Daughter of Darkness was so much fun, from beginning to end. I pretty much sat solidly and read this one in a day and a half (life called in the middle of it) and just couldn’t get enough.

Greek mythology is my thing. It has been ever since I can remember and so when I saw this book was on its way to be published I just had to request it on Netgalley to read and review. Thank you to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for approving me.

First off, the writing style was really easy to digest and it set the pace really well. I found myself halfway through it and this is down to the writing. I wasn’t able to detect the differences between the authors styles and it all blended really nicely together. Sometimes I find that when there are two authors, the writing doesn’t always flow very well, but this book didn’t have that problem.

We follow Deina, who is a Soul Severer who works for an establishment that serves the God of Hades. Her task is to guide souls from the mortal world. For every soul that a Soul Severer shepherds, the Severer gains coins/points and enough coins/points means freedom. Almost nobody has achieved this. Thief Deina is savvy and determined to make this a reality. She wants out. Tyrant rule Orpheus wants his wife Eurydice retrieved back from the world of the dead, in exchange for freedom. Deina and other trust Severer’s volunteer to the task.

I thought Deina’s character was was really interesting. She was not your typical hero and I really enjoyed this, as I like a hero that plays with the stereotype. She is cocky, and distrusts everyone and also harbours a hatred towards one of the Severer’s who is her enemy.

This book has it all: death, grief, laughter, friendship, found family, betrayal, enemies to lovers romance. And I really enjoyed every minute. I will definitely be coming up the next book. My only criticism is that I felt like the ending was really fast in comparison to the build up, and the romance really kind of fizzled out towards the end and I would have liked this to have featured a little bit more.

[4.5 stars]

I don’t know where to begin with this review! I loved the magic system with Theodesmioi channelling the powers of certain Gods (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hephaestus), I can’t recall reading anything like this before.

The main characters are likeable and complex, Chryse was probably my favourite (don’t hate me!) but it’s because of how well built up these characters are, you get to understand their motivations and secrets and flaws.

As other reviews have said, the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning but this is the start of a series so there is good world building and relevant information in the first 15% before you get more into the faster paced nitty gritty action.

I recommend this for anyone who loves Greek mythology, I felt like so many myths were entwined into this, and I really enjoyed this! I’m not sure I can wait long for the sequel after that ending though!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’ve been reading a lot of Greek mythology books lately and this was right up my street. The way the authors have created this whole world with such detail and used the mythology of different gods all adds to the overall plot of this book. Normally when I read a book the main character is great and the rest can sometimes be lacking but all the characters in this add to the overall story. It take take me a minute to get into it, hence why it’s only a four star but this was a great read and I look forward to reading more from these authors.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to be picked for this tour, how couldn't I the book both sounds amazing and is absolutely beautiful! And luckily it lived up to the hype!
I absolutely adored Deina and I liked all the other characters as well! It took a while to get going but once it did wow so many twists and turns! And that ending! I can't wait for book 2 and I'll definitely be checking out their other series!

Amazingly written, full of wonderful fiesty characters and wonderful drama - the writing and plot are works of art

I really enjoyed aspects of this book, the characters and mythology was great but the pacing felt off and there was just something lacking in it. I will read the second one but this wasn't a read that would stay with me.

Title: Daughter of Darkness (House of Shadows 1)
Written by: Katharine & Elizabeth Corr
Pub Date: 04 Aug 2022
Publisher: Bonnier Books UK, Hot Key Books
Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy | Teens & YA


Slaved into servitude to the gods Deina has dreamed of nothing but Freedom. You see this is no ordinary time, in fact it is the time of the Gods and we are in Greece. Deina is not able to move where she wishes and freedom comes with a heavy price. As a chosen one Deina must do the bidding of the gods and they bid her to separate the souls of the living and take them into the afterlife.

Each slave is taken to the house they are marked with. Deina was marked with the house of Hades and is there for a Soul Severer for him. It may seem awful but only by preforming the severing can Deina earn her freedom. And if she could the freedom of her friend, and fellow Soul Severer, Chryse. This can take years and Soul Severer's do not tend to live long. Deina may be fighting a losing battle, but as luck would have it King Orpheus "the Tyrant" may just be about to present the very key to Deina's dreams.

Orpheus offers that any Soul Severer who returns with the soul of his dear departed wife shall be set free. And into the bargain they may also be made rich. Though Orpheus is not known as a Tyrant in jest.

Deina must team up with other Soul Severer's of her house if she is to be in with a chance of winning. And Deina does not play well with others.



We can see fairly early on that there is a hierarchy even with the enslaved Soul Severer's. Men are higher than women and the elders higher again, so none are above the old men. This evidence of patriarchy gives a feel of reality to the book. There are of course feminist undertones given that our main character is an enslaved woman who is fighting for freedom. Deina is far from morally sound and this is shown not only in her theft, though it is Robin Hood like way, she also agrees with the rest of her team in leaving other Soul Severer's behind in the underworld.

Other themes are evident, abuse, neglect, violence, murder, death, love, longing, and betrayal. The Corr's are to be congratulated on this feat. Not one did I suspect the betrayer, every member had a reason to want Deina dead and yet it was the one person I never thought of who delivered her to her end.

I have to admit that though I saw it coming from the beginning it made me mad anyway. I HATE the idea that Deina would fall for Theron. He asks forgiveness for his major act against her, yet every day after was also an added insult. Even on their journey together on the ship he berated her in front of the other men. It took the fear of dying just to be civil to her. HELL NO! Part of me wanted Deina and Chryse to run away together. But if Deina was not to be Bi or Gay then better for it to be Nat. That is not to say he is perfect to me. Nat may have never out and out lied but had Deina had the full truth she may have made better choices. While I do like the idea of Nat and Deina better than Deina and Theron, I hope Nat and her do not become a creepy almost Stockholm Syndrome thing. I couldn't stand the idea that Deina fall for him based on proximity.

While Ater's character is mentioned to be gay (as far as I recall) I don't think there was enough about it. Compared to Deina, Ater's sexuality might as well not have existed. I also felt that a few turns of phrase came across as ablest. Like when Deina sees darkness and nothing else and asks herself if that is what it was like to be blind. Until the stars start to appear. There are levels of blindness! And as someone from both the LGBTQ+ and disabled community (which includes a visual impairment) I was very disappointed by this. I can't even discus the complexity of the visual impairment that they tried to give Drex, which only seemed to impede him when required. Trust me, if anyone knows how inconvenient it is to be extremely short sighted, it's me. Thankfully we have things to improve that, the Greeks were not so lucky. In the next installment I would also like to see more POC rep. Though any of them could have been black or dark skinned the only person I remember as being described as such died.

Still I feel like I enjoined the majority of the work and would definitely consider reading the sequel.

The art work by is amazing and I would love to have it next to my copy of Ariadne. I believe the cover was designed by Micaela Alcaino, and I love it. I see something new every time I look at it.

Note: From the extract I listened to of the audio book I would strongly recommend it, particularly if, like me you struggled with the lesser known Greek names.

First of all I'd like to thank readersfirst for sending me this book! I was so surprised when it turned up in the post and was so excited as I know many of my friends had picked up a copy to read too!

I knew I would like this book from the first chapter but I didn't expect to fall in LOVE.
The world building is beautiful and exactly what I look for in a great book. The characters I loved even though we didn't learn as much about them at first, I really loved that the characters were quite mysterious and that we learned more the deeper into the book we went.
Nat, Thanatos, always a character I see to fall for in every book and I still have no idea why- maybe it's the sexy dark brooding, winged and god of death that does it for me - yeah I think that's it 👀
The plot twists were exciting and not all predictable which I like! I love being blind sided by a plot twist where it feels like a knife to my heart each time.
The only thing I'm truly upset about is the fact I have to wait to read what happens next.... That cliffhanger was not cool guys 😭
Overall I was expecting this to be like Circe- historical fiction- which in a way it was but much more of a YA read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I reviewed this book as a: 5/5
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
I cannot wait until book 2 next year! ❤️

A very slow build up through part one, it didn't really grab my attention which meant I didn't want to pick it back up when I put it down. Thankfully it picked up in part 2 and the action began keeping the reader on their toes and constantly wondering what would happen next.

I love a book that doesn't have a traditional happy ending, cliff hangers are great.
Looking forward to the next one

Daughter of Darkness is best described as historical fantasy retelling of Greek mythology. The author posits a what if question about Orpheus and Eurydice, and the story grows from there, although the main character is neither of the lovers, they are central to the plot of the story.

In this story, the gods and legends of Greek mythology are real, and certain groups of humans have been bestowed magical abilities by the gods, but this comes at a cost. They are required to work in service to their communities, at the cost of their freedom, creating a system of indentured servitude.

The main character, Deina, is part of a group known as Soul Severers, who patron god is Hades. She will do anything to gain her freedom, including going on a dangerous mission with very little chance of survival to the underworld to retrieve Eurydice's shade. She must travel with some unlikely allies and face all kinds of challenges along the way.

It's fairly standard YA fantasy with a female main character in terms of story structure, etc. I think if that's your cup of tea, you'll probably really enjoy Daughter of Darkness. It is well-paced and does have some interesting twists, world building, and character development.

I will for sure be reading the sequel to find out what happens.

As a lover of Greek mythology, unlikely heroes and adventure, I was very excited to read this book. It started out really strong, introducing us with a flawed character that had a goal and a history and I was really rooting for her. But then I wasn’t. The characters quickly turned irritating for me as relationships started to change and the adventure began. All of a sudden, friends became enemies, enemies became friends and no one really communicated with each other. There was a lot of “I need to ask this person something” or “I need to speak to this person as soon as possible” and they’re they never did. I feel like this book attempted a lot of much loved tropes but didn’t really execute them very well - there was enemies to lovers, betrayal from a loved one, a mysterious and powerful parent, fate you can not fight and they all seemed to fall a bit flat. For example the enemies to lovers trope, one minute they’re mortal enemies unable to spend 5 minutes together without barking an insult at one another, the next we find out carry things that remind them of each other, they’re actually in love with one another and the reason they began to hate each other in the first place is because one of them broke as deal as he didn’t want to be teased by his male friends. It just didn’t sit right with me. It tried to do too much and in doing so, it got tedious and somewhat annoying as each plot line wasn’t given enough detail and attention it deserved to make it live up to its potential. I do really think this book had potential, the storyline of going to release a spirit from the underworld was very exciting and then to discover all the secrets we did on the way added to the excitement. I did enjoy the characters of the gods, as I believe they were written very well, the cunningness and self-serving attitude of them all, really captured the essence we all know and love of the Greek gods. I am intrigued as to where the story will go next, but I’m unsure that’s enough for me to pick up the next book.

This incredible new YA fantasy takes us to Ancient Greece where Deina is indentured in the House of Hades. She assists souls to the Underworld but dreams of a life of freedom. A chance comes to make her fortune and earn freedom through completing a quest for Orpheus, but she must work alongside rivals as they traverse the Underworld together.

This amazing novel is pacy and punchy and takes us straight into Deina’s life of servitude. She’s a strong and feisty character who doesn’t shy away from doing whatever it takes to get by. Although headstrong, she is smart and a worthy contender for the quest. Deina and her companions in the Underworld have to learn to pool their skills and work together, learning to trust each other, and the book has a ‘Hunger Games’ type vibe where we genuinely don’t know who, if anyone, will survive the dangers and demands of the journey into the underworld. We see characters develop and learn a little of the backstory, and there is a definite element of the fear of a strong woman amongst the men which has affected to their attitude towards Deina.

The trials the group face have roots in the classics, but I also noticed nods to The Hunger Games and Classic cinema -Harryhousen’s dynamatic skeletons came to mind. Incredible descriptions take us to the centre of the action - the sights, sounds and smells immerse us in the Underworld and not a word is wasted in the stunning depictions.

A genuinely brilliant book which I’ll certainly be recommending to teenagers and mythology/fantasy fans.

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Daughter of Darkness from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 STARS ✨

Let me start off by saying that I was so excited to get this ARC; I see anything Greek Mythology related and I'm literally like 'yep, let's go!' because, no matter how much Greek myth you read, there's always going to be different aspects and different tales which are entirely new to you or are given a completely different perspective. Although, y'know, Hades was there so, as someone who would read Hades and Persephone retellings in a library forever if I had the chance, that was a great little connection that excited me! And Katharine and Elizabeth's perception of Hades was great!

As I said, even if you're familiar with an aspect of Greek myth, there will always be something new, so I was intrigued right off the bat with Deina's role as a Sole Server and her life being bound to this indenture as a Theodesmioi. But of course, there's so much more than that. There's the twists, there's the betrayals, there's the world-building, there's the lyrical writing that draws you in and truly gives the 'mythological' vibes (or at least it does for me, anyway!)

I cannot wait for the conclusion of this duology and would highly recommend it to any fellow Greek myth and YA lovers!

3.5⭐

I wavered on how exactly I wanted to rate this book. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Where Daughter of Darkness really excelled was in the intricate worldbuilding, especially once our not-heroes journey into Hell for a chance at freedom. The pace picked up significantly after this point, which made it a lot easier for me to fully immerse myself in the book. The action that happens here and the journey they go on are riveting, and it is here where the story does best. The introduction of Hades and Nat is a welcome one that adds further intrigue to the book. I also thought it interesting the positioning of Orpheus as a hideous tyrant whose wife, Eurydice, did not actually want to return to, and the way this is told really works for the story.

However, the beginning of the book, while setting the scene, often felt a bit too much tell and not enough show, with passages that read like info-dumping at points, and I found it hard to stay engaged. As a result, it took me a much longer time to get through the first 30% of the book than it did for the rest.

I also struggled to reconcile what I felt was a powerful female character, Deina, with her primary love interest, Theron. When we first meet them, they have a heated exchange because she has bribed an officer to conduct the Punishment Rites instead of Theron. In retaliation, he insults her as weak for being a woman (despite the fact she's won against him in mini-competitions before), rips apart her entire room and steals what valuables she has that he can find. When she confronts him, he doesn't refute the sexist and misogynistic remarks the other male Soul Severers make about her selling her body to conduct the Punishment Rites.

Further on into the story, they each save each other from death's grip at points, but I just didn't believe the dynamic of their relationship was equal and contained mutual respect. That Deina respects him is true, I'm just not convinced by Theron AT ALL. Theron is keen to forget the past and basically implies she should too, but it turns out what he wanted her to forget is that he betrayed her when they were best friends as kids because he fell victim to peer pressure from the other boys?? Which is fine, but instead of apologising, he's spent the past (MANY) years being an active dick to her and treating her with disrespect (see earlier behaviour at the start of the story) insulting her and even making threats about her life to her face. When he finally apologises, it just seems like too little too late, because he's had all these years to make amends or to even try to, but of course, he hasn't done that.

Honestly, Deina had more chemistry with Nat than Theron. I'd rather see Deina and Theron try to repair their friendship first rather than leap headfirst into anything romantic. Can there be a Deina and Nat romance instead, please?

Overall, I enjoyed this book, though I really wasn't a big fan of its romantic elements. Deina deserves better!!

What a wild ride.. this is my first dive in to these authors and I loved ever minute of it. I am so glad I pre ordered it!!

Steeped in Greek mythology. Fast paced section! Great characters what more could you ask for

This was an incredible peice of historically inspired fantasy. It gripped me from the first pages and held me until the very end. I am outraged that I have to wait to find out what happens!!!
The Corr's writing continues to improve and I would say this is an even more successful novel than their previous offerings.

Deina is an incredible heroine. Her journey through Hades realm is frought with danger and she battles through each section with pride, intelligence and power. Her friends are also a wonderful collection of relatable individuals who grow and evolve through the course of the novel.

My only complaint is that for YA the book is written with incredibly specialised and academic language, which makes it vivid and engaging to me, but might make it impenetrable and frustrating for a younger or less experienced reader.

Regardless, I would reccomend as I throughly enjoyed this book and will most definitely be reading the next installment!

I love a mythology retelling and this is based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which I really looked forward to as so many other myths are retold over and over (don’t get me wrong I love Hades, but nice for something newer) . This was a fantastic read, completely had me on tenterhooks, the world building is amazing, the characters multifaceted and three dimensional, there isn’t enough I can say other than you need to read this if you love mythology

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I am on a total mythology kick as of late and this is another brilliant tale to add to that ever growing Top Book Recs on this topic. A glorioys read from start to finish - loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

I am confused. I was so excited for this book, and at the beginning, it seemed like a really interesting alternate history vibe. But I began to find a lot of aspects incredibly tedious.

For one, the love interest is a misogynist ass, and you can say all you want that he was just scared or was secretly good. I don't care. He was awful. Enemies to lovers does not mean the main character should end up with a literal sexist.

In fact, the misogyny was a huge theme in this book that I hated. Women were second class citizens here, and fine, that's historically accurate, I get it, but come on. All the men's character arcs were basically "oh wow, women are people!" but even then the other other important female characters <spoiler> either died or were traitors </spoilers>.

Which brings me to Chryse. Who I hate. <spoiler> It was obvious from the beginning that she was going to betray Deina, as she was constantly described as "selfish" and everything she said was a weirdly positive thing about Orpheus. </spoiler>

And Deina. Deina is one of the most inconsistent main characters ever. Is she fatally selfish or fatally selfless? I don't know because the authors don't know. She refuses to abandon her friends but also won't sacrifice anything for them? Her big choice is <spoiler> saving everyone in the world and having a job she doesn't like or refusing and letting everyone die. She agonises about this while constantly being like "but I could never abandon them! I'd do anything for them! Like put up, or shut up. It was so frustrating. </spoiler>.

There's also about a thousand plot twists at the end and I was invested in none of them because they're basically "tada!" reveals by Hades with no relation to the plot so far. It's just surprises for the sake of surprises. Boring.

Some of the lore is interesting and the concept overall is cool, but the terrible characters and bad plot really ruined this for me. I probably won't bother with the sequel. Two stars.

A good story that's perfect for fans of Greek mythology. I found the world building and lots of names a little heavy to start with, which affected my enjoyment a little. There were some good twists and Deina felt relatable as a character. It sets up the next book perfectly, and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.