*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

This is a sci-fi retelling heavily inspired by Plato's Phaedo (De Anima). It is also feminist and set in a matriarchy where men have been made redundant. The world building is okay, yet the focus lies on the philosophical ponderings of a female Sokrat and thus, a literal symposium in space.

As a former philosophy major I found this entertaining and enjoyable as I liked all the obvious and hidden references to philosophy. It might not entertain somebody not interested in this form of discourse via dialogue.

The book was also extremely short which I liked as I didn't get bored, yet the story had much more potential so:

3,5-4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written and different. I believe I knowing some of ancient Greece history might help when you read this.

This was a really interesting read. I loved how there was a strong focus on Ancient Greek culture and this was a really interesting aspect to focus on. I was not in love with the characters 100% but they were fleshed out and really interesting to follow this brief adventure. It seemed more like a character study in places than being fully fleshed out but they were definitely more than 2D

This book was written very well and I’ll probably read other books by this author, unfortunately this story just did not do it for me. The premise is interesting doing a kind of reverse symposium by Plato.
I didn’t really connect with the characers or the story that well.

Again very well written. Just not for me.

This is an interesting read with lots going for it but I found my attention wandering while reading it. It might have a lot to do with my lack of knowledge in Greek philosophy. Trenten has taken Plato’s Symposium, a philosophical text from nearly 400BC, and turned it on its head in terms of gender and ruling ideology, and then sent it into space. Phaedra and her lover, Pausania, are invited to a dinner party by Agathea who is one of the most prominent citizens of the Intergalactic Democracy.

Pausania doesn’t want to attend but Phaedra does but she’ll have to find her own way there if Pausania is so steadfast in her refusal. There seems to be a little trouble in their relationship. Phaedra finds a spaceship that seems to call to her and she also crosses paths with Sokrat, a well-known philosopher, on her way to Agathea’s symposium.

The depictions of space and the technology were imaginative and vivid. I was engaged by the interactions of Phaedra, Pausania and Sokrat because there was some insight into their thoughts or actions and time was taken to invest in them as characters. I wasn’t enthralled by the rest of the guests at the dinner party because there wasn’t enough information about them for me to care one way or another. This may have a lot to do with my lack of knowledge of the original characters that they’re based on.

Does it count as fan fiction when the original text is 2400 years old?

Book received from Netgalley and NineStar Press for an honest review.