I’m a fan of stories involving Greek mythology. I find the Gods and their mortal descendants to be a fascinating topic. This book in particular is a feminist retelling of Phaedra. It is written in the form of a Greek tragedy with three acts and a chorus.

Phaedra is the daughter of an adulteress, sister of a monster and the unwilling bride of the much older and callous Theseus, king of Athens. She moves from Crete to Athens to marry Theseus after he kills her gentle brother, the Minotaur, and her sister disappears. Athens is a brutal city ruled by the urges of men. Women in particular are at high risk of being raped and brutalized without consequence. Phaedra is passive and believes that the Gods will seek revenge on these men, including her murderous husband Theseus. But when Phaedra is raped and left for dead by her 16 year old stepson, she begins to question her faith and the need to take justice into her own hands.

This was an epic story, which became increasingly engaging as it went on. I will admit I found the first act confusing and difficult to connect to. I didn’t quite understand the purpose of the chorus, which becomes more obvious as the story progresses. As a result, it lost a star for this reason. However, the second act starts to come together and make way more sense. Perhaps by then I was used to the writing and the different character names and perspectives. The third act was riveting and I ended up listening into the wee hours of night to finish the audiobook.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy retellings of Greek mythology. My advice is to keep on reading if you are finding the first part of the story slow as it will pick up. I will definitely be reading more from this debut author. The audio version had multiple narrators representing the different character perspectives. All the narrators delivered a solid performance using a variety of voices and tones that added to the plot.

A gracious thank you to #DreamscapeMedia and #Netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. #Phaedra

Adaptations of famous Greek myths are one of my favorite genres, and Phaedra was an exceptional read. It is a masterful retelling combining elements of the various stories surrounding the Cretan princess. The myth comes to life in a believable and very human way, reading more as historical fiction than as a myth. The writing was lyrical, and the narration excellent. The characters were enjoyable to like, and enjoyable to hate. The ending felt a little rushed, but that could just be because I wanted to the story to continue. I would highly recommend this book!

One star for the audio book, three stars for the story.
I love Mythology retellings, so I was very excited to be approved for this audio-arc, but the narration just didn't work for me. The mispronunciations were the biggest detractor but the narrators made it difficult for me to lose myself in the story. That being said, I am open to reading a physical copy once it's published to see if that would make it easier for me to connect with the story.

I've been trying to get more into works based in mythology, so I was excited for this book - a feminist retelling, yes! But, the audio format of this was challenging -- lots of narrators, weird pronunciations of Greek words, and it was just a confusing start. I think there's a lot of potential here, but that this might not work best in an audio format.

While I found the narration appealing, the structure of the story didn’t vibe with me. With so many character points of view, the narration was almost necessary, since the voices for each part sounded so similar otherwise. Each character didn’t have a unique enough voice on their own without the support of the voice actor. The story itself felt rather juvenile for the subject matter and while it tried to impart a message of feminism, it didn’t feel detailed enough to succeed. The may POVs detracted from the main POV sometimes. Medea’s POV was useful, but was the POV of the bull jumper strictly necessary? What about the tribute who came to Crete and seemed essential in the beginning but faded into nothing by the end?

The book read too young and simple, compared to other books that have become landmark books in the same genre. The beginning gave me hope, when Phaedra was young and it made sense for her to be so naive. Then she goes to Athens and the story speeds forward in a monotony of Phaedra being locked in her room, painting, and being afraid.

Overall, while I enjoyed the narrator’s voices and tones, as well as the pacing of narration, the story itself did not measure up.

Tale as old as time….

The raping of women…men behaving badly . Will there be consequences?

With this audiobook, the Greek names I’ve studied for ages were pronounced differently through the main narrator (Phaedra). My professors pronounced Poseidon differently, Theseus, Aphrodite, etc. it too .

I loved the story…as much as anyone can love a story of the oppression of women. I loved how the Greek stories and Bards’ tales were refashioned and reimagined. Are the gods real? Scapegoats for explanations of misdeeds? Then what of the demigods? The myths and mysteries of the past re-examined with new lenses….the birth of democracy, the fact that #metoo is needed thousands of years later because women still aren’t believed…..

What a fabulous interpretation of Queens Paciphae, Phaedra, Madea, and Ariadne….

Wish things were better for women.

Reminds me of Hamilton’s question : Who will tell our story?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
As a huge fan of Circe and the Song of Achilles, I had very high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it just didn't click for me. I felt like there were too many characters that didn't lend much to the overall story. Also listening to the night chorus in the audiobook was extremely grating.

I was excited to get an ARC of the audio version of this book because it had multiple narrators representing the myriad of POVs in this story. I was sadly disappointed. The reading was overdone and pronunciation of the different names of the characters varied from narrator to narrator. I was also confused because some would reference Phaedra as Queen, others as Princess. The story itself is tragic, of course, and while it does attempt to give a stronger voice to the feminine point of view, it didn't resonate with me at all. My recommendation is if you want to try this one, definitely skip the audio version.

* I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This one was hard for me. I really really wanted to like it, but there were too many characters and it all just felt so disjointed. I love a retelling, but this missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oof, going in, I wasn't expecting this book to be as polarizing online as it was. Phaedra follows the eponymous Cretan princess, the younger sister of Ariadne and the Minotaur, and the eventual wife of Thesus. I'd heard the Theseus and Ariadne story, but had no idea it has such a creepy dimension to it until I read Phaedra,

This book doesn't shy away from the misogyny rife in Ancient Greece. In fact, systemic misogyny and sexual violence is front and center in this book; I don't think a single female character is exempt from it. That already sets it apart from other feminist myth retellings, which have a softer touch with these issues and instead recast their main characters to be empowered and disparate from the sexist world they live in. Phaedra gets no such reprieve, especially once she marries Theseus. It's an almost relentless onslaught of verbal and sometimes literal violence. It's hard to read, but not unrealistic; upper-class Athenian women lived highly restricted lives. Married women lived under the thumb of their husbands. Phaedra never lets you forget that.

The audiobook made me feel like I was listening to a play. I appreciated that the characters had different narratorial voices. There were moments I thought the book could've used tighter editing as some strange modernisms slipped through. A character was accused of having a savior complex. At one point, the night chorus outright says "Me Too".

Overall, this was a thought-provoking and atmospheric read.

I had to stop listening to this one. The strange pronunciation of the Greek names was too annoying, and sadly the narrator just sounded bland and somber the entire time. There was no life in the story. I'll be reading it myself instead, because the actual storytelling was good.

One thing I love about Greek myth retellings is the same story can be so different version to version. This was definitely a new tale abut Phaedra and some details were adapted to stay on the theme of this feminist retelling. I liked the idea behind it as it was relevant to modern society. As for the audiobook itself, I couldn't stand how some of the Greek names were pronounced. For instance, Theseus was pronounced "thee-say-us" - I know this is such a little thing but I have never heard these pronunciations before. The one narration of Hercules sounded like a mix of Cookie Monster & Oscar the Grouch and really pulled me from the story. I would probably skip the audiobook unless you love a dramatized reading and read this one instead.

Great read! I could picture the areas in Greece; having been there. The readers were really good except for the second woman. Too soft spoken. The story line was so interesting and I felt involved in the story. Hated the ending but it was more real life then the happy ending. I would recommend this book this to someone who likes drama, mystery, love story and thriller.

Laura Shepperson’s debut novel Phaedra (released as The Heroines in UK/AUS) is another new release in Greek myth retellings. The story follows Phaedra, who married Theseus after he slayed the Minotaur. This work re-examines the story from Phaedras point of view, and turns the story on its head. Ultimately, Phaedra, who is misunderstood, demands justice for the suffering and helplessness that is felt by not only herself, but for abused women everywhere.

It's a very complex story (and controversial, as far as myths go). I won’t spoil the ending here for anyone who doesn’t know how the myth goes, but if you are interested search for Euripides’ Hippolytus myth summary.

A stark contrast between gender roles is explored within this work, showing how different expectations and beliefs were between men and women during this time in history.

IMHO the world-building left a lot to be desired, and I found the multiple POVs to be confusing at times. The challenging subject matter makes it an emotionally difficult read, in itself. Not hard, but uncomfortable to read, at times. And who am I to judge? They say good literature evokes feelings and makes you think critically...which this story definitely does. I think this story brings a fresh twist to an old myth, and I am excited to add Phaedra to my mythology collection 💙

TW: rape, abuse, suicide

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Laura Shepperson for the alc of Phaedra in exchange for an honest review.

This had the potential to be a great retelling of the story of Phaedra, who married Theseus after he slayed the minotaur, and the victimization of women in Greek mythology. But it fell flat to me. I feel like there were too many characters and, though all narrated by different people, the characters didn’t have distinctive voices and the only way I could tell that we had a point of view change was the change in narrator.

Also, the pronunciations of the names in the audio were strange to me. I’m not an expert on them by any means, so I don’t know which way is correct, but it really threw me off and brought me out of the story because they weren’t how I typically hear them.

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the early audiobook.

The narration was excellent. Quite the team of narrators and the chorus chapters were great to listen to.

There is a definite modern take on Phaedra's story. Though I enjoyed it, I also think it could've been a little better. I would give this a 3.5 star but I'll round up to a 4. I will definitely recommend this to my friends.

This is an engaging, fresh account of the island of Crete from Phaedra’s perspective. I can’t help but think of the recent novel “Ariadne” by Jennifer Saint as I listen to this story. In that novel, as well as much of Greek mythology, Phaedra is characterized as a side note. She’s little more than a typical little sister, idolizing her more beautiful elder to the point of tedium. The side characters in “Phaedra” are what breathe more life into this story. Theseus is characterized as a villain, coming across as misogynistic and power-hungry. This role reversal from typical retellings is enough to draw any listener into the story.

The near-idolization of Knossos as a mecca of art, invention, and morality was also an interesting take on mythology. Minos is usually portrayed as an insane, power-hungry jailer that holds Athens in fear and enslaves Daedalus. But in this novel he’s almost blameless. From the perspective of a commoner, Knossos is a wonder. From its plumbing to its labyrinth, Athens pales in comparison.

I’d recommend this novel for anyone with a general interest in mythology. Fans of Madeline Miller will find this story very interesting! If I shared this with my students, I’d ask them to evaluate the perspective of the rosy-eyed Athenian sacrifice. Why would she be willing to risk her life in the labyrinth? Why would her family think it’s honorable that she was chosen as a sacrifice? Why would Theseus have a different perspective? There is plenty to ponder or discuss!

Oof, I was looking forward to this. I actually love retellings of myths (hi Circe and The Song of Achilles - by the queen Madeline Miller). So, a “feminist” retelling of Phaedra by a debut author obviously piqued my interest and I requested an audiobook from NetGally (thank you!). It started out ok - but from there, the story itself and the narration were a hard pill to swallow. Of note: pronunciation by the narrators of commonly known Greek names - did I miss a memo for years about how some of them were pronounced (Hercules, Dionysus, Theseus, Aphrodite to name a few)? It was hard going listening to this. And, I argue that this can be called a feminist retelling when women turned on women constantly.

Phaedra is the sister of Ariadne, who helped Theseus to slay the minotaur. When he leaves Crete, he takes Phaedra with him as his wife - but more likely, as a prisoner. Upon arrival in Athens, Phaedra is thrown into a world entirely unfamiliar to her. Antagonized by and attracted to Theseus’ son, Hippolytus, Phaedra is unsure how to navigate this new court. As in the myth, Phaedra says that her stepson raped her - there is a trial, Hippolytus dies and Phaedra kills herself. However, these main pertinent points don’t happen until about 65% into the book, so there is a lot of background to deal (and struggle) with.

Again, this was a hard finish for me: I wanted to love it - but I didn’t actually like Phaedra, she was rather two dimensional and I hated how the women turned upon one another - if this was a feminist retelling, how did that happen?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this would be a poetic retelling of Phaedra’s life in line with Circe and The Song of Achilles. The writing style wasn’t the same, and the author used more modern language in the dialogue that seemed strange. The concept of multiple narrators could have been good, but there were just too many of them, many of whom didn’t add to the story and took pages away from developing other characters more.

I didn’t like Phaedra’s character. She was demure, naive, and seemed to be led into trial by men. I wish more would have been written about her revenge on Hippolytus. Ultimately, her taking her fate into her own hands just spoke to the fact that there was no other way out for her in the male-dominated society. Even after death, her truth was covered up. I liked the side stories of the minor female characters best. The bull leaper, the Athenian tribute, Kandake. I liked their viewpoints the best, and their stories showed the sacrifices that women endured.

All said, I enjoyed the audiobook production. There were different voice actors for the different narrators. The Night Chorus was great and reminded me of a play. My main problem with the audiobook was that the chapters start by stating the narrator’s name. I wish that the name would be listed as the chapter description because it was hard at times to follow who, out of the numerous narrators here, were telling their story in first person.

Greek myth retellings are a favorite of mine, so I was eager to read more about Phaedra (Ariadne’s sister), a tragic and naive character, who failed to understand the trouble she finds when she moves to Athens after being wed to Theseus, who has little interest in her other than as a pawn in his quest for power. Her poor decision to purposefully interact with Hippolytus, her step-son, despite multiple warnings ends in a pivotal assault and ultimate ruin. While I can appreciate some of the story-telling, ultimately this was a frustrating read for me. Phaedra, Kandake, and Hippolytus are the most well-drawn of the characters, but none of them were particularly likable. Perhaps if the settings were more evocative or there were storylines woven into a meaningful message this story would be more effective. Did I appreciate Phaedra wanting justice? Yes, however, it was at such a great cost that it made it feel pointless and I questioned the message the author sought to convey. The trial was one of the best written scenes in the book and I felt like this was the most impactful part of the book. While the ending does have a silver lining, it was insufficient to answer several lingering questions. Honestly, if the world building and plot lines were strengthened with a clear message, this would be a more satisfying read. On a brighter note, the narrators were wonderful…the voices felt fitting for the characters and the Night Chorus was haunting. Great audio production. Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity to review this novel.