Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!

First off, this cover is GORGEOUS and was the reason I was so drawn to this book. After having finished reading it, I love the cover even more now. It paints a stunning image of Ariadne.

This is my first Greek mythology fantasy read, and it definitely did not disappoint. This is such a unique world and magic system. It is like Greek mythology meets Star Wars and I was totally here for it! The action had me on the edge of my seat, while the spicy and sweet nature of Ariadne and Dionysus's relationship had me seeing heart eyes.

I loved how Ariadne's character was written. Sometimes you see main characters move past traumatic experiences in such a short period of time, so I appreciated seeing Ariadne work through the ups and downs of healing and learning how to trust again.

Ariadne and Dionysus's romance is absolutely epic. Dionysus has such depth to his character, and I wish that we would have had the opportunity to read from his POV at some point in the book. Just when you think he can't be any better, he proves you wrong. Their relationship is so sweet (and spicy!!!!!) that I was grinning like a little kid while watching them grow into each other. I am 100% convinced that he loved her way before Ariadne realized she had fallen in love. UGH HOW CUTE!

I would say that I think the very very beginning of the story felt a little choppy, and I wish the world building would have been more slowly sprinkled throughout the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and I was so happy with the ending.

Honestly could not get into this. DNF at about the 30% mark. I just really did not enjoy the voice of the MC and lost interest as a result. I'm sure there are others who will enjoy but not for me.

I was immediately drawn to this beautiful cover. And when I read the description, I knew I just had to read this!

Mythology and space—that is unusual. I wondered how they'd pull it off, but let me tell you, they did it amazingly! The world-building was great; they took the solar system and wove it into the story. I mean, for someone like me who loves all things space, this made me happy.

It's clear that the author put a lot of thought and consideration into her characters and the romance. Oh, it was so sweet. Ariadne's journey—her path to healing those emotional scars—was enduring. And Dionysus? Let's just say he's the reason why I adore book men more than real men! But honestly, I became deeply invested in both of these incredible characters.

I can't even express how much I enjoyed this story! I mean, who doesn't love it when an author can tell an entire fantasy story in just one book, without dragging it out over five or more volumes?

I highly recommend this book, and I'm getting the physical copy for myself upon release! It's going right on my shelf, where it belongs. A massive thank you to Netgalley and Cat Corrain for letting me read this story.

Enjoyed this book. It was a very creative take on mythology! This book had a good bit of spice in it and I love the inclusivity of different sexual orientations and non-binary characters! There were a few times where this book made me laugh out loud. The ending was my favorite part of this book. Thank you for allowing me to read this arc. This author is now on my radar for other books!

This novel was entirely unexpected in the best way. Sci fi, fantasy, Greek myth, romance? I really thought that this many potential genres would get messy, but Corrain did a great job of piecing this story together. And it was so much more than coherent; it was a delight to read. I enjoyed it so much and honestly can't wait to see what else she comes up with!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for the ARC!

YALL this is the next big thing. This book was excellent.

Much like Dionysus himself, this book is pure hedonism. It’s spicy, it’s smart, it’s witty, and it’s well written.

I appreciate her vocabulary, not in a pretentious “SAT words” kind of way, but more in just a you can tell this is a well read person way.

This book features good banter, great sarcastic, and it explicitly acknowledges that puns are the lowest form of humor.

The writing style of fourth wing in that it’s easy for non-fantasy readers to get into but it’s Greek gods in space.

As another previously sheltered kid with lots of expectations placed on them, I always enjoy watching one of us say fuck it and let loose.

A bit info dumpy in the beginning 10% or so so closer to 4.5 stars but still amazing.

Tropes:
- Marriage of convenience
- Only one bed

4.5 stars (rounded to 5 stars)

Crown of Starlight was an endearing Greek retelling of Ariadne and Dionysus that is steamy and set in space!

Ariadne is the Crown Princess of the empire of Crete, a violent and oppressive world that her father, Minos, is the leader of. Cretans take pleasure in violence and her father is no exception. When her brother is born as half-bull with cannabalistic tendencies, Minos looks him the in Labyrinth underneath the palace. Each year, Crete requires sacrifices from Athens in order to punish Athens and feed Ariadne's brother, the minotaur. She is sick of the violence and wants out, leading her to make a deal with Theseus to take her with him if she helps him beat the minotaur. This leads to Ariadne lost, alone, and injured when Dionysus finds her and introduces her to hedonistic debauchery. The only way to keep herself safe is to hide from her father on Olympus, which means marrying Dionysus.

What an interesting world (solar system??) to adapt the Greek myth to! I found that they were able to translate the original ancient setting to a space setting very well. There was a lot of Info dumping in the first few chapters, rather than instead of learning over time. This did bug me at first, but once I was used to the author's writing style, I was able to learn about the world and enjoy it. Truly, I don't think the setting really added much to the story, like I felt like the actual plot and character growth could have been transplanted into a modern world or Ancient Greece. It was fun to read Greek gods in space though, with added blaster guns, coms, and spaceships!

There is a bit of modern language in this book, which was a little jolting at first. However, it kind of makes sense since this is technically a futuristic world where modern slang would have been picked up. But things did throw me off occasionally, like when holodramas are watched called "The Housewives of Troy."

Ariadne was a very strong character who spends a lot of time healing and developing. She is raised in a very puritiancil and patriarchal society, and is forced into expectations of remaining pure. Once she leaves Crete, she has to heal from that trauma and learn for herself who she is and what she wants. I really did enjoy her perspective and found that she was not a one-dimensional character. Dionysus on the other hand was also just an amazing character. He truly is one of the best love interests I've ever read in a book and my favorite part. He is always looking for fun and is not very serious most of the time. But he is also very sweet and perceptive of Ariadne's needs. Dionysus just has such a confident and vibrant persona, and honestly seems a bit Cardan coded (Cruel Prince) to me. Based on the broody, dark love interests I normally read about, it was SO FUN to have such a silly and charismatic love interest.

Their romance was the true highlight of this book. Dionysius is so tender to Ariadne and helps her face her trauma and find who she is and what she wants. It is definitely a slow-burn, as it takes time for Ariadne to face her anxiety and shed the expectations that were always placed upon her. The anticipation pays off, and their romance was so raw and beautiful, not to mention spicy!

I was very surprised how accurate Greek mythology was in this book, at least to my knowledge of the myths. Of course some liberties were taken, but I found it to be a pretty accurate retelling. Another thing that was detailed in the author's note was her interpretation of the original myths of Dionysus. Over time, he has been reduced the God of Wine and Parties. The author makes a great deal to note that Dionysus also was a patron of marginalized people and rebellion, and did not have a defined gender or sexuality. I think this book seriously made Dionysus so much more than how is normally depicted in Greek myth retellings and I really loved that.

This book was just a delight! The ending was perfect and I'm happy that it wrapped up into a standalone. I'm very excited for when this officially releases so that I can buy the physical copy and have that on my bookshelves.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Del Rey and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Did I love this book? Hell. Fucking. YEAH. Ariadne’s and Dionysus’s story was magnificent, and I loved Ariadne’s journey as she found herself. There were so many things that I adored. I loved the incorporation of Greek mythology in this, and everything was amazing. I genuinely have no words for how I feel about this.

The only thing that felt a bit “eh” to me was the ending, which I felt was rushed. But the epilogue made me emotional, too, so there’s that <3

I’m very happy to have received this ARC.

I've never seen mythology done like this before and fro the first line I was hooked. The worldbuilding really got me hooked and I can't wait to see what this author does next!

I’m not very knowledgeable in Greek mythology but have enjoyed a few retellings but the story of Ariadne and Dionysus was one I didn't know much about. I think the story does well in establishing its leading characters and the development of their relationship. Both Dionysus and Ariadne were deeply complex characters with similar upbringings of abusive and emotionally absent parents. I enjoyed the journey of them getting closer and trusting one another and resisting those who try to break them apart. I loved Ariadne's growth and being able to forgive and accept herself. With the help of Dionysus, she was able to accept love from others. My favorite character was by far Dionysus. He’s just a fully realized character who is honest and unapologetically himself. I loved the way he treated Ariadne with kindness and openness since they first met. Their playful banter was a nice touch to their dynamic. As she’s coping with the lifelong familial abuse and recent betrayal, he was always patient and understanding. I liked the depictions of the other gods and goddesses but a lot of them grated my nerves which made the latter half of the story a bit of a frustrating experience once they entered Olympus.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine, Del Rey for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 ★

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly, I don't read a lot of science fiction or Greek mythology retellings, but something drew me to Crown of Starlight, and I'm glad I took a chance with it. Crown of Starlight is an exciting, character-driven Ariadne and Dionysus retelling that will without a doubt appeal to fantasy, science fiction, and romance readers alike. This book gave me all the vibes of popular romantasy books like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing, but taking place in space and being more inclusive.

Crown of Starlight is the perfect read for anyone who likes romantasy books but is tired of the misogynistic alpha male love interests that tend to dominate the genre. Personally, I dislike love interests like that, so this was a refreshing read. I also appreciated the positive LGBTQ representation. Ariadne is bi, Dionsyus is bi and nonbinary (using he/him pronouns), and many side characters are also a part of the LGBTQ community.

This book is driven more by the characters than the plot, considering how the romance plays a big role. This allowed me to really care about the characters, their relationships, and their conflicts.

Although I appreciate the focus on the characters, I believe it would have been better if the plot received more attention. The last part of the book felt rushed, in contrast to the beginning, which overall, hindered my enjoyment of the entire book.

Overall, I'm glad I tried something new and read Crown of Starlight. I won't be surprised if this book is all over Booktok and Bookstagram when it releases because it has all the ingredients that readers love in a romantasy. While I found the last half of the book to be lacking, this book is still worth a read -- even if you're like me and don't normally read science fiction or Greek retellings.

I LOVE this more than life. I haven’t been reading myth based or even fantasy books in a while. But I saw this on Netgalley and refuses to pass it up.

Ariadne is one of my favorites from Greek mythology and I’m so damn in love with this book.

based on its premise and cover alone, I went into this book fully prepared to love every last bit of it. a queer reimagining of Greek mythology in outer space? one hundred percent yes.

in reality, it took me weeks to finish reading Crown of Starlight and only after repeatedly forcing myself to make progress with the book. the plot is interesting but is held back by the writing style. i repeatedly skimmed past chapters and scenes with characters that weren’t developed out enough. the dialogue came off as stilted and borderline cheesy throughout the story, which was only made worse by world-building that would benefit from more intentionality and detail.

all in all, I really appreciated the inclusivity at the heart of this. i do however wish more time had been devoted to developing the worlds and storylines beyond where this ended up .

thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for an advance reader copy!

I will not lie, I almost DNF’d this during Part I. It was SO MUCH world building that it got really confusing and seedy for me. To be fair, this was also my first Greek Fantasy so maybe that’s just the way it is.

But as soon as Part II came… sheesh! It was all uphill! I have read only one other book that truly kept me up all night wanting to finish it … this makes book number two!

Friends to lovers.
Family drama.
Naive but witty female lead.
Sexy but equally witty male lead.
Greek gods and goddesses.
Greek fantasy world.

The banter. The slow burn. Their relationship finally peaking (IYKYK 🔥😏). I need a shower after that scene by the way. It never wanted to be ravished by a fictional character more ever in my life.

This book is SEXY, empowering, and like nothing else I’ve ever read.

I want to start it all over again right now.

It's a story with Dionysus at its core so be ready for some serious spice; but also a look at deconstructing the sanitized versions of Greek mythology that has left out the spectrum of how these Gods lived (for better or worse). And def read the authors note at the end.

The story is rooter in the mythology of Ariadne, and takes place in the fictional world of Space Crete and The Cosmos. It stays as true to the mythos as possible while also leaving room for Always Sunny and Two and A Half Centaur tv jokes (iykyk). There's gore, war, betrayal, love some questions of the universe and alot of Ariadne discovering her sexuality. It also appears there's more to learn; with all the books exploring Hades and Persephone, this is a welcome respite and a new take, particularly on the God of Wine (and liberation and not getting sand in his hair). Lots to unpack here particularly around themes that parallel current political and social climates.

I received an advance copy of this book for review!

The cover is STUNNING. I’m literally counting down the days until it can grace my bookshelf in person.

I really enjoyed the world building in this book - it is a fascinating take on Ancient Greek stories that casts the ancient cities as whole planets, makes Olympus a sun and blends the ancient with future technology.

The characters are quite endearing - Ariadne is vibrant and struggles with anxiety and her sense of self, but really grows into her own throughout the book. Dionysus is a delightful presence that irritates and soothes her by turns. Most of the other characters are less fleshed out but no less endearing. I truly enjoyed the romance and the spicy scenes get a 10/10 for me! I look forward to rereading this book and reading the sequels!

I really enjoyed the science fiction spin. It actually worked spectacularly well for the magic and myth of ancient Greece. There were some very clever parallels that I enjoyed catching. The only parts that made me cringe where the titles of the holodramas—they were a little too on the nose that I found myself rolling my eyes at each one.

I really liked the romance between Dionysus and Ariadne. Even knowing how the story shakes out, it was a great slow burn romance. Ariadne’s virgin status against Dionysus’s depravity also had a great explanation in that it was her puritanical religious upbringing. I found that be quite a refreshing explanation for the stark contrast between their sexual experience. This was definitely a very spicy book, so head the author’s content warnings before delving in.

Dionysus was an enjoyable personality, wild and vibrant. Ariadne was a powerhouse of a female intent on never letting another male put her down. She was very akin to Auren from the Plated Prisoner series, and I think fans of that series will greatly enjoy this book.

Although it’s set to be a duology, this story has a conclusive end. However, not all questions have been answered, and I’m intrigued to see what the next installation will bring.

Let me just start by saying the cover of this book is absolutely STUNNING! It’s what drew me in at first until I read the summary, then I knew I had to read this. This book is a reimagining of the story of Dionysus and Ariadne and my god was it an amazing story.
I’m pretty skeptical when it comes to retellings/reimaginings, they aren’t always up to the expectations I have for them and sometimes the characters just suck. Cait however, made me fall in love with Dionysus and Ariadne even more. I loved watching Ariadne navigate her culture and experience new things after leaving Crete and Dionysus letting her do it at her own pace was amazing. I could sit here for days and tell you what I love about Dionysus’s character, but something that made me really happy was how Dionysus is gender fluid! For most of the book Dionysus uses he/him pronouns but there are instances where she/her pronouns are used instead. I feel like I don’t always see a lot of gender fluid representation in the books I read and the way it was done was so beautiful.
For world building and romance, both were wonderful. I loved how she described Crete and the different planets and I was able to almost vividly see everything in my head. The world building really sucked me in even more ( it's how I devoured the book so quickly ) and it left me feeling satisfied. The romance was a slow burn which just so happen to be my favourite so I was thrilled. But once the characters were able to accept the feelings they both had their love was adorable and the spicy scenes were fantastic.
Overall this book is fantastic and I’m truly hoping Cait Corrain writes more reimaingings, because I would 100% read them. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thjs book is everything to me! The thought put into the main characters is so amazing and watching them learn, heal, and grow together made me so happy!
I’m so wildly grateful I got the chance to read this early because it’s easily one of my top favorites of the year!
If you’re looking for the time of your life while simultaneously having your heart ripped out, then I highly recommend preordering this book!
Also can’t get enough of the author’s note at the end of the book!

What a fantastic surprise this was. I absolutely devoured this book, which was so enjoyable I could not stop raving about it to my husband as I read! The perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and epic adventure. I adore the author's writing style, which is beautifully descriptive and lyrical at times while still being eminently readable. Overall just such a pleasure to read - I am thrilled to know there is another book coming in this series! I look forward to more from this author.