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A review by andrea_gagne
Daughters of Olympus by Hannah Lynn
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I am always here for a mythology retelling centering women's perspectives!
Daughters of Olympus follows Demeter, one of the Olympians birthed from Titans, who wants nothing but to enjoy the beauty of the earth in bloom with her daughter at her side. The other Gods, especially her brother Zeus, may be cruel and callous, but they have underestimated what the Goddess of spring is capable of. The story alternates between the perspectives of Demeter and her daughter Core, and looks at the pain of motherhood, as well as the choices a daughter are forced to make between two worlds.
This is a great addition to the contemporary mythology retelling genre, with a story that has so much space to explore complex relationships, the mistakes made out of love, the grief of loss, and the meaning of free will. Lots of very interesting conversations to be had here!
I also really enjoyed the vivid imagery of nature, flowers, fields of wheat, mountains and seas. Because the story centered around two Goddesses of spring and harvest, this beauty was present throughout. Also, the way that life and growth was presented reflected the changing moods of the characters in a way I thought worked very well. Different flowers and plants, even thorny vines and frost, reflected the tone and setting of the story in a way that highlighted how connected the main characters were to the natural world, setting them apart from the other Gods of Olympus.
The beginning of the book was fast-paced and I couldn't stop turning the pages as I learned more about how Demeter's cruel family shaped her. And the last quarter of the book was exciting and action packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the pieces I knew about this mythology story all fell into place. I do think there was a bit of a lag in pacing in the middle, though. I will caveat that by saying that was when the themes of grief are most deeply explored, and I don't personally find myself so interested in reading about grief -- so, that may say more about <i>me</i> than about the book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review
Daughters of Olympus follows Demeter, one of the Olympians birthed from Titans, who wants nothing but to enjoy the beauty of the earth in bloom with her daughter at her side. The other Gods, especially her brother Zeus, may be cruel and callous, but they have underestimated what the Goddess of spring is capable of. The story alternates between the perspectives of Demeter and her daughter Core, and looks at the pain of motherhood, as well as the choices a daughter are forced to make between two worlds.
This is a great addition to the contemporary mythology retelling genre, with a story that has so much space to explore complex relationships, the mistakes made out of love, the grief of loss, and the meaning of free will. Lots of very interesting conversations to be had here!
I also really enjoyed the vivid imagery of nature, flowers, fields of wheat, mountains and seas. Because the story centered around two Goddesses of spring and harvest, this beauty was present throughout. Also, the way that life and growth was presented reflected the changing moods of the characters in a way I thought worked very well. Different flowers and plants, even thorny vines and frost, reflected the tone and setting of the story in a way that highlighted how connected the main characters were to the natural world, setting them apart from the other Gods of Olympus.
The beginning of the book was fast-paced and I couldn't stop turning the pages as I learned more about how Demeter's cruel family shaped her. And the last quarter of the book was exciting and action packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the pieces I knew about this mythology story all fell into place. I do think there was a bit of a lag in pacing in the middle, though. I will caveat that by saying that was when the themes of grief are most deeply explored, and I don't personally find myself so interested in reading about grief -- so, that may say more about <i>me</i> than about the book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review