I love everything Ancient Greek, so this was a treat! I enjoyed the witty banter between Daphne and Apollo and the way they had to work together to complete Daphne's task. This is for fans of history, Ancient Greece, and mythology retellings.

I am always up for mythology and enjoyed reading this. Fast-paced with lots of action and adventure. I would have loved more character development, and think that affected the romance element for me. I have since purchased this for my library and it's easy for me to push.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

CW: blood, gore, death, murder

This book was so action-packed and had me hooked from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down or wait for what happened next. I loved how aspects of the story were true to myths and others were twisted for the story to come alive! I can’t wait to read more of the series and find out where the story takes us!

4.5 stars

I really wanted to like "Daughter of Sparta," especially given the synopsis (I mean come on! It's SPARTA!) but it just didn't work out that way. The romance and general events that occurred in the novel just felt too uncomplicated. It should not be undemanding and effortless to overcome the mythological gods in the story. It was extremely difficult for me to feel immersed in the novel or even a sense of intrigue to continue reading. While "Daughter of Sparta" felt lacklustre for myself, you may enjoy it.

4.5/5⭐ to Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews. Many thanks to Hachette Canada for the egalley to review! I have never been much into Greek Mythology or other stories influenced by the classics, but this female-centered adventure caught my eye! I am so glad I jumped on this book, because I had such a good time! Our lead, Daphne, is a force to be reckoned with and is just trying to prove herself as a warrior and fighter to the military leaders in her city. After taking part in a trials, she is whisked away by Artemis (yes, of Olympus fame) to work with Apollo on a mission to save Olympus (and thus, the world). My attention was captivated immediately and this quest was so full of action, adventure, danger, and lore. I like not only how Daphne was able to prove to herself & others that she is the warrior she dreamed of being, but how she also learned that her identity and value go beyond that. The blossoming romance was pretty cute, but was not the focus of the story. Maybe we'll get some future development, but what we got worked well for the story. Personally, I think this would translate well to the large or small screen and has that charismatic quality. Cannot wait for the sequel!

Pub: June 8th 2021 by Jimmy Patterson Books & Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Thanks to the publishers & Netgalley for the gifted eARC to read and review.

I'm loving the trend of revisiting classic myths with a feminist lens. Daughter of Sparta is an entertaining read that will appeal to people who like quest-based stories.

Daphne is a great protagonist and you will rooting for her throughout the book. She's strong and stands up for herself.

I also found the depiction of the gods really well thought out. You see the good, the charm but also their cruelty and manipulative nature. .

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

Daughter of Sparta is a good choice for fans of Greek mythology retellings, and for fans of Rick Riordan books. I am also always a fan of Greek mythology that centers around a female lead. This story is heavier on action than character development but I still enjoyed it. While this wasn't my favorite retelling, I was intrigued to read about Daphne and Apollo and I am interested to see where book two takes us. This book was strong enough to be a standalone, but there is still enough loose ends to bring us into a sequel.

This may have been bad timing on my part, reading this after reading so much other mythology retellings. It was good but I wasn't too invested in it.

A new and inventive retelling, interweaving the myths of old with the societal themes of today. A very innovative take on the adventures of Daphne and Apollo.

Where this past winter was all about Russian folklore (with new reads like The Bright & the Pale by Jessica Rubinowski, old favorites like The Winternight Triology by Katharine Arden, and books that are getting well deserved attention like Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha-verse), then I’m proclaiming this summer all about Greek mythology!

For me, great Greek mythologies are defined by sunny scenes of lush waters and gilded temples. They include action-packed fight scenes, gods who will disrupt and parlay well-honed plans, and always an element of romance. If Russian reimaginings gave us the right vibe for cozy, comfy winter nights, then retellings of great Greek epics should always be read outside, preferably by the beach, with sunshine and lemonade on standby.

If you loved Alexandra Bracken’s Lore (and who didn’t? It was filled with action, romance, and testy gods), then you will enjoy Claire Andrews first book in her new series, Daughter of Sparta. While Andrews doesn’t dive as deeply into the nuances or world-building as other recent Greek tales, she certainly creates a story that is filled within action from the onset. The first scene opens with 17-year-old Daphne fighting for her place among the ancient Spartan army, when she is unwilling set upon a task by goddess Artemis to recover nine stolen items from Mount Olympus. Accompanying Daphne on the journey is Artemis’ twin brother, Apollo, god of prophecy, healing, and dance.

Now, if you’re familiar with the myth of Daphne, you’ll know that Apollo and Daphne are fated lovers of sorts. In legend, Daphne was a water nymph and daughter of the river god Peneus, who unwillingly became the object of Apollo’s infatuation after Apollo was cursed by Cupid, the god of love. Daphne seeking to escape Apollo, pleads with her father who transforms her into a laurel tree. Suffice to say, Andrews’ retelling significantly departs from this story, but you are in store for some series enemies-to-lovers, will-they-won’t-they vibes.

While Daughter of Sparta certainly kicks off immediate, I occasionally found it hard to keep focused on the story. Without a wealth of description, it was sometimes hard to feel a connection to the characters or their mission. I needed a stronger incentive for Daphne’s undertaking; I needed to feel her pain and conflict. However, despite some of its faults, Daughter of Sparta sets the scene for what I’m positive will be a series to which I am eager to return. I am excited to see where Daphne’s journey takes her in the ensuing editions!

GREEK MYTHOLOGY FOR THE WIN!
Love love loved this one! Can’t wait for the sequel/companion novel :)

As a history teacher I love to get my hands on YA books that center on topics or situations in history. The Spartans are such a fun group to teach and I love that this book focused on the females. Usually we only get books about how the boys were trained and went to war, but the girls from a young age were also trained to fight!

I really enjoyed Daughter of Sparta. The characters were written nicely and I loved learning some new things that I can bring into my classroom.

To me, this is a great readalike for older readers who loved the Rick Riordan stuff and want more mythology. I'll keep it in my back pocket,. It wasn't one for me, exactly, I just couldn't get drawn in to the story, but I'm not mad about it!

I did not finish this book but what I did read was not for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read it anyway!

Daughter of Sparta was a phenomenal book. I am so glad that I had the chance to read it. This book is perfect for any fans of Greek mythology or lovers of strong female main characters.

Daphne's only dream is to become a true Spartan warrior, but since she is an outsider and a women the chances of her goals coming true are slim to none. When Daphne's older brother gets caught by Artemis for spying on the Olympian gods, it is up to Daphne to go on Artemis' quest to find 9 missing items from Olympus to bring back complete power to the gods.

As a huge history nerd I absolutely loved every moment of this book. The author was able to stay close to the original Greek mythology but change it in a way that the story is female focused and manages to empower women. I loved all the main characters, especially Daphne. It is such a pleasure to read from her point of view and grow with her throughout the novel, she not only becomes an amazing warrior and learns to trust herself and not worry about where she comes from, but she also gets closer to her emotions and gains confidence, she is truly an amazing character.

While I loved the book and the storyline, I think the author could have worked on the pacing of the story a little more. There were definitely moments of the story that dragged on for a long time, and other moments that flew by way too fast.

Other than the pacing of the story I think it absolutely perfect and loved every moment of reading this story. I will be looking forward to reading more from Claire and following Daphne's story in the next book.

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!

Absolutely could not put this down.
With the rise in popularity of Greek mythology retellings, and retellings in general, this Daphne and Apollo tale fits right in with Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint.

I went into this story totally expecting a female version of the movie The 300, full of action and battles and death, super exciting and tragic. Well, that was not what this was. Instead, Daughter of Sparta was an epic adventure full of Greek Gods and mythology, magic, tasks and trials and secrets. I enjoyed the story, but it was in no way what I expected- but keep in mind that it was on me and not the book's fault. Ps, based on the synopsis this is a retelling of the Daphne/Apollo myth which I know nothing about (and can't verify if this is close to the original or not), but if that is something you are interested in here you go.

This is the perfect series (and yes, this is just book one in a series so be aware) for fans of the classic Greek tales, mythology and retellings. The story was one dangerous misadventure after another and will keep you guessing as to what will happen next as well as what well known character from Greek mythology will pop up next. While at times I felt a little like the story was choppy and there were missing transitions that caused confusion while reading, overall this was an interesting read due to the worldbuilding.

Overall this was heavy on the action and minimal on the characters and relationship dynamics. I would recommend this for fans of adventure stories, Greek mythology, dangerous quests and fans of series. I am not sure that I will be continuing with this series in the future but I am sure that others will love it.

The Greek gods are truly just one big happy pantheon family of D R A M A.

From start to finish, this is an excellent adventure novel that takes us all over mythological Greece. Daphne is a Sparta in all ways but birth. Her and her two brothers were adopted by a Spartan family, but no matter how much they train and or prove themselves worthy warriors, they can never measure up in the eyes of their fellows. After her one brother is turned into a deer by the goddess of the hunt, Daphne is forced to enter into a deal with Artemis. Nine items have been stolen from Olympus, the powers of the gods are failing, and Daphne must go with Apollo to recover them. Suddenly, this girl deemed lesser by the Spartans she fights for is now their only chance to save the world, and they don't even know it.

People say that Greek mythology is tired, but I am so wired for it. I fell in love with this and its adventure element almost immediately. It's actually more what I hoped Lore would be like. We face off against the Minotaur, a Sphinx and centaurs, rub shoulders with gods like Prometheus, Hermes and Ares, meet legends like Hippolyta and Theseus—and not once does it ever feel like it's too much to keep up with. In hindsight, this was a really clever book that takes so much already used to death and crafts something I found to be new and exciting. It's fast-paced and highly unpredictable as well. There were a few twists that were really well done, and there are threads of mystery that unravelled perfectly.

I really liked Daphne. There are a lot of characters—literal legends—in this book that could have easily drowned her out, but she held her own phenomenally well. The girl is a beast when it matters, and I am obsessed with that. Her Spartan training came in handy often, letting her show off to the reader without being cocky or overbearing. She's quick on her feet and terribly clever. Some of the moves she pulled had me smiling because damn girl! Her character was wholly believable and relatable, and I loved that for her. Almost from the start it's clear that there are questions about her parentage, namely who is her father because she is definitely not fully mortal.

From what I googled about the myth of Daphne and Apollo, this book is a very very loose retelling. There is absolutely a romance that stirs up between the two characters. I'm always unsure of where to land with god-mortal romances in YA. Like, Daphne, I know Apollo looks like he's 18 but he's actually 1001 and probably f*cked some questionable people and things. But also ... get your man, girl! Thankfully it didn't feel icky here, and was somewhat of a slow burn. I ship it **shrugs* I have to admit though, the cock-blocking wolf between the two of them was way funnier than it should have been.

This is the first in what looks to be a duology, but it wraps up really well and could almost be a standalone. There are still promises of what are to come, with a few mysteries still floating about, such as who is Daphne's father. You can bet I'll definitely be snagging the sequel first chance I can.