"Winter Harvest" by Ioanna Papadopoulou is a beautifully woven tale that captures the essence of resilience and hope in the face of adversity. Set against a backdrop of a harsh winter, the narrative follows its protagonist as she navigates personal struggles and the intricacies of her relationships. Papadopoulou's lyrical writing brings the setting to life, evoking a sense of place that is both vivid and immersive. The characters are richly developed, each facing their own challenges that resonate with authenticity. Themes of community, perseverance, and the power of human connection are artfully explored, making this book both poignant and uplifting. "Winter Harvest" is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and is sure to leave readers feeling inspired. A must-read for those who appreciate heartfelt storytelling!

I’m really sorry but I did not enjoy this book and couldn’t finish it. The protagonist was weak and irritating - if this is a feminist retelling she should have had a stronger voice. The descriptions were also overly detailed which slowed the pace, and in some places it was far too graphic while still being quite dull. I love reading Greek mythology retellings but this needs a further edit. With thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, I will not be reviewing this on social media as I don’t want to damage the author’s status.

A really great standalone feminist retelling of Greek mythology.
The writing is beautiful and atmospheric, and I loved getting to be in Demeter’s mind.
This retelling has a very gothic, almost horror feel to it, that is missing from other Greek mythology retellings I’ve read.
Overall, a really great retelling that had me on the edge of my seat.
Highly recommend.

Unfortunately I went into this book thinking it was something different. I thought it would be more of a retelling than a seemingly direct account of what happened. At first I didn’t mind the way the book was written but as it went on I realized it wasn’t my preferred writing style. I would prefer not to rate this as it is a DNF at 10% into the book, but I can see the merit and understand why people may like it.

I love a good retelling of Greek myth, and I loved seeing that this was about a goddess who is often overlooked or thought of as a side character in the Persephone/Hades story.

The beginning of the story was very strong and an interesting take on what happened as the Olympians were in their father's stomach. But it was somewhere around the first LONG chapter that my attention started to wane. While the story was good, the longer chapters made it feel dragged out and I just could not keep hooked into the story.

I did make it to the end, but it felt begrudgingly so. Which I feel like really affected how I felt about this book in the end. It's a good book, I just wish that it had been spaced out better as far as chapters went. On the plus side it is a short book so that did help.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for this review.

Apologies for my delay, I’ve had a very hectic few months.

Finally a retelling of the Homeric hymn to Demeter that ACTUALLY FOCUSES ON DEMETER. Thank you

This book was published before The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift’s latest album, was released, but I feel it really hits the same note that Taylor does in her album. This book and Demeter are very “Female Rage: The Musical”/“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” coded, and these are the stories the world (and I) needs! Demeter is here to tell you that she definitely would pick the bear… but goddess help the man who stands between her and her daughter.

I loved mythology as a kid but have largely forgotten a lot of it, and this tale of Persephone and Hades from Demeter’s perspective is also really a tale of Demeter’s origin story and maybe a hint that she is pretty underrated! I really enjoyed the way Demeter’s family both helps and hurts her, and the way she and Persephone both change after losing their innocence, and have to accept these changes in themselves and in each other. Both have to be stronger, harder, more independent after the men in their lives let them down.

This book depicts an imperfect, but powerful woman who has been discounted, imprisoned, oppressed, and marginalized, even as a goddess, and the messy, wrathful way she finally strikes back. It is a quick read, dropping you right into the brutal world of Ancient Greece immediately, and it doesn’t ask for you like it - it demands your respect and keeps on moving even while you are still deciding. This is a quick read, a bit less weighty than some others of this genre, such as Circe, but a lot more engaging than stories like The Women of Troy, and I recommend it!

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

DNF. Lost interest in the characters and the story. It had a great concept but it was't executed wonderfully. But the fact that I am getting pretty tired of Greek myth retellings also probably affected my enjoyment of Winter Harvest, but that is just personal preference.

I have a great interest in Greek mythology, so when I stumbled upon a book about Demeter, I immediately requested it. It's rare to find books that are written from the perspective of lesser-known Greek gods and heroes, and Demeter is one of those lesser deities. Her daughter's story has been told countless times in modern times, but not often from her own point of view. I enjoyed how Ioanna Papadopoulou began the story from the beginning of the gods' creation. The story was intriguing and kept me engaged throughout. I was eager to see how it would unfold from Demeter's perspective, and Papadopoulou did not disappoint. This book is a great addition to anyone's collection of Greek mythology retellings.

I'm not sure I've ever read (or seen, though it's possible I've missed titles) a Greek retelling revolve around Demeter. She's often overlooked, especially in favor of retellings about Persephone and Hades. So I really wanted to read this, and I quite liked it! Winter Harvest takes us on a journey of her life, from her birth to the kidnapping of her beloved daughter, and so we see a lot of sides to Demeter and I appreciated the story for what it was. Definitely recommend!

I've read plenty of books featuring the story of Persephone and Hades but I I've always wondered about Demeter's side of this story. This book was really interesting and I will definitely recommend this to people who enjoy reading (Greek) Mythology stories.

I love a book about Greek mythology! I also love that it’s about Demeter! That was usual but well received. This book was dark and mournful. Full of female rage. I loved it

This book is exceptionally dark as it chronicles the life of Demeter, spanning from her birth to the infamous kidnapping of her daughter. I appreciate the emotional depth, portraying her as flawed and wounded, yet resilient. The theme of female empowerment and resistance against the toxic male influence is prominently featured. It seems the writer aimed to retell Greek legends in a traditional manner, but having encountered more innovative renditions, I personally found this version somewhat lacking in dynamism, especially as I progressed beyond the halfway point. Given my preference for lyrical prose, I feel this book may not align with my taste. However, I still recommend it to others who may find it more appealing.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Greek retellings are not always my favorite, but this one absolutely hit the spot. It took me a while to get through it, and I had to download it on a different platform to finish, but it was really good and I am glad I went to the effort to get it finished!

A lovely, well written rendition of lesser known Greek myths by a Greek author (publishers, take note! We want more of that!) In most fiction, Demeter is the secondary character of Hades and Persephone. A great story in of itself, but Ioanna Papadopoulou sheds light on the lesser known, but just as compelling, aspects of Demeter's story. The prose was excellent, the characters well-developed, all buoyed by modern feminist themes.

Traditional Greek storytelling at its finest.

Very much looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

In Austen's immortal words, if I loved "Winter Harvest" less, I might be able to talk about it more. I had an inkling I would love this book when I first read the description, my optimism checked into caution only by the author's review here on Goodreads which mentioned dragon companions - unfoundedly thinking this may veer into the dry humor of recent Disney movies. Luckily the book never veered into that territory. The worst "offense" that comes to mind is the use of "ok", which felt slightly out of place, but that's quite easy to overlook in the grand scheme of things.

What Ioanna Papadopoulou gives us with her novel is a poignant tale of loss, grief and trauma. A coming-of-age story, if you will, though not one of an adolescent but a goddess growing into her own, unfold the full potential of her power, and carve herself out a place in a world seemingly entirely claimed by her brothers.

This is not, by any means, an easy work to process, I had to unpack it bit by bit, it gets heavy at times, but ultimately it's worth the time you spend with it. This is not to say that the book lacks any humor:

"'He is my descendant,' he growled. 'You humiliated me!' His tone made him sound betrayed, as if I had broken a promise to him.
'Have better descendants, then,' I simply said. 'None of mine have caused me such hubris as your grandson.'"

Easily one of the best books on Greek mythology I 've read this year.

This book is a mixed bag for me, and I think how much someone enjoys it is entirely dependent on the amount of Greek mythology you’ve been exposed to in the past.

The novel follows a classic Greek mythology fave, the evolution of the Olympians and the Hades/Persephone story, but all from the perspective of Demeter. Following the mother of everyone’s favorite goddess is an unconventional choice, particularly given the frequency with which retellings of Persephone exist in popular literature right now (I’m looking at you, Lore Olympus, my love, my light ❤️). The blurb for this novel stated that following Demeter allows for a feminist retelling, and a humanization of the goddess often villainized in Persephone’s story. And while I think some of that goal is achieved with this book, there were narrative choices that made the read itself feel difficult.

Another review I read stated that this book was great as a return refresher to Greek mythology. I completely agree. For those unfamiliar with the stories, lore, and relationships, this novel is a sweeping and well-written piece that brings the reader into the world of mythology and gods. For anyone who is well-versed in the stories, however, I find that it falls a bit short. There are some nuances added to the tale of Demeter, but without many more adjustments made to the narrative structure, or a change to the time and place of the story (like many retellings being placed in modern day or alternative universes), this just reads like an old myth. Perhaps that was the goal of the writer, to recreate Greek legends in the way they’re traditionally told, but as someone who has read more innovative versions of this tale, I personally just found it a bit dry and slow.

I reiterate that there is a lot of exciting potential here, and the feminist lens of the story works. Purely from a structural narrative angle, I’m lowering my rating, as it just made me a bit bored. For all of the above, this is between 2.5-3 ⭐️s, rounded to 3 total.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This book really surprised me! When I started it, I wasn't sure how I felt about the writing in the beginning, but as the story went on, it made more and more sense why it was written the way it was. Winter Harvest has become one of my favorite reads this year! After so many retellings of Hades and Persephone, hearing from the perspective of Demeter, Kore's mother, was an interesting change. Ioanna Papadopoulou writes Demeter's story in First-Person POV. There's a lot of repeating in the beginning of the book, but I thought to myself, this is her birth and how her life started inside the stomach of Kronos, the titan. She is a very powerful being, who has just been swallowed by her father. She experienced the world in one moment and has never known the love of a parent or taught anything. Not only that, but she doesn't know who or what she is, it's no wonder her thoughts are repetitive. As she becomes more powerful and aware of who she is inside, her thoughts become more stimulating. Her journey from birth to after she creates the seasons and deals with the aftermath of trying to get her daughter back, is excruciating! The things that female Goddesses go through compared to their male counterparts is atrocious, but as this is Ancient Greece, I am not surprised. The book is dark like mythology tends to be. The author does not sugarcoat how difficult and disturbing those myths are, with more details in-between. There are instances of rape, child abuse, child abandonment, and relationships between the God-siblings. If you do not shy away from these themes, I strongly recommend you read Winter Harvest. Having finished the book, I wouldn't change anything the author wrote or her style. Ioanna wrote Demeter exactly how I imagined her and I devoured every page! Demeter's path is a hard one, but reading about her struggle and growth was empowering. I cannot imagine loosing my child, I would be devastated! Demeter had to change inside and out to be strong enough to face her brothers and get Kore back. I also would do anything for my son and this book shows that a mother's love knows no bounds!

🍁Tropes🍁

▪️Greek Mythology Retelling
▪️Motherly Rage
▪️Winged Serpents
▪️Vengeful Goddess
▪️Dysfunctional Family Dynamics
▪️Dark Themes

I very much enjoyed this dark, imaginative debut, which shows us a version of Demeter that tends to be overlooked.

Ioanna Papadopoulou weaves a violent tale about loss and finding kinship in unexpected places. The author's knowledge of the Greek landscape and the lesser-known myths surrounding Demeter both show the need for more retellings by Greek authors.