DNF 51%

I might try this another time. It has everything I love, but for some reason I'm just not drawn to the characters.

Not truly of Sparta, Daphne and her brothers have always had to work extra hard to prove themselves. After she succeeds over all others in a contest, she is challenged by Artemis to save the power of the gods by finding nine items stolen from Olympus. Accompanied by Apollo, Artemis's twin, she confronts one impossible situation after another; if she doesn't succeed her beloved brother as well as a good friend, will be forever captive in animal's bodies. This novel has more than enough adventure and romance to carry it forward, and bringing the gods of Greek myths to life for us is a real bonus. ( )

This book checked off all the boxes of things that I love. Enemies to lovers, Greek mythology, strong female lead. But I found myself enjoying it less than I thought I would.

The pacing felt off, I didn't really care about the romance going on, the characters weren't engaging, and I really have no desire to pick up the sequel. Overall a bit of a disappointment. ( )

I LOVE any story that gives a face to the Greek gods, and Daughter of Sparta by Claire Andrews more than fits that bill. Daphne is a fabulous heroine, determined to prove herself. Fierce, strong, intelligent, and headstrong, she’s everything I love. Her adventures are a fantastic feminist reimagining of the Daphne and Apollo story. I can’t wait to learn more about Daphne’s past or what happens next! ( )

Safe to say Claire M. Andrews debut YA novel, Daughter of Sparta, has captured my entire being (not to be totally dramatic). Daphne is a young woman trying to make her place in Sparta as a Spartan citizen, despite the odds stacked against her due to her unfiltered personality and status as a citizen just above a slave. Daphne runs a race meant for only men to run in, for the sake of her family honor, and ends up trapped in a very dangerous position as an aide of the sort for the gods. Cursed by Artemis, Daphne must travel with the hunk that is Apollo to recover the nine Muses of Olympus to restore the god’s powers. In this epic retelling of the Daphne and Apollo myth, Andrews takes readers on an even more epic journey, where other myths are wound into this retelling, creating an entirely new perspective for women to revel in. This feminist retelling is what we need right now in 2021. This book effortlessly mixes historical fiction with historical fantasy (also, you know it’s a good book when the author includes a map, and that already said a lot to me when I first opened the book). This journey tested Daphne in ways I could have never imagined, and I was engrossed word by word, until I reached the last page. I am suffering from a major book hangover because of this book. Please read it, especially if you are a fan of Greek mythology and mythological retellings.

Also, thank you Claire M. Andrews for making me fall in love with Apollo hard, if not harder than Daphne. I will patiently await the sequel.

Genre: Fantasy
Sub-Genre: Mythology (Retelling) ( )