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!

I absolutely loved this book - such a different take on a "greek" adventure. Deina is a soul severer whose job is to sever souls from their body - usually to relieve suffering but on ocassion as punishment.

When given a chance to earn her freedom Deina accepts a quest to the underworld to bring back King Orpheus' wife from death. All is not how it seems Deina will face lies, betrayal, secrets and danger before the novel is out.

Cannot wait to read the next installment.

I love Katharine and Elizabeth Corr’s writing, and this is a brilliant angle on Greek mythology. The characters are well developed and the quest is thrilling. Loved it!

I love Greek Mythology and had really hoped to love Daughter of Darkness. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite for me as I struggled to connect with the characters and found the pacing a bit slow at times. I didn't finish the ARC at the time and haven't picked it up again.

I saw this beautiful cover and that it was a greek retelling and I thought I absolutely had to read it.

I did not expect it to get so dark and kind of gory in places what with it having a young adult tag so it was a nice surprise that it was actually more of an adult story. I mean I should have realised from it being a greek tale which in general don't really have happy stories either.

I did really like this story, from Deina's feistyness and her willingness to do anything to gain her freedom to the unique idea of the soul severers and the other houses aligned with the gods and their powers it really was an interesting ride.

I loved the descriptions of the areas in the underworld as well as how their quest ended up turning out with a whole load of fantastic drama both with the gods and the severers!

I ended up picking up the paperback of this from Waterstones immediately after having originally read it as a netgalley arc as I enjoyed it so much.

Daughter of Darkness is an exciting retelling of Orpheus and Eurydices. I really enjoyed this book, full of twists and turns, gods and monsters. Many great characters and sad moments. Would definitely read the sequel! 4.5⭐️

This book was great, I loved the storytelling from these authors - I'm a really big greek mythology fan so this was perfect. I loved the amount of adventure in this read, and the fact that it felt like things were a lot darker and more high stakes than in your typical YA book.

The description of the underworld and the challenges were a really interesting part of the book and kept me hooked from beginning to end! The characters were great and I thoughts Orpheus as a villian was very well done!

An immersive, magical, dangerous read!

What a fun, YA mythology read! I loved the nature of the gods, and the overall quest element while still expanding the world and characters throughout. This book demonstrated the darker more violent side of the Gods and kept everything high enough in tension to keep me powering through! There wasn’t a lot of character development, but that may be yet to come, as the story itself was excellent, and the fact it isn’t based on one single myth means there is so much room for this story to go anywhere. Loved it

Thank you to Hot Key Books for providing this book in exchange for a review!

Was this the place that myths came to die?

Deina is a Soul Severer, working in the House of Hades performing the rites for those passing through death in the mortal world. She wants nothing more to escape her indenture and jumps at the chance to journey to the underworld to bring Orpheus’s wife back to life. However, her team of allies are actually her competitors and she doesn’t put backstabbing beyond them.

But if this is a game, I pray that the Underworld at least gives us a real chance to play…

Whilst at its core, this is a journeying mission through the underworld, it hints at a bigger mystery, conspiracy, and fate than Diane imagined. This makes it a layered story, full of twists and turns and new possibilities to keep you on your toes.

‘No. I know what I am. A Soul Severer. A thief and a trickster. Nothing more. Nothing less. And whatever this destiny is that you keep talking about, I refuse to accept it.'

The mythology woven into this book was enjoyable for a YA novel - it never felt forced. In fact, it provided history and legend with such finesse that the story completely transported me to Diane’s time and world.

I loved the strength of Diane in this book, a woman in a team made up of mostly men, in a wider world where women are seen as weak, she shows her potential and courage, standing up for women everywhere.
She’s also unapologetically outspoken and stubborn, not shying away from her scarred face, her unusual job description, or her determination to seek a better future and freedom for herself.

This is a YA that uses familiar troupes, but doesn’t overuse them or just regurgitate them, there are intrigues and twists to each aspect of the story.
Whilst the plot twists were painfully predictable, there was one aspect I throughly enjoyed where the author completely subverts our expectations of norms and gender. I’d love to discuss this more, but it happens at such a late stage in the book, I don’t want it acting as a spoiler or ruining the delightful surprise.

Thank you to Katharine & Elizabeth Corr and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Daughter of Darkness" by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr is an enthralling YA fantasy set in a world inspired by Greek mythology. The story follows Deina, a Soul Severer bound to serve Hades on Earth. Desperate to break free from her servitude, Deina seizes the opportunity to earn her freedom by joining a group of Severers tasked with retrieving Orpheus's deceased wife from the Underworld. As they embark on their dangerous journey, alliances are formed, betrayals unfold, and the characters are tested both physically and emotionally.

The authors' storytelling is captivating from the start, weaving a compelling narrative filled with twists and turns. Deina is a compelling protagonist, driven by her desire for freedom and exhibiting strength and determination throughout the book. The world-building is vivid, immersing readers in the richly described Underworld and its challenges.

The book excels in its portrayal of complex characters, each with their own motivations and secrets. The dynamics among the group of Severers add depth and tension to the story. The authors skillfully balance action-packed sequences with moments of introspection, allowing readers to connect with the characters on a deeper level.

"Daughter of Darkness" is a thrilling and engaging read, offering a fresh twist on Greek mythology. The book leaves readers eager for the next installment, as the ending delivers an unexpected and shocking revelation. Fans of fantasy, mythology, and strong female protagonists will find themselves captivated by this duology.

Katharine and Elizabeth Corr are an incredible writing duo and I loved their previous works, so I was very happy to get the chance to read this book. Daughter of Darkness is an exciting and immersive dark fantasy inspired by Greek Mythology. There are so many books inspired by Greek Mythology and yet I found that this one managed to retain singularity. Daughter of Darkness is full of secrets, betrayal and heartache with a fun and witty heroine, who is an extremely loveable main character. The world is so beautifully crafted and the plot is suspenseful and highly entertaining.

Probably 3.5 stars actually!

“Human frames weren’t meant to channel the power of a god.”

This is an alternate mythology, where Orpheus rules as a tyrant king, and the servants of the gods possess strange powers. There is also definitely a horror aspect to this story!

One such indentured servant longs to escape her life capturing souls in service to Hades, and her chance comes when she’s offered what seems to be an impossible quest, with companions she cannot trust…

The character growth was really interesting to follow and explored in more depth than in some YAs - although given the number of characters some of it was less well fleshed out, probably to maintain the pace, which is brisk throughout.

The story is told in compulsively readable prose, with well-crafted characters that leap from the page, and landscapes that are mysterious and terrifying, straight out of Greek myth. Step into the Underworld with Deina as she searches for a lost soul, and for her own freedom.

~4.5⭐️
~thank you netgalley and hotkey books for a review copy
~This is an amazing greek mythology book, I loved the fantasy elements in it and how it reimagined a well known myth. I adored the characters they were 100% the best part of this! I loved their friendships and how they developed throughout. There are so many twists and turns and I never knew how it would end! I am so excited for the sequel

Deina is a Soul Severer, claimed by Hades and bound to a life of servitude. When the opportunity to earn her freedom arrives, Deina embarks on a perilous journey to the Underworld with a group of fellow Severers in the hopes of returning a soul to the mortal world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the Greek mythology portrayed within it. This was only my second time reading a book based on Greek mythology, so I really appreciated how accessible it was and how the various gods and their roles were explained naturally throughout the book, as opposed to any sort of info-dumping. The plot was very intriguing with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, while the prose was vividly descriptive and enjoyable to read.
The characters and their interactions were a highlight for me throughout. I really warmed to Deina and enjoyed the slow unravelling of her backstory, whilst characters who were pretty unlikeable early on gradually developed into ones I cared for.

I'd really recommend this for anyone keen to try some Greek mythology, but also to anyone looking for a unique YA fantasy book. I'm definitely adding the second book, Queen of Gods, straight to my TBR.

Katherine and Elizabeth are smashing it as always! Anything mythology based I love and how teh authors write these characters makes me loev it even more. I cant wait for book 2.

The Percy Jackson fan is screaming. A very good ya Greek fantasy novel, cannot wait to continue this series

I really wanted to love this one but something just felt flat to me and I'm honestly gutted.

I loved the idea of this one! I love Greek Mythology and love that we are now seeing more books based on it, especially in YA!

Whilst I enjoyed this book and it's characters, I found myself wanting to connect with them more but it never happened. I also found that in a lot of places the book felt slow and I found myself spacing out quite often.

I'm honestly gutted because I wanted to love this more but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Inspired by Greek mythology, and rich in lore as a result, I found Daughter of Darkness to be atmospheric and great at building up a world steeped in troublesome Gods and Goddesses. The journey through the underworld in particular was really well thought out.

However, I thought the pacing was really slow, and other than Deina the characters lacked any kind of emotional depth and as a result I couldn't really connect with them. I also didn't really like the romantic aspects. I love an enemies to lovers, but it needs to be built up over time and with enough situations to explain the change in feelings, and I just didn't get that here. The plot could have been better without it to be honest.

Well written, but I thought the characters to be a bit lacking for me to really feel invested in the story.