Cover Image: Scions

Scions

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The Starcrossed Trilogy (from the pov of Daphne's daughter) is my absolute favorite Greek myth series ever! I couldn't believe it when I found out Josephine is going to add to the series with a prequel collection. Now, I am back in my favorite Greek world with characters that feel so realistic and all I want is to binge read the rest of the prequel series asap!!

"Rule number one for my kind: don't EVER let humans discover that demigods exist."

Daphne's story is such a wild ride, and if you've read the first trilogy, you know that this is a tragic love story and destined to end in doom, but I am 100% sure that this series will be just as incredible as the first series half was. Whether you know how it ends or not, you need to know how Daphne and Ajax got to that point...

"More often than not, star-crossed lovers are their own worst enemies."

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Thank you to NetGalley and Sungrazer Publishing for providing a copy of this eARC for review.

I loved the original trilogy (Starcrossed) that lead to this novel. I really enjoyed seeing our characters as younger adults/teenagers, as this was a prequel. There were some questions that were cleared up from previous novels (re: the furies, especially), and I got to know some characters that I understood less.

The writing style is very reminiscent of the previous books in the series. I'm not sure if this is the author's usual style or if some of the formality of speech is from the characters involved. The regular students used more familiar language, whereas the Scions used more formal speech. It was a very enjoyable book and I am looking forward to reading Timeless (the next in the series).

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This was a decent read that you don’t have to have read the trilogy to enjoy. I found that I related more to the nostalgia than the characters.

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I didn't realize this was a prequel. I have not read the original series so I don't know much of the story. That being said it was a pretty good book. I don't usually enjoy prequels since I already know how things are going to turn out so I may feel different about it had I read the series first.

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This was really fun!

I did not expect to ever get more books in the Starcrossed series, but I am definitely happy that we got this prequel.
The story was fast paced and I liked the writing style.

If you loved the original series, you will enjoy this book as well.

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I am a huge fan of the original trilogy that Scions is a prequel for. I loved the starcrossed series so much growing up. So I did go into this one with pretty big expectations.

Scions is a prequel to the Starcrossed series. It is set in 1993 in New York. Now as a 90s kid this brought back a lot of nostalgia, which the book did in general because of my love for the previous books.

It did take me a few tries to get into this one. I don’t feel like I connected with these characters and this story the same way I did to the previous ones but it has been a long time since I read those.

The nostalgia was real, the story was decent, but I never fully connected hence the 3 stars. It wasn’t a bad read but it also didn’t live up to my expectations. Obviously this is just my own personal opinion and even though I was a bit underwhelmed I do plan to read the other upcoming books at some point.

**Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

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I just… I just couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t realize it was part of a larger series; even though it’s a prequel book, I had a hard time feeling any sort of connection or buy-in to the characters or the world.

Maybe I would have if I had read the first three? Not sure.

A lot of times I can read and enjoy YA (even though I am an adult), but this one I really felt wasn’t for me/that I wasn’t the right target audience for this book.

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I really enjoyed this book, the storyline was interesting and the characters were well done. I would highly recommend this book to everyone!!

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This book was by no way original in its plot, nor crucial in itself — it’s a simple prequel to the beloved Starcrossed series that is the ultimate feel-good YA fantasy book series from my teenage-angst years. We get to see the lives of Lucas and Helen’s parents, and like the book blurb teases, it zeroes on the events that lead up to the War of Houses that took place prior to the Starcrossed books. So why did I even pick up this book? Easy answer because I freaking adored these books when I was younger and I was indeed instantly hit by nostalgia when I dove back in into the world again. Angelini’s writing style is so easy and relaxing to read, it engulfs you and pushes you to keep turning the pages. I really wasn’t even that invested in the love story of Daphne and Ajax, but I still rooted for them and found myself smiling all the time (even though I will admit that I’ve probably forgotten most of the plot the minute I finished the book— again, you’re only here for the nostalgia). So yeah, go and pick up this book if you liked this Starcrossed series as much as I did back then, otherwise you’ll probably just be put off by the strange pacing, timing, and probably unnecessary plot of this book.

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"Scions" by Josephine Angelini is a well-crafted, high-concept YA fantasy novel. The author's writing style is engaging and vivid, bringing the fantastical world to life. The characters are complex and likable, and their journeys are both emotional and exciting. The plot is rich in mythology, making it a thrilling adventure to follow. However, some aspects of the world-building felt underdeveloped, and the pacing could have been tighter in places. Overall, I enjoyed reading Scions and would recommend it to fans of YA fantasy. It earns a solid four stars.

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I had not read the other books in this series prior to reading this book. I saw it was a prequel so figured I could start here. I still understood the world and story well so I don't think you have to read the other books first. I think it is really telling when a prequel can actually be read without knowing the other books, this book really stands for itself. I really enjoyed the story and now want to read the rest of the series as well.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my review.

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I’m an avid reader of Josephine Angelini. And my favorite part of her writing is ALWAYS her characters. The depth, the development and the ability for the reader to connect to each and every one. And this is regardless on if you even like the character or not.

Scions is perfect for both new readers of the Starcrossed series and those of us that have loved the original trilogy for years. Scions is a prequel novel so there is no need to have read the original series. But I can guarantee you’ll want to pick them up after you finish Scions. For fans of the original trilogy, we get a lot of easter eggs, answered questions AND more questions... obviously.

This book is fun, fast paced and intrigues the reader from the very beginning. So pick up the book and immerse yourself into this world. Its beautiful and has its own artistic feel that any imaginative reader will adore.

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I loved everything about this book!

The forbidden love and family feuds are very Shakespearean like.

I am greatly looking forward to reading the next instalment of this series!

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Back when I first read this series all those years ago, I wished that it had more books, and finally my wish was granted. We got not only one, but two new books!!!

This one follows Helen's mother Daphne and her love story with Ajax, so it's sort of a prequel to the original trilogy.

You can read it before or after the main series. If you choose to read it before you'd have no trouble getting into the world because everything is explained well and the mythology is compact.

But I'd still recommend you read it after, because some things happen in Scions that also happen in Starcrossed, so if you read the former first you won't be as surprised when you read the latter.

Also, I think this book is even better when you already know most of the characters and have an existing attachment to them, but feel free to do whatever you feel is right for you.

I'm really glad to see that Josephine Angelini hasn't lost her touch when it comes to this series, and that this book feels natural. It's as if she started writing it immediately after finishing Goddess. Perhaps she did?

The writing style was so beautiful at times that it made me cry (in combination with my love of the characters). There was this description of the light reflecting off of Daphne that really got me. Seems silly when I say it, but you'll know it when you get to it.

Scions is darker than the other books, due to the themes present, so please do check the trigger warnings, in case you need them. I actually wasn't expecting it to be so dark? I knew Daphne had a hard life but all those things with her father...

And the way that it ended is making me hope we'll get a sequel to the prequel? Because there are still some unanswered questions. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. Even though I know what happened next-next BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I enjoyed this book so much, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next one. KEEP 'EM COMING MRS ANGELINI UNTIL I'M OLD AND GRAY. OKAY? OKAY.

*Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

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I loved the Starcrossed books as a teen, so this was an excellent revisit to the world!
I think it'll be a great starting point for people who haven't read the trilogy. I liked the characters, they didn't have as much as an emotional hit as Helen did in the original series but still well written and had their own personalities. And the plot was enjoyable.
Overall an enjoyable read but it didn't have the same emotional hit as Starcrossed for me

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This book was okay not really my style of reading however I still enjoyed it and liked the writing style

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I have not read any titles in the Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini but plan to rectify that.

It did take me a little while to get hooked when reading Scions, but I soon appreciated the plot line with all the integrations of the familiar Greek gods and goddesses woven into the mix. There is good character development and the plot moves at a reasonable pace for the storyline. I enjoyed the budding romance between Daphne and Ajax as well.

Definitely a book to recommend to young adult readers or even adults (like me) that appreciate good storytelling.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really solid read.

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Gahh, what a great book! I ended up binging this after getting out of a reading slump and it was amazing. I definitely missed Josephine Angelini and it was such a pleasure to revisit her Starcrossed world. It has everything you'd want in a Greek mythology retelling, withforbidden romance, intense plot, and just spellbinding writing. I was so happy to be reunited with some of the characters from Starcrossed and can't wait to see what else Josephone Angelini has in store for this series!!!

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The Starcrossed Trilogy was one of my favourite series when I was a teenager, which is why I was excited about the news that more books will be released. I must admit I don’t remember a lot about the plot of the trilogy, other than it’s Greek Mythology with star-crossed lovers, family feuds, and mysteries to be solved – and that I loved it a lot, which made me request Scions because of nostalgia. It is a prequel to the Starcrossed trilogy, but you don’t need to have read it before going into Scions. It will, of course, add to the experience if you do. I liked the book, and the story it was telling, though it was repetitive at times, and the writing felt a bit “young” – but I’m also ten years older now.

Scions is set in New York City, in 1993 (be aware of 90s misogyny!). The main characters, Daphne and Ajax, played a role in the trilogy, and this is their origin story. Getting to know teenage Daphne and Ajax was interesting, both beautiful and bittersweet; to see how history repeats itself over and over: the four Houses (ancestors: Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon, Aphrodite) are enemies, and if they meet, the Furies will make them fight and kill each other. The Furies and also the Fates are basically using them to achieve their own goals, all relating back to the Greek Gods, and Helen and Paris from Greek Mythology. Daphne’s House is thought to be extinct, which is why she has to stay hidden from the other Houses to make sure this stays that way. This seems easy in a huge city like New York, where every House has their own part of the city to call their own, but her appearance, more specifically her face (she has the Face of Helen of Troy), attracts the attention of every man wherever she goes. This causes a lot of problems, especially at home with her father, and in a high school full of teenage boys. Daphne’s struggles were well written, and I’m horrified by what she had to go through day in, day out due to her having the Face. The little easter eggs were also nice, and I’m now looking forward even more to reading Timeless once it’s released.

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