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A review by iloveyou
Winter Harvest by Ioanna Papadopoulou
3.5
Winter Harvest is an intense adult fantasy that revolves around the Greek goddess of harvest, Demeter, and her vengeful search for her missing daughter, Kore. Just a heads up, this is a very dark, Greek mythological retelling of Demeter therefore there is potential triggering content: violence, sexual assault, abuse, death, etc.
I’m not familiar with the myth of Demeter so I didn’t know what to expect when diving into Winter Harvest. Portrayals of gods tend to romanticize their cruelty and leave no space for empathy or connection. However, readers are able to understand Demeter's motives. Demeter truly cares for her daughter and her vexed actions indicate that she’s not entirely good nor bad. Her past and her reason to fight are what makes her a wonderfully complex character.
I enjoyed how character-driven the story is around Demeter, as well as how readers are able to gradually humanize her. In the midst of her rage, Demeter develops as a somewhat relatable character and readers cannot help but sympathize with her.
Many thanks to Ghost Orchid Press and Papadopoulou for the eARC.
I’m not familiar with the myth of Demeter so I didn’t know what to expect when diving into Winter Harvest. Portrayals of gods tend to romanticize their cruelty and leave no space for empathy or connection. However, readers are able to understand Demeter's motives. Demeter truly cares for her daughter and her vexed actions indicate that she’s not entirely good nor bad. Her past and her reason to fight are what makes her a wonderfully complex character.
I enjoyed how character-driven the story is around Demeter, as well as how readers are able to gradually humanize her. In the midst of her rage, Demeter develops as a somewhat relatable character and readers cannot help but sympathize with her.
Many thanks to Ghost Orchid Press and Papadopoulou for the eARC.