Daughter of Chaos had everything going for it to pull me in immediately, however, the execution fell flat for me. There wasn’t enough showing and too much telling.

While this is the beginning of an epic fantasy series, it’s not one that I am planning to continue reading.

Thank you to The Hive, Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the review copy.

The premise alongside with the beautiful cover captured my interest even though I'm not that much into mythology/greek retellings. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job! If you are interested in the story, definitely give the aduiobook a shot!
There is very little romance in the story, which surprised me but was fitting for the story. Unfortunately it didn't wow me as it could have but wasn't a waste of time either. I have yet to decide whether I will continue with the story.
I'd recommend it to anyone who adores greek mythology (and fiction inspired by it) and for those who like a fresh take on that genre!

Daughter of Chaos is one for those that love: Greek Mythology, Retellings, Morally Grey Characters, Action, Greek Tragedies, and of course Heroes of Old.

# Daughter of Chaos (The Dark Pantheon, #1)
# 4/29/2025 ~ 5/3/2025
# 5.0 / 5.0

This sent me on an emotional roller coaster. Word of warning, there is SA. It almost feels like they are competing with Fitz from the realm of elderlings in who has the most tragic story. I felt the pain and rage the FL went through and was very invested. Even when she made decisions that I didn't agree with I can understand why someone in her position dealing with the emotions that she was, would behave that way. But yeah, word of warning this can be a real sucker punch for people not ready for it.

Daughter of Chaos is a compelling blend of classical mythology and original storytelling, following Danae, a fisherman's daughter who finds herself at the heart of a prophecy that could change the fate of humankind. Set in a vivid, ancient Greece ruled by capricious gods, the novel draws you into a world of divine tyranny, mysterious powers, and epic quests.

I really enjoyed the mythological elements woven throughout—familiar characters like Heracles are reimagined in fresh, engaging ways, and the inclusion of lesser-known aspects of Greek lore added depth. Danae is a strong, relatable protagonist, and her journey from a quiet island life to battling monsters and questioning the will of the gods kept me invested.

The pacing did lag slightly in places, especially in the early chapters, where the world-building sometimes slowed the momentum. But once the story gains speed, it delivers some genuinely exciting and emotional moments. The themes of destiny, rebellion, and sacrifice are well-handled without being heavy-handed.

Overall, Daughter of Chaos is a thoughtful and imaginative reworking of Greek mythology with a strong heroine at its centre. I’m definitely interested to see where the story goes next, and would recommend it to fans of myth-based fantasy with a feminist twist.

Daughter of Chaos had the potential to be a captivating reimagining of Greek mythology, but unfortunately, it fell short in several key areas.

One of the most glaring issues was the author’s departure from traditional myths. For example, depicting Apollo as the patron of Athens goes directly against established lore. Rather than feeling like bold reinterpretations, these changes came across as convenient shortcuts that may frustrate readers who are familiar with the original stories.

The romantic subplot, especially between Danae and Heracles, felt underdeveloped and lacked emotional depth. Their connection never truly came to life on the page. Moreover, while the book hints at Danae’s attraction to women, this aspect was barely explored and ultimately felt like a missed opportunity for meaningful representation.

On a more positive note, Lucy Walker-Evans did a solid job narrating the audiobook. Her performance brought energy and personality to the story, although a few character accents felt oddly inconsistent and occasionally pulled me out of the experience.

Overall, Daughter of Chaos had a promising premise but didn’t quite deliver. With stronger character development and more thoughtful handling of mythological source material, it could have been a much more compelling read.

I original ordered this book because the waterstones edition was so pretty!

Well, I got got my guys.

It's not bad I guess, but it's also not exciting....or even new.

. If the whole book was like it was in the last chapter it would have been chef kiss.... but that one chapter will not have me picking up the next one.

But if you like just regurgitated Greek mythology....I still probably would tell you just to pick up Percy jackson.... or watch the episode of wishbone when he is doing the odyssey (save time from actually reading it).

STUNNING MYTHOS, SLOW BURN (LIKE…REALLY SLOW).

This one had so much potential. Set in ancient Greece and steeped in Greek mythology, Daughter of Chaos is lush, lyrical, and beautifully written. The lore? Chef’s kiss. The world-building? Gorgeous. The pacing? Painfully slow.

The story kicks off with a tragic event that unlocks mysterious powers in our FMC, launching her into a journey of self-discovery. She ends up crossing paths with none other than Heracles (yes, that Heracles), and joins his legendary party as a means to get where she needs to go—and hopefully find answers.

The premise is everything I want in a myth-based romantasy: epic journey, deep lore, an emerging power, and a slow-burn romance. But I do mean slow. The romance doesn't come into play until much later, which I’m usually fine with in an epic—but even the main quest felt like it took its sweet time getting off the ground.

That said, the one thing that absolutely saved this for me? The narrator. Her voice was phenomenal—mesmerizing and full of emotion. Honestly, if it weren’t for the audiobook narrator pulling me in with every word, I might have DNF’d. But she carried me through and I’m kinda grateful because that ending plot twist did give me just enough intrigue to consider giving book two a shot.

Tension & Spice: ⭐
World-Building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Banter & Sass: ⭐⭐
Emotional Impact: ⭐⭐⭐

That was it! I honestly am kind of annoyed that I read this whole book, but it wasn't all bad though. Starts with what I liked... I did enjoy the plot overall, and loved how Greece and the gods were incorporated. I also immersive read with the audiobook, and I thought it was done very well. I really enjoyed the accent. That about sums up what I liked. The pacing was sooo slow. I feel like this whole book could have been summed up in 250-300 pages. I also felt like the author was doing a little too much with the writing style. A lot of the adjectives and extra sentences just felt unnecessary. Every time I thought about DNFing something a little wild happened and I would keep going.

Overall my feelings towards this book were mixed. Firstly, the positives. I really liked the nice, detailed descriptions, and overall thought the writing was solid and enjoyable. The descriptions of the cities were especially nice. I loved the way Danae thought her way through problems to find solutions - she had to work for things rather than having everything fall into place perfectly for her. Without spoiling too much, I also liked Jason's character arc. I also really enjoyed the narration. The different character voices were enjoyable to listen to, and there was always a clear distinction between who was speaking so I was never confused. However, the pacing felt pretty uneven. Some things felt too stretched out, and others felt rushed over. The beginning in particular dragged a bit as it took a bit long to get started with the proper plot - I think this is something that is quite common for first books in series, however. I also wasn't a big fan of the romance. I would recommend this book to fans of Greek mythology and feminist retellings like Circe or Elektra, and will potentially pick up further books in this series as I think the author's writing was promising and I'm intrigued by where the plot will go in the future.

I received this audiobook as an advanced reader copy for free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For starters, the narration is excellent. The narrator and writer did a great job of making you feel like part of the scene. The story itself was interesting. We have a girl from a small island thrust into a world bigger than she could imagine. I was invested in the MC even before she leaves the island. I found her easy to root for, which is important to me for a main character. The book is action packed and (if you're like middle school me) you'll even meet some familiar faces along the way.

I do think that the narration was a big reason for why I enjoyed this book so much, I'd be interested to see if I'd enjoy the book the same amount if I read a physical copy.

In "Daughter of Chaos," readers are transported to ancient Greece, a world teeming with gods, prophecies, and legendary figures like Heracles. The story follows Danae, who embarks on a perilous quest amidst divine interventions and mythical challenges, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. As she navigates this treacherous path, Danae must confront formidable foes and unravel cryptic prophecies, all while grappling with her own destiny.

While the premise initially captured my interest, the execution left much to be desired. The pacing felt sluggish, making it difficult to stay engaged with the story. The narrative's tendency to "tell rather than show" hindered my ability to feel the tension and emotional stakes of Danae's journey. Additionally, the character development lacked depth, preventing me from forming a strong connection with Danae and the other characters. Despite these shortcomings, I see potential in the series. If it continues, I might give it another chance, hoping for improved character exploration and a more immersive reading experience in future installments.

Thank you NetGalley and MIRA for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did this follow normal Greek mythological concepts or stories, no it definitely did not. Did I still really enjoy my time and blow through the book, YES!!

I love mythological stories. I also love variations to these stories and seeing them play out in different ways. That being said, I did not get hung up on all the ways this story was different from the standard mythological tales. It was kind of like an alternate reality situation for me.

I loved the time jump from the beginning to give us foreshadowing to the ending. I was also totally bought into the mystery and the prophecy! Danae was a decent main character but I am really hoping we see her personality grow in coming installments, very coming of age feeling. I loved several of the side characters and the quests were fun as well.

Overall, I loved reading this but audiobooks always hit better for me so there is that! The cliffhanger ended had me spewing and I will gladly rump into book 2 to see where Webb takes us next.

Daughter of Chaos by A.S. Webb is an immersive tale that weaves mythology, magic, and destiny into a gripping narrative, echoing the wonder I felt when first discovering Greek myths as a child. The characters are deeply engaging, each carrying the weight of their own fate while navigating a world rich with divine intrigue and mortal struggles. With its lyrical prose and masterful storytelling, this book rekindles the timeless allure of myth, making it a must-read for anyone who once dreamed of gods, heroes, and the chaos in between.

I really wanted to love this book, but I had a hard time getting into it. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator did a nice job. This book is well written, but I felt like I needed a little more out of it (especially from the ending). If you enjoy Greek epic fantasy, I think you should give this book a chance. I would be interested in reading the next book in this series. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for my audiobook copy!

I was quite into this at first. A substantial portion of the narrative’s start takes place in Danae’s home on the island of Naxos. It’s the quietest part of the book, but I was immediately drawn into Danae’s home life - her relationship with her parents, her sister and the other island folk. I almost started comparing it to Madeline Miller’s CIRCE (which I think is the gold standard among Greek mythology retellings). But then…

…Danae is forced to fulfill her destiny and flee Naxos. At this point, the book grew more chaotic. It felt like a subway car of events - “and then this, and then that, and then the other thing…”. None of these happenings built upon one another, rendering the tale increasingly arbitrary. It felt like DAUGHTER was trying to wear the cloak of THE ODYSSEY (a book I love btw) at this point, but the fit was all wrong. I suppose one of the issues I had is that Danae didn’t grow or mature as a character in any way. She is the same at the end as she was in the beginning - actually, probably worse - which made it hard for this listener to want to follow her on her journey.

Danae also felt like a supporting character in her own story - constantly getting rescued/sprung from prison or slavery… Over and over she kept stumbling right into a person she needed to meet. When this happens four, five times it goes from coming off as convenient to lazy on the author’s part. Even the choice Danae makes at the midpoint of the book - to find Prometheus and further understand the prophecy bestowed upon her - is flimsy at best. It felt like she was constantly at the mercy of the plot, rather than the main driver of it.

For the record, I loved the narrator Lucy Walker-Evans - she gave a great performance. But the book’s unbalance in pacing, dull FMC and the arbitrary journey she goes on caused the listen to fall fairly flat.

P.S. For a book that’s all about the gods and how awful they are, their presence is surprisingly sparse. How are we supposed to fear the Big Bads if we rarely meet them?

You ever get so mad at the Gods you decide to go after them yourself? No? Oh well that’s okay because Danae decides to go after them herself! This is a fun read and definitely for those who love Ancient Greek mythology! I enjoyed this read and it definitely gives a more modern Odyssey vibe which I’m here for!

2.5 Stars
This started off pretty strong for me but it felt like it took so long to get to where it did and ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied with how it ended. I liked the narration and felt that the narrator did a great job at bringing these characters to life and keeping me interested in the story. I think I might have enjoyed this more if the ending didn't feel so rushed and though I liked this enough I'm not sure if I'm invested enough to continue the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ARC!

A refreshing and exciting take on Greek mythology retelling. I was immediately intrigued by Danae’s life, her fate, and those she met along the way. Fast paced and action packed, this book was hard to put down!

The ending? Immediately in need of book 2…

Daughter of Chaos is a fast-paced read that explored a rich Ancient Greek scenery. I really liked the unique perspectives surrounding Classical mythology and the orgin of the Gods, as well the appearance of some of the great mythical heroes like Heracles and Jason and the Argonauts. Lucy Walker-Evans is a brilliant narrator, and kept me engaged and eager to keep listening.