Ariadne, high priestess of Crete, grew up duty-bound to the goddess Artemis. If she takes a husband, she must sacrifice him to her goddess after no more than three years of marriage. For this reason, she refuses to love any man, until a mysterious stranger arrives on her island.The stranger is Dionysus, the new god of wine who empowers women and breaks the rules of the old gods. He came to Crete seeking vengeance against Artemis. He never expected to fall in love.
Furious that Dionysus would dare meddle with her high priestess, Artemis threatens to kill Ariadne if Dionysus doesn’t abandon her. Heartbroken, the new god leaves Crete, vowing to become better than the Olympians.
From the bloody labyrinth and the shadows of Hades to the halls of Olympus, Dionysus must find a way to defy Artemis and unite with his true love. Forced to betray her people, Ariadne discovers her own power to choose between the goddess she pledged herself to and the god she loves.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always wanted to travel to different times and places. Reading and writing is the best way to do it. Ever since I was a child I wanted to tell and write stories. As I got older, I continued writing. Now that I’m writing Greek myth retellings, I guess I should say it’s the muse that inspires me.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
Ariadne Unraveled was a very difficult book to write because it takes place 4,000 years ago. Those of us who are old enough, have a hard time remembering how we survived without cell phone, so it was incredibly difficult to even begin to image life so long ago. What was harder than writing about the Bronze Age, however, was that I needed to weave my own story and characters around the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur as well as incorporate the many contradictory myths of Ariadne and Dionysus.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
Dionysus has held a special place in my heart for decades and I love Ariadne, but the character who became the most special was one who didn’t exisist in the myths. Thalia is Ariadne’s handmaiden, friend, and lover. She is the only blonde on an island of dark-haired, dark-skinned people and she is a slave. She really came to life while I was writing the book and surprised me in many delightful ways.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
This is such a difficult question for me. I was inspired by a lot of ancient images, so it’s hard to image modern actors. However, my husband and I have been rewatching the TV show Lost with the kids, and I keep thinking that Naveen Andrews would make a pretty good Dionysus. Jessie Mei Li from Shadow and Bone could work for Ariadne.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I believe that one compelling aspect of Greek mythology is that it can constantly be reinterpreted and reimagined. I hope readers come away with a new version of a myth they may have known for years. I also hope that readers see what we think of a Greek myths as more diverse, that they were made from many different cultures, and there isn’t one right way to tell a story.
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Zenobia Neil
Zenobia Neil was named after an ancient warrior queen who fought against the Romans. She writes historical romance about the mythic past and Greek and Roman gods having too much fun. Visit her at ZenobiaNeil.comSocial Media Links:
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