{3.5 stars}

"'Are we safe anywhere?' I asked dully. 'We are only women, after all."

---------------------------------

Phaedra is the youngest daughter of Minos and Pasiphae which makes her the granddaughter of Zeus and Helios. She is the sister of Ariadne and the infamous Minotaur. When Ariadne disappears and the Minotaur is killed, she is left to marry Theseus, the prince of Athens. She is just a girl and he a much older man. He has little interest in her other than using her as a piece of revenge against her parents. While he is off warring, his son (a proper prick if I do say so myself) rapes her. In this age, women are not seen, not believed and mostly seen as temptresses and pieces of property. Phaedra does the unthinkable and accuses him, demanding a trial. It goes just as you can imagine it will.

I'm a sucker for Greek myth retellings and after reading last year's Ariadne, I was intrigued by continuing on with this family through young Phaedra's eyes. Most of the recent retellings have been deep, emotional modern looks at women's role in these famous stories. This attempts at that, but fell a bit short for me. First, it uses several POVs, but they all sound the same, man or woman, Athenian or Cretan... it's really just a bland storytelling. It is missing the emotion and connection you'd hope for in a story like this. If you don't know this particular myths and you just want a readable version that tells you the facts, this will give you that. 

Thanks to Alcove Press for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

THE MANY CHARACTERS MADE A MESS OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD RETELLING

As a great fan of Greek Mythology retellings, I was really looking forward to Phaedra's story. Sadly, I was let down. The main problem, for me, was the characters. There were too many and the main character, Phaedra, never really found her voice or her place.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Plight of the women: The one thing that really got under my skin - in a good way - about this book was the visceral portrayal of the plight of the women in the palace. Though many of them were unnamed, they still had voices to be heard. I liked hearing them tell their own stories, even if those stories were bleak and depressing.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Phaedra: Out leading lady should have been the star of the show. She should be the one carrying the story, leading us as readers on in the pursuit of her conclusion. But I almost felt like I had to drag Phaedra through her own story. She never really came into her own as a character. She showed little to no growth throughout the story. And her only personality trait was naivete. That is a good starting point for a character, but without any growth, it just becomes tiresome really fast.

POVs: All in all, there were simply too many POVs. I can handle a fair amount of POVs. As long as they add something to the story. Sadly, they did not in this case. Especially not since they all sounded the same, had the same voice. It only made the story less coherent and more bungled.

Medea: One character in particular didn't sit well with me. The infamous Medea makes and appearance throughout much of the book. Her presence could have been great. But it wasn't well utilized. She wasn't an active participant. She was more of a watcher. She made no difference in the story. She should have been the sole narrator, for her presence to work in this capacity. Hearing Phaedra's story through Medea's experience and words could have been really interesting. In stead we just got two separate stories that never really came together - on their own or together.

After reading Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, I was interested in seeing Phaedra’s side of the story. The way this novel is formatted was really interesting; it’s told through an almost witness testimony, and after watching a lot of “LawTube” this year, I was engrossed. Shepperson takes a myth that villainizes the woman for her fiendish ways and reframes it to focus on what it might be like to be a woman at that time (and how those truths still carry forth through today, especially in a post #MeToo world.) I liked how in the author's note, she explains why she changed things and how she was inspired by the oral tradition of myth in her edits, shifting the narrative closer to conversations that have been seen as more modern.

I really loved the concept of this book! Though I did not really like the feel of how it was written, the multiple perspectives seemed to be a bit jumbled, and the tone felt strangely too modern.

This title might be enjoyed by someone who doesn't typically read Greek Mythology retellings, or historical fiction.

I honestly had a hard time believing that this is a debut book... it was that good. Phaedra is so imaginative and it takes such complex topics and historical fiction and makes it a story that from start to finish you will not only be invested, but thinking about for a long time after. As someone who loves greek mythology and stories that are surrounded by strong female protagonists, this was a dream of a book. It was imaginative, fast paced, lyrical and just honestly when it comes down to it a good book. I could go on and on about why this book was amazing but in the end I just encourage anyone with any glimmer of an interest to give it a go.

I’ve said this before: in order to enjoy a retelling, you first have to be willing to read a retelling. That means accepting that the story may not end as you know it, nor as you like it. It means accepting that there may be “inaccuracies” - if you are going to take the “original” as the yardstick.

Phaedra is a retelling of the Greek myth by the same name. I have never had a particular interest in mythology, but the original seems to focus on forbidden and unrequited attraction between a reluctant queen and her stepson, followed by false accusations and ultimately, tragedy.

Good writing creates complex emotions in the reader, and I experienced revulsion, horror, dearness, doubt, powerlessness, and fury.

This retelling is a timely lens on the realities faced by women throughout history, from the subtlest micro-aggressions, to overt sexual- and gender-based aggression and violence. The author draws shocking parallels between then and now, returning again and again to recognisable themes of victim blaming, political manipulation, and violent systems that are rigged against women from their very conception.

As testament to the author’s skillset, the parallels are not so black and white as to be trite. Yet, she skilfully utilises the structure of the Greek tragedy, and the appearances of bards, furies, and night choruses, to draw attention to the societal factors that determine which stories are told, and which versions are accepted as truth. I enjoy how various generations and cohorts are each shown to have their own contribution to - and definition of - justice.

Some reviewers have suggested that characters do not progress beyond their singular interests and characteristics, and I categorically disagree. I think for example that Phaedra’s journey through art, while fully accepting that she is no prodigy, is a salient reminder of her humanity. It is also clear how she changes from a naive young girl to a questioning young woman. She does not become superhuman, but she grows in her humanity, and to me, that is realistic character development.

If you are a hardcore fan of mythology, I suggest you read the author’s note first, before starting the novel. This novel is categorised by most as Young Adult, but I am inclined to reclassify it as either New Adult, or even Historical Fiction.

All in all, a fantastic read for me.

I've always enjoyed mythology novels and was very excited when I saw this - the cover is also stunning and was definitely a deciding factor in requesting it.

Unfortunately the narrative felt convoluted and at times repetitive. Some of the characters and perspectives that were introduced to felt arbitrary and didn't seem to add a lot to the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

thanks to alcove press for providing me an ARC through netgalley.

i love that greek retellings are so popular - especially when we get the change to read new characters/myths. this was my first read about phaedra and i really enjoyed it! the story itself is a sad one but the authors writing style and delivery made it an easy read.

i enjoyed the full circle moment as well - towards the beginning of the book we meet the character of Xenethippe and see her arrival in Crete. Through her, we are introduced to Phaedra and Theseus and see the slaying of the minotaur. When we move to Phaedras POV, we are left unsure of what happened to Xenethippe but get the resolution of her story at the very end.


3.5/5

Thanks to #netgalley and Alcove Press for this ARC of #Phaedra.
I love mythyology retellings and have loved Madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes, and Jennifer Saint for these immersive stories.
Unfortunately, this was not what I hoped it would be. The multiple points of view were muddy and confusing. All of the characters had the same voice and there was no character development or growth. There was no sense of place which I feel is vital in a novel like this. In addition, I didn’t feel the “chorus” added anything. The hardest thing for me to accept was the modern language used which seemed to be randomly interspersed. What Greek queen says “I blew a raspberry”. As much as I wanted to like this, it didn’t work for me. And the kindle formatting was horribly done.

I wanted to like this book, especially given the promise of reimagining Phaedra’s story in light of contemporary issues. There’s a lot of possibility, but the story falls flat, as do the characters. The plot feels rushed and vague—more time in Crete prior to Theseus arriving would have helped to build better connections to the characters, I think. And there are awkward moments in which it’s difficult to tell how much time has passed between events.

Finally, it sometimes feels as though the story is trying to hit you over the head with its message or theme. Subtlety is not a strength in this one so I’d say it’s actually closer to 1.5 stars.

I love stories that promise to be re-tellings, especially those that focus on overlooked (often female) characters. I think fans of mythology will like this one, but as someone less familiar with the original story I had trouble getting into this story.
Partially I think having many different narrators made it slightly difficult, but the plot also didn't grab my attention like I had expected either.
I'm glad I have read it and will be able to suggest it to fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes.

Overall I enjoyed this retelling, though I think that it had the potential to do more. Here are the things that really worked. For one, I liked that it was told through the eyes of various characters that have varying degrees of power, be it very little or a quite a bit, but are all, in their own ways, disenfranchised to some degree. There is of course Phaedra, but we also get perspectives from maids to bull jumpers to Athenian tributes in Crete to, heaven help me, Medea. I also liked the feminist rage that is always present, and how we take this tale that was originally about a scheming lying woman and turning it into a Me Too kind of story about how women are silenced in the face of calling out their abusers, and those who refuse to be get targets on their backs. I also REALLY liked the Medea perspectives. As someone who has always had a hard time with Medea, this book REALLY gave her so many dimensions that made her deeply interesting and tragic without changing any outcomes to her story. But on the other side of all of this, the writing did feel a bit simplistic at times and I thought that Phaedra herself wasn't as fleshed out as she could have been. I understand that as a princess she comes from certain entitlement and privilege that would make her perhaps naive to her situation from every angle, but sometimes I just wanted her to LISTEN TO THOSE WHO WERE TELLING HER WHAT WAS WHAT. It just got a bit repetitive.

Overall, I liked this reimagining of Phaedra and all the rage that it was carrying. But now I really want a Medea reimagining.

The writing style is not for me. I got in three chapters before I realized that I can probably get a retelling in better writing somewhere else. My favorite thing about retellings is how they remain mystical and whimsy, keeping the nature of the myth but adding depth and intrigue to it. This did not pull me in. It felt like I was reading a general textbook or bland diary of a thirteen year old, which is roughly how old the mc is to be fair. There is a group of people who would and will enjoy it, I’m sure. But I certainly did not.

I love Greek mythology and reading about that time, but unfortunately this wasnt the best retelling. It was supposed to be a feminist retelling but it didnt really deliver. I wanted to enjoy the story but everything felt rushed instead of expanded and it lacked depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Laura Shepperson's "Phaedra" is a feminist retelling of the Greek myth Phaedra.

This is being marketed as being for fans of Madeline Miller and while I definitely agree (in my opinion, I am not a Miller fan), this is for sure for younger readers or people not familiar with the myth. I was excited because I think Phaedra is an interesting figure (I often think this of mythological women, let's be honest) so I had to request this one. Reading it though...it was kind of a struggle for me. Admittedly I did read this in one sitting after my semester ended but still. I had a lot of issues one of them being Shepperson's writing style; I found that at times, they were trying to mimic other writers and even in some sections, trying to mimic epic poets and failing (for me) on both fronts. I also had issues with perspective in this because I found it confusing and inconsistent. I also really wish there was more Phaedra. For a book titled and marketed as being about a too little discussed woman in Greek myth, you'd think there'd be more from and about her. Everything about this just felt kind of shallow, more along the lines of fanfiction than a retelling.

Now all of that said, I did enjoy how Shepperson attempted to flesh Phaedra out into a more complex and grounded character but again, it just fell flat for me.

I may be being more critical because I took an Epic Poetry graduate course this semester but I think had I read this prior to that class, I would still think that the story was just too shallow for me.

A very powerful and relatable retelling of the life of Phaedra. I loved reading this, and enjoyed seeing myself (always!) reflected in a character through her adventurous nature and need to feel included.

reads like fanfiction which makes me sad
and there's just nothing of substance in here it's so empty
if i had a nickel for every time i read a phaedra/ariadne retelling that marketed itself as feminist and turned out to bring absolutely nothing interesting to the table i'd have two nickels! which is weird that it happened twice

There is certainly an audience for this book, but I am not sure how satisfied they will be by this retelling of Phaedra's story.

In Greek mythology, Phaedra is the daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, sister to Ariadne and the Minotaur, and wife to Theseus (the slayer of the Minotaur, who did so with Ariadne's help). Upon returning to Athens with her new husband Theseus, she becomes entangled with her stepson, Hippolytus. In early versions of the myth, she either attempts to or actually does seduce him, accuses him of rape, and kills herself after her accusation results in his death.

As with most of the recent reimaginings of Greek mythological figures, the author here takes a different angle: what if Phaedra actually was raped, and as one of many women who are frequently raped in the Athenian palace, decides to voice her accusation to rightfully punish Hippolytus for his crime? What if Phaedra despises Theseus for murdering her brother, praying to the gods to punish him only to discover that her body is to be the instrument of that punishment? And what if the gods don't answer--what, then, might a woman do?

There is an interesting idea floating around here, but the execution isn't well done. If this was an intro creating writing seminar, the main feedback would be "show, don't tell." Most of the characters are relatively flat: Phaedra is vengeful and naïve, Hippolytus is horse-obsessed and arrogant, Theseus is sociopathic, her nurse is fretful, etc. And while Madea (a fascinating, complex character if ever there was one) is introduced, she is largely a plot device rather than being fully formed in her own right: skulking around, listening in doorways, and offer key information to motivate Phaedra.

Much in the style of Natalie Haynes's A Thousand Ships, we hear from a chorus of abused women, and each chapter shifts to a new woman's voice...well, all but one recurring first-person narrator who is a cagey old man who advised the last king of Athens. Why does he pop up in this chorus of women? No idea, other than I suspect the author didn't know how to imply his motivations so we had to experience them first-hand. And many of these first-person perspectives are primarily composed of people listening at other people's doors--again, unclear why this would need to be a first-person vs. third-person narrative choice. Phaedra had the potential to be an interesting character, but we didn't get enough access to her interior space to illustrate her evolution over the course of the story.

Basically, this is an underbaked novel that needed a stronger editorial hand. This is fine if you are desperate for ANY Greek mythology to tide you over until the next Madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes, or Pat Barker book, but it will likely not be truly satisfying on a plot, character, or style level.

This book reminded me of the Me Too movement of Greek Mythology. I always live retellings and this book is no exception.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!


I love a good retelling and this completely hit the spot for me. However, there were some points in this story that I personally did not like. All together, this was an interesting story and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this!