Greek mythology is a love of mine, with Roman mythology being intertwined in a lot of ways, and all of these retellings of the myths, especially from the women's POVs, are giving me life. I'm a big fan of Jennifer Saint and Madeline Miller, so this book was right up my alley.
I had actually never heard Aeneas's story, so this was interesting to me. To hear from the three main women who shaped his life: his last wife, Lavinia; his first wife, Creusa; and his lover and possible second wife, Dido. I do wish we had gotten some back story instead of it being assumed we knew who Aeneas and all the characters were, as there were many side characters.

Lavinia was promised to her childhood friend in marriage by her mother, but her father plans to marry her to Aeneas. This prompts Turnus to declare war, the victor getting to marry Lavinia. Too bad no one asks what she wants.
As the main storyteller, I feel like Lavinia had the most promise but ultimately fell flat. She didn't have much of a personality and didn't really do anything, even though she had all the agency and power to be able to act. She acted more childish than she was made out to be.
Creusa is one of many, many, many children. Her parents often forget who she is, but her best friend Aeneus never does. They are extremely close growing up, along with her brother Hector, and they get married once they're of age. But her other brother Paris shows up and brings war with him. Thus, Aeneas and Creusa are thrust into the Trojan War, where she brings a child into the world. This war is also where she perishes after Aeneus flees with their son.
Creusa's chapters were my favorite. She had the most personality. At times, she did seem to act like Aeneas hung the moon, but they were childhood sweethearts, so she probably did think that. Then when she had their son, he became her number one. I liked that the story showed how her priorities changed. I enjoyed her final chapter.
Dido becomes queen of her own small territory, evading suitors who want to claim her land, until the Trojans wash onto their shores. She sees Aeneas and finds she may want to settle down after all. She and her sister concoct a plan to ensnare him into marriage with her. But once he leaves, she throws herself onto her funeral pyre so he can know he killed her as he sails away.
I found Dido to be the eccentric, lovestruck, crazy women that men write about in their versions of Greek/Roman myths. Her chapters were my least favorite as she didn't have any depth to her; I didn't connect with her character at all.

I did like how the Trojan War was not the main focus of this novel, but it was touched on. So many other books lately focus on that historic battle, but this one mainly focuses on the after with some before and a little during.

The epilogue was the best part of the whole book for me.

The writing style was very choppy. Although I enjoyed the different POVs, I wish the tone would have changed with the different women. I also wish the timeline jumps had been more cohesive. Some chapters felt randomly placed. The conclusions of the previous women's interactions with Aeneas should have ended at certain times, sort of along the lines of Lavinia's discovery of their histories.
I do feel like this story could have benefitted from show not tell. We could have also used a lot more of depictions of the setting.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it didn't capture me the way these stories usually do.

The narrator did a good job giving the women voices. I do think she could have done a bit more to differentiate between the three women.

3.5/5 stars rounded up.

I'm so glad Greek mythology is having a moment! Retellings are so refreshing, especially with a feminist cast to the stories to give them an enlightened POV.
This is basically a feminine re-telling of The Aeneid, starring the women surrounding Aeneas, supposed son of Venus. Lavinia, has been promised to Aeneas and never asked to be fought over. But her childhood sweetheart, Turnus, has waged war in order to win her hand. Aeneas will not discuss his past and when a stranger shows up in the camp, telling stories of the secretive Aeneas, Lavinia must decide to take her future into her own hands to protect her people and land.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio e-arc.*

The Heir of Venus tells the story of three women, connected by their relationship with the Trojan hero, Aeneas. It gives a rich voice to their lives, often shadowed by the men that surround them.

I really enjoyed this audiobook, not only was the narration good, but the writing was lyrical and easy to listen to. Sometimes following different timelines and characters can be overwhelming or have one story that is lacklustre. In that regard I found The Heir of Venus to be well-balanced. All of the characters were interesting and added to the plot in their own way - there weren’t any chapters I wanted to skip. Also I just really love any story with mythology, so this was the perfect book for me. I will say that two of the main female characters were very similar, the only thing making them different being their external environments, but it didn’t bother me (in fact, I think it was done on purpose?).

This is my first book in my “gods” month of book reads. This was an interesting retelling of the stories revolving around Troy, mainly dealing with the son of Aphrodite aka the Heir of Venus.
This book has three different perspectives of the women that were involved in his life throughout time.
I enjoyed the stories and found myself recalling some of my high school days of reading the Iliad and the Odyssey.
The author actually puts little sections of the well known stories in the beginning of chapters to give us an idea of what the following chapter takes off of.
I loved hearing the stories of these women, in a mainly male driven story that we knew.
I would definitely recommend this book.

I liked this more than Phaedra!

I was always fascinated by retellings of known stories, traveling to the familiar places told from another perspective, other authors understanding.

This time is about the Aeneid by Virgil: Aeneas, son of Aphrodite, from three women's points of view of his life.

Kreousa, his first wife and mother of his son, tells Aeneas in the time of the Trojan War. She was the daughter of Priam and Hecuba.

Dido and the story of Aeneas's voyage to Carthage.

Lavinia, the main narrator of this book, tells the conclusion of this journey to Italy.

I think Laura Shepperson was more touching in her second myth story, but still I wish there were more details about the characters' relationships and perhaps more about the Trojan War and its impact.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for giving me the chance to listen to this advanced copy audiobook!
Duration: 8 Hours, 11 Minutes
Publication Date: August 6, 2024

THE HEIR OF VENUS by Laura Shepperson was graciously gifted to me by @crookedlanebooks through Publishers Weekly, so when I saw it offered through @netgalley by @dreamscape_media I was excited to hear it alongside my reading!

I have been in a fantasy mood lately and this retelling of Aeneas through the women who surrounded him was a good fit. I am not a huge student of Greek/Roman Mythology, so I am delighted to have these retellings set my standard. I am more familiar with the women of this story, so that was a win for me to hear more from their perspectives.

The story is framed around Lavinia, whose promised marriage to Aeneas begins yet another war. We see snippets back to the Trojan war when Aeneas's first wife is lost while he saves himself and their son, as well as a tale of a lover left in despair. All give a deeper picture, well told.

I did really appreciate the dual formats which kept me able to read wherever I could. The narration by Frances Butt was done quite well and I was easily able to switch perspectives and keep up.

It did take me a minute to settle myself into the setting, but once there, it was a journey I enjoyed and recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a retelling of the story of the story of Aeneas told through the voices of three women in his life -- one being his first wife as they lifve through the strojan war, one being Lavinia who would be his mext wife, and the last voice belongs to someone from in-between both women, who knows about part of his past that he keeps hidden.

The main character in this -- Lavinia -- helps Aeneas as he strives to fulfill the prophecy given by Venus, and even though she doesn't have much agency to make her own choices or form her own opinion on Aeneas without the help of others, she grows into a person who is willing to help in order to change her own fate. I enjoyed this retelling, and I find it was done in a way that was easy to get into. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job bringing this book to life.

Overall, I found this to be enjoyable and would recommend to anyone who enjoys Roman mythology.

2.5*

As a retelling of the Trojan war and ascendance of Aeneas’ bloodline, I thought it was fine. It told the story, although I am not well acquainted enough with the mythology to fully judge its accuracy.

I’ve seen this marketed as a feminist retelling which I absolutely do not agree with. The story ultimately follows one man: Aeneas. While the story pertains to the women that Aeneas’ life intersected with, I did not find that their stories were told with enough depth to make it truly about them. I just wanted more from these characters outside of their relationship with Aeneas, and what was outside of their relationship, I was disappointed with.

You would expect a feminist retelling to give Helen the benefit of the doubt regarding her kidnapping from Sparta. This narrative portrays her as smug and conniving. Creusa is a wife and mother, Lavinia is a naive princess, and Dido is a lovesick fool. These are the only characterizations that stuck out to me in a story where I was expecting more.

The retelling also does not occur in a linear fashion, which made it difficult to keep track of the story.

Ultimately if you want an in-depth portrayal of women during the Trojan war, this isn’t it. If you’re just looking to read more about the Trojan war, then this may be for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is my first Greek/ Roman mythology read. I absolutely loved this. I was given the opportunity to listen to the audiobook prior to its release date and I loved the narrator.

This book is so immersive and so well done. You get the perspectives of all of the key women that were part of Aeneas’ life - Creusa, Dido & Lavinia.

So beautifully written. I look forward to reading more by Laura Shepperson ✨

Thank you Dreamscape Media, Laura Shepperson & Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook!

The Heir of Venus by Laura Shepperson is a Roman mythology retelling. I like getting the female point of view of mythology and, significantly the female point of view of the Trojan War. It was very interesting getting all of this from Lavinia's, our main female character, perspective. Unfortunately, because she is not a participant in the battles in the war, it is all tell and no show. So, that both slows it down and lessens the drama a bit. That being said, I enjoyed this read. I gave it 3.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley #netgalley and Dreamscape Media for my advance copy.

The Heir of Venus offers a refreshing retelling of the Aeneid from the perspectives of three compelling female characters. This unique approach breathes new life into the classic tale, highlighting voices and viewpoints often overlooked in traditional narratives.

The non-linear storytelling adds depth and intrigue to the plot without sacrificing clarity, making the novel easy to follow despite its complex structure. The skillful narration further enhances the experience, bringing each character's story to life with nuance and emotion.

This was the first audio book I've ever listened to. It was really really good and I loved the narrator.

I studied the Aeneid at college so had some understanding of the characters and who was who, however, you don't need this going into reading/listening to this book.

I loved the switch between different women and different times throughout, and on more than one occasion found myself wanting to carry on despite really needing to get some work done. Safe to say the work did not get done!!

It was nice to see the Aeneid's female characters portrayed in this light and getting to feel how they felt etc.

10/10 would recommend.

This mythology retelling was a fun listen. I have kind of come to terms with the fact that Greek mythology goes over my head. I need to deep dive further into the originals before retellings so I can fully understand the stories. That said, I do appreciate that we are getting more female POVs and I think Laura did a wonderful job writing this book! It flowed nicely and the narrator also did a wonderful job bringing it to life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Laura Shepperson for an arc of The Heir of Venus narrated by Francis Butt in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and Laura’s writing was absolutely beautiful. What I loved about this story was that even though I was familiar with the stories of the Troy Heroes, we seldom see these stories from the women’s perspectives and how they are affected in the stories. I was not as familiar with the story of Aeneas, so I loved diving into this new (for me) mythos. I loved how this story was non-linear and followed each of the lives of the women in Aeneas’s life and how his presences and choices he makes alter the course of their lives. Lastly, I admired each of these women who tried to make a name for themselves and forge their own path in life in world dominated by men who would see women remain subservient.

Francis was an amazing narrator and really captured the lyricism of Laura’s writing. This book is perfect for lovers of mythology who would love a Roman setting.

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
3 🌟
-
This book just wasn't for me, I wasn't the targeted audience. I enjoy a good Greek mythology retelling, but this one just had too many POV's.

I will re-read once it's published, and I can read and listen at the same time.

𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓸𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼𝓷'𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬:
•Greek Mythology Retelling

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Aug.6
Thank you, Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook for my honest review.

#greekmyth #bookreview

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

A story of 3 women whose lives were affected by Aeneas and his mother Aphrodite. Told from 3 different POVs and with jumping timeline, it is an interesting story of love, destiny and a womans place in a mans world. A shoutout to the narrator - Frances Butt, who made it very easy to follow the different plotlines!

The Heir of Venus is a story that follows the experiences of different women in the lives of Aneas, the Prince who escaped Troy as it fell and was destined to be the founder of a new city, by his mother, the Goddess Aphrodite/Venus. We hear from his first wife Creusa, his lover Dido and her sister Ana and his future and last wife, Lavinia. As they walk us through the events of his life.

I enjoyed the structure of this story, the change in protagonists and the jumping between timelines was a great way of reshaping a story I knew well and keeping things fresh and engaging. The wholly feminine perspective was a fun spin on the Aeneid and a different way of communicating the facts. Unfortunately, the characters, particularly Creusa and Dido’s motivations seemed to hinge on Aneas in an obsessive almost worshipful manner that I thought was a little outdated and adhered quite strongly to masculine retellings of the story, to the point where they happily accepted death. Lavinia showed a lot of agency and promise and she was quite enjoyable to read from the perspective of. While I know it is true of these stories, I found the experiences and endings of the women extremely violent.

There were small deviations from the standard myths that didn’t bother me and that should be expected from historical fiction and mythology retellings. However, there was one that was so unnecessary and obvious (even the most novice of Trojan War enthusiasts would be able to identify) relating to Hector, that I became quite frustrated. It is especially disappointing as it occurred around 80% of the way in and to that point had been really enjoying the story. I felt that certain elements weren’t communicated or glossed over, because that certain protagonist didn’t see them.

I enjoyed the narration, there was some differentiation in the voices and tones of the different protagonists. Some of the pronunciation of names in particular deviated from what I am used to and I found that to be a little jarring, especially at the beginning of the story. The pacing was appropriate and there was inflections in tone that helped set the scene and keep things engaging. If I am being really picky, I felt that the voice sounded a lot more mature/older than Lavinia was meant to be.

Thank you to Natgalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own.

This book would be perfect for fans of Jennifer Saint! Told in multiple POVs of the 3 women who married Aeneas, we unveil a retelling of the Aeneid and the founding of Rome. Lavinia, Creusa and Dido are compelling narratives to follow, with additional details and depth that are new to the reader. The audiobook is well narrated and easy to follow, and overall I enjoyed this retelling! Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Laura Shepperson for an ARC of this audiobook.

Following the life of Lavina and Aeneas, the story is narrated in 3 different timelines. The current state where Lavina was promised to Turnus, but her father has now changed his mind and decided to marry her to a better suitor coming from across the sea (Aeaneas). This triggers yet another war, that Lavina wants no part of but is now stuck as the centre-piece.

Aeneas(Son of Venus) has survived Troy but refuses to discuss his past & his secretive nature only compels her to dig more as she comes across a storyteller from a foreign land who knows it all. The tale is woven across prophecies and the lives of humans dangling in the direction of God's plan.

This one is for the fans of Greek Mythology, who would enjoy discovering characters and their stories beyond the Troy Heros. The world back then left little freedom for women, but that never seems to have diminished their will to play a key role following the significant events of history.

Genre: Greek Mythology
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

I tried to like this, I swear. I just couldn't connect with the characters and the storytelling itself seemed kind of choppy to me. It held my attention for the most part, but I had to constantly remind myself who everyone was and it was just kind of bland. I seem to be in the minority here though so give it a try if it sounds interesting to you.