Book Description:
Some three thousand years ago, in a time before history, the warriors of Greece journeyed to the ends of the earth in the greatest expedition the world had ever seen.
One woman fought alongside them.
Abandoned at birth on the slopes of Mount Pelion, Atalanta is determined to prove her worth to the father who cast her aside. Having taught herself to hunt and fight, and disguised as a man, she wins a place on the greatest voyage of that heroic age: with Jason and his band of Argonauts in search of the legendary Golden Fleece.
And it is here, in the company of men who will go down in history as heroes, that Atalanta must battle against the odds – and the will of the gods – to take control of her destiny and change her life forever.
With her unrivalled knowledge and captivating storytelling, Emily Hauser brings alive an ancient world where the gods can transform a mortal’s life on a whim, where warriors carve out names that will echo down the ages . . . and where one woman fights to determine her own fate.
My Review:
In For The Winner Emily Hauser has truly written a superb novel. History really comes to life within it’s pages and is fun, fascinating and very exciting. The book is quite fast paced with not much of a lull in the action, so once you start reading you are hooked and you want to read more to find out what will happen next.
The contrast between the two main characters was brilliant! I !loved Atalanta, I loved how strong she was and how she didn’t let her being a women hold her back from what she wanted to do, especially at a time when women weren’t considered equal to men. She is very brave and stands up for herself, not taking any nonsense from anyone, even those who are meant to be above her. She is also very loyal, she looks after her friends and makes sure they have everything they need. As much as I liked Atalanta, I loathed Jason. He is so cold and cruel and I found that I really didn’t want him to succeed. His attitude towards others is vile and, because of this, he clashes with everyone during the voyage. He tries to assert his authority through fear which does lead to a few unsettling scenes, though I was always pleased to see him get his comeuppance when Atalanta stood up against him. It made for such an enjoyable reading experience having such an obvious hero to cheer and a villain to hate. It made me much more involved in the story and i wanted to continue reading to discover who wins!
This book mostly follows Atalanta’s story as she tries to discover who she is and prove herself, however there are bits throughout the book that describes more about the Gods and how they are viewing the voyage. This was very interesting to read about and helped to provide some comic moments as they argue amongst themselves and disagree about who they should support.
Emily Hauser brings the setting of ancient Greece alive throughout this book. I felt like I was there, walking alongside Atalanta as the images she describes are so vivid. I enjoyed learning a bit more about the Roman’s way of life and their culture. The description of how the slaves were treated was very galling to read about, and did make for some upsetting parts.
This is Emily Hauser’s second book, though it is the first one I have read and I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future. If you enjoyed The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller or The Empress of Rome trilogy by Kate Quinn I think you will enjoy this book as I felt they were similar in style. If you are a fan of good historical fiction you must read this book! It’s definitely one of my top books this year.
Huge thanks to Hannah Bright and Doubleday publishers for my copy of this book.
Rating: 5/5 Though I would give more if I could!
About the author:
Emily Hauser is an author, classicist and academic with a Ph.D. in Classics from Yale, and is an incoming Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows. She studied at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (BA Hons in Classics, 2009; MA Hons 2012), and at Harvard University as a Fulbright Scholar from 2010-2011. Emily received a double first with distinction at Cambridge and was awarded the University of Cambridge Chancellor’s Medal for Proficiency in Classical Learning. She has received numerous awards, including the Battie Scholarship and Hallam Prize at Cambridge, and the Alice Derby Lang Prize at Yale. Her research focuses on women in antiquity, gender studies, Greek and Latin poetry, and the theory and practice of classical reception, particularly in contemporary fiction. Her first book, a fictional reworking of the Iliad, is published by Transworld (Penguin Random House) and is available now on Amazon and in bookstores; her second, For the Winner, has just been released in the UK.
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