I'm not sure if I did myself a favor or a disservice by reading this one so soon after Circe by Madeline Miller. The two books are pretty similar in theme, and also, they draw from the same segment of Greek mythology, although they focus on different aspects of those myths and interpret some of the "parts of the puzzle" differently. That meant I was constantly comparing the two subconsciously as I read, as well as trying to reconcile them into a single narrative—a futile exercise, given that they're entirely different books, although I have to say it actually worked weirdly well a lot of the time.

Anyway, I quite liked this take on the Greek myths and the focus on womens' fates in the world of gods and heroes. The author's prose is beautiful, and every part of the setting came alive in front of my eyes. Unfortunately, Ariadne, the titular character, was the one I had most trouble connecting with. I drew far more enjoyment from Phaedra's chapters, and from following the fates of all the secondary and tertiary characters who often were really compelling, to the point that when some of them inevitably met their tragic ends, I found myself tearing up. I especially couldn't get enough of Daedalus. Seriously. Between this book and Circe, I somehow find myself a Daedalus fun. How have I overlooked this character in the original myths for so long?