This is my second retelling of Phaedra’s story and as much as I wanted to love it, I didn’t have a strong connection with her. I felt like the writing was sub par but the premise of feminism and women standing together in the face of sexual assault was beautiful. This may not have been the best retelling in terms of the writing, but in terms of actually sharing a message that women have experienced throughout history, Shepperson nailed it.

try to be fair in my reviews and acknowledge where an author does well even if I don’t like the book. That being said, I didn’t like anything about this. This book is meant to be a feminist retelling of Phaedra, the sister of Ariadne and wife of Theseus. The most common original story (though there are variations) is that Phaedra fell in love with her stepson, Hippolytus. Hippolytus rejects her advances because he has sworn a chastity vow to Artemis, and Phaedra then accuses him of rape. What happens to Hippolytus next varies based on which story you’re reading: in some versions, he is killed by a sea monster sent by Poseidon, and in some, Theseus kills him. Out of guilt, Phaedra commits suicide.

In Shepperson’s version, Phaedra is raped by Hippolytus. I really didn’t see anything feminist about adding rape to a story where there previously wasn’t any. The story was depressing from beginning to end, and instead of a fearless woman fighting for change, Phaedra is naive and sad throughout the whole novel. She was a hard character to root for even as terrible things happened to her. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including a night chorus, but there was very little to distinguish these voices from each other. This was particularly disappointing because I thought the chorus was a cool nod to Greek tragedy. The writing as a whole was pretty lackluster (as an odd note, multiple characters use the word “perambulate”).

I probably wouldn’t have finished this book if I hadn’t received it as an ARC. To me, it just felt like someone trying to cash in on the popularity of Greek mythology retellings.

A feminist retelling that casts a spotlight on Phaedra, sister of Ariadne, as well as a small cast of other supporting characters and their plights while living in Athens.

This book was an interesting read, especially since I just recently finished Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. I liked that we had a much more in depth look at Phaedra's perspective, and the storytelling was done beautifully with all the different voices. It truly felt more like a Greek play than a novel at times and I enjoyed that! However, I think there could have been *more*. There was depth but I wanted more; there were instances where something was obvious but some instances where it was not (specifically being vague to avoid spoilers)- but in general I think what this novel was trying to do required a more headfirst approach and a more in your face awareness of things that were going on around Phaedra. She's extremely naïve for someone her age and while that's partly purposeful I think it's also partly that sometimes she isn't supposed to be but comes across that way through the writing.
All in all I enjoyed getting to see this side of a well-known story, and Shepperson definitely put her own spin on it. Happy to have read an eARC through NetGalley!

I wanted to like this as a lover of mythology but it’s just too tough to read. I don’t find the writing engaging at all.

This was what I was looking for in mythological retelling book, I appreciated that this book was about a Greek myth that I don't really read about before. Laura Shepperson had a great writing style and I thought this was a great debut, it was a strong start. The plot itself worked really well and I enjoyed the characters and how they worked in this universe. I look forward to reading more from Laura Shepperson.

"The king is dead, long live the king. So we said, and we should mean it, too. And I did, I did, if only because Hippolytus was a far worse prospect than Theseus. Old Aegeus had not been a clever man, nor a wise king. He had ruled with the bare minimum of effort. He’d allowed himself to be captivated by that witch, Medea (and witch was a polite term for the woman)."

A feminist retelling that casts a spotlight on Phaedra, sister of Ariadne, as well as a small cast of other supporting characters and their plights while living in Athens.
While I enjoyed this book, the liberties the author took to condense the story and fit it to her narrative made the book feel rushed and the characters didn't feel as fleshed out as I would have liked.
The ending, however, was particularly well-written.
All-in-all, this was a pretty decent debut novel and I'd be interested in reading her future works.

I am sorry to say that this is the first, and hopefully the only, one-star review that I have given an ARC on NetGalley. There have been many feminist re-tellings of Greek myths/epics in recent years which I have greatly enjoyed, but unfortunately this was not one of them. This one went too far in the name of "feminism", and I speak as a proud woman. Feminism does not mean deliberately vilifying an innocent man just to flip the story and portray a woman as the victim, when in fact all ancient sources are clear that she was the perpetrator and he the victim. And especially when that man happens to be a rare icon of a marginalized group, e.g. of a minority sexual orientation such as asexuality or homosexuality which already suffers from enough stigmatisation. If you want a good modern re-telling of the Phaedra and Hippolytus story, I suggest checking out Jennifer Saint's Ariadne and steering clear of Laura Shepperson's Phaedra.

All classical sources, such as the plays Phaedra (Seneca) and Hippolytus (Euripides), as well as Ovid's poem Heroides, agree that Hippolytus was a chaste young man who had no interest in sexual relations and was solely devoted to his horses and to Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt. In today's times, one might say that Hippolytus was asexual, part of the tiny 1% of people who experience no sexual attraction to either sex. Asexuals today are often pathologised and seen as anomalies who are abnormal in their lack of sexual attraction. They often suffer from attempted conversion therapy, forced marriages, discrimination, etc. in the way that other queer people do. Laura Shepperson turns a well-established, completely innocent asexual character into a rapist, a move which is crassly invalidating and insulting. It suggests that asexual people don't really exist, and that behind every seemingly asexual person, there must be a sex-hungry pervert who cannot control his "natural" lust. It is like saying that every seemingly homosexual man actually lusts after women as well, and will rape a woman if given the chance.

In the real classical accounts, chaste and lust-less Hippolytus is disgusted and horrified by his stepmother Phaedra's amorous advances and clearly rejects her. Phaedra, driven mad by the power of Aphrodite, falsely accuses Hippolytus of raping her, which his father Theseus sadly believes and thus calls upon Poseidon to punish Hippolytus. It is Poseidon who, at Theseus' behest, causes Hippolytus' undeserved death by having him thrown off his chariot and trampled by his horses. Artemis then appears (alas, too late), revealing the truth about Phaedra's nefarious machinations and rebuking Theseus for causing the death of his innocent son, leaving Theseus devastated and remorseful. But Shepperson perverts the story, turning sweet, quiet Hippolytus into a sneering, vile man who actually does rape Phaedra, and is subsequently killed by decapitation at Phaedra's hands! Not only is this subversion grossly disrespectful to the original sources, but it also perpetuates the harmful notion that there is really no such thing as a man who doesn't desire sex with a woman, which is highly offensive to the LGBTQIA+ community. By vilifying one of the incredibly few mortal asexual male figures of Greek mythology, Shepperson does not do feminism any service. Portraying women in a sympathetic light is NOT achieved by falsely framing innocent people of marginalized identities as villains!

After this ridiculous and blatantly tone-deaf book, perhaps Shepperson should consider writing a "feminist" version of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (the remarkable African-American abolitionist and statesman who began his life as a slave), focusing on the "untold" story of how the harsh slave-mistress Mrs Auld was actually the victim of cruelty and rape at the hands of the seemingly innocent but actually evil Frederick Douglass! Shepperson's writing style is imitative, predictable, and immature, with the author biting off far more than she can chew, and in the process rendering her work the object of ridicule and contempt in the eyes of anyone acquainted with the real classical legend of Hippolytus and Phaedra.

*3.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“If they are the heroes, does that make us the heroines? We keep going, we persevere, we ask for nothing, and we get even less. Where are our stories?”

Phaedra by Laura Shepperson follows the story of Phaedra, princess of Crete, who becomes the Queen of Athens when she agrees to marry Theseus. When in Athens, Phaedra is Queen in name only and the atrocities of court life and the treatment of women are revealed to her. When Theseus’ son Hippolytus rapes Phaedra, she publicly accuses him and a trial ensues. The women of Athens know all too well what “justice” means for them, but Phaedra is only just beginning to learn these hard truths.

To preface my review, I read Ariadne by Jennifer Saint earlier this year and loved it, so I am a little familiar with this story and have some background on it. I think this story was done really well. I loved how we got Phaedra’s point of view, but also how all the other point of views focused on those characters’ thoughts about her. It really solidified the idea that Phaedra was the topic of all court gossip and the idea that there are many different sides to a story.

I loved the night chorus. It was such a chilling addition to the book that served as Phaedra’s enlightenment to the reality of being a woman at that time. It was also relevant that Phaedra’s case was the one being highlighted because she is Queen and has that status with her, meanwhile these women of the night chorus are expected to continue keeping their heads down and remaining silent.

One thing I wish this book had was more lyrical writing. Personally, I think there is a certain expectation of whimsical writing that comes with writing a Greek mythology retelling.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I think this book has a very relevant message about how sexual assault is viewed even today. But even in the midst of all that tragedy there were still moments of strength and hope from the women in this story that I think are very well done and deserve to be told.

A reimagining of Phaedra’s story from mythology. I haven’t read much about Phaedra so I appreciated that she was the main character of this book. My favorite character was the tribute woman. I wished she was in more chapters.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

This is another book I had high hopes for because I love mythology, but I had a love hate with Phaedra. I love the idea of the story, but parts of Phaedra weren't all too interesting and fell flat.

i've only recently gotten into retellings of Greek mythology and Phaedra did not disappoint! I'm excited to read more by Laura Shepperson.

Laura Shepperson begins her different take on the Greek story of Phaedra with a minstrel, not Homer-like but, but one less gifted in storytelling and just looking for a meal. He mentions some gossip about an upcoming trial and that's the last we hear of him. The point? Maybe to tell us that this is not the traditional retelling of Phaedra's story.

We begin in the palace of King Minos of Crete, in Knossos, the home of the Minotaur. Right off the bat, the story veers off from the traditional as Minos is not the offspring of Queen Pasiphae and a bull she had the hots for, but her child by Minos who is somehow born disfigured. (With horns maybe?) Anyhow, this Minotaur is still housed in the labyrinth designed by Daedalus. The two princesses, Ariadne and Phaedra, are teenagers. Theseus, King of Athens, comes as part of a tribute group, but is really there to secure a bride.

Ariadne tells Theseus the secret of the labyrinth, and he finds and murders the minotaur. He chooses Ariadne as his bride, but she never makes it to Athens. (In the legends he abandons her on an island.) In this version, she berates him about the killing of her brother, and he kills her. He comes back for Phaedra, but in this story, never consummates their marriage.

Athens is nothing like the advance civilization at Knossos. (Indoor toilets, showers etc.). Athens is dirty and filled with abusive men who rape and beat servant women on a regular basis. Phaedra hears about this abuse in what she calls "the Night Chorus" Interesting idea that.

Shepperson continues in this vein with other characters like Medea. Yes, that child murderer), a maid, and an advisor to the king and some nasty youngsters. Hippolytus, Theseus' son, brutally rapes, beats and impregnates Phaedra. In the more commonly known story, Phadra seduces him.
.
There is some innovation here that' sounds like the MeToo movement in Greek legend. There is some pretty decent writing here, yet the story just doesn't come together. It is interesting, however, how Shepperson describes scenery and paintings and the worship of the many Greek gods. I would certainly like to see what Shepperson writes next... She certainly knows her Greek pantheon and even offers an alternative motive for Medea's actions.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found the writing style enjoyable and the story engaging. It added a new spin on an old story. I love retellings of Mythology and this one is certainly one that has earned it’s spot on the bookshelf. I found the format of the chapters almost similar to the classics.

Theseus and the Minotaur is my favourite myth, I am glad to say that this book has done it a great service. I certainly can’t wait until I am able to have this physically.

I've read a LOT of Greek mythology retellings this year, and Phaedra might be one of the best. It most directly compares with Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, but I feel like the story flowed so much better here, despite the liberties the author took with the original. The story of what happened between Phaedra and Hippolytus, the ensuing trial, and the interjections of the "Night Chorus" made for excellent social commentary, especially in light of "Me Too." I almost felt like contemporary fiction at times; sadly, things only change so much for women in a patriarchal society. There's a very obvious feminist undertone throughout the book that might not be accurate for the time period, but I'm always a fan of hearing the stories of those that history (or ancient storytellers) ignored.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own.

☆☆ Overall

I have so many thoughts about this book that I do not even know how to organize them. I did not read anything other than the book’s description before reading, which I feel like gave me such high expectations. Unfortunately, I was extremely let down.

This book feels sloppy in places, like it was thrown together in a mad rush to be published before the hype of Madeline Miller’s CIRCE died down. And while I love MM and her novels, I didn’t set out to compare them. However, when the book is a Greek myth retelling, it’s kind of hard to NOT compare them, at least on a basic level, much like we do with other novels of the same genre or subgenre. Additionally, this book is being marketed as a “for fans of Madeline Miller!” book, I think it’s important to note that this book doesn’t feel like it’s on par with that at all, and will leave some people disappointed.

On to actual problems with the book, the timeline / narrative voice / organization just seems so hasty and hazy. Nothing truly makes sense when you’re having to reread the same page 10 times to try to catch where narration changes, or there’s a time skip, or whatever else the author is throwing onto the page.

Not only that, the characters feel distant and like it was hard to understand them, let alone try to connect with them. This book feels more like a young adult novel in regards to how the story flows, if that makes sense. (Not necessarily because of the content, but because of HOW it reads.)

If you liked this book, great! I wish I had those same feelings, but I recognize this may just not be a book / author / etc that is for me.

I thought the book was quite interesting. I love greek mythology and so any retelling is a huge bonus to me and my brain. However i did find this specific story to be a bit... generic. I felt no real depth to the story. Everything felt quite surface level. In general, the story was good! Just not the best i've ever read.

I admittedly have a soft spot for Greek Mythology retellings - I see one, I bite. In the case of "Phaedra", however, this might not have been a good thing.

"Phaedra" unfolds the story of the titular character, daughter of King Minos of Crete and Pasiphae, and sister to Ariadne as well as half-sister to the famed Minotaur - the half bull, half man monster that roamed the labyrinth underneath Crete. After Theseus arrives on Crete and slays the Minotaur, she eventually is offered as his bride after her sister disappears. Phaedra marries Theseus with the optimism of a naive princess, but after returning with him to Athens, her hopes of a joyful marriage are immediately crushed, despite bearing Theseus two sons: Acamas and Demophon. She's relegated to being no more than a prisoner in her own home, constantly monitored by her stepson Hippolytus.

Where Shepperson takes liberties in her retelling is having Phaedra as the victim of assault by Hippolytus; in the classics, she falls in love with him and betrays her own husband. Nevertheless, Phaedra is branded as an adulterer and put to trial before the court of Athens. Phaedra's position an outsider and, more importantly, as a woman is ultimately what decides her ultimate fate - not the truth.

While first glance this should have been a promising novel, there's a number of things that fell short for me. First, Shepperson's writing style and voice fell flat; the sentence structure is limited and terse, and hardly varies from the different perspectives utilized in the storyline. There's little character development of complexity here either; our protagonist doesn't seem to evolve or grow throughout the story, and there's little that I found that I could connect with her on. I also found that there was little context or backstory provided for readers that may not be familiar with Greek mythology; as an avid reader of these types of stories, I had enough background and familiarity with the characters to understand the events that unfolded, but newer readers would most likely struggle.

A (somewhat) minor complaint, specific to the ARC: the formatting (or lack thereof) also detracted from the reading experience for me. New chapters weren't separate from previous ones, titles weren't formatted any differently from the rest of the text, and line breaks were put in the middle of words.

I personally wouldn't recommend this to others to read. For alternative, more successful retellings: Madeline Miller is a master of this genre, and Jennifer Saint's "Ariadne" is a fantastic look into what happened Phaedra's sister after the killing of the Minotaur.

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

The writing style seemed a little elementary. The book’s multiple POVs make the story a little choppy and disjointed.

I enjoyed the retelling of these Greek stories, but at times it felt like I was reading out of a textbook.

Changes in the POV and a more polished writing style could make the story more believable, but as it is, it feels more like a fable.