I got given acces to this title when it was on a publisher promotion, but this was when I was new to netgalley and didn't know that the pdfs in the app expired so I never got to read it.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.
I left this book for a week whilst still on holiday and felt no urge to pick it up when I got back. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something missing from this book that made me feel unenthusiastic about both the characters and the plot.

I really enjoyed this story which had a huge quest / found family trope.
It’s a really fun ride for those who love Greek mythology.
I found the main character reminded me of Jude from The Cruel Prince, with the tendency to stab first, ask questions later but I didn’t mind this as I love Jude.
The adventure is fun and easy to follow, don’t expect radical twists, it’s world building is imaginative and by and large the characters are likeable.

Interesting take and YA perspective on Orpheus and Euridyces. Orpheus was a gross characterisation and super interesting. The main character Deina however, didn't bite for me. I found the connection to the male love interest difficult to invest in because of previous behaviour. I remained intrigued by Nat. Overall, I'm a little sad I wasn't as invested as I'd hoped.

Unfortunately I was unable to complete reading this book and therefore cannot provide a thorough review. I would like to thank the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this - I appreciate this gesture

This was an incredible read with excellent characters and world building. It was somewhat fast paced and fun to read - I cannot wait for what comes next!

This book delivered exactly what was needed for me right now in my reading life! The line “all you have to do is succeed and survive” will be my guiding light for this season! It’s a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book

I loved this book so much more than I expected to, and I really did not know what to expect when I went into it. Daughter of Darkness is a Greek mythology retelling of Orpheus and Eurydices. Once you are drawn into this story, it does not let you go. It was so beautifully written by both authors, from the twists to the gods and monsters to the beautiful, vivid description of the underworld.

I absolutely loved this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fantasy twist on Greek mythology.

When I saw this was Greek mythology I internally screamed “SIGN ME UP!!” So that’s exactly what I did. Intricately woven, atmospheric and downright captivating this is a book that ticked all my boxes. It’s incredibly easy for a book of this style to fall flat or fade into the many attempts but It’s clear the authors put in the hard graft to ensure they delivered a unique plot, interesting characters and a well rounded novel that will please many readers.

In Daughter of Darkness, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr have created a world based on Greek mythology. Deina is a Theodesmioi, a human who has been marked by a god and has the ability to channel some of their power. Despite their abilities, the Theodesmioi are not all powerful, rather they are slaves who earn their freedom by performing rites. Every increment of time earned off their indenture time is marked on their flesh in the form of rite-seals. They are bound to their workplace, whether a city or ship, by a collar that prevents them from leaving.

It’s a life that Deina is desperate to escape from, and when a lucrative offer from the tyrant king Orpheus appears to give her that chance, she can’t volunteer fast enough. Of course, any offer of freedom and a huge chest of gold isn’t going to come without strings attached. Along with several other Theodesmioi from her House, Deina is given the task of heading into the Underworld to retrieve Orpheus’ dead wife Eurydice and return her to the king.

As Theodesmioi of Hades, Deina and her companions are known as Soul Severers and spend a lot of time around death. But that doesn’t normally involve going into the Underworld. It’s unheard of, and it’s dangerous. To complicate matters, the only way to complete the task and survive to claim her freedom is to work with the Severers going with her. Deina isn’t a team player at the best of times, especially not when her team includes her former childhood friend who betrayed her and a misogynist who believes women are weak and useless.

Heading into the Underworld, Deina is as prepared for a difficult journey as she can be… or so she believes.

Daughter of Darkness is one of those books that I’d heard a lot about, and yet it failed to make a big impact on me. I found the story and characters to be predictable, and a big part of that was the book’s title. It gave away the biggest reveal of the whole novel in my opinion, and honestly, I spent the entire time just waiting for what was already on the cover to be officially confirmed. There was only one reveal in the book that came as a surprise, and that was because the authors only hinted at it briefly. Everything else just felt overly spoon-fed, as though the reader wasn’t smart enough to pick up on any clues.

I enjoyed aspects of the world-building that the Corr sisters had created, such as the concept of Soul Severers. I liked the idea of having a job in society that existed to save people pain when they were nearing death, or in accidents. In Daughter of Darkness, it’s mentioned that one of the Severers helps lead a young child to the Underworld when they are fatally injured in an accident, saving them from a painful death and letting them die painlessly.

At first, I thought that the entire book was misogynistic, but a little research shows that the authors have in fact based their rights of women in their book on how they were in Ancient Greece. That being said, I felt that their version of the pantheon was overly focused on male deities. The only Houses of Theodesmioi mentioned are for male gods, and female goddesses are mostly named in passing. The only one specifically named is Hecate, as Deina prays to her multiple times. I don’t know whether they were intentionally missed out and therefore, only male gods have marked Theodesmioi or they just were not mentioned in this book.

Either way, it bothered me because while Ancient Greece might not have given women many rights, when it came to mythology their pantheon is filled with many prominent goddesses. It felt very odd to me not to have them included in a book based on Greek mythology.

I didn’t dislike Daughter of Darkness, and it’s a solid three stars for me, but I’ve got to be honest; when it comes to trips to the Underworld there’s only one author for me and that’s Rick Riordan. It’s going to take quite a lot to beat The House of Hades, the fourth book in The Heroes of Olympus series. This one ended on a cliffhanger that promises a lot more drama to come in the next book, and I’m hoping it will deliver with less predictability.

A tale set in ancient Greek times, where the gods are real and magical rites occur with astounding regularity.

Deina has a mark on her forehead which means that she belongs to one of the gods, Hades in this instance. She was given to a House of Hades as a young child, where she is trained to help people pass on in death. Or be punished forever in the afterlife...

Naturally, the occupants of these houses sprinkled across the country belonging to Hades, or another such as Zeus or Poseidon, are filled with people who would like to leave. To do so, one needs to pay off their indenture and each rite performed clears a small amount of debt.

Then the big payday comes: King Orpheus wants a group of soul severers to rescue his wife from the underworld.

This was a fun read which wasn't afraid to show it's dark side. Some lovely twisty turns throughout made it a page turner. Book two has been released too.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier books UK for an e-arc - I ended up listening to an audio which was excellent. All opinions are my own.

Fun Greek mythology story. Great adventure, lots of twists and turns and fast paced. The characters could have been a little better as I did find them a little weak and confusing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love greek mythology retellings and so was very pleased to receive this early copy.
The style of writing was easy to follow and the descriptions really made me feel like I was there watching the story unfold through my own eyes. Full of action and adventure, I didn't get bored at any point and I liked how each character was introduced at a good pace so you could get to know them and what their role is, which kept me really invested in the story. Definitely an enjoyable fantasy book with a cliffhanger at the end which has left me eager for the next book in the House of Shadows series.

I will read anything that has to do with Hades. I always found him the most interesting God, in basically any media I've seen so far. And this story takes you to the underworld. The story focuses on Deina, a soul severer. She goes on a quest, and like any good quest, it involves tasks you have to do before you can finish the quest.

It's definitely a classic fantasy adventure, with a lot of mythology sprinkled in, which is one of my favorite genres! I'm excited for book two, I do hope the characters become a bit more consistent and likable, but honestly that could also just be me

I gave this book a very rare 5 stars. I think it was really good. I loved all of the characters and will be looking oht fir more from these authors

Loved the idea, hard to love the characters though. Something about the whole book just felt a little lacking and I couldn’t make myself finish the book. Just was one of those books I didn’t find myself reaching for

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for
an ARC. This is an atmospheric and gripping tale, based on Greek mythology and mythological tales

The concept of this book was very interesting! The main premise is that soul severers can bind souls to the afterlife and are sent on a quest to the underworld.

The pacing was really good and the writing flowed to create a beautiful and intricate story.

I would really recommend this series for all fantasy and Greek mythology lovers!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

The concept of this book was really intriguing; soul severers who could bind souls to the afterlife sent on a quest to the underworld. I love Greek mythology and mythological retellings so the storyline really appealed to me at the start.

Having finished the book I'd say it was a good story but not great. The storyline itself was fairly interesting. It moved at a consistent pace and was entertaining enough to keep me reading, though I found the plot twists quite predictable. For a story set in the underworld, I would have hoped for a bit more atmosphere and darkness. This felt a little more mild.

What let it down the most for me was that I didn't find many of the main characters that engaging and couldn't get into the vague 'enemies to lovers' romance. I did, however, really enjoy the characters and stories of Hades and Nat.

I think that a lot of people might really enjoy this but for me, there wasn't that spark that made me desperate to pick it up.

Loved the idea of this book! A reimagining of a well-known myth where Orpheus rules as a tyrant king, and the servants of the gods possess fantastical powers.

Enjoyed the book and its characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Fantasy based around Greek Mythology? Sign me up. I can't wait to see what Katherine and Elizabeth do next!