first of all, the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

now for the book, i love anything greek mythology so this was very interesting read for me. the characters were amazingly written and the plot twists were so good too.

the writing in general is fantastic and i’m excited for the next book! the slow burn, enemies to lovers was perfect. and the ending was just *chefs kiss*

thank you for the arc 🫶🏼

Daughter of darkness by katharine and Elizabeth Corr

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, bonnier books uk, hot key books and the authors for the opportunity to read this book.

"For humans, I am as inevitable as the dawn" is a good example of how well these authors can stir up an emotion. It made me both sad and a little uneasy. It's a shame that unfortunately the end of the book fell a little flat for me.

The book started out really strong. Our main character was interesting and the mythology was very well woven into the plot. The side characters were brilliant, drex especially. The plot kept up a high action filled pace with a constant edge of potential betrayal. Plus the plot twists, so many twists. Which is possibly what made a certain one so very predictable, I had hopes it wouldn't happen. So much so that I actually made an alternate twist in my head but sadly they did it.

Some of the other twists were really very good and they do set up another book but I am confused as to who that will follow. It's really hard to go any further without giving spoilers for the entire book.

All in all I've given it a 3. It was good but there's definitely bits I would change to match the potential the book had. But perhaps the reasons for some of these choices will be shown as the series continues.

What a fantastic book! Wonderfully written, kept me enchanted from the first chapter. I ended up reading this in only a few sittings because I didn't want to put it down. The characters were very well thought and and padded.As someone that loves all types of mythology books its refreshing when a book can take those stories and make it their own. It isn't just the same stuff on repeat.

3.5/5

The magic system and politics were extremely interesting and enjoyable, I also thought it had a very unique spin on Greek mythology.

However, I didn’t feel connected to the characters and found there to be a lack of chemistry between the characters as well.

Just wish I had been grasped by the plot more as it was quite slow in areas and didn’t quite grip me.

Thank you NetGalley and Hot Key Books for providing me with this book for an honest review.

Deina is one of the Soul Severers. Servants chosen by Hades to take both willing and unwilling souls to the underworld. This is her life for the next 40 years, unless she can work, or steal enough to pay off her life debt. So when Orpheus, the tyrant ruler, arrives offering her the chance at freedom, she jumps at it. But the task he requires is not an easy one. His wife, Eurydice, has died and he needs Severers to travel to the realm of the dead and bring her soul back to the land of the living. Deina, alongside a group of Severer's she does not trust all embark on this dangerous mission, all with one thing on their mind... freedom. But soon they will all be asked what price they are willing to pay to gain it.

Daughter of Darkness was a story with a lot of promise and, as much as I enjoyed the authors descriptions and the journey our characters go on, I did feel like the characters themselves let the story down a little bit. Our MC Deina is great. Morally grey to the max, she is determined to end her indenture, no matter the cost, and she is willing to take down anyone in her way. She's smart, fast and suspiciously skilled when it comes to the land of the dead. But she's also just a girl who was ripped from her home before she ever got to know it, now tasked with something she never wished for. I enjoyed her character, her inner turmoil and demons, deciding if she could trust the others on the journey with her and seeing her learn things about herself as she takes the journey through the underworld.

The rest of our motley crew however, needed a significant amount of character development to get me to care for them in any way. They were all incredibly one dimensional, I think some of them were supposed to have redemption arc's but their actions in the underworld, greatly under weighed their treatment of Deina in the living one. I think it was supposed to end up like a found family, but I just didn't get emotionally invested in them at all, which was a shame because if we had got more development, the authors use of them would have had a much bigger impact on me as a reader.

The setting. You know me. I love anything mythology based, so I loved being thrown back to ancient Greece with Gods still in the forefront of people's minds. The authors did a brilliant job of bringing both the living and dead versions of their world to life. They shows the perils of both brilliantly, that the living world can be just as dangerous as that of the dead. But I especially enjoyed following our characters on their journey through Hades realm to try and bring Eurydice back. They give us a deep dive into the mythology of the realm, the ruler, as well as the minor gods who call it their home. There were plenty of action scenes and their writing style's really brought these to life, ensuring there were nail biting moments, alongside the ones that needed a bit more brain over brawn kind of energy.

There are plenty of plot twists thrown in, some that definitely have a larger emotional hit than others, and some that the authors did a great job of foreshadowing. all of these ensure that you fly through this story, even if, life me, you weren't overly invested in the characters outcomes, and then it ends one a pretty big cliffhanger that has convinced me to give the second book a go. Overall this was an easy read that, although I was intrigued by the world and journey our characters went on, was let down by the lack of character development.

I loved every single moment of this cleverly crafted story!

Deina and her friends are Severer's of the house of Hades. When the sigal appeared on their foreheads at a young age they were taken to serve as indentured servants to the god that choose them.

Deina is desperate to earn her freedom and when the king arrives and offers a mission that would allow her to win said freedom she takes it with little thought to the quest. A trip to the underworld to retrieve the soul of the dead Queen.

If you like Greek myths and a good adventure story and great characters please pick this one up!

What an incredible read! It had me on the edge of my seat, second guessing what i thought I knew. Highly unpredictable and highly satisfying. It is so intelligently written, which makes it impossible to put down!

Writing aside, i fell in LOVE with the cover. The vibrant colours really draw the eye! It will take centre stage on my shelf! The blurb doesnt give too much away, but perfectly sets up the story, and is intriguing enough to make you read it straight away!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story is based on the original Greek mythology story of Orpheus and Eurydice, however, the author has altered the story to fit into this superb retelling. We open with Deina, a sole severer in the service of the temple to Hades. Deina has been trapped from a young child working as an indentured slave, forced to work off her years of service, by helping the dead move onto the underworld, counting down the days she can work or steal enough to guarantee her freedom.
Soon a visitor arrives at the temple, and she is given a choice, she can remain in the temple, or she can travel to the underworld to search for the recently deceased queen Eurydice, bring her back to the living, and Deina will be given her freedom.
Deina, and three other sole severers, she neither likes nor trusts must travel the paths of the underworld, but nothing is what It seems.
This book was brilliant, I find that with a lot of retellings so many authors like to put a heavy modern spin on the original story, and this isn’t like this at all, the story is set in a scenario where the Mycenaean civilisation didn’t fall to Rome and is Greek mythology at its best. You can tell that the author has done her research here, and I found myself looking up place names and characters.
If you like young adult fantasy, with Greek mythology then this is the story for you

Content Warnings

Some darkness surrounding the enslavement of children, and the traumas surrounding such a thing. Some violence and a little gore. Death of a friend, on page.

Oh this book…

I loved it. So much. I couldn’t give you a specific reason WHY I loved this book, it was so well written and had a great story, and it sucked me in from the first page. If you have even a passing interest in mythology, specifically Greek mythology, then you will love this tale based on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Even if you haven’t even the slightest inclination towards Greek mythology, you will still enjoy this book I think. The authors have made mythology accessible, without dumbing anything down or treating their readers like children. I studied history at uni, and classical history in sixth form, and even though I know quite a lot about Greek myth, I still found the book fun and exciting.

Now, ‘who are Orpheus and Eurydice?!’ I hear you cry? Well…

Orpheus was the son of a god and a muse, Apollo and Calliope. Apollo gave his son a musical instrument called a lyre, and his melodies were so beautiful that pretty much nothing could stand against them (I’m summarising, but other texts put it much better!). Orpheus fell in love with Eurydice, despite dire predictions that their happiness wouldn’t last long. One day, Eurydice was walking through a forest and ended up treading on a poisonous serpent, the bite killing her immediately. This caused a devastated Orpheus to express his grief using his lyre, and moving everything in the world, living or dead, human or god.

The grieving husband decided to visit his beloved wife - neat trick! Orpheus, being beloved by the gods, survived the descent to Hades, which would have killed any other mortal. He began his journey, even charming Cerberus, the multi-headed hound of Hades, who, like Fluffy the three headed dog in Harry Potter (yet another thing Rowling pinched), had a penchant for music. When he reached the god Hades, and his wife Persephone, he got the old lyre back out again and persuaded Hades to let Eurydice return with Orpheus to the mortal realm. There was a catch, however, because gods are tricky that way…they all want their monkeys to dance. Orpheus could take Eurydice, as long as he didn’t look back at her while they walked back through the underworld. Of course, Orpheus agreed to this joyfully, thinking it would be no hardship…yet when they walked he could hear no footsteps behind him, and thought he may have been tricked by Hades. A few steps from the exit, Orpheus could stand it no longer, and turned to see Eurydice behind him, thus dooming her to eternity with Hades.

Basically, Orpheus is the origin of the ‘heroes always peek’ trope!

Daughters of Darkness provides a twist to this story, and nothing is ever quite what it seems. With a cast of young adult characters, with interesting powers that aren’t a simple copy and paste from other YA fantasy books, this book explores myths and legends, friendships and rivalries, and how those we look to for guidance and governance may not be who they seem.

I couldn’t recommend this book enough. The world building is exquisite, vividly crafted by the authors - so much so that it sprang fully formed into my mind. I could see it all, perfectly, yet the language never became overly flowery or descriptive. I never felt that this was style over substance, that the world, though beautifully established, was a substitute for a good story or great characters.

Speaking of characters…they were multifaceted, each with their own unique wants, needs and hidden motivations. There is enough romance here to tease more to come, without it overtaking the story. The MC is a strong and capable young woman, who grows significantly throughout the book, finally learning about true friendship and teamwork. The supporting cast of characters are all fleshed out, some more than others at this point, but all still have substance and I can’t wait to get to know them more in any upcoming books.

Again, I cannot recommend this book enough. It will broaden the horizons of young adults, and let’s be honest, adults, everywhere! It’s a great peek into an ancient world, and as someone who has loved history all their life, I hope everyone is inspired to read even more about the subject! It’s so fascinating, not to mention entertaining.

Oh, I also wanted to mention the fact that I loved it so much that I ordered the signed Forbidden Planet exclusive cover version, and I’m awaiting dispatch with growing irritation with every delay!

This one gets a well deserved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley and Hot Key Books.

linktr.ee/merlinscove

Daughter of Darkness is the first book in the House of Shadows duology. This Greek inspired action adventure story completely blew me away, incorporating everything I adore in a fantasy novel. I was mesmerised from the very first page by not only the storyline, but the phenomenal characters and the amazing way in which the authors incorporated Greek mythology and put their own spin on it. The knowledge and research which has gone into this book is remarkable.

A beautifully written book with and intricate and expansive world, as well as a compelling storyline which is action-paced and intriguing. It’s one of the best YA fantasy novels I’ve read for a while. I need to keep this review short as I could quite literally gush and enthuse about this book all day long. An absolute must read for all fantasy lovers. I can’t wait until book two!

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC to review.

What to say about this? It absolutely blew me away. An easy 5 stars.
It has absolutely everything I love in a YA fantasy:
⚡️Found friendships
⚡️Subtle romance
⚡️Enemies to lovers
⚡️Mythology and magic
⚡️A brilliant setting
⚡️A badass female lead
⚡️Secrets and betrayal

What more could you want? The writing was flawless, I was sucked in and really looked forward to reading more each day. There were twists and turns a plenty and the last 20% had me gripping my kindle in shock!

Deina absolutely stole the show for me - she’s feisty, fiery, strong and funny. I loved her journey and can’t wait for book 2.

On a personal note, something I really need in a fantasy is escapism. I read this book during a pretty nasty pain flare of my endometriosis and it really did take me away from that while I was reading. So a massive thank you to the lovely authors for that.

I swore to myself I wouldn’t spend money on physical books I’d already read going forward but… this has become and instant favourite for me and I think I *need* a finished copy. Do I? I do.

I adore Greek Mythology and I love that more books based on it are coming out. This book was so enjoyable and put a great spin on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, especially with Orpheus as a Tyrant.

The pacing was great. There were no lulls in the story and lots of action as the characters were put through a lot as they ventured through the underworld. The worldbuilding was vast and it was clear the authors did a lot of research while taking some liberties to make it interesting. It was very easy to picture the world they had created.

All of the characters were interesting and Deina was a great main character to follow, I was rooting for her and also intrigued by her too. It made it even better when some plot twists revealed themselves later in the book. It was extremely tense at times and no one felt safe, which is what I want in a book sometimes.

I am very excited to see what happens in the next book!

3.5* upped to 4
There's a lot of potential in this story, there's a gripping and strong start and very interesting characters.
There's a second part which is a bit too slow and drags.
I loved the world building based on Greek mythology and liked Deina.
It was intriguing enough to keep me hooked till the end and I think I will surely read the second instalment.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Corrs' latest outing is a Greek Mythology-filled fest about freedom and fighting for your own path, all while trekking through the underworld

All sorts of Greek mythology related to the underworld are woven together into this dark, perilous journey. From physical barriers like the truly chilling interpretation of the various rivers to monsters chasing the crew, it's not an easy journey Deina has embarked on. It's a quest, basically (which I love) through the land of death where everything is trying to kill them - and they can't trust those around them either.

Everyone has secrets (some they don't even know themselves) and plans of their own for how they want their lives to go. And those plans don't necessarily work well alongside others'. It makes for a tense, untrusting group (and thus the challenges they face are even harder as they can't work well when expecting a dagger in the back!) I loved how the bulk of the secrets and plans tumbled out right when it felt like they might just have a chance of getting on and getting out alive (because, of course, it would not be a book by the Corrs if there weren't a few highly devastating deaths and betrayals.)

And if that wasn't enough, there are gods and other creatures meddling. From the very fun Hades who is frankly there to stir trouble and doesn't care about anything else, to the mysterious Nat (LOVED that reveal), and the uncaring Charon, there are plenty of powerful beings who are going to help and hinder in equal measure. And never accept any bargain they make...

The non-underworld world is set in a fantasy Ancient Greece where the Mycenaeans civilisation didn't fall and some people are marked by the gods for service. The indenture's physical marking of the people as they undertake the various acts of "service" that count down their indenture is a particularly nice (in an awful sort of way) touch - even if they complete their indenture before they go mad, they have a permanent reminder of what they've done etched into their skin. There are other unpleasant rituals (like a boat launching over people's bodies) to make the world of the tyrant Orpheus particularly brutal (and thus you want Deina to find a way to escape all the more.)

The ending is very much a "how could you leave it there?" one, where Deina has got some of what she wants, ending the book in a way that shows how much she's grown across the story. Except that final act comes with consequences that she's going to have to face (and outsmart) in the second book.

Daughter Of Darkness follows Deina, who's trapped as a soul severer, serving the god Hades on earth by shepherding the dying on from the mortal world - unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out. When Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts.

This book was so good! I loved the way Greek mythology was entwined with the story and the world building was incredible! I loved so many of the characters but especially Deina and Theron, they have a subtle romance that I loved seeing develop! Their journey through the underworld was very immersive, the atmosphere and constant danger really brought the story to life and I found myself struggling to put it down.

The plot has so many twists and went in a direction I didn't expect which has me so excited for the sequel! I can't wait to see how the relationships and story play out! Overall I highly recommend this one, especially for Greek mythology lovers!

This was such a refreshing gem of a book. It’s my favourite type of YA - has a dark edge, is a Greek retelling and features death in quite a literal way!

Deina is a soul severer but has a mysterious edge to her that allows her to do things and endure the process better than the others. When given the opportunity to take on a mission that will buy her freedom - she jumps at the chance to go into the underworld with a group of other soul severers to bring Eurydice back to life.

We have a quest, enemies having to work together , backstories of betrayals and relationships and ofcourse the hijinks of being in the underworld with different beings trying to kill you, not to mention the literal Gods and their capricious whims.

I really enjoyed this. Deina is a great character to root for. I like that she’s far from perfect, isn’t your typical beauty or all powerful being. She has a great arc as she begins to realise her full potential. I also really enjoyed seeing the growth of the other characters as we peel back their layers (nothing I hate more than 2-dimensional side characters). The ending was well done - not an annoying cliff hangar as this story wraps up pretty neatly. However I want to see what is next for these characters and how they deal with the aftermath of everything that happens.

Dare I say I’m also torn between what could be a potential love triangle? Maybe it’s my imagination - but I was definitely getting that vibe lol. All in - please read this. A thoroughly enjoyable read. 4.5/5 stars.

3 ⭐️A wonderful idea for a greek mythology retelling but the pacing was a little off for me

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Being massive fan of greek mythology, I knew I wanted to read this as soon as I first saw it and I thought it was a really interesting concept that took greek mythology and the ancient greek world and mashed them together in a reimagining. The author’s note at the end of the book sheds a bit of light on this process and some of the liberties taken by them when creating this world but that is also worth a read!

This is the first in a duology and I feel like it set things up well for Book 2 and I think I sense a ‘which guy will she choose’ scenario coming which will be good (I’m team Nat all the way- He fits the criteria for fictional men I love🤣)

For me, although this had a lot of potential and was a cool concept, the pacing just wasn’t great. It felt like it was dragging on a bit and I’m not sure it needed to be so long. There’s a lot of worldbuilding at the start which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I would have loved it if we entered the underworld a lot sooner. Without giving too much away, I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if the authors had leant into the time on the underworld being more of a hunger games type experience and i’d be interested to know what anyone else who’s read it thinks about that!

Despite that I will probably read book 2 as I want to know where this goes- there were a lot of revelations and twists in this book, some I guess and some I didn’t so i’m excited to see the aftermath of those!

A stunning story steeped in Greek Mythology.
I wish I knew more about the stories of old because then I might be able to appreciate the finer details of this amazing story.
I can, however, appreciate the research that has gone into this book. It not only shows the dedication of the authors, but also the love they’ve put into it too.

A mesmerising tale with a cast of intriguing characters, glorious world-building and unexpected twists that completely pulls you in and takes you along on their perilous journey.

I loved the variety of characters, each with their own personality, flaws and secrets, but there was something amiss that stopped me for loving one more than the others. That’s not a bad thing, but with all (fantasy) books, I usually find myself drawn to one character above the others. That’s not to say I didn’t like them or they weren’t integral to the story, it’s just none of them stood out for me.

I really enjoyed this book especially the twists that I honestly didn’t see coming and loved venturing into the Underworld. I can’t wait for the sequel and hope there’s more from Hades.

Thank you so much, NetGalley & Bonnier Book UK, for gifting me the ebook arc in return for an honest review.

A fantastic retelling of various Greek myths and concepts and you can tell that the author has done their research.

This fantasy book features magic from the gods which children get gifted to them and this determines the house that they will train within. They then spend their lives carrying out tasks for the gods for their power.

A great concept for a spin on greek myth, thoroughly enjoyed this story

Wow! This was my first ever mythology book, and also my first book by these authors and it won’t be my last.

At first I admit I struggled with the world building and plot, but I think that’s to be expected when you’re unfamiliar with Greek mythology; but once I understood the story I was hooked.

A thief, a warrior, a rogue and others embark on a journey through the underworld on a mission for the king, but not all is as it seems!

I enjoyed the characters, backstory and the relationship that were built, the only criticism I have is the pacing around the 50-60% mark which I felt was slow and a bit of a slog.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I will be picking up the second book in the duology.

Thanks to NetGalley for access 💖