Book Review: Ariadne Unraveled

I'm delighted to share my review of Ariadne Unraveled with you. Full disclosure: I edited this book, but I don't review every book I edit (or even most of them, TBH). So if I share one with you, I promise it's worth the read.

This one is an especially enjoyable read because it's a reworking (a reweaving, if you will) of the Hellenic myth of Ariadne, the Minotaur, and Dionysus. In the original version, Ariadne is just a girl, with no agency, no control over her own life (yeah, I have feelings about that).

In this tale, in contrast, Ariadne is a powerful priestess who undergoes some even more powerful transformations. But she is also beset by problems, some of her own making, but some most definitely not. A sexy stranger (Dionysus) upends her world, and she has to make decisions - not just about what she should do but also about who she truly is.

Though the story follows the familiar thread beginning at King Minos's palace, where the Minotaur turns out to be a very interesting character, the focus quickly becomes Ariadne's journey to find herself, a journey that takes her to the depths of Hades and the heights of Mount Olympus. All the while, Dionysus is sloppy in love with her, which is just marvelous, because the God of Ecstasy being besotted with someone tends to cause... complications. Heehee.

Ariadne Unraveled is definitely an R-rated read; there are some very steamy parts (what did you expect, with Dionysus as a major player?). The story doesn't take itself too seriously, but the underlying themes are pretty profound. The language is lush, the descriptions vivid, the characters lively. If you enjoy myth and fantasy, I think you'll like this one.