Hera by Jennifer Saint: Characters, summary & book review
Hera by Jennifer Saint synopsis/summary:
The enthralling tale of a powerful Greek goddess maligned in both myth and ancient history, as told by Sunday Times bestselling author Jennifer Saint.
When Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronos, helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side. As they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed.
She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world? Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and mostly importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.
Greek mythology / Hera characters we meet in Hera by Jennifer Saint:
Jennifer Saint’s retelling of Hera has several central characters, the main of course being Hera and Zeus, with many other major gods. We meet many characters throughout Hera’s journey, some are supporting roles, others are minor or cameo, and some are just mentioned in passing. Here is the full list of Hera characters.
Hera
Gaia
Ouranos (mentioned)
Hecatoncheires
Cyclopes
Cronus
Poseidon
Atlas
Hyperion (mentioned)
Eos
Selene
Hestia
Demeter
Kore/Persephone
Hades
Aphrodite
Helios
Oceanus
Tethys
Styx
Klymene
Rhea (mentioned)
Metis
Mnemosyne
Muses
Themis
Horae
The Fates
Prometheus
Ixion
Nephele
Iris
Nereus
Amphitrite
Delphin
Zephyros
Nyx
Oceanids
Aurae
Hekate
Hesperides
Ares
Tartarus (mentioned)
Epiales (mentioned)
Keto (mentioned)
Kouretes (mentioned)
Zephyris
Chloris
Hephaestus
Asteria
Typhon
Iphimedeia
Coronis
Hydra
Orthros
Cerberus
Chimera
Hebe
Eileithyia
Kithairon
Echo
Pheme
Leto
Coeus (mentioned)
Phoibe
Apollo
Dione
Themis
Cyclopes
Aegina
Daphne
Maia (mentioned)
Hermes
Io
Argus
Semele
Harmonia (mentioned)
Cadmus (mentioned)
Beroe
Danae
Dionysus
Priapus
Perseus
Medusa
Minos (mentioned)
Pasiphae
Alcmene
Eurystheus
Heracles
Lyssa
Hesperides
Hypnos
Eros
Oizys
Nemesis
Eris
Ganymede
Iolaus
Sisyphus (mentioned)
Tantalus (mentioned)
Thetis
Nereus
Peleus
Pelias
Jason
Aeetes
Boreas
Atalanta (mentioned)
Helen
Paris
Menelaus
Achilles
Sarpedon
Patroclus
Scamander
Odysseus
Agamemnon
Delphi
Minotaur
Adonis
Get Hera here.
Hera book review.
My rating: ★★★★☆
4 stars.
I always find it interesting to try to understand the perspective of an unlikeable character. For example, June Hayward/Juniper Song in Rebecca Kuang’s Yellowface. Or Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. Nesta in ACOTAR. Even Walter White in Breaking Bad (who in the beginning, I liked). And Hera, the all-powerful Queen of the Gods, wife and sister to Zeus, daughter of Cronus, Goddess of Marriage... and possibly the gnarliest of them all.
Hera is often vilified in Greek mythology, due to her jealousy and vindictiveness towards Zeus' lovers and their children. She frequently punished Zeus' mistresses/victims and their offspring, even though it was her husband who was the philanderer, sexual predator and rapist.
But before Hera was a vengeful deity, she enjoyed hanging out in the forest with river gods, shapeshifting and winning wars against the Titans etc. you know, the regular. Jennifer Saint’s retelling highlights who Hera was vs. how she got to be that way.
For people unfamiliar with where the root of her wrath began, it had a lot to do with the pain that kindled inside her following Zeus pretending to be an injured bird, then surprising Hera and raping her. That’s just the beginning, there is a lot more that unfolds after these first chapters which I won’t spoil for people who aren’t familiar already.
Notably, this retelling isn't going to redeem Hera’s actions. Yet it will humanise her as someone grappling with subjugation, suffering, ridicule and betrayal, without absolving her. More than anything, it’s probably going to make you despise the patriarchy and Zeus AKA the Greek god version of Harvey Weinstein, more than you already did.
You'll meet a lot of the famed gods, demi-gods and their divine offspring (mostly Zeus'). Some are cameos but it's still cool. I learnt a lot. One of my favourite things I learnt while reading this was also about the monsters of Greek mythology, such as Ekhidna, Typhon and the Hydra. And Jennifer Saint made me empathise with them and see a rounded perspective of their story.
Whether you’re a Greek mythology rookie, dabbler (⬅️ me), or expert/classicist, I’d recommend this for a more holistic perspective of Hera. Although some scene transitions were slightly disjointed, overall the third-person narration was emotionally evocative and lyrical and I felt connected to it.
You'll have to mind your triggers should you choose to read this, because the Greek Gods didn’t know that No Means No and Jennifer Saint does not shy away from lack of consent in ancient times. The Greek Gods can ALL get in the bin. Yep, you too Apollo, you're one of the worst.
My heartfelt thanks to Hachette Australia & New Zealand | Wildfire for the advanced digital review copy, and also to my GR friend, Persephone's Pomegranate, who is a Greek mythology expert and gave me some contextual background knowledge before I dove in.
View my Hera book review on GoodReads here.
FAQs.
🚨 Please be mindful that continuing reading may mildly spoil some of the Hera book for you. Continue at your own risk! 🚨
What are the trigger warnings for Hera by Jennifer Saint?
Rape.
Sexual assault.
Deaths of fantasy animals/monster.
Sexism and misogyny.
Childbirth.
What is Hera the goddess of?
Hera is the goddess of marriage.
