The first thing that drew me into this book was the map. I love a good map for a fantasy book and seeing one based on Ancient Greece made me so happy. I used to be obsessed with Greek mythology as a child and I got so excited looking over the map and thinking about the journey Daphne was about to go on. And once I started reading, I was basically hooked. 

If you know the original tale of Daphne and Apollo, you would know that their romance was doomed from the start. Apollo was obsessed with Daphne after being struck by Cupid's arrow, but Daphne was struck with an opposing lead arrow. So while Apollo was madly in love with Daphne, she was repulsed by him. Eventually, Daphne plead to her father, the river god Peneus, to save her from Apollo's advancements and in return he turned her into a laurel tree. In this story though, Daphne is not helpless in her situation nor to Apollo's advancements.

As an outsider, or Mothakes, Daphne and her brothers are not full citizens of Sparta and therefore are seen as lesser. She struggles to prove herself as a Spartan and a warrior, and through her perseverance becomes a skilled warrior. I loved the change in narrative. Greek women did not have a lot of rights, though in Sparta it was a little different. To see Daphne as a strong warrior instead of simply a helpless damsel gave me strong Megara vibes from Hercules. I always hated in Greek mythology how helpless or villainized the women were, even if it was clearly the men causing all the problems. To have a change in narrative was so refreshing and made this story that much more fun. 

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the storyline was fun and interesting, the challenges were difficult and unique, and overall, it was a good book. I will say my one complaint in the plot is that it gets very slow in the middle. The beginning and end had perfect pacing and kept me on the edge of my seat, engaged in what was going to happen next. But the middle had a definite lag and I was sitting there wondering if it was going to pick up or not. While annoying, the slow down didn't mean lack of action, in fact, a lot of stuff happens in those moments. 

But I think the biggest thing I had an issue with were some of the side characters. Theseus, a character we meet along the way, felt really fleshed out in the beginning but dimmed as the spotlight moved off of him. And by the end, I felt like he was more of a shadow than a full character. Lykou, who doesn't talk much in this book, also had moments of feeling more like a plot point than a character. Which was really disappointing since Daphne and Apollo were so well done and fleshed out. 

If the side characters felt more fleshed out and less of a device for the plot, this book would have been 5 // 5 stars. The plot itself is great, Daphne and Apollo were engaging characters, the mythology (while changed to fit the story) was so much fun, and the imagery was fantastic. Everything about this book felt set up for success, except for the side characters. It's actually so frustrating to think about. 

Overall, I loved this book and really enjoyed it. I'm excited to find out what happens next in book 2 and hopefully we get more time with some of these characters so they feel a little more ... real. All in all, great fantasy, especially for fans of Greek mythology!

So anytime I see "James Patterson Presents" I know it is something worth checking out and lets just say I was not disappointed!
Daphne is a young woman, who is kind of an outcast. Because she was adopted she has never really been considered a true Spartan. This fact alone gets under Daphne's skin more than it should. Now, when Daphne is given an opportunity to take her brother's place in a race to catch a stag and return the garland that it was wearing she takes it. However, she does not know that that one decision will change her life forever when she meets Artemis, who agrees to help her on this quest!
Now this adventure was amazing! I have always loved Mythology and this book really brings Mythology to life plus adding in the fact that there action and the plot makes this book one that you will read into the early hours of the morning and still wish for more when you finish it! There is a bit of romance, but there is also soo much more! I mean this really brings Mythology to life with the quest, adventures, myths, legends, and the monsters they are fighting!
If you love Greek Mythology, Fantasy or even adventure books then this is definitely for you!
Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for the opportunity to read this one and go on this adventure!

This book started out well enough, but as I continued to read I became a bit bored. The story seemed very drawn out, and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Of course, I love Greek mythology, and those aspects were fun to read about, especially how the Greek gods and goddesses interact, but overall I thought the book was a little too long-winded. The writing was okay, but the plot moved very slowly at times.

A welcome addition to the collection of retellings of Greek mythology, Daughter of Sparta, takes on the tale of Daphne and Apollo. I loved the mashing of stories and myths that made this story exciting and interesting. As a fan of Greek mythology I found myself squealing and giddy with each new character introduction and the epic worldbuilding. A great start to a new series!

To start, I love a good historical mythology retelling. I honestly love any retelling but especially the books that play on Greek mythology. So you can probably imagine my excitement when I heard about Daughter of Sparta. I placed this book near the top of my 2021 most anticipated reads and, let me tell you, it does not disappoint. Daughter of Sparta is everything I love in retellings and more. This book was by far so difficult to put down; I kept reading because I needed to know more about Daphne and her journey and her relationship with Apollo. I never wanted this story to end, and thankfully, there’s a sequel coming out next year!

While Daughter of Sparta is a fiercely beautiful retelling of Daphne’s and Apollo’s story, it’s so much more at heart. Daughter of Sparta presents the readers with Daphne’s story. Daphne is a brave female protagonist full of wit and courage. She may have been an orphan but her found family is all she needs, as long as she makes them proud. And she does, until Artemis holds her brother hostage. In exchange for his life, Daphne must hunt for lost godly artifacts that will restore the gods and goddesses’ powers. Because at the heart of Olympus – the gods and goddesses are dying and they’re counting on Daphne to save them all.

But ironically, Daphne despises the gods. She wants absolutely nothing to do with them. She still shows respect to them but deep down, she knows they’re wicked and cruel. But she’s left no choice if she wants to save her brother. Daphne must team up with Apollo to collect these artifacts. And so her journey and self-discovery begins. I really enjoyed Daphne as the protagonist. She’s fierce, proud, and deeply devoted to her family. Along this journey, she discovers more about herself (and her past), more than she ever anticipated, and I really liked that aspect of the story. While this is a retelling, I loved that the story illustrated more of Daphne’s life and focused more on the adventure and task at hand than on the romance. But don’t get me wrong, I was here for all the romance, especially when it’s romance as sizzling as this one.

So while this book is enemies-to-lovers, it’s also a slow-burn romance. And let me tell you, I was here for it all. I was internally screaming at the two characters to kiss. They’re witty banter and arguments were wildly entertaining and made me root for these two even more. I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, especially when it’s done right. And Andrews does this romance 100% right! You will be rooting for these two the entire book and getting impatient for the moment where they finally reveal their feelings (or do they?).

The historical world building really tied everything up nicely. I loved how Andrews described the world and incorporated all these fascinating details. Some details, as Andrews notes in the book, are not exactly 100% factual, but I honestly enjoyed the little twists on the facts. And her writing. I marked up Daughter of Sparta with so many sticky notes; there were so many quotes and memorable scenes that I loved. Andrews’s writing is so lush and beautiful, with magnificently described scenes and epic battle moments. I was, overall, so enamored with this story and the exquisite writing.

All in all, Daughter of Sparta is a stunning debut and captivating first book. I’m looking forward to more Daphne and Apollo. Daughter of Sparta is out today so definitely consider picking up if you love Greek mythology retelling and enemies-to-lovers romance.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Jimmy Patterson books for the early review copy!

This is a female led Greek retelling following Daphne and Apollo.
I had a good time following these two, plus others, on their journey through and out of Sparta. There is a ton of intrigue, and the story moves fairly quickly which keeps you engaged and needing to know more.
The ending left you with questions that are currently unanswered in the series, so I'm really hoping that there will be a follow up or a companion novel to this one since there are a few side characters that I'd like to get to know some more.

I am a huge fan of Greek myth retellings, especially those which gave agency to women. So much of Greek mythology shines light on the men, so I am always eager to get my hands on a story that showcases a woman taking lead of her own story.

I'd recommend this to fans of Circe, Ariadne, and Lore if you are wanting a fast paced, compelling retelling of Daphne's story.

I am really loving the wonderful retelling of Greek stories, especially the ones that bring to life strong female characters. Daughter of Sparta is a great addition to such stories as A Thousand Ships, Circe, and Lore Olympus.

One thing that’s great too is to see the different interpretations of the Gods and who they are. With this one we get to see more sides to Apollo especially. And of course Daphne is a great character showing how we can decide our own destiny, not who we are born.

I hope there will be a second one as there has to be more to the story!

I’m loving the focus on the women in Greek mythology, so when I saw Daughter of Sparta on NG, I had to request. This book took me on an emotional roller coaster, and I had to pull myself together enough to talk about how much I love it. In the author’s note, when talking about some of the creative liberties she took, Claire says,⠀
“But that is the beauty of myths, stories that are ever changing—we can take from them what is most relevant to us personally, and revel in the fantasy.”⠀
And she definitely did an amazing job of keeping the heart of the myths while also adding her own perspective. Some of my highlights:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⚔️ Seeing my favorite and least favorite Greek characters and being surprised when some reveals were made
⚔️ Seeing certain myths flipped on their heads. Plot twists galore
⚔️ God the yearning and pining left me in shambles. Kind of want a god to give me the time of day now
⚔️ I love stories with weak gods and quests
⚔️ Apollo is singlehandedly the most annoying yet attractive being ever 🙄😚
⚔️ Not excusing the god’s behavior. They’re not good people and we all know it.
⚔️ A very loyal wolf who I love very much 🐺
⚔️ Me shaking my fist and cursing the fact I got attached to characters that I thought I didn’t like
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I cannot wait for the sequel to this book. I’m also buying a physical of this one because I need it on my shelves 🤩 So even though this book kind of broke my heart at times, I’d definitely give it a read if you love myths, adventure, and fierce girls subverting expectations 🤺

I love a good book based in mythology and lore. Daughter of Sparta did not disappoint. The book is a retelling of the Daphne and Apollo myth. Andrews takes the story and expands on it, giving Daphne control over her story. The pages are filled with action, intrigue and romance. I found myself engaged from the beginning. This is definitely a book I will put in our library collection.

Imagine a Greek mythology retelling with a fierce female warrior as the main character, add the enemies to lovers trope, and one thrilling adventure, and you’ll have Daughter of Sparta. This book has all the right elements to sweep you off your feet, especially if you’re a reader who loves mythology. Simply put, Daughter of Sparta is a fresh and exciting reimagining of the classic Greek myth, Daphne and Apollo.

Treated as outcasts in Sparta, Daphne and her brothers struggle to earn the honour of being a true Spartan. The Agon in the Carneia was supposed to bring honour and glory to their family, but when Daphne’s brother fails to show up in time for the race, Daphne takes his place. What was supposed to be just a race, jumpstarts the demise of Daphne’s brother, the gods, Olympus, and the world itself. Now Daphne has to go on a quest for Artemis to bring back the nine stolen items from Mount Olympus and restore their powers.

What I love first about Daughter of Sparta is how action-packed it was. The first chapter opens up with both action and intrigue, and that is a consistent element all throughout the rest of the book. The issue for me is this: the first half, though it was action-packed, felt a little lethargic. It was lethargic in a way that I wasn’t invested in the characters or their dynamics yet. Yes, they were going on in this dangerous quest, but I didn’t know much about the characters or felt much about them. And so, I wasn’t too enthusiastic at first. Once I got past that first half though, it got so much better! I got to know the characters a little better, I saw their chemistry and their dynamics slowly form. That for me made the story more enjoyable. I was finally rooting for them, I could understand their aspirations and their personalities. More importantly, they grew on me. Daphne, Apollo, even Theseus and the other minor characters!

The writing style here was also entertaining. With a personal and up close perspective from Daphne, we go through the journey with her. We get her thoughts and emotions, and I love that as the story progresses, we get to dive into her what kind of person she is. I adored Daphne as a main character. She doesn’t want to be a pawn in the gods’ game, but for her family she would risk it. She also has confidence like a storm within her and I love that.

I also love how the author reimagined Daphne and Apollo’s tale. I always found Daphne and Apollo’s tale lacking and melancholic in a way—how Daphne was forced to seek help to escape Apollo’s relentless pursuits, how Apollo never tried to understand Daphne’s side and losing her as a result. However, in this book, we see a different kind of Daphne and Apollo. We see Daphne as a fierce warrior willing to go through incredible lengths for her family. We see Apollo willing to rectify one of his careless mistakes. Throughout their journey, we see them get to know each other and bond despite their differences at first and a few conflicts. We see an incredible new dynamic between them here in Daughter or Sparta and it worked.

Apart from that, Daughter of Sparta also featured several known personalities from classic Greek myths such as King Minos and the Minotaur, Theseus, the Sphinx of Thebes, Hippolyta of the Amazons, and of course, the Greek gods. Some Greek myth stories were also reimagined here in the book and I liked how it helped further plot and give it more life.

Oh and, not to spoil anything, but I adored the overall ending. It was not what I expected, but I thought it was just fitting.

Overall, Daughter of Sparta is a solid read that will take you to a heart-pounding journey along with your favourite classic Greek myths.

I loved this book so much! I love the story and the history and the myth. Daphne is such a strong lead and her willingness to do anything to protect her family and those she loves is admirable. Her ability to stand up to the Gods is a powerful statement to her strength. I also greatly appreciated the Hades/Persephone relationship, I hate the usual “he stole her narrative” so I love that they went with the better one. This is one of my top books for the year!

Daughter of Sparta is simultaneously the book every English teacher should have in their classroom and one of the greatest Greek mythology books to come out in recent years. Madeline Miller is fantastic, but as her books are more aligned to mature, adult readers, they aren't as tangible to teens and young adults. What Claire Andrews accomplishes in Daughter of Sparta is a conglomeration of everything loved and cherished about Greek mythology, but in a tangible, action packed, and well detailed retelling.

Starting with the base myth of Daphne and Apollo, Claire Andrews maintains Daphne's willingness to take her destiny into her own hands, but on a larger stage. As Olympus begins to lose its powers after nine valuable things are stolen from it, Daphne is tasked by Artemis to retrieve them, alongside the god Apollo himself and her friend and first love, Lykou. Her journey takes her across Sparta and Greece, and even to the Underworld, running into almost every god, goddess, and mythical being in existence. Andrews does this all with grace, weaving it all together into a believable and well plotted story.

As a lover and a teacher of Greek mythology, I love what this book does as it expands on the knowledge taught in schools and gives students an outlet to further develop their understanding of what they've been learning. However, I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5 because I know that someone with a lesser knowledge of Greek mythology would immediately put this book down. There isn't a lot of world building in the regards of the characters and their place in the world. Unlike a traditional fantasy novel where much is laid out by the author or able to be picked up by the reader, if one didn't know anything about Greek mythology, they would be unable to read this without research. I know, I know. There's a big chance everyone picking this up would already be aware of Greek mythology, but as a teacher, I'm always thinking of what my students would think while reading and, as more and more each year come to school with no understanding of Greek mythology, I'm fearful that books like Daughter of Sparta will become harder to read without traditional fantasy worldbuilding.

HOWEVER, anyone who loves Greek mythology will cherish this book and love the chance to see all of your favorites (and non-favorites) interact in new ways and will love the empowerment (#girlpower) of Daphne's journey and she refuses to be anything other than herself. Daughter of Sparta is one of the best Greek mythology retellings to come out in the past few years just because the research completed is evident in Claire Andrew's writing.

I'm really loving the recent re-tellings of the Greek myths that are being written lately. They tend to have more of a lean towards the strong females of the time. In the past, so much of mythology stressed the male heroes. It's very refreshing to see things from a female perspective where they are making things happen instead of having things "happen to them.".

Daughter of Sparta was a re-telling of the myth of Daphne and Apollo. As much mythology as I know, this was one I wasn't very familiar with. I really enjoyed the book. You were immediately dropped into action from the beginning and it doesn't let up. In addition, it's quite evident that this is the first book in a series. I'm happy to say, I'm all in on seeing what comes next. I was quite impressed that this was a debut novel. The storyline flowed well and keeps the reader engaged. Likewise, the author did a nice job of helping you to understand the characters and connect to them.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review this book and the opinions contained within are my own.

Set in the mythical past, Daughter of Sparta, which I received from NetGalley for review, draws loosely on the story of Daphne and Apollo. Andrews does not rehash the ancient story in modern language or setting; rather, she plays with timelines, figures, and myths to tell her own story, drawing on Olympian gods, heroes, and monsters as suit the narrative. Her Daphne is an orphan who grew up in Sparta and longs to be a warrior. After an athletic competition takes an unexpected turn, Daphne is sent on a quest to save the Olympian pantheon, bringing her into contact with Apollo (who has been rendered mortal as punishment), Theseus, and Minos, among others.

The plot unfolds as a popular type of heroic journey: The warrior hero is sent to recover something valuable to the gods that has been stolen from them and encounters many violent dangers along the way. Adventure, a romance, and an endless array of requisite gory clashes with mythical gods and monsters all feature. Some of the mood shifts struck me as abrupt, and the characters’ motivations at times felt forced or unconvincing. But the choices Andrews makes are interesting to track.

On a purely personal level, I admit that I would love to see contemporary novels tackle other kinds of hero stories, not only warriors. In the world of ancient myth, what other kinds of conflicts existed and how else did heroes fulfill their purpose? Imagine a novel from Penelope’s point of view (no, Penelopiad does not count) or Iphigenia’s! With so much to mine, it surprises me how often warriors seem to be the default narrative mode. That said, Daughter of Sparta has the ingredients for an engaging fantasy-adventure. I recommend it especially for readers who enjoy myth-based, highly physical adventure and educators interested in contemporary novels in conversation with mythical themes and figures.

"'You are a gift to this world, my kataigida.', he says. 'A storm, calamitous and powerful.'"

Daughter of Sparta was SUCH an entertaining story! A tale of restoring Olympus, rescuing family, unfolding revelations, betrayal, seeking answers, and proving self-worth.

DoS is one of those books that has you on the edge of your seat! Nail biting! High stakes! Daphne is the opposite of women in ancient Greece. She is strong and fierce and trained by the great Paidonomos Leonidas of Sparta! BAWSE.


I am shipping Apollo & Daphne so hard! Maybe that's wrong and I totally fell for Apollo's charms. Apollo's list of doomed conquests: party of one?


And I still have questions! Does that mean there will be a sequel? Please say yes! Readers need this action packed Young Adult book!

"A threat to you is a threat to me, my kataigida."

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-Greek mythology
-curses
-a little forbidden love
-chaos & darkness
-mythical beasts
-a journey/quest/task
-infinite wit
-feta cheese
-#IsThisAKissingBook: "With no reservation, I pour every ounce of my burgeoning feelings into our kiss."

Thank you Jimmy Books for an advanced copy!

Song: Fire by Saint Mesa

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't *not* like this book. But it's the sixth Greek based book that I've read in two months and I think I'm burnt out. The writing flowed well, the characters were well done, and there was plenty of action and excitement to keep me entertained. If you like anything inspired by Greek mythology then definitely read this book! It was a fun take on myths and I like that some aspects were different than what I've seen in other books. It made the story more original.
There was nothing wrong with this book, and I have no complaints. But after five other Greek stories I was just bored. It was a personal boredom and nothing to do with the book itself, but me.
The book was well paced and we'll written! I love Daphne's character and Apollo made a great supporting character. This Apollo was probably my favorite that I've read, rivaling Apollo from the Percy Jackson books.
I plan to reread this when the second one comes out and hopefully I will enjoy it more.
Regardless, I'm still giving it 5 stars because it was very well done and a unique take on the Greek myths.

“What good are kisses compared to the bite of steel?”
“You’ve got much to learn if you don’t know that a kiss can be just as deadly as a sword.”

Daughter of Sparta, as the blurb suggested is a reinterpretation of the classic Greek mythology of Daphne and Apollo. And while I adore most retellings and reimaginings, Greek mythology is an unfamiliar territory to me. Hence, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Daughter of Sparta other than my most basic knowledge (which is almost zero) of the said myth. This definitely made an impact to my reading experience.

A badass female character in a male—dominated mythology? Yes please! I am all for female empowerment and Daughter of Sparta gave me that. I loved Daphne’s fiery personality, she was strong, stubborn, impulsive, has a temper but she gets the job done. As for Apollo, he’s a god and he has the arrogance to prove it, it doesn’t hurt that he’s beautiful and also a flirt. There are so much more to know about Apollo that I wanted to see but wasn’t able to since Daughter of Sparta was told in Daphne’s point of view. And like most stories in first person POV, we don’t get to see what else is happening especially that Daphne is not the curious type of character. This somehow defeats my initial plan to read Daughter of Sparta as an original story (again, because of my lack of knowledge of greek mythology). I tried not to research and just focus on what’s in the book but it was impossible because there's a lot of side characters and I mean a lot. I ended up researching every name in the internet and somehow the story made more sense having that background of who the gods and goddesses were in the original mythology. I would have loved to know these characters but the characters are gone from the scene before I could utter a word.

I was transported to Ancient Greek while reading Daughter of Sparta and it has a potential to be a great movie. I loved the pacing! There was no time for rest, I felt tired and beaten throughout the story. For a debut novel, Claire Andrews did an amazing job. Although I have so many questions, there is still another book in the series and I am hoping to get my answers then. Especially after that ending that is asking my romantic heart to be patient.

I can’t end this review without sharing this another great quote from Daughter of Sparta that will stick with me for the years to come:

“Find your footing and climb. Don’t think about what is beneath you, only how far you have left to go.”

Thank you so much to Hachette Book Group Canada and Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC and a finished copy to review!

What you’ll find in DoS:
-Greek mythology
-Strong heroine
-Competition
-Quest
-Playful or should I say arrogant and cruel gods and goddesses?
-Chosen one
-Fast paced
-Hate to love (ish?)
-Bibidi bobidi boo magic

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I love things tied to the Greek Gods.
This book had a lot of potential. I enjoyed the “treasure hunt/ road trip aspect fun. However, the characters and the relationships were uneven.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for this incredible arc!

Daphne is a young woman living with her brothers and adoptive parents in Sparta. However, she is not seen as a true Spartan but as a kind of Outcast. Daphne has the opportunity to take her brothers place in a popular race to catch a stag and return with the garland it's wearing. Little does she know her life is about to change when she meets Artemis and agrees to help her.

This book is about an incredible quest full of danger and bringing to life the thrilling myths and legends of ancient Greek Mythology.

I definitely recommend this for fans of Mythology and young adult fantasy. There is something for everyone here; romance, conflict, prophesy, a powerful female warrior and the amazing depictions of Greek gods and goddesses. Definitely check this one out!

Thanks to NetGalley & Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I had to DNF at 50%. I usually DNF uninteresting books at 20% but this book does have a cool concept so I kept pushing through till I couldn't do it anymore.

Daughter of Sparta is a story loosely based on the Apollo and Daphne Greek Myth. This follows Daphne, an outsider in Sparta who desires to prove the naysayers wrong and become the best warrior in Sparta's history. Unfortunately, the gods have other plans for her. Daphne is approached by the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis, and given an epic quest to go on to prove her worth to Olympus & Sparta. Problem is, the quest involves Artemis' sibling, Apollo, so Daphne has to work with an infuriating Greek God while completing the adventure.

I wasn't really a fan of the writing style, it really screamed generic YA writing, especially with how heavily it relied on YA tropes. I feel like this story would've done better had it not been under YA and instead broadened its horizons since it does have a lot of great potential.

Daphne was annoyingly stubborn and despite that (only) defining character trait, she fell hard and fast for Apollo and it felt too unrealistic. (Yeah, I'm complaining about realism in a Greek Myth book...I see the irony here) Apollo was also frustrating in that he felt like an emo teenager in 2009 rather than an actual *god*. I think neither of them was fleshed out all that well, frankly, and the romance suffered as a result.

Still, if you can not be as picky as I am with YA tropes/writing and love Greek Mythology then this is for you.