Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions. However, I won't be reviewing this book due to allegations that transpired against the author for review-bombing fellow 2024 debut authors.

I was really excited to read this, but unfortunately, the author has shown herself to be not only unsupportive but actively attempting to ruin other authors' debuts. I hope she can take accountability for her actions, but so far it's not looking too good.

- i am not going to be finishing this read, as the author has proven herself to be an insecure person who is targeting her fellow debuting authors, mostly authors of color, and reviews bombing them for months. the information is on Twitter. i don’t want to support an author who tears down other authors, especially when it’s a white woman going after authors of color that are from her same publishing house. do better.

Thank you so much for NetGalley and the Author to offer me to read this debut novel. Unfortunately, I was unable to enjoy or relate to any characters. I really had to push myself to read.

Due to allegations of review bombing, with massive evidence, I will not be reviewing this author’s novels.

This sounds like an interesting premise and the cover is stunning (yes, this is a selling point), but having learned this author reviewed bombed (or orchestrated it or something) BIPOC debuts and made efforts to negatively impact their careers, I can’t in good conscience read or review this book.

Was so excited for this, but unfortunately will not be reading and reviewing after finding out that the author has been review-bombing BIPOC debut authors. So disappointing!

Not interested in this author’s book, as she’s been outed for review-bombing BIPOC authors. I’ll be putting my energy into promoting them instead of her.

Thank you for the opportunity to get to review this ARC!
I went in a bit blind only really knowing that there was elements of Greek mythology and outer space. For me there was a lot of information dump in the first few chapters. I was interested in the plot and the main character but I was not intrigued by the world building. It felt like a lot of information was for the sake of having information about the world, but a lot of it did not play a bigger part in the story.

I liked the characters individually but I did not feel a lot of chemistry between the two mains and found their romance to be a bit lack luster. The banter was good and the main characters voice came out quite well along the way. I would recommend this to a friend who would enjoy both aspects of the book, but for me I would've preferred an emphasis on either or as the information just felt like too much combined.

Update (December 6): Yeah, no. I definitely can't support an author who review-bombs their fellow (mostly BIPOC) 2024 debuts. This is just embarrassing.

Original review:
Interesting concept, but I think my expectations were too high. The world-building was fun, and I liked the way the author re-interpreted the original myth of Ariadne and Dionysus, but the characters were kind of boring and one-dimensional.

4.28!

<b><i>Cait Corrain enters the bookish community with a stellar debut novel perfectly depicting Greek gods in space while throwing in court intrigue, action and profuse spice in this new retelling of Dionysus and Ariadne.</i></b>

This book had such a strong start, which definitely put Cait in my auto-buy authors because the writing was simply just beautiful and engaging, Vivid and poetic. I loved how the whole Greek gods weren't watered down. They were written in the perfect way showing their hypocrisy, cunningness and greed for power.

This story follows Dionysus and Ariadne. Their romance was perfect, it didn't feel rush and it wasn't a slow burn either but it worked so naturally which then complimented the book itself. i liked how the romance wasn't only spice...don't get me wrong this was a very spicy read but the moments of them together, their actions, their conversations are what made their romance so likeable.

Dionysus and Ariadne stepped up for each other and had battles that they themselves had to fight. both suffered negligence under the tyranny of their parents, both finding an excuse to just step away and find peace and that is what i liked. How they could relate to each other, comfort each other and love each other. Ariadne was a very strong character, no she was not bold or cunning but surviving in Olympus after being trained the exact opposite of what goes on there and as a human she did a pretty good job standing up for herself and surviving. Dionysus, the god of wine but also madness and revolution was pretty keen on his causes and did actually get them then. i loved him so much he really brought the book out, his charm and wit made me love this book even more.

the plot and the worldbuilding. The world building was done well in my opinion but where i struggled was the plot. Dont get me wrong it was good but it really messed with the pacing as there were two plots one was of the war and the other of the internal conflict, both very necessary but the author struggled a little there and that was the only thing that affected my reading experience other than that i loved it.
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OMG!! Greek mythology but set in space! A marriage of convenience + Ariadne and Dionysus's retelling and if that wasn't enough it has enemies to lovers with an epic cover.

God bless the publisher for giving me an arc of this!!

This book is much more s*xual than I was expecting. The beginning was fantastic. It was fast paced and gripping. The voice of the first person PoV was fantastic and so unlike the norm. I just loved it.

And then the plot started to disappear into smut.

But that said, they are a very cute couple, and I loved how their relationship progressed. I just didn't care for the smut, revels, and unaliving and eating raw of animals.

I really wanted to love this book. The concept was fantastic. The fact that she accepted him/her/them fully and vice versa was just absolutely beautiful.

That said, if BDSM, *rgies, m*starvation, explicit s*x are for you, you'd probably really like this book.

I loved so much of this book! I loved that the author took a character that is normally reduced to a drunkard and made him a god again! I loved how the story unfolded and the fact that it was set in a futuristic world only added to the story. My only complaint is it could have ended sooner. It just went on and on with little action moving the story along exit at the beginning and the end. Still worth a read, tho! Especially if you like Greek retelling with a science fiction twist!

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this book.

This book was extremely charming. It was interesting to read a Greek retelling in a sci-fi setting, and I think this was a really creative choice for the author to make. The story heavily focuses on Ariadne as she navigates a cruel world, and a lot of the struggle she faces as a character is figuring out how to lower her defenses when she is safe. The plot discusses healing from trauma and the struggle of self-acceptance when you’ve been taught to feel ashamed of yourself. Ariadne’s internal battle with her own wants and desires because of her culture and its religion mirrors that of queer people everywhere, and these topics were handled with care. I also really appreciate that the story is unapologetically queer, both in terms of romance and gender presentation; after all, Dionysus canonically lived as a woman. Why wouldn't that factor into how he sees himself?

The only criticism I have for the story is that I found some of the sci-fi elements to be a little confusing. I had a hard time mentally translating cities or city-states to whole planets, or islands into space-ports, and I would find myself getting lost trying to wrap my head around the new logistics of these settings. However, this is a relatively minor gripe.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I found it quite refreshing. I'm excited for the sequel!

Richly drawn with complex characters, I think this one will be a huge hit with a certain type of romantasy readers. I have a few qualms - the retelling of the Greek mythology is really the meat of this book and the “space opera” aspect felt a little thin. I also think it’s a touch long and the first quarter of the book is brutally slow. Still, its unique and cast of characters kept me turning the pages. Both spicier and not as spicy as I thought it was going to be, some scenes could be far too much for the average reader but are ultimately very sweet. Some interesting themes of independence and losing one’s religion as well. I think I personally would have appreciated a bit more darkness and morally grey aspects in our main characters but thought it was solid overall.

First, I'd like to say that this was a really faithful adaptation of the myth of Ariadne and Dionysus, and the myth nerd in me really loved that.

Second, I wish I could say that I liked this more. Don't get me wrong- it's a fun time! Ultimately, I want to recommend it because I believe that other people will really enjoy this. But, unfortunately, I felt that it was mostly.... fine?

The plot follows Princess Ariadne Tholos as she hatches a plot to help Athenians defeat the Minotaur and escape Crete, with her in tow. Escaping from under her father's cruel thumb is imperative for her to survive, but when Theseus turns on her, she'll have to resort to the mercy of a god she doesn't even believe in. A marriage of convenience with the god Dionysus ensues.

The first half or so of this book feels- not irrelevant per se- but unimportant to this story. The actual story really gets going about halfway in, and I almost DNF'd based on that first part alone. Once you get through that, though, the relationship between Ariadne and Dionysus is very cute. Emphasis on cute. I think my biggest complaint is that this book is NOT debauched enough! It's 3 chili peppers at most! I wanted degenerate revelry! Lavish orgies! Insanity jumping off the page! This Dionysus was very tame. Tsk tsk

Other than describing revels in passing, our main character's romantic life is short of scandalous and leaves some to be desired. It left me wondering if I'm really depraved or if everyone else needs to branch out more (both?). I really wish we had seen Ariadne and Dionysus participate in at LEAST ONE orgy, but alas.

I also wasn't really vibing with the writing style. Some of the dialogue is cringy or unnecessary to me, but that may be a personal preference. Overall, I think this book was too drawn out but those last 50 pages is where it gets good.

I think the premise is excellent, but I wish the execution was a bit sexier.

I really liked this fantasy with Greek mythology. The storyline was good. The world building was great. I loved that there were some different views on the Greek gods than you normally read in fiction. There are some smutty scenes in this book, so na to adult, not ya. I recommend this book for someone looking for a Sci fi Greek God story!

An easy introduction to romantic sci-fi with fantastical elements! The use of Greek mythology as an inspiration makes for a smooth understanding of early world-building. As more of a character study, the plot was there and pushing the story along, but the focus was on Ariadne's self-discovery and journey. As well as with Dionysus (LOVE HIM). Ariadne's story is so heartwarming and can speak to many young women trying to find their voices. Would recommend it to romantasy lovers looking to try a spicy sci fi!

Thank you, Del Rey and Netgally for the E-ARC!

Unhappy with her life, Ariadne Tholos, crowned princess of the Cretan Empire, is more than willing to take the chance to escape when the opportunity arises., Instead she ends up betrayed and hunted. Rescued by the God of not only wine, but madness and revelry, Ariadne discovers a much different reality than what she grew up in. Dionysus shows her new things, protects her, but surely there’s something more he wants?

This was a fantastic take on Greek mythology, the story of Dionysus and Ariadne brought to life in a compelling story, full of interesting characters, growth, love, adventure and more.

Ariadne was quite the heroine, never truly giving up even when she doubts herself. I love how real her growth feels as she learns to accept herself and stop feeling guilty. She really blossomed throughout the book.

Dionysus was an incredibly fun character as well and I loved how he was portrayed. Not only that, but how accepting he was in so many regards.

I genuinely enjoyed this book, a lovely and well written take on Greek mythology that you want to read all at once, but also draw it out and enjoy. To top it off, it has an equally enjoyable and gorgeous cover.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this e arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delray books for an ARC of a Crown of Starlight!

I really enjoyed this book! If you like stories set in space or Greek Mythology, you'll want to grab a copy of this book. I can't believe this is Cait Corrain's first book, it's very well written and the story is incredible unique. A great cast of characters that are diverse!