Claire M. Andrews

A James Patterson Presents Novel Sparta forged her into a deadly weapon. Now the Gods need her to save the world! Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis---who holds Daphne's brother's fate in her hands---upends the life she's worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods' waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother's life will be forfeit. Guided by Artemis's twin-the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo-Daphne's journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves. A reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, DAUGHTER OF SPARTA by debut author Claire Andrews turns the traditionally male-dominated mythology we know into a heart-pounding and empowering female-led adventure.

Daughter of Sparta #1

Daughter of Sparta

always, annej 〄

Honestly, I was going to give this a more decent rating because I had fun - until I read the Afterword where the author very much pulled "here are some strong women - unlike the general Ancient Greek narrative" in her notes. Oh, yes, please tell me how lacking Greek mythos and ancient literature is in complex, interesting women defying the mores of their times.

Luckily, this sort of arrogance does not permeate the novel itself - which is a lot of fun on its own. I keep thinking of that video of Jenny Nicholson where she reads WattPad fanfiction and gets to this One Direction Purge AU, except it is a self-insert of the author being an absolute medical badass. This is sort of it.

There is less romance and a lot more action. The interpretation of the mythology is a little liberal which can be distracting, depending on how familiar the reader is with Greek mythos. But it is otherwise a fun adventure novel, strangely similar to the Nico di Angelo novel. It flows quickly and easily which is also commendable. A good palate cleanser.

Honestly, I was going to give this a more decent rating because I had fun - until I read the Afterword where the author very much pulled "here are some strong women - unlike the general Ancient Greek narrative" in her notes. Oh, yes, please tell me how lacking Greek mythos and ancient literature is in complex, interesting women defying the mores of their times.

Luckily, this sort of arrogance does not permeate the novel itself - which is a lot of fun on its own. I keep thinking of that video of Jenny Nicholson where she reads WattPad fanfiction and gets to this One Direction Purge AU, except it is a self-insert of the author being an absolute medical badass. This is sort of it.

There is less romance and a lot more action. The interpretation of the mythology is a little liberal which can be distracting, depending on how familiar the reader is with Greek mythos. But it is otherwise a fun adventure novel, strangely similar to the Nico di Angelo novel. It flows quickly and easily which is also commendable. A good palate cleanser.

one of the best books i’ve ever read! i absolutely love it, the characters, the plot… perfection. i need to read the second book asap

Nikola

Gaby AB

I really enjoyed reading this book, it kept me intrigued all the way through. Although it didn’t have the ending I so desperately wanted it was still great and perfect! Amazing for Greek mythology lovers!

Melany

It was a long enjoyable story. If you are interested in Greek mythology this is the book for you. Loved it

Aundreya Rich

" He's right, though I am loathe to admit it. We're the same. Two individuals with more curses than sense, chasing dreams of acceptance." 

What an exciting adventure!!!!!

Claire M. Andrews does an incredible job writing characters you believe in the old stories with know and love in Greek Mythology.

Her writing is so detailed, I could see every vibrant color painted, smell the sweat on Daphne's opponent's as she went head to head along her mission, and connected with each character as if they were a friend.

I highly recommend taking a quest with Daphne, a beautiful god, a man turned wolf, and the prince of Athens are they try to save Olymus and the power it holds.

Read if you love:
-Action! And lots of it!!!! Daughter of Sparta has you on the seat of your pants with each turning page.
-Greek Mythology- you could tell there was alot of research and knowledge put into this book. I think I walked away learning even more.
-Friendships unyielding 
-A slow burning forbidden love
-A strong heroine who is FIERCE
-content appropriate for all ages, and enjoyable too.

I can't wait to continue this story in the next book, yes yes yes this is a new series, however it does not end in a cliffhanger so you won't be left staring at ceilings waiting for your life to pass till the next release.

Rating:
story- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
characters-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
steam- the match was there to be lit, but each stroke were unsuccessful

Song: Lets see how far we've come- Matchbox20

book 2 of 2022

3.75 ☕

daughter of sparta was an enjoyable ride, told in a perspective less annoying than most female leads. I found myself feeling the #kilig for most parts, and I’ll be lying if I’ll say that wasn’t one of the determining factors why I finished this book. it’s a fresh character even with the same arrogant gods we’ve known. the story was beautiful, there’s just a tiny part in me that itch for more. 

I picked this up when I was at an impending reading slump and I can say that it kind of saved me. I like the humor here and the characters never failed to make me laugh, it’s my cup of tea.

this copy was gifted by Once Upon A Book Club Box

Micol Scalabrino

One of my favorite Greek mithology retellings! Well written and fast paced, I never had a boring moment!

Jennifer

One thing that piqued my interests with Mythology retellings is to see how the well-known stories are told from the lens of the female figures. Claire Andrews' Daughter of Sparta is an example of retelling that demonstrates one way female authors reclaim the women's narratives in Greek mythology: it is a fast paced, feminist, and adventurous story told from Daphne's perspective.

What I enjoyed:

+ Contexual details: I'm going to quickly say that the rich contextual details in Daughter of Sparta was pretty impressive. It lays out the events that took place around Daphne's timeline so I didn't really struggle learning the personnels who were mentioned / featured in the novel.

+ Writing style: This follows from the contexual details. The writing is vivid & engaging, without feeling like info-dumping. The author's prose redeems this book an immersive reading experience, I also get to learn quite a few ancient Greek sayings / mottos!

+ Characterisation: Special shoutout to Daphne! Not only Daphne's narrative is a proudly feminist one, I also grew to like her as a character - she's resilient, knows when to stand for herself, and is not afraid of the unknown. Her spirited personality definitely makes this adventurous read quite a page-turner.

What didn't really work:

- Pacing: While I overall find the book quite engaging, I thought the pacing a was bit uneven in the middle portion so I had to push through a couple chapters.

- Relationahip: Even though Daphne and the main characters were decently fleshed out, I personally wasn't very invested in her relationship with Apollo. I think it's just my personal preference that I tend to pay more attention to other ways a character demonstrates growth.

Despite these concerns, Daughter of Sparta is nevertheless a fun and action-packed Greek mythology retelling that has a distinctly female-led voice. If you're into mythology retellings and enjoy reading a strong feminist narratives, this fast-paced read is definitely something worth checking out!

N.B. This book contains following content warnings: violence, weapons, confinement, murder, blood mention, grief, and death

(3.5 stars out of 5)

Sarah Jackson

I have given this book one star for every time someone got their hand chopped/bitten off. 

Gemma

I tried not to cry but I still did :') excited that there's going to be more!

Leonie

I’m actually a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
The book retold multiple myths, there was lots of action, and overall the story was just really fun.

Kimberly

Absolutely adored this. It was the perfect book for me. It had all the things I love: adventure, face paced story, realistic characters, and ancient greek mythology. I though the characters were well developed and engaging. The plot made sense and the way the author interwove myths was chef's kiss perfect. Will be re-reading this again and soon. Thanking the gods there's more to come.

Heather Harrington

*I received a copy of this via the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

*3.5 

Daphne has spent the last seventeen years of her life proving to those around her that she has what it takes to be named a warrior. All she has ever wanted was to be accepted by the brash Spartans who took her and her brothers in, but because she's an orphan and a woman, she's never been taken seriously. But after an unexpected run-in with the goddess Artemis-- who's holding her brother's life captive-- Daphne will finally get her chance, but if she fails her brother's life is forfeit.

Nine magical items have been stolen from Olympus, throwing the gods into chaos. If Daphne doesn't track down and return them to their rightful place, the gods will lose their magic, plunging the mortal world into disarray. With the help of Apollo and other heroes along the way, Daphne must journey through Greece testing her will against all sorts of challenges, from the bloody labyrinth of the Minotaur to trading riddles with the Sphinx. As her quest progresses, Daphne is plagued with dreams of a mysterious shadow woman and visions of her past. Daphne has always known she was meant for more, and if anyone could save Olympus, why not her?

I will eat up any Greek mythology retelling, so I was very much looking forward to this. While I did enjoy it, I didn't end up loving it as much as I'd hoped. I think a lot of that had to do with the pacing of the plot. It pretty much just went: fight scene, travel scene, fight scene. It was very cyclical, and despite all the action, it made it feel almost stagnant. I would've liked to have seen a little bit more depth and emotional connection. I also had the same issue with the characters. Daphne was great and I admired how strong and fierce she was, but I wanted a bit more vulnerability. There were moments when she sort of let her guard down, but they were few and far between. She and Apollo's relationship was said to be enemies-to-lovers, but I didn't buy that either. The whole romance aspect was pretty non-existent except for one or two subtle mentions. While this may not have fully lived up to my expectations, there were still a lot of bits I enjoyed and I'm interested to see where the story goes from here.

Samantha Bass

Haleigh Buchanan

This book was FANTASTIC! This book is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. The entire range of characters are amazing. Of course there are ones I like more than the others. And of course, this has to be a brand new book just released that is at least a duology and now I have to wait another year to find out what happens. The ending of this book is very satisfying and you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time. I read this book in two very long settings lol worth every second of it

Cori McCarthy

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the story of Daphne and Apollo, and I could not be more excited for the next book to come out! A main character who is so strong, badass, and knows how to take care of herself, to amazing side characters it is impossible not to love, I enjoyed every page of this book. 

From the Foloi Forest to the desolate island of Crete, this book will for sure take you on an amazing journey. From the very first page, this book hooks you until the very last sentence. I for one, will be counting down the days, till I get my hands on this next book! 

“

Final rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Katerina Thorson

4/5 ⭐️
Instagram | TikTok

After getting off a two month reading slump, I am glad that this was the book to pick me back up. It's hard to want to read anything in a slump so falling back to mythology and fantasy has always been a big help for me. 

There are so many things to love about this book:
- Ancient Greek mythology
- greek gods
- potential forbidden romance
- everlasting friendships
- badass, strong women
- quests and journeys
- fighting
- and just overall greek culture

There was definitely a lot of love and thought put into this book and before someone says it doesn't follow the original myths - one the author acknowledges this in her authors note and two myths and legends are up for interpretations. I think what the author did was take what we knew about greek mythologies and empowered the women that have been shunned or deemed unimportant in literature. 

In so many mythologies and texts whether it be Greek, Roman, English, Nordic, etc. women are seen as the catalysts for many "unfortunate" events that plague men. Which, I find absolutely ridiculous. Any time a woman is mentioned in a greek mythology it's usually because a god was 'horny' and running after her or she was the reason men decidego to war and or a damsel that needs saving. It's ridiculous because many times these women helped in some way or another within the stories themselves. 

I love that Andrews took these misunderstood women and empowered them. 

It is still YA literature and because of that, still falls into the traps of tropes that aren't really loved or are overly used. Like, naive characters that refuse to acknowledge what is right in front of them, or scenes that are overly explained and give away parts of the plot. Or my favourite, immortal creatures saying "a mortal weapon can't kill me" and yet the person tries anyway ( I mean seriously what did you expect to happen). 

There is definitely a lot of room to grow with this book and I am happy that a sequel is on its way. I am definitely intrigued because the title is called Blood of Troy. So I wonder if we will be getting to see Achilles and Patroclus in the next book as well as the battle of Troy. It's definitely a possibility. 

Another great thing this author did was not put the focus on any type of love story. There is definitely a potential for it, in the future, but the focus was more on the quest and adventure. The author did well with continuing the theme of empowering women without the hindrance of man, especially in a time when women were expected to be married and not have many freedoms. 

Yes there are flaws to the book and definitely could be better if it left out the many tropes and errors that come from the YA genre. However, this is the first YA book in awhile that wasn't complete crap and a waste of my time. In a way it felt more original and didn't follow too many of the tropes that woe YA literature.

Daughter of Sparta Daughter of Sparta #1

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