thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. i have read some of Katharine and Elizabeth Corr's books previously, and while they were an enjoyable read, there was nothing special about them. this book, on the other hand, was a different story. i really enjoyed this book, i loved the characters, the plot, and how everything unfolded and developed leading up to the ending. once i started reading, i just wanted to keep reading. taking all of this into consideration, i am going to give this book 4/5 stars because i really enjoyed reading it, and would definitely recommend it!

When I first saw this book on netgalley, I just knew I had to read it — I mean that cover alone is stunning 😍

This is the best retelling I've read lately, and I've read a few! I love some Greek mythology, which definitely helps, but this was so full of fun, plucky characters with their own agendas, heaps of underworld ghoulies and fighting, and a nice dash of devious Godly behaviours.

The pacing was wonderful, something was always happening without being confusing, and I felt completely pulled into the journey.

I loved our MC, Deina — she's fierce and feisty, with a smart mouth but so much heart. I had a good idea where her road might take her and I can honestly say I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing what the next book brings for her.

I enjoyed the twist on the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, and the magical system that was put in place. All the other characters were interesting and whilst I had my suspicions about some, there were a few that truly took me by surprise!

If you're into fantasy, Greek mythology, retellings of any kind, I'd definitely recommend this one. A great cast of characters and a wild ride to keep you on your toes!

Daughter of Darkness is a YA fantasy novel inspired by Greek mythology and retellings. It follows a group of Soul Severers as they journey to the Underworld in search of the spirit of Orpheus' dead wife, Eurydice, in order to resurrect her and earn their freedom.

I’m sure that many readers, particularly those who love Greek mythology, will enjoy this novel. It’s well-written, full of Greek myths and magic, and has an interesting premise. While the writing is great, the characters solid, and the plot promising, it wasn't for me, and I ended up dfn-ing around halfway through.

Maybe it was the heavy worldbuilding, especially in the first couple of chapters, that made it difficult for me to get my bearings. For someone without extensive knowledge of Greek mythology, I was overloaded with unfamiliar Greek names, lore, and terms in an almost info-dump style that was overwhelming and difficult to understand. Maybe it was because the book felt like it was lacking something and no matter how much I read I couldn't get into it. Or maybe it was simply not the right time to read this story. The point is that, while nothing particularly bothered me, I felt like I could drop the story at any point without a problem.

Overall, I'm sure many other readers will enjoy this book and should give it a go despite my review. However, it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the E-ARC.
First book in a duology, we meet Deina, a Soul Severer serving the god Hades on earth, desperately trying to gain her freedom from the indenture she's trapped in. When Orpheus, the tyrant ruler, offers her gold and freedom for bringing back his beloved wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld, Deina sees her chance. Teamed up with her worst enemies and rivals Deina begins her journey facing dangers she never imagined.
If you love Greek myths this book is sure to satisfy your cravings! The mix of characters put together for the task bring different dynamics to the group. A best friend who uses her beauty to get what she wants, a chauvinist rival who thinks he can do the job alone, a quiet thinker and an ex-friend who just won't leave Deina alone. Then of course, there's the strange boy she keeps seeing!
I was so intrigued by the journey through the Underworld and all its dangers. The atmosphere and writing style kept me turning the page and I'm definitely putting my order in for this book and keeping an eye out for the sequel!

This is so so good.

I've become a little wary of YA fantasy as it can border on too fast paced and therefore lose a lot of the detail on locations, relationships, characters, etc... but this book reminds me of the power of a YA fantasy novel.

I've read in other reviews that people have felt the first 150ish pages were too slow paced but I think that shows how subjective it can be. For me the the whole thing was paced perfectly. A lot happens and it could often feel like I was losing my breath as action sequence after catastrophe after danger happened and then we'd have a moment of respite to catch our breath before it all started again. That pacing made it feel like you were in the danger with them whilst still giving you time to explore the relationships and politics that raise the stakes.

From a diversity perspective I found it interesting that the House of Hades almost subvert expectations by saying that relations between same sex couples was completely fine but relations between men and women was not allowed as the aim was to prevent reproduction within the houses. So far though no trans or non-binary rep and I don't think there is very much in terms of racial diversity but the setting is Ancient Greece, so a time when there wouldn't be much migration across continents... so not really a problem for me.

One of the reasons I have a love hate relationship with YA is that often the protagonists can become one dimensional. In this case whilst our female main character is doing everything she can to gain her freedom, it not only makes sense in the situation in which she finds herself but she also grows as a character as she continues on her journey.

I'll be putting a more indepth review on my learning log because I feel like I have so much more to say on this. But needless to say that I will be purchasing a finished copy of this book.

Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, so this book sounded absolutely incredible: the themes of control, the scheming, plotting, mystery, sounded like quite a compelling read. And, I’m so glad that I was right. I really loved and enjoyed it. As, I really liked this world of intricate and twisty web of lies, cons to create a plot that kept me guessing until the very end! I just simply can’t get enough of this one.

I am screaming and crying in a good way. I love greek mythology inspired books more than anything! Katherine and Elizabeth Corr are so talented, and not to mention that beautiful cover!!!

I’m a big fan of Katherine and Elizabeth’s Corr ‘A Throne of Swans’ duology, so I was very excited for this new release. I’m always really interested to read books inspired by Greek mythology and had very high hopes for this one.

While the story was entertaining, it fell a little flat for me. The world building felt over complicated and I felt lost, a lot of the time I didn’t entirely understand the world and I was pretty confused.

I think maybe I’d enjoy it in a different format, audiobook perhaps, as I absorb information differently that way and maybe I’d feel less confused, but in ebook format I couldn’t fully enjoy the story because the world felt excessively complex.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 5

I really enjoyed this! You can clearly tell that the authors put a lot of effort into researching Greek mythology, the world building was accurate and well detailed, and the characters were sublime!

I was addicted from the first page, the soul severer’s were such an interesting concept for me and they were written so well! I liked seeing how they worked and how it wove into the main storyline.

The romance sub-plot was fantastic, the slow-burn angsty friends to enemies to lovers was everything I needed and was an amazing arc for the two characters involved, considering I hated one of them at the beginning and loved them by the end I’d say that’s one hell of a redemption.

All of the characters were well written, we had flawed, relatable characters, there were traitors 👀 and there were many enemies turned friends by the end of the journey.

If you like books with huge twists, some traitorous revelations, and an out of this world plot, this is definitely a book for you!

Thank you so much to Hot Key Books for providing me with a proof of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a beautifully crafted story set in a world of Greek mythology. The characters had incredible depth to them with complex stories and emotions to unpack. The journey the characters went through in the underworld was thrilling. The different areas were constructed so well and created a wonderful path for the reader to follow.

I’m so excited for this story to continue. Definitely recommend to any Greek mythology fans.

I really enjoyed this book, I love books around greek mythology and this one defiantly didn't disappoint. The authors have written it beautifully and I can easily "see" what Deina is seeing throughout the book. Very much looking forward to the second book!

Thank you NetGalley and Hot Key Books for this ARC.

Orpheus and Eurydice was a Greek myth I’d not heard of until the start of last year, but was one I quickly came intrigued by. Katherine and Elizabeth Corr took this myth in a really interesting direction, interpreting the myth in a really fun and unusual way.
I loved the world building in this. The Ancient Greek world combined with a Bronze Age one made for a really interesting setting, placing the ancient Gods and Goddesses in a different context. I enjoyed traveling through Greece as well as the Underworld, seeing how the legends manifested in this story.
I liked the inclusion of different groups of kind of acolytes/kind of followers for the Gods. They were given a sliver of their power to help with their duties and represent them on Earth. It kind of made the Gods seem more detached.
Deina was a great main character. She was smart and determined and she intensely believed in what she wanted. She also really loved her friends, and grew to love - or at least be loyal - those she didn’t initially like.
There was a great found family in this. A hatred and competitiveness turned into grudging admiration and teamwork. They came to trust each other as they learnt the strengths and weaknesses of those around them.
I did not expect some of the twists and reveals towards the end, so I think it’ll make for a really interesting sequel. I look forward to seeing how Deina continues to grow and what will happen next.

CW: Death, death of a friend (on page), ritual sacrifice, ritualistic use of dead bodies, ritualistic use of blood

Daughter of Darkness is a remix of Eurydice and Orpheus' story. It is what I would call Greek Mythology adjacent - in the same camp as Percy Jackson. It's not a retelling which I liked about this book, the Corr sisters make it their own.

I have to say that the world-building in the first 100 to 150 pages is strong and it was hard to get into the book because of it but it is definitely worthwhile and necessary. The action picks up once the gang gets into the underworld, and that's when you get into the story and want to absorb the pages. I enjoyed the different characters and how they were distinct from each other through their characteristics and strengths. With a slightly larger group size, it's hard to make sure every character has an identity but the Corr sisters did this well. I liked where the story went and the pacing and how the interpersonal relationships are explored with the characters.

Nat is adorable - I want to see so much more of him in book two.

This is a YA book so if like me you have read a lot of YA you may find the plot a tad predictable but it was still so good to see it play out exactly how you predicted.

My only issue is that I have to wait for book two! I really want to know what happens next.

It is a solid solid start to a new series, I'm excited to read the next instalment and I highly recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley and the Corr sisters for an ARC copy!

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I felt like it took forever to get going then parts felt rushed, only to drop into a lull again. I don’t feel I overly got to know the characters either. The plot was simple but the whole thing sadly felt lacking for me but I’m not really sure what was missing! Thank you netgalley for this arc in return for an honest review.

Firstly I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book, all views are my own.

“Sing, O muse, a song of Death”
In a desperate bid to evade her future as a soul severer (and gain her freedom), Deina embarks on a deadly quest to the underworld to retrieve the soul of Eurydice, wife of Orpheus the tyrant king. But in order to succeed she must team up with a group fellow soul severers she neither likes or trusts.
The journey into the realm of Hades is perilous and the price of freedom is before her….but what will it take to reach it?

I’m not 100% sure my thoughts on this book, it was well written but it seemed to lack something that stopped me from being gripped and stopped me totally enjoying it. Also if you don’t have a lot of knowledge of Greek Myths go look it all up first because otherwise you will be thrown off like I was!

I don’t think that for me this will be a series where I will be eagerly waiting for the second book.

This book is incredible! Greek myths which were well researched with strong and i mean strong characters who you fall in love with so quickly. the world building is like nothing i have read before and sends chills up my spine.

this books is well thought out and and planned there is not plot holes or part that drag. the MC is reads like a real person in that she is not stupid or lacking she is resilient and creative which was a pleasure to read

I love Greek mythology and I love Katharine and Elizabeth Corr's writing so this was a must-read. I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint! The mythology was familiar yet fresh, expanding and exploring well-trodden stories. There were plenty of twists amidst the action and the reader is never quite sure who to trust. My favourite part was the friendship that formed between the group during their quest and I can't wait to see this dynamic continue in the sequel.

As a lover of Greek myths and culture I was so excited to give this arc a read. Let me tell you it didn't disappoint. I could not put this book down!!!!

This is the first book I have read by Katherine and Elizabeth Corr, and I will definitely be reading more. Daughter of Darkness was full of endearing characters with rich story telling and world building throughout. The action was fast paced and kept me on my seat throughout. This book is the perfect read for anyone who loves action, YA Fantasy and Greek mythology!

P. S. Can we ask take a second to appreciate the cover on this one ... she is stunning 🤩

This may be one of the easiest reviews I have written so far this year, in short I loved it!

The story follows our morally grey main character Deina. Who is trying to free herself from the service of Hades, helping people move from one life to the next. She is given that chance when the tyrant ruler offers freedom to anyone who can bring his wife back from the underworld. Thus begins our story quest along with a ragtag group of character who neither like or trust each other.

I am very much into my Greek mythology at the moment and despite enjoying it I know very little of the original myths so I love reading these retellings.

I found it very easy to read and despite its length found that I raced through it unable to put it down. There were some twists and turns I did not see coming (some I did) and sometimes that’s half the fun!

The world building was amazing and I absolutely knew what I was looking at and what the landscape around me was. It felt like I was reading a movie!

Overall, I would say that this was one of my favourite reads of the year. If you like Greek mythology then please give this book a go, it is part of a duology and I cannot wait for book 2 to come out!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for my advanced copy to review.

Daughter of Darkness is just superb!

Myth meets magic, it is full of mystery, marvels, betrayals and romance.

It's a retelling of the Orphean myth, but the way it has been reinterpreted is just marvellous. Katharine and Elizabeth Corr have created a world rooted in Classical mythology but with a mythology all of its own.
It's presented slowly, through rites and rituals in Iolkas, one small part of a larger world, as we see the inhabitants of the House of Hades and the dark rituals they conduct.

Orpheus the Tyrant is a scary and ominous character. The power radiates off of him from the very start, and he's so shrouded in mystery that it is so exciting to learn more about him, his history and his schemes. The group assembled to go on an expedition into the underworld is really interesting, and the group dynamics work well, with rivalries and old history between many of them meaning that they were fighting amongst themselves as much as anything, adding layers of intrigue to the whole thing. Then there's Nat, who introduces an element of sexy mystery to it too.

The depiction of the underworld was wonderful, capturing both the uncertain, shifting nature of the realm and the potential for terrifying consequences for anyone who visits it. I loved the different challenges they faced there, and how they had to use different methods and skills to overcome them. It had all the elements of a fantastic adventure.

I adored it