This book was a unique take on Greek mythology while still being remincient of the tales that we know. It is all of our beloved, and deranged, Olympians with a sci fi twist. The names and places are the same, just in space and with technology. This story revolves around Ariadne and Dionysus. Ariadne wants to escape her oppressive life with her abusive father in their brutal kingdom that does nothing but treat her poorly. When she makes her escape by helping her kingdoms enemy, she is quickly betrayed causing her to become untrustworthy of anyone willing to help her. In comes Dionysus, who is quick to help and even quicker to flirt. He rescues her and takes her under his wing. Ariadne is whisked into the world of the Gods that she was never allowed to worship. Coming from her previous life where all things depraved and carnal were basically illegal into the world of the God of Madness and Wine, Ariadne’s eyes are open to a world of possibilities and danger.

The romance between these two is a slow burn. While there is immediate chemistry, it take awhile for Ariadne to let her walls down and trust her feelings towards Dionysus. Meanwhile, Dionysus is patient and just wants her to be happy and free. When Ariadne does eventually trust her feelings, they are definitely on the spicy side. All of this is with the world of Olympus as the back drop which means we have messy family relations and completely toxic gods such as a vengeful Hera and a philandering Zeus.

There was a great mix of political intrigue and a great slow burn relationship. The romance and feelings between the two characters was believable and the timeline made sense in their developing feelings.

Ariadne and Dionysus is such an underrated Greek mythology story that needs more retellings. I really loved this story, especially because I have an obsession with anything Greek Mythology. I also love the queer representation that is involved in the book and feels that the use of Greek mythology to represent it was very smart.

Tropes: marriage of convenience, touch her a die vibes, only one bed, political intrigue

Thank you to Cait Corrain and Del Ray Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I got this arc from NetGalley, Del Rey Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Im not sure I have enough room here because this book was fire. It was about a very religiously repressed and emotionally abused woman discovering that her sexuality and interests are healthy. She’s learning about healthy relationships and friendships and it’s all combined in a fantastic SPACE MYTHOLOGY DRAMA.

The world building is lush and beautifully combines futuristic space technology with mythology and Ancient Greek imagery. The story itself is a light retelling, but in a way that is unique.

There’s politics, intrigue, found family, and tons of sexual exploration. This book is fun, addictive and absolutely hot. I have a feeling when it comes out, people will love it. Add this to your TBR immediately.

One additional thing I love is that the original mythological tales have a lot more fluidity to gender and sexuality. This book has great and healthy representation of a wide variety of sexual attraction, a trans character and gender fluidity. There’s even a section in the back where the author, Cait Corrain, goes into a little info and history about the subject.

Overall, fantastic! I’ll be adding Cait Corrain to my list of auto buy authors.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for this opportunity! I had so much fun reading this Ariadne and Dionysus retelling! It was such a fun time seeing how the author intermingled Greek Mythology with Space. I loved all of the characters, the Maenads were freaking hilarious! I want side stories of just all their antics!

This story was full of growth for Ariadne, I loved how far she came out of her shell and really found herself and her courage. I adored her relationship with Dionysus. Homegirl had 0 problems standing up to him and his antics while also allowing him to push her boundaries and challenge the beliefs that were shoved down her throat from a young age.

I cannot wait for the second book to see where this story takes us!

I did not know how much i would LOVE a Greek mythology/fantasy/sci-if story until this beauty of a book came along!
First off, thank you so so much to NetGalley and Delray for the giving me the chance to read this.

Our FMC is princess Ariadne Tholos of Crete, who is doing her absolute best to avoid the wrath from her father Kink Emperor Minos. That effort fails when she and her closest Allie’s on her home planet come up with a plan to escape. Minos is a horrible man who has no issue killing anyone in his way, and Ariadne is sick of the genocide, Minos, her mother, and the loneliness that comes with living on her planet.
After a quite terrible escape from her planet that leaves her bruised, confused, and a bit broken hearted, Ariadne comes across the god Dionysus, who takes an interest in her, and saves her from the situation that put her in a bind.

This book had such great world building, and the way the author actually depicted and described everything that was happening, it actually felt immersive, and i loved that. The character development of Ariadne was so vast. She went from a prude, shy, unconfident girl in the beginning, to a strong, sexual, confident woman in the end. The way the author took us through that whole journey AND perfectly captured inner monologue that goes with that exploration was PERFECT. Ariadne quickly became my favorite after finally standing up for herself against anyone who tried to bring her OR Dionysus down.
The way we got to see Ariadne and Dionysus relationship bloom from mistrust and companionship to full on love and trust really made me NOT want to put the book down until they FINALLY let go devoured each other (such a great slow burn, are you kidding).

This was an amazing sci-fi/Greek mythology/fantasy romance read with just enough action to switch it up a bit. The way the Author captured the mythological gods and goddesses and gave them specific personalities was GOLD, and i would read 10 more of these… so please tell me there will be a 2nd book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Del Rey, for this book.

It is nothing like typical mythological books! The book much better! The book is futuristic with a sci-fi setting.

I loved the plot, the world Cait created and her character development

Even the side characters were interesting! I became immersed in the world and the pages flew by. I read this book in just shy of two days and want another one!

Can't wait to see what Cait has for us next.

Highly recommend.

While marketed as a scifi retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Aridane, this book is really a queer coming of age novel. The characterization of Ariadne as an abused, sheltered girl taught to abhor her curves and sexuality is clearly directed at a YA audience. That is not me. I appreciated the sensitivity to power dynamics and the realistic healing process portrayed in the relationship between Ariadne and Dionysos. But there was not enough action (of the non-sexual kind) to hold my attention and the pacing was glacial due to the superfluous description of every single room, person, and outfit Ariadne encountered. That said, the writing did improve significantly in the second half of the book, so I’m still hopeful for future series by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this ebook.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing- Del Rey for a EARC copy in return for a honest review.
I am not super familiar with Greek mythology. I know the names but not the full back story, but that did not affect my enjoyment of this Sci-fi Fantasy Romance. I was enthralled in the world and found the juxtaposition between mythology and space really interesting. It opened me up to a new genre that I want to explore more of in the future.

Ariadne is such a strong character, and her battle with her sexuality and her unlearning of sexual repression was brilliant. As a reader, you couldn't help but feel empathy for her struggle and inner turmoil of trying to do the right thing and be a good person, but I'm not sure to what extreme. As someone who went to a Catholic school, it was frowned upon to feel normal emotions and have wants and desires. It was deemed as unclean and impure. This was the case for Ariadne, who could never act on her emotions or sexual desires as well as being shamed for her body and its natural structure. This was by far my favorite theme within the book, and I felt it added so much depth to her character.
Dionysus is every girls dream tall, dark, and handsome but also empathetic and patient. He helps Ariadne feel safe and accepted, and that's all a girl ever wants. The romance was a wonderful slow burn, and when we finally got the spice, it was well worth it!
Now, let's not forget the plot. We have fake dating/ marriage of convenience and lots of political intrigue towards the end. Which I thoroughly enjoyed. The dynamic between the other gods of Olympus was really fun and added a lot of insight into the true version of Zeus and Hera. Obviously, we are meant to dislike her, but one can understand why she is the way she is. The found family aspect between the Menads, Ampleos, Dionysus, and Ariadne was such a joy and heartwarming.
The ending was so well done and enjoyable and left me sadly wanting more even though it has a HEA. I could use a couple more books following Dionysus and Ariadne. Plus, the glimpse we get of the "underworld" with Hades and Persephone the dynamic was great, and I was sad that it was only a chapter.
I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading  other books Cait Corrain releases.

Posting to goodreads and storygraph now links will be added. I will post to my Instagram on release day. After posting I will edit my review adding that link here.

I received an early release of Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain from NetGalley and Random House Publishing in exchange for my honest review of the book.
I had a very difficult time maintaining interest in this book. I really wanted to like it, but I could not connect to the characters.
The FMC is very self-absorbed, which maybe was intentional what with the religious trauma and sexual repression. The MMC was interesting, probably my favorite of the book; I pictured this character as Jason Momoa from Slumberland while reading and he comes across as a lovable goofball.
The dialogue is very awkward to read. Even the FMC’s inner dialogue is unnatural; it reads like the character has a dry sense of humor, but only when she’s in her own head.
Overall, I feel that the characters need further development and some adjusting. I believe it could be good, but as is, I settled on 2/5 stars.

Thank you to the Author and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of Crown of Starlight.

This book follows Ariadne and her journey to escape from her monstrous father and the strict religious culture of her star system, as well as her growth from stifled to uninhibited and her love story.

I was unfamiliar with this particular branch of Greek mythology as I tend to read hades x persephone retellings. That being said, I was initially annoyed with Ariadne and her personality before she was finally free. Seeing her break out of the cage that she was shoved in her entire life was very satisfying. I felt the more I read, the deeper the characters developed. The banter was great between the love interest and her. I loved the teasing and jokes. The nymphs were also great side characters.

It was a slow burn but the tension was there for a good portion of the beginning. The spice was great when it finally came into play, with the exception of the wlw scene that I felt could have been more developed. It felt a bit awkward and rushed.

Overall, I think if you loved this branch of Greek mythology, this will be right up your alley. It's well written and has some well developed characters.

This book was so good! I don't want to share too much since we're so far out from the release date, but I promise it's amazing! Romantasy fans will devour this. We've got Greek gods, sci-fi setting, retelling vibes, and some seriously spicy romance! Ariadne was raised in some major purity culture so it takes her a while to start the sexytimes with Dionysus, but once we get there *fans self*. The book is also super queer! I don't remember if exact terms are used, but I would say Ariadne is bi or pan. Dionysus is both gender fluid (while usually a man, he can change his appearance and gender as he desires) and is probably pansexual as well. Various gender and sexual identities are represented in the side characters, including a trans follower of Dionysus who I adore. I highly recommend it and will definitely be reading book two!

The book took me on a whirlwind of emotions, leaving me in awe. Corrain's ability to immediately captivate the reader through vivid descriptions of the world, the harsh realities faced by the characters, and the intricately woven plot is truly remarkable. The story confronts us with death, an endless indulgence in wine and pleasure, both delightfully sinful and a reminder of how we often deny ourselves happiness and freedom. It delves into the complexities of family dynamics, both divine and human, not to mention the interstellar war and the various forms of love explored.

What truly stands out is the portrayal of a love that surpasses imagination and the lengths we are willing to go for those we hold dear. I couldn't help but empathize with the characters, their losses, struggles, and the profound bond and love they shared. I found myself cheering them on every step of the way.

Crown of starlight review

Thank you to Del Rey for thinking I would be interested in this book and to net galley for sending me the copy to read. For anyone who obsessed with percy Jackson as a child. Greek mythology meets sci-fi/space! The combination of both elements was so intriguing. I love any kind of Greek mythology retellings! The way the old myths and future aspects were combined was done so well it made you want to read more. Ariadne is one of the most interesting stories in mythology and the way the author adapted her story made it even more enjoyable. I look foward to reading more from this author and seeing what they come up with next.

This has everything I love in a book! Sci-fi fantasy, plus magical realism. You won't know what you're getting into until you start this books. Who doesn't love a retelling of Ariadne & Dionysus but make it in space! It transforms you into another world & captivating! I cant wait for the next books and will definitely be reading more from this author!

Thank you for this arc!

Screaming, crying, throwing up. This was so good!! Mythology but make it space was something I never knew I needed.

Quite literally this is just the myth of Ariadne but in space.

I thought this was a wonderfully imaginative retelling of the myth of Ariadne. So often we get a “feminist retelling” and it’s just the story with no extra flair. The science fiction/outer space setting of this was really cool and I thought that the portrayal of all the standard characters was fabulous as well. I did however take issue with some of the Greek inspired language. Why is Ariadne using the term bacchanal when she’s from a planet without knowledge of the gods (especially bacchus) and why would the word “Herculean” be in her vocabulary when Hercules was Roman (Heracles being the Greek equivalent). All in all, I think justice was done to the original story with a fun spin.

This was EVERYTHING.

I loved The Lunar Chronicles in hs/college....

COS is that series' hot older cousin. This book was so fabulous. My only concerns were that I really didn't get the Moirai vs Theorai anology, I guessed that was just a transition to a monotheistic religion vs the Pantheon ??? I also didn't love how the term Olympians was used to designate anyone who lives on Olympus compared to the traditional use of it for the 12 gods and goddesses.

The end also wrapped up a little to quickly and tosses off the pacing.

But none of this was to the point it wasn't enjoyable, just took me aback a little.

PLEASE READ.

Okay so I was really excited to see a retelling of Ariadne and Dionysus but, this just didn’t catch my attention. It felt very dry and flat to me. I’m not a huge fan of all the descriptions but if you love descriptive writing this could be for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am always on the hunt for a new space opera, and I was intrigued by the retelling of Ariadne and Dionysus in such a different setting. Unfortunately, this book just didn't meet my expectations, and I struggled to connect or understand the story from the first chapter.

I think the immediate setting was frustrating to me from page one - that it was so like ancient Greece that I couldn't understand the space aspect at all and got really twisted up in understanding the strong presence of gods (which space operas tend to have a bit more distance from when their technology is so advanced). From there it just was more difficult for me to connect with the characters and the plot. I think if it has been a retelling like A Court of Thorns and Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, then I would have been more engaged - but I feel like Corrain wasn't able to make the leap into a new envisioning of the story. Changing the character names might have helped to give some distance to create something new?

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for granting my wish!

I struggled with how to both write a review and rate this, because I felt at the time of requesting, I wasn't sure if this was a book for me, and it turned out to. . .not be a book for me? I was sold mostly on a bookseller I follow truly hyping it up as their favorite ever, and the TLT comparisons.

I should say also that I am aroaceish, and upon seeing the CWs included a fair amount of smut, proceeded to brace myself for it. And then there was not near enough as I was expecting, or enough that I myself would really consider it that well. . . .spicey? i mean, sure, there's like? five. six scenes I guess. I just anticipated more based on what I'd been hearing? Like i'm not complaining there's less, but, it did feel a bit overblown.

While also having a passing familiarity with Greek myth (certainly not as much as the author), I felt like it could have been explained more in-book why Hera hated Dionysius above all other Zeus's children who were also conceived as he cheated on her. Yes, he defied her for him but like. . . . he's neither the first nor the last not hers, and she's working with other children without so much as a blink. Given too, the warnings about Apollo being terrible... and it's Zeus who makes the worst impact (I mean, Zeus is. A lot too) it also felt odd to me? The whole Aphrodite incidents also felt pretty random to me.

I'm not also sure where to go from here unless it's like? taking down the other gods, and stopping Phaedra before she well. Phaedras. Which could be possible! But most of it seems to be well wrapped up in book one.

Things I did like: the humor? the descriptions. certainly the queerness. The explicit conversations about consent, and showing how it was used! Theseus pre-betrayal and the awkwardness of "she's not here to kill us" "...i mean, i am a little" (not direct quotes), the discussion of how she still loved Phaedra because of how they were raised under the same cruelty.

Again, this wasn't the book for me, but I know a lot of people who it would be for.

Unfortunately- I’m gonna have to DNF this one. The writing isn’t bad but it also lacks any sort of voice. It feels very generic.

On top of that, I felt like the use of internal monologue to info dump EVERYTHING onto the reader was just too much for me to handle. I also felt like the characters lacked any real personality. It’s such a shame cause the idea of the story sounds so cool.