I could not put this down, easy 5 stars! Aphrodite is a force to be reckoned with, causing chaos and brilliance in the midst of the Gods. She shows the true power of being a woman and navigating the world around her!

A fun reading experience from start to finish. Intriguing story, characters that will appeal to all reads and action packed twists and turns.

I love Greek mythology, well any mythology really but this wasn't my favourite.
I do tend to see Persephone tends to get a lot more book written about her than Aphrodite has so I had to request to get this one. I did feel angry for her in parts and almost protective of this character but I will say it's not a favourite of mine. I do recommend this still, it's still a somewhat good read but just not in my favourites!
Overall rating would be a 4

I'm going to be honest, I never cared for Aphrodite and always found her shallow. But then again it was because I never read a book about her. I loved the book from the first page and just couldn't wait to see how things would work out. It was not an easy read as we get to see even if you are a goddess others will still look down on you because you are a woman. And I wasn't expecting Ares being the good guy but bless him I was really rooting for him even though I knew she gets married to another.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this to any Greek mythology lover, even if you don't like her. I came to appreciate learning about both sides of the story.

it seems even from the beginning of time and the telling of how goddesses are or are not we have simply being trying to put woman in a place. in their place. this particularly goddess has also only really been seen as one thing. or has she, or is this once again what weve been allowed to be told or forced to re tell. why. oh i just wonder why...not!
she's the goddess of beauty right. seen as only that right. shallow right. oh but wait are you telling me there could be more to this woman? are you telling me weve been told a certain thing about a perhaps because goddess/woman? color me not surprised.
and i thought Bryony did a strong job of telling this in such a proper way. showing all of this character. showing all of this time.
and sadly still showing the power of man. ever present. ever controlling. and there are clever links to our mortal world of today. but done in that clever way that doesnt shove it in your face for those people that fear being exposed to some hard truths.
it a hard but deeply appropriate read. and it doesnt shy away or give a spin on it that makes her character have a happier time or happy ending. its stark and its their and its very telling of the world. and sadly that isnt a good place for her or the other pawns under the gods.

3.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and UCLAN Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As a long-time fan of mythological retellings, I was instantly intrigued by the idea of giving Aphrodite her own narrative. So often a side character in the stories of others, she finally takes centre stage in this YA reimagining — and it’s a refreshing change.

Pearce presents a feminist retelling that follows Aphrodite from her creation through her arrival on Olympus, offering a comedic yet sharp exploration of how deeply entrenched misogyny runs, even among the gods. The tone is engaging and witty, which balances some of the darker themes well.

While the pacing lags a bit in the second part, it picks back up in the final third, closing on a stronger note. This is a great starting point for readers new to mythological retellings, especially those interested in seeing familiar figures through a modern, feminist lens.

In this vivid and action-packed mythical retelling, Aphrodite emerges fully formed from the sea and is immediately confronted by the dangers of a misogynistic and patriarchal society. She has a limited understanding of the world and must learn everything, including Greek so that she can communicate with others.

It was easy to feel sympathy for Aphrodite in this retelling. Although she made some grave errors of judgement, it felt that, in the beginning at least, her intentions were good. In her search for home and a place to belong, all she found were lustful, loathing, jealous gods and Zeus was one of the worst. It seemed he would stop at nothing to subjugate a powerful woman. Tragically, his power was enhanced by the collaboration of women who prioritised survival in a male-dominated society over supporting one another.

I found the part Aphrodite played in Atalanta’s downfall, Hephaestus’ humiliation and Ares’ domestic life particularly interesting in this retelling of the story. The book ended strongly with a powerful and unexpected conclusion. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy retellings of Greek myths.

Thank you so much to UCLan Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this free digital review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Bryony and Uclan Publishing for the opportunity to read this as an early copy.

If you love Greek mythology then this is definitely a book for you.

I've read many mythology reimagined books but I've never read one solely focused on Aphrodite - how strange is that? So when Bryony told me that her next book was based on the Greek Goddess of Love & Beauty, I was intrigued. How was this going to be about more than Love & Beauty?

And boy does this book not disappoint! Right from the outset Aphrodite is laden with mystery and intrigue as she emerges from the sea onto the beach - born from the waves.

We meet many from the mythical tales - though I won't spoil it for you. We journey along from Aphrodite's perspective as she learns initially to speak the language and understand those around her but also herself. Not only who she is but WHAT she is and the power she possesses. As a goddess but as a beautiful woman.

Whilst many stop at being enchanted by her beauty, Aphrodite shows she is so much more than her beauty belies.

Bryony's writing throughout is captivating and transports you to the most beautiful of places with just the turn of a page. I found myself laughing at points with the well captured sibling rivalry which, even in the household of Mount Olympus, echo's my own household!

Written with love, tension and passion - readers will find Aphrodite unputdownable. Bryony has encapsulated the enthrall of the Goddess within these pages and it threatens to never let go!

I emplore you, get Aphrodite on your pre order list immediately! It's the best Greek Mythology I've read in a long time!

Summary: An interesting take on a mythology retelling, in a way I haven’t come across before. I thoroughly enjoyed Pearce’s version of Aphrodite - she’s strong, flawed in some ways but nonetheless sympathetic. She’s haunted by tragedy as she moves from one chapter of her life to the next, culminating in her decision to launch one of the most famous wars in history.

This book was an easy read and I found myself eager to return to it and find out what happened in the next part of the story. It was a lot of fun spending time with a version of Aphrodite with richer character development and personality than just the beautiful goddess of love - in this she has real depth and power, motivations and drive.

I’ve seen some comments say that it reads very much “young adult” with the gods and goddesses of Olympus behaving like teenagers - but honestly, I think the drama that comes with the Greek gods has always been one of their most interesting aspects. It reminds me of the start of the old TV show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys: “when the ancient gods were petty and cruel”.

There are some quite dark sections and themes throughout, so this may not be suitable for very young readers but I think it would be greatly appreciated by teenagers for its depiction of a young woman coming into her power and figuring out the world around her.

Aphrodite is born from the sea, literally washed onto the shore. Wandering with no clue where she is or who she is, Aphrodite can sense when humans mean her harm, but she eventually meets a kind man who tends an orchard & who gives her a place to stay & food without asking anything in return. When the orchard is destroyed by giants, Aphrodite meets Ares, god of war, & they travel to Olympus together.

Olympus is the home of the gods & goddesses where they jostle for power & prominence, & Aphrodite's appearance is about to unsettle things even more, yet even here the goddesses are given less freedom than the gods. Zeus wants control of Aphrodite & makes her the goddess of love & beauty - to be seen as nothing but beautiful is a curse that Aphrodite doesn't want but the other gods underestimating her may also be her strongest weapon.

This was a competent retelling of one of the Greek myths. Aphrodite has always seemed a bit of a vapid airhead compared to Artemis & Athena, so seeing her wield some power was a refreshing change. It was also nice to see her develop some real female friendships with minor deities & dryads. It was very YA-coded for me, the gods/goddesses acted very much like teenagers at times, but please note that there is violence, a brief sex scene, & some disturbing behaviour from Zeus so I would say suitable for ages 15+. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, UCLan Publishing, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

From the crashing waves she emerges naked and wet, she is fully grown and yet have just been born. The voices call her Aphrodite and then she hears another voice...calling her home.

As she journeys towards the call for home she meets several humans, she realises men only see her beauty and beome uncontrollable, but she is able to protect herself with the power that lies inside her, a beast that unleashes. Then she meets a man who is different, he is kind and keeps her safe...that is until their giants come.

Within the chaos arrives Ares, God of War, who helps her. He recognises her powers and believes her to be a powerful God. He tells her about Olympus, but refuses to take her...she will be eaten alive by the God's. But she is stronger than she looks, so she persuades him to take her there.

Once she gets there she must fight for her identity and life to discover who she really is. She is more than just beauty...

Of all the Greek Mythology retellings i have read, i have not read one about Aphrodite. It seems as though the Goddess of Love & Beauty isnt worth writing about...but boy were they wrong! This is an Aphrodite origin story that brings her to life in a powerful way.

The characters she meets along the way help to flesh out her story and give her story some real backbone and grit. This retelling shows the loss of her innocence and the true meaning of feminine rage.

The author cleverly documents Aphrodite's birth, how she learns language and the strange world around her and finally how she comes into her power. Written from her perspective you truly get into the head of this legendary Goddess.

Written with sensitivity, humour and wit we see Aphrodite come to life in a way she never has before. A great retelling for all Greek Mythology fans...fast paced and intriguing, you'll be hooked!

Aphrodite is out THIS THURSDAY. Thank you to @uclan and @net for an advanced copy

Favourite quote(s):
"I stumble to a stop, his words ringing in my ear. He had once said: "love means stepping into the abyss and embracing the chaos".

"Chaos," I whisper. "Love is chaos. I am the Goddess of Beauty and Chaos".

Aphrodite is a feminist retelling of the Goddess of Love and Beauty. but from her POV and Bryony's retelling proves that she is definitely more than a pretty face.

I loved being able to read her perspective of things, especially starting from the moment that she appears out of the sea foam on a shell and how she deals with her existence. Bryony's prose was amazing and made it so accessible to read, I finished the book literally in a day because I couldn't put it down. The book ended on a great note, with her wanting to get to Troy on her own terms, and I definitely need a book 2!!!

There needs to be more myth retellings of the other 12 Gods that don't get as much attention, especially Aphrodite and Hestia!

Look at that cover! The colour, the one huge eye. I can't wait to see it in person - I think it's really going to stand out on the shelf.

I read a lot of myths growing up, and in those days it was mostly Greek and Roman. (Maybe some Egyptian if you were really lucky.) I knew the stories of Aphrodite/Venus, Ares/Mars and Hephaestus/Vulcan well. They tended to be a bit dry, though, and when Hercules: The Legendary Journeys aired, those characterisations stuck in my mind. Hercules shows Aphrodite as a bit air-headed but mostly well meaning, Hera as a jealous old woman, Zeus as a kindly philanderer, and Ares as a violent, jealous war monger. (More or less - things varied a bit from episode to episode.)

That's not what this story shows.

Going back to Aphrodite's birth and showing her first, confused moments on land, the story follows her as she discovers the world. As a beautiful woman, it's not long before she discovers the many ways men can act, but she happens under the guidance of first a kind man and then an interested god. The story unfolds with a surprising amount of politics, but it's never less than fascinating.

Aphrodite is a wonderful character - new to the world, seeing it all with clear eyes, learning her way very quickly. Her interactions with a few other Greek characters of note were brilliantly done to make sense both of the original myths and this new version. Bryony has cleverly woven in bits of the original myths while making this a very original story. I knew Bryony before this for the psychological horror stories Savage Island and Cruel Castle, though she's written loads of others, so being swept away in this fantasy retelling was amazing.

I’ve really enjoyed this. There’s another Aphrodite retelling due later in the year, and I’m especially glad to have started with this one - it sets a high bar and reminds me how exciting it is to see the same myth told in such different, powerful ways.



Book Recommendation: Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald takes on Persephone with the same kindness and reverence as Bryony does Aphrodite. Starting in her early days, when she was known as Kore, she exhibits the same determination and strength as Aphrodite does here.

TV Recommendation: It's primarily a comedy, so the characterisations are a bit lighter, but Hercules: The Legendary Journeys did feature both Aphrodite and Ares, as well as many of the other gods. Their levels of cunning varied depending on the episode: The Apple has Aphrodite at the height of her cunning and power, while Love Takes a Holiday features a gentler Hephaestus than the one shown here. (Note: Some viewers may wish to be aware that the show’s lead actor, Kevin Sorbo, has expressed controversial views in recent years, though the show itself remains a light, myth-inspired romp.)

APHRODITE is a feminist reclamation of the myth of the goddess of love and beauty.

It is a tale of the power and danger of love, of objectification, and of shattering the boxes you're put into. The Aphrodite of this tale is full of power and anger and a desire for a home, not a husband. She's a threat because of this and it was so much fun to watch her wreaking havoc.

I really liked the way that Ares was far less toxic than the other male gods. Not only does he provide a nice (and necessary) contrast to Zeus and Hephaestus to show why she'd fall in love with him, but it was also an interesting and unexpected characterisation. Ares - the god of brutal, chaotic war - is not the most obvious choice for someone who listens and sees someone as multi-faceted. I thoroughly enjoyed being so surprised by it and how it made me think.

In the same vein, the myths chosen for this story were also surprising. There are hints about the Trojan War, but it is not actually present in this book - a future event, rather. Instead, it is myths like Atalanta's footrace and the Hesperides that take centre stage. I really liked seeing lesser retold myths at the core of this story.

The book has a very open ending. You know what Aphrodite is planning on doing and it invites you to imagine the consequences. I also hope it means there might be a sequel that directly deals with those possibilities.

A beautiful retelling of Aphrodite about the loss of innocence and female rage.

This book tells us of how Aphrodite came to be the vengeful Goddess we know today. We meet Aphrodite, who is born of the sea and comes onto earth fully formed. She experiences love and loss and friendship on her journey to Olympus. But there she learns about betrayal and jealousy. She loses herself as people try to control her, but it wakes up a rage the likes of which Olympus has never seen.

I did like this book, but I also felt like it could have been so much more. I wanted more rage, more vengeance, although that is a personal preference. The book was a little too quiet for me. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining, and there were things happening all the time. I was just expecting things to be a bit bigger and more explosive. But then this book seemed to focus more on the little events that trigger the build up of female rage rather than the effects of it.

I definitely recommend this book if you like Greek retellings and want a book that delves into the reasons why someone might want to burn down the world.

Thank you to Uclan publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this as an early copy

I've read a lot of mythology retellings, especially greek mythology, however this was a breath of fresh air compared to others I've read. I'm sick of Aphrodite being portrayed as skin-deep, mindless, and sex-crazed. This book stays true to Aphrodite's roots, whilst showing she is so much more than a beautiful face.
I enjoyed how themes including misogyny, feminism and power struggles were explored, as I think so many times they aren't applied to Aphrodite, when of course they are relevant themes and battles!! The writing is modern and realistic, and this was unputdownable.
I loved reading Aphrodite's myth, and I'd be interested in what the author does next.

This is a great story about Aphrodite learning to understand those around her and herself and has a great message about how she is more than just her beauty. It's deep but also easily accessible with modern language and the realistic and complicated family dynamics provide humor throughout

Bryony Pearce gives the reader a beautifully written retelling of the Grecian Goddess, Aphrodite from her perspective and it has any love for the rich collection of stories and legends about the Pantheon of the Gods.

We begin at her birth from the Mediterranean waters through her uncertainty of self to embrace herself as a Goddess of worth. Any reader, I think, will be like myself and captivated by this feminist retelling that gives not only context for some of the parts of Aphrodite's myth that are often swept over. There are moments of her story that have me emotional, and wishing I could step back into the pages and to a Greece from thousands of years ago and into moments that have become stories passed down throughout time simply to reassure this frightened Goddess.

Pearce not only writes Aphrodite in such a thoughtful manner but breathes life into the world around her. You can feel the heat of the sun or the sand beneath our feet as she first wanders around mortals feeling lost and confused. Care is taken to bring context and imagery to all that occurs and places we venture to and it elevates the story so much. I especially liked how Aphrodite, who is only hours old in the context of the Gods, sees Olympus with a cynicism beyond her years as well as comparing it to the mortal world.

She sees each God or Goddess she encounters with fresh and clear eyes, and I loved how honest she is to herself over how awful and self-serving many of them are; especially Zeus (who always seems to be the worst of all beings..) Each God, Goddess or handmaiden encounter reflects aspects of the Pantheon and Aphrodite, through Pearce's incredible writing highlights the patriarchal world she's been thrust into. Every female is a pawn, forced to break and bow to the fleeting whims of Zeus or those Gods who are in favour at that moment.

It's sometimes a hard read, but Aphrodite's story isn't an easy one, and it's sadly often that the harder aspects, that should have more light shone on them? That has been swept over or not even mentioned until retelling such as this? It's been repeatedly written and recalled by men.

Bryony Pearce successfully not only tells Aphrodite's story in a beautiful and thoughtful manner but refuses to make us look away. Her life isn't one that is always good simply because of who she is, she's a victim just as many are in the legends because of what she is and I'm so glad I got to read this.

Aphrodite may well be the Goddess of Love, but she has the heart and strength worthy of a warrior and Pearce doesn't let you forget it.

I loved this one so much! The rapid plot takes us from Aphrodite’s birth from the sea and we get to see not only a retelling and a delve into Aphrodite’s myths which are often ignored in mythology retelling but Pierce also doesn’t flinch away from portraying a heroine who is vengeful and dangerous. Aphrodite herself narrates this tale and as she learns more of the world her perspective changes and we get this glorious depiction of Olympus in the eyes of someone who is on one hand only a few weeks old and yet cynical and powerful.
I love how other characters – especially her handmaidens reflect the world of Olympus. Anyone who is powerful, any woman who could be anything other than a marriageable pawn is reduced to a shallow facet of their true power and there is nothing better than seeing it unfold. Her handmaiden has experienced it before and yet Aphrodite is now experiencing it first hand but she can be supported by her.
I honestly can say that this will stay with me for a while! I can’t wait for another reread once it releases and a sequel because this stunning masterpiece has me hooked!
Bold, powerful and still loyal to the cruelty of the original myths with an exploration of personal power and patriarchy.
Age Recommendation: Upper YA/Adult – 15+
Romance Rating: Open Door – very euphemistic, less than a page.
Violence Rating: Level 6 – there is both physical violence throughout and fights as well as sexual violence which happens regularly and there is the threat of it throughout.
CW: SA, Rape

Not my type of book. I had romance as my settings I was expecting something wholey different. The book is written really well and you wsnt to now route for ahprodite but I like my books a little more hea