If you like retellings like Circe, Ariadne, the daughters of Sparta I think you’ll enjoy this. There is a new wave of feminist retellings and I’m here for it! This story was good but not great in that I feel the emotions weren’t as raw and I didn’t have heart wrenching moments like most of the retellings I’m used to. Not to say that is the only way to do it, some may enjoy this more for that same reason. The other perspectives also threw me off a bit but overall I will still purchase this and recommend it, my review is all about personal taste not the actual quality of writing here, the author still did a great job with Phaedra!

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. I like Greek mythology and was looking forward to this retelling. I was expecting to read the well-known story from Phaedra’s perspective, but was pleasantly surprised by the multiple narrators and points of view. The emphasis on Theseus’s greed and hunger for power depicts him as a true monster in this retelling. On the other hand, Phaedra’s character is very naive and doesn’t change much throughout the story. I was also looking for more character development across the board. It was hard to connect to the characters and thus the story felt somewhat detached.
Overall, it’s a retelling of a famous myth from a woman’s perspective, which, in Greek mythology is not so common, so it’s a good thing. I’m glad I had a chance to listen to the audiobook version of this book.

Wow. This audiobook was a straight up performance piece! It was absolutely amazingly done! With several narrators handling the multiple POV through this story, it’s such an amazing retelling of the mythological story of Phaedra - the younger sister of Ariadne.

I love mythology and retellings really are my jam. I’m so happy to have received a copy of this through NetGalley to enjoy. Between chapters the narrators joined together to read parts and it was absolutely spectacular. I love it. I love it so much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up!

I received an arc of an audiobook of Phaedra from netgalley.

dnf at 63%.

I have lots to say about why I didn't like this book, but there is one thing that is the most important, and so that is the only part I will get into here.

Violent and constant descriptions of women's trauma do not a feminist retelling make. What I want from something calling itself a feminist retelling is female characters with agency in a story that historically hasn't involved that. I want women to exist for something other than a point in a man's journey, for her to be glossed over. This book, instead of giving the women power and space to be actual individuals, forced them into situations that they could not control and then sexually assaulted them basically nonstop.

I cannot recommend this book to anyone. There are other things about it that bugged me but the reduction of women to something to be hurt was the biggest and most important, and that is why it is what I wrote about. Also, I didn't see a single content or trigger warning? And that is just shameful.

This felt very YA in a bad way. The writing was very simple, not poetic or lyrical in any way, which in my opinion does not suit a greek myth retelling. The beginning was just a literal repeating of the original Greek myth, maybe it improved a bit as it went on, but I had to DNF because I can't read a literal retelling with no reimagining. I'd prefer to just read the original.

I also felt like the narrator kept slightly changing how she pronounced names and places, which made the audio hard to follow.

DNF @ 10%

I am not in the headspace right now to read about a book that centers around the SA of a woman.

In truth, I think I'm pretty close to being done with books that express their feminism through SA and the aftermath. I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that, but my mental health suffers every time, so I'm going to take a break from that for a while and stick to the feminist retellings without (or that don't center around) SA.

That said, the audiobook is fantastic. It's got a full cast which I love! And I like what I've read so far. I plan on going back to read and review Phaedra in total, but for the sake of my mental health, it will wait a while.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher and Laura Shepperson for this ARC.

Pros: The audiobook had some bought a of really interesting voices like in the Chorus. Some of the characters stories are fast-paced and very interesting.

Cons: overall the book is slow moving until about 65% in. It takes a lot to get to that point and the weak introduction to some of the characters can lose the listener especially in the audiobook format.

If you can hold on to the 60-65% mark the book really speeds up. It does get pretty dark so be prepared for that but it is interesting and fast moving. I think this one may be better as as book than an audiobook overall due to all the change in characters but not large difference in voice narration, which can lead to confusion to the listener.

PHAEDRA by Laura Shepperson and read by a full cast was my latest foray into mythology retellings.

I enjoyed this audio, especially with the cast of narrators. There are several POV's and a "Bard" describing the tale, so the many voices helped bring this story to life.

I haven't read all of Euripides or even Homer, so I admit I didn't have any idea of this story until now. I did look up the original just to see how this tale went from the woman being the evil to the feminist tale woven here. Phaedra began in this story as a resigned girl who has hope and faith that the gods will bring justice. She ends in a very different, bold and self-possessed way.

It is hard to not to compare against other works in the genre, and while I did enjoy this story it did not quite measure up to others I loved. The full cast audio did make this story come alive, and I especially loved Madea!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this lovely ALC which was out this week to all! I would recommend this debut author for those who enjoy a fresh retelling of mythology.

Phaedra

Written by: Laura Shepperson

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Mythology (retelling)
Narrated by: Jade Wheeler, Mary Helen Gallucci, Julia Atwood,
Mark Owen, Erin DeWard, Leon Nixon, Nicky Endres
Length: 9 hours, 44 minutes


I can’t seem to get enough of feminist retellings of the classic Greek myths. Like much of history, these stories were originally told by men, from the male perspective and to support the patriarchy’s agenda. It has been refreshing to hear these stories told from a feminist perspective. Empowering tales of the enduring plight of women, of their intrepid spirits and endless tenacity to make a stand.

In traditional Greek mythology, Phaedra was the daughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae of Crete, sister of Ariadne and the Minotaur. She was the wife of Theseus, who falls in love with her husband's step-son, Hippolytus, a pious devotee of Artemis. Phaedra publicly accuses Hippolytus of rape and demands a reckoning of Theseus. Shepperson has outdone herself in this timely reimagining of Phaedra, one of mythology’s most maligned women. I encourage you to go into this reading experience blind. Skip the other reviews and jump right in.

** Trigger warnings: sexual assault and non-explicit references to child sexual abuse

The talented cast of narrators truly brings this story to life, complete with a haunting Greek chorus like none you’ve heard before. I highly recommend this dynamic audio production of Phaedra to enjoy the full theatrical experience of a Greek tragedy.

My thanks to the author @LauraShepperson, @NetGalley and @Dreamscape_Media for the opportunity to review this audio production.

I received an audiobook arc for my honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and when I managed to get my hands on it a couple days earlier, I was ecstatic.

With the resurgence of mythology retellings thanks to authors like madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes - we are getting a ton of new receptions this year.

Phaedra, I feel like her story is often overshadowed. Her sister, Ariadne and the Minotaur are better known. So I was curious on how her story would unfold.

It was beautifully haunting and chipped away at my heart with every word. I fell in love with this story almost immediately and would constantly think about it when I was rudely interrupted by life.

At first, I was worried about multiple POVs. I find sometimes when there are too many cooks, it starts to boil over. I lose track of what is happening & to who… especially when a lot of Ancient Greek names sound the same.
But that problem never happened and I still get chills hearing the night court whisper their lines. It was like listening to a play right in front of me.

But it wasn’t just Phaedra’s story that was so important in this. And what made this book stand out. While on a steady path to focus on Phaedra, this story opened up about many women and the struggles they faced in those times. Finally giving them all a voice.

Madea was my favourite, aside from Phaedra. I was fascinated with her the entire time and always would get extra excited when her name would appear.

A must read and I will be reading this again. If you get the chance to listen to the audiobook - please do. Im so glad I got to listen to it. A story like this should be heard.

Please be sure to check content warnings.

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Phaedra is the naive, submissive younger sister of the bolder and more beautiful Ariadne, daughter of the infamous Queen Pasiphae and the powerful King Minos. Told in multiple perspectives, this is the story of Phaedra’s life that is set in motion by the arrival of the “hero” Theseus on her home isle of Crete. After the murder of her younger brother Minos - better known as the Minotaur - and the mysterious disappearance of Ariadne at Theseus’s hands, Phaedra chooses to marry him in order to bear witness to the revenge she is sure the gods will send down on him.

This book started out fairly slowly, and took until about the 60% mark to really get going. Once it did, however, it was absolutely gripping. The events of the story are less interesting than why and how they are happening, and how the saga spins to its inevitable conclusion. This second half, while extremely dark, was absolutely my favorite part of the story due to the creeping and intricate unfolding of the tale; Shepperson’s potential as an author is best showcased here. Phaedra, while an unremarkable protagonist for the majority of the story, had me cheering her on wholeheartedly by the end. The book also included some very beautiful language, poignant questions, and stark observations about the reality of being a woman in a world ruled by men. I also loved the Night Chorus (an experience that was absolutely enhanced by the audiobook format), a mystical nightly discussion among women about the atrocities committed by the people (mostly men) around them.

It is easy to see what, in part, inspired the writing of this book; many passages brought to mind recent headlines about court cases concerning the assaults of women by men, especially privileged ones, and the ensuing impact on both individuals involved. One line in particular truly emphasized people’s reticence toward punishing sexual predators: “Do you really want to destroy a young boy’s entire life because of a few moments of discomfort?” Today’s stories are certainly not the first and unfortunately won’t be the last we hear of people like Theseus and Hippolytus

My main criticism is that the description of the book lists the main event that happens at the 60% mark that sets the second half into motion, and if I hadn’t known about it going in I think the experience of reading the book would have been better. I also really struggled to be invested in the story for the first half, since Phaedra is essentially dishwater for most of it and the characters around her, who could have been interesting, were not as well utilized as they could have been, especially Medea and Tripho. I also expected a much more comprehensive indictment of the myth of Theseus, but Shepperson seemed hesitant to paint him as a true villain in anyone’s eyes except Phaedra’s. I was also thrown off by the inclusion of some very modern phrases that wrecked the experience of reading the otherwise lovely prose; “basic accounting skills” and “chitchat” being foremost among them.

Ultimately, I would say this book is worth a read, especially if you (like me) are a huge fan of feminist retellings of mythology.

This book is quite dark, so if you find any of the following content upsetting, I’d recommend you skip this one: rape, sexual harassment, bestiality, suicide, animal cruelty.

This is a multi-perspective telling of Phaedra of Knossos' tragic life. Used as a pawn by her husband, Phaedra lives a miserable life in Athens compared to her life of luxury and happiness as a princess of Knossos. The loss of her sister Ariadne along with the atrocities she hears of and eventually lives in Athens shape Phaedra into the woman she becomes. This telling shows how little power women had and how asserting any power would immediately deem them to be monsters.

I enjoyed this! Perusing some of the reviews, I thought maybe I wouldn't like it, but it held my attention and I enjoyed my time reading. I do think some of the changes in point of view were a little choppy so I had to remind myself who was who, but overall, it was a decent book.

I think the only bad thing (and it's not this book's fault) is that I couldn't help comparing it to Ariadne by Jennifer Saint and I just loved that one more. That's not really fair though - two different authors with two different writing styles.

Side note - I listened to the audiobook and I thought the chorus parts were creative. It just brought something a little different which was cool.

Pros: I am traveling to Greece this summer and have many books like this one on my to-read list to prepare. The biggest pro of this book is that it is part of the new effort to tell myths from the points of view of the women in them. I enjoyed the author’s interpretation of the myth involving Phaedra and the author’s suggestion of a different ending to her story.

Cons: Although I was excited for the premise of this book, the execution left a lot to be desired. I appreciate that the author tried different devices (chapters from different points of view, Greek choruses, etc), but it just did not work for me, especially on audiobook. I struggled to get through this audiobook for several reasons including the pronunciation of Greek names and accents used for different characters. The worst part of the audiobook, however, is that the weak narration emphasized the cringey dialogue.

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I love Greek mythology retellings, especially when they give a different perspective as is done with this feminist retelling. Phaedra is a complex character who tries to do the right thing and witnesses and is victim to tragedy after tragedy. I enjoyed the full cast of characters on the audiobook and found that this was an interesting way to absorb the story. I don't think that any of the prior mythological retellings have been stories that I have used audiobooks for so this was a treat. The "Night Chorus" was initially jarring to listen to but became haunting and an interesting addition to the tone and story.
Definitely recommend for those who love mythological retellings.
#Phaedra #NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia

As a big fan of Greek/Roman myth retellings, I enjoyed Phaedra. Having read Ariadne, I was already familiar with Phaedra but not her story. Phaedra is the princess of the king of Crete- her brother is the Minotaur and her sister is Ariadne. When Ariadne disappears, she is forced to marry the Prince of Athens and leave her island. Our real story begins when Phaedra meets her husband's stepson hipplytus.

What I liked:
-full cast of narrators on the audiobook
-there are "characters" called the Night Chorus who represent the voices of all the women in Athens- it was beautiful and haunting
-Phaedra felt simpler in its retelling than some of the other popular Greek retelling stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED the format of this story with the different acts and the night chorus chapters. It was a different and great way to tell this story. I loved this story and the theme of women needing to take matters into their own hands because the men won’t see to the safety of women. This story made me sad as it is so reflective of life for women which is so sad.

Extraordinarily accurate to the classical era, but ultimately feels bogged down by its constant perspective changes with relatively uninteresting, poorly introduced characters. The pacing suffers, but Shepperson revels in creating genius, hard-hitting twists. Interesting pronunciation choices, but ultimately the narrators depict Shepperson's words in such a way that they flow even more beautifully.

"A woman descended from a god still has to be either a good woman or a witch. What would it take to be called a heroine?"
"It happened to me. And me. And me. Me, too."

In the greek myths, Phaedra is the daughter of King Minos, sister to Ariadne and the Minotaur, wife of Theseus. In myth she falls in love with her step-son Hippolytus who is sworn to the goddess Artemis. When Hippolytus spurns her she is said to have falsely accused him of rape for which he is punished by his father Theseus, King of Athens. Out of guilt Phaedra then commits suicide. But, we know almost all ancient texts and myths were written by men. Here, Laura Shepperson tells Phaedra's story from a feminist perspective.

This is an amazing retelling. I loved that this book is essentially the Me, too movement told as a greek myth. Especially poignant is the Night Chorus, which gives voice to the common people, the servants in the palace. This book also demonstrates how strong women can be when we come together, but also how hurtful and devastating it can be when we turn on each other. I do which there was more character development, especially with Phaedra and Medea, I was just left wanting more. I was able to also listen to the audiobook and highly recommend it as it is read by a cast of narrators and the audio of the Night Chorus is wonderful.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Alcove Press, Dreamscape Media, and the author for an advanced copy of the book and audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Powerful connections between characters and fantastical settings counter the intense and challenging lives of the women in these pages.