful character, a wild huntress but also an earnest girl who wants to do the right thing. Spinner does a nice job in bringing an ancient arcadia to earthy life, but still leaving it feeling mythical. I loved the unexpected but very appropriate ending. Gotta watch out for those Greek gods. They're always causing trouble.

In this retelling of the the Atlanta myth, Stephanie Spinner creates a complex and compelling heroine, whose fate we care about and whose jeopardy we feel. As an infant, Atlanta was left in the woods to die, but Artemis protected her, and when hunters found her, they knew she was favored by the goddess. Atlanta shoots better and runs faster than any mortal male and she retells her first encounter with Jason (of Argonaut fame).

Favored though she is, Atlanta is still used as a tool of Artemis, creating a violent and tragic first scene. As the story progresses, Atlanta visits an oracle, whose prophesies she must make sense of, and is reunited with her father, whose will she must to circumvent to remain true to the vow of chastity she made show more to Artemis.

This novel has an immediacy and intimacy that Greek myths often lack. The story seems very true to the myth, which may make the end of the story feel abrupt for contemporary readers. But I loved this short novel and the portrayal of the challenges Atlanta faces as a strong and capable girl in a patriarchal society. show less

This book tells the story of Atalanta. Atalanta was left on a mountain to die by her father for being a girl. Artemis sent a bear to nurse the baby girl and a group of hunters found her and raised her. She grows up to become an amazing archer and one of the fastest mortals alive if not the fastest. When the king (her father) begins to die he makes Atalanta return to the palace and demands she marry. Afraid of breaking her vow to Artemis and angering the goddess she says she will only marry someone who can beat her in a foot race and those that lose to her must die. She desperately hopes that no one will be fool hardy enough to take the wager. Unfortunately she is wrong.

I really liked Atalanta and felt sorry for her for most of the book. show more She really just wants to be left alone but the Greek Gods continue to interfere in her life making things more and more difficult for her. She is a likable character and I enjoyed reading about her.

I thought the author notes at the end were very helpful explaining both the gods and the various versions of Atalanta's story. show less

This book tells the story of Atalanta. Atalanta was left on a mountain to die by her father for being a girl. Artemis sent a bear to nurse the baby girl and a group of hunters found her and raised her. She grows up to become an amazing archer and one of the fastest mortals alive if not the fastest. When the king (her father) begins to die he makes Atalanta return to the palace and demands she marry. Afraid of breaking her vow to Artemis and angering the goddess she says she will only marry someone who can beat her in a foot race and those that lose to her must die. She desperately hopes that no one will be fool hardy enough to take the wager. Unfortunately she is wrong.

I really liked Atalanta and felt sorry for her for most of the book. show more She really just wants to be left alone but the Greek Gods continue to interfere in her life making things more and more difficult for her. She is a likable character and I enjoyed reading about her.

I thought the author notes at the end were very helpful explaining both the gods and the various versions of Atalanta's story. show less

This book tells the story of Atalanta. Atalanta was left on a mountain to die by her father for being a girl. Artemis sent a bear to nurse the baby girl and a group of hunters found her and raised her. She grows up to become an amazing archer and one of the fastest mortals alive if not the fastest. When the king (her father) begins to die he makes Atalanta return to the palace and demands she marry. Afraid of breaking her vow to Artemis and angering the goddess she says she will only marry someone who can beat her in a foot race and those that lose to her must die. She desperately hopes that no one will be fool hardy enough to take the wager. Unfortunately she is wrong.

I really liked Atalanta and felt sorry for her for most of the book. show more She really just wants to be left alone but the Greek Gods continue to interfere in her life making things more and more difficult for her. She is a likable character and I enjoyed reading about her.

I thought the author notes at the end were very helpful explaining both the gods and the various versions of Atalanta's story. show less

This book tells the story of Atalanta. Atalanta was left on a mountain to die by her father for being a girl. Artemis sent a bear to nurse the baby girl and a group of hunters found her and raised her. She grows up to become an amazing archer and one of the fastest mortals alive if not the fastest. When the king (her father) begins to die he makes Atalanta return to the palace and demands she marry. Afraid of breaking her vow to Artemis and angering the goddess she says she will only marry someone who can beat her in a foot race and those that lose to her must die. She desperately hopes that no one will be fool hardy enough to take the wager. Unfortunately she is wrong.

I really liked Atalanta and felt sorry for her for most of the book. show more She really just wants to be left alone but the Greek Gods continue to interfere in her life making things more and more difficult for her. She is a likable character and I enjoyed reading about her.

I thought the author notes at the end were very helpful explaining both the gods and the various versions of Atalanta's story. show less

This is a simply written book, not complex or overly descriptive. It is well told, if a bit sparsely. I was undecided on whether I liked it or not, right up until the very end. I found that, while short and not overly developed, I loved the romance, and did not at all think it went too fast, despite the fact that it WAS a very fast romance, if you know what I'm trying to say.
The plot wasn't too deep or complex. Pretty much, if you know the myth, you know whats going to happen. Its simply telling the already known story in a more detailed, sympathetic format. I liked the author's version of Atalanta, and I loved Hipomenes(I can't remember how to spell his name, so that might be incorrect.) Atalanta's father didn't seem to be very well show more developed, and only served to further the story, which I didn't really mind. The conversations between the gods could have been written better, but aside from that, I can't find too many faults in this book.
Personally, I didn't like the ending. At all. But thats hardly the author's fault, as she was only following the myth to completion. show less