"Crown of Starlight" by Cait Corrain has everything I’ve ever wanted in a mix of sci-fi and fantasy—and more. I laughed, I cried, and I was very embarrassed when I realized around page 300 that this was a spicier book than I meant to pick up. That being said, it was still a great read.

The core of this book is a science fiction retelling of the Greek myths revolving around Ariadne and Dionysus. If you mixed "Circe" (Greek female badassery), "A Court of Thorns and Roses" (romance and magic), and "Dune" (technology, worldbuilding, and new religion), you’d get Crown of Starlight. Not to mention, there’s a fantastically wide range and actual depth of characters for queer representation, which I always look for in contemporary literature.

The story follows Ariadne, a 21-year-old Crown Princess of Crete (the planet/empire) who has been deeply abused and mistreated for all of her life. When she finally puts trust in someone to escape the fate of putting others to death, meaning Theseus, he abandons her and there ends up being a bounty on her head.

What’s great about this retelling is that Dionysus, although he is a god, is not the one to bring power to Ariadne. She brings it to herself by being clever, good-hearted, and generally stubborn in the best ways. He (and sometimes as a she, I believe Dionysus is gender-fluid and Ariadne is pansexual in this retelling), helps her to heal from the wounds her father cast on her, but ultimately leaves it up to Ariadne if she is going to come into her full power or not.

I will say, as much as I enjoyed it and did for a fact rate it 5/5 stars on Goodreads, there were some parts that were harder to get through. The beginning was a bit slow, even for needing to worldbuild around this sci-fi Greek future stuff, and the dialogue when Ariadne first meets Dionysus was not entirely believable. I know Corrain was trying to make it stiff and awkward between them because the Cretan Empire was very modest and highly religious, and Dionysus is the god of everything opposite of that, but I think it’s developed much better a few more chapters in. It truly did get more enjoyable the further I read.


SIDE NOTE: I did find a spelling error on page 39 “then can we pleas address . . .”

Crown of Starlight is an inventive sci-fi reimagining of the tale of Ariadne, and though I'm not normally a romance reader, I liked a lot of things about this story.

Cait Corrain did a great job of bringing Ariadne and Dionysus to life in a way that honors the original stories while still being fresh and compelling. I really appreciated the way that Ariadne had to take time to unlearn parts of her upbringing in Crete and process the trauma of her kidnapping by Theseus, and the focus on how Dionysus, as the god of self-liberation, encouraged this growth. The romance between Ariadne and Dionysus was slow to start, but once it got going, it was very steamy–I would expect nothing less from the god of hedonism and revelry!

The rest of the plot of the book was generally good, but the pacing lagged at a few points. I was just as engaged with the divine politics and looming war as I was with the romance, and got through most of the novel pretty quickly, but the beginning 20% was a major exception. The novel would be incomplete without a retelling of Ariadne’s most famous story–Theseus and the Minotaur–but it felt like something we had to get through before the real story started.

Despite some pacing issues, Crown of Starlight was a fun and romantic reimagining of a classic story with an impactful exploration of several social and political themes.

I was so excited when I got this eARC! I have been a fan of Ariadne's story since the Percy Jackson craze of my middle school years. The problem with retellings is that everyone has their own favorite version. Mine is that Theseus is a horrible person (as many of the Greek heroes are when viewed through modern lenses) who left Ariadne after she was done helping him, and in her heartbreak, Aphrodite sends Dionysus to her. The two fall madly in love and Ariadne ascends to immortality. It's a fairy tale. It's hopeful. It's romantic. It's the ultimate glow-up story.

Cait Corrain did not disappoint me. I don't usually like comparing authors but with a retelling you can't help but do it when someone does it in a way you love it. I read Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, and I just did not enjoy it. There was so much potential in the end and I was left so hopeless by it. I was also disappointed that in a story that has so many Olympians so heavily involved, barely two are a part of the story. Corrain brought the gods in as characters and let them be their disastrous selves and I love it! Especially in the last few chapters, they were an absolute joy to read.

I will criticize that the beginning was a little slow. While Theseus is my number one Greek mythology nemesis, his character was a little too brash. But what wouldn't I have done to see Dionysus beat that self-righteous little man? There was also a weird mix of overly formal speech and modern expressions, but I don't mind it as much.

I appreciate the sci-fi backdrop. It gives the story a fun spin. I loved the characters, especially Dionysus. Thank you so much Netgalley and Del Rey.

If you enjoy slow-burn romance and Greek retellings, this is your book! It was a bit up and down for me and wasn’t super enjoyable until Ariadne met Dionysus. Some of Ariadne’s family drama was entertaining at the start as well. At times, I felt like it was difficult to sort out the characters because some had similar names, but it clicked after a while.

The romance aspects were great and definitely my favorite part. The plot was easy to follow but was missing something? I can’t quite put a finger on it, but when I put the book down I didn’t really have an urge to pick it up the next day. I didn’t have random thoughts about the book when I wasn’t reading it like I usually do for these types of books.

It was definitely a good read, just not my cup of tea.

A unique story full of mythological elements. The romance was well done and while the story felt slow to me at times I did find myself quite enjoying it by the end!

Queer SciFi Space Romantasy
…need I say more?

You'll Love This If You're Into:
* Greek Mythology Retellings
* Space Operas
* Slow Burn Spice with Queer Lovers
* Dry Humour and Anything but Dry Reveleries

Characters: ★★★★★
Plot Progression: ★★★★★
Writing Style: ★★★★★
Memorability: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★
Thoughts: LOVED IT

Review:
Crown of Starlight is a beacon of Queer Sci-Fi Space Romantasy and will be my measuring stick for the genre going forward. It is an enchanting slow burn that seamlessly weaves the age old narratives of Dionysus and Ariadne with a backdrop of richly detailed and immersive sci-fi universe.

Ariadne’s journey and inner monologue is marked by a dry sense of humour and resonated with me as she delves inter exploration and self discovery. The author brilliantly captures the internal struggles that Ariadne faces in the company of the God of Wine, Madness, and General Revelry, juxtaposed with her conservative and suffocating upbringing without belabourment or bore.

The romance between the two main characters may be a slow burn, but it shines as bright as the sun and and is a celestial dance all the way through. Their relationship may be a story of old, but the streamy and passionate connection the two share and the multifaceted sexuality and gender expression of Dionysus that are shown is a fresh take.

Overall, this is a wonderful marriage of fantasy, science fiction, romance, and mythological tales that pays homage to and keeps the essence of the original tales while imbuing them with newfound vibrancy.

I didn’t know I needed a SciFi Retelling of Dionysus and Ariadne, but Cait Corrine knew I did, and I will never doubt her again.

*Thanks Netgalley, Del Rey, and Cait Corrine for letting me embark on this enthralling odyssey in exchange for an honest review. I am now a devoted member of this cult and can’t wait for whatever Cait writes next.*

This book is everything you could want in a sci-fi twisted Greek myth. Dionysus is perfection, pure and simple. Ariadne is a complicated character, struggling to overcome her sheltered and violent upbringing. But honestly, the maenads were my favorite. I want to hang out with them in real life.

I love a good Greek mythology retelling and having this version of Ariadne’s story take place in space made it so fun to read! Ariadne’s inner monologue and her dry sense of humor made me laugh throughout the entire book. The author also does a beautiful job describing the struggles that Ariadne faces being around the God of Wine, Madness, and General Revelry after growing up an a very conservative environment. Honestly, I was bummed after reading this knowing that this was going to only be a duology because I loved the characters so much!!

I found it a bit difficult to really get into this book but I actually really liked the story. It’s Greek mythology retold with a sci-fi twist. Starts off with Ariadne trying to end another war before it begins then quickly falls into a marriage of convenience which turns into love and hot sex. Would’ve given it 5 stars, but I felt that some characters are forgotten about throughout the majority of the story only to be mentioned in name time and again and then never heard from. Overall, I do recommend as I thought it was different and has many elements from some of my personal favorite kinds of stories.

Thank you Net Galley for early access to this book.

Okay, so.

This book doesn't get ENJOYABLE until Ariadne meets up with Dionysus. I'm serious -- the first third of this book is almost unbearable. The dialogue is horrendous, bordering on painfully bad, and the action is only so-so. Ariadne's life is miserable, and apparently we have to be miserable reading about it, too. I seriously considered DNFing this about 20% of the way into the book, because I was straight up NOT having a good time. Crown of Starlight has been seriously hyped up on X/Twitter and honestly? I was ready to start posting about what a let down this was.

And then I got to the point in the book where we meet Dionysus. You can tell IMMEDIATELY that this was the character that the author wanted to write. Ariadne is the main character, but Dionysus is the run away star. The writing finally LIGHTS UP. The characters become people you want to know, the action is something you want to read more of. IDK what happened to the beginning of this book, but it is leagues and LEAGUES behind the rest of it. It honestly does a complete disservice to the rest of the novel, and I will remain somewhat hopeful that the book will go through another round of edits to fix it because its ROUGH y'all.

BUT MOVING ON.

Dionysus is immediately taken with Ariadne, and we as the audience are completely taken with him. Right away. He's interesting, funny, and eager to do what he can to help Ariadne with all her (horrible) problems. Their relationship starts off platonic, but eventually shifts into a full on romance. Yes. From BOTH sides. There is no unrequited anything here, I'm so happy to say. The steamy scenes are HOT and way way more sexy and kinky than anything I've read professionally published in awhile. Kudos to Miss Corrain -- she did the God of Hedonism proud.

And yes, we see Dionysus in all his different aspects. God of Hedonism, of wine, of sexuality, of revolution, etc, etc. Corrain doesn't shirk from any of part of him!

The plot of the book is...fine? Like, there's nothing wrong with it. It was easy to follow and made sense within the scope of the book. I was 100% reading to see how Dionysus and Ariadne developed their relationship. I really couldn't have cared less about the actual plot. Give me more smooches and tender face touches, okay? I loved watching them together, I loved seeing Ariadne open up, and bloom into the person she was meant to be.

SO YES, despite the horrendous beginning of this book, please pick it up and read it once it comes out. It's a lot, LOT more fun than the beginning lets on.

I have been waiting for this book for so long! SciFi Mythology Queer Romance? YES PLEASE.

We of course know the traditional tellings of Dionysus and Ariadne, but so many of us who love mythology also love fantasy and science fiction. And this story is a perfect marriage of those things. I absolutely adore the detailed worlds (and world adjacent places) that the story takes place on, they're so well thought out and the descriptions bring the perfect visuals to mind. Plus the characters who we all know hold dear are both true to the mythology yet fresh and new in these settings, giving the book both a familiar warmth but exciting and new shine that keeps you turning the pages one after another.

There are tender moments, clutch your pearls moments, and everything in between when it comes to Ariadne's story. But following her from sheltered and reserved in the beginning to a match for the God of Debauchery himself was such an adventure. I didn't want it to end, I really didn't. I could use another 500 or so pages. I'll be thinking about this book for ever. Cait, it's a masterpiece. I love it beyond words.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and OF COURSE Cait Corrain for letting me read this ARC for an honest review. I will be a champion of it forever. I'm joining the cult.

This book was a unique take on Greek mythology while still being remincient of the tales that we know. It is all of our beloved, and deranged, Olympians with a sci fi twist. The names and places are the same, just in space and with technology. This story revolves around Ariadne and Dionysus. Ariadne wants to escape her oppressive life with her abusive father in their brutal kingdom that does nothing but treat her poorly. When she makes her escape by helping her kingdoms enemy, she is quickly betrayed causing her to become untrustworthy of anyone willing to help her. In comes Dionysus, who is quick to help and even quicker to flirt. He rescues her and takes her under his wing. Ariadne is whisked into the world of the Gods that she was never allowed to worship. Coming from her previous life where all things depraved and carnal were basically illegal into the world of the God of Madness and Wine, Ariadne’s eyes are open to a world of possibilities and danger.

The romance between these two is a slow burn. While there is immediate chemistry, it take awhile for Ariadne to let her walls down and trust her feelings towards Dionysus. Meanwhile, Dionysus is patient and just wants her to be happy and free. When Ariadne does eventually trust her feelings, they are definitely on the spicy side. All of this is with the world of Olympus as the back drop which means we have messy family relations and completely toxic gods such as a vengeful Hera and a philandering Zeus.

There was a great mix of political intrigue and a great slow burn relationship. The romance and feelings between the two characters was believable and the timeline made sense in their developing feelings.

Ariadne and Dionysus is such an underrated Greek mythology story that needs more retellings. I really loved this story, especially because I have an obsession with anything Greek Mythology. I also love the queer representation that is involved in the book and feels that the use of Greek mythology to represent it was very smart.

Tropes: marriage of convenience, touch her a die vibes, only one bed, political intrigue

Thank you to Cait Corrain and Del Ray Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I got this arc from NetGalley, Del Rey Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Im not sure I have enough room here because this book was fire. It was about a very religiously repressed and emotionally abused woman discovering that her sexuality and interests are healthy. She’s learning about healthy relationships and friendships and it’s all combined in a fantastic SPACE MYTHOLOGY DRAMA.

The world building is lush and beautifully combines futuristic space technology with mythology and Ancient Greek imagery. The story itself is a light retelling, but in a way that is unique.

There’s politics, intrigue, found family, and tons of sexual exploration. This book is fun, addictive and absolutely hot. I have a feeling when it comes out, people will love it. Add this to your TBR immediately.

One additional thing I love is that the original mythological tales have a lot more fluidity to gender and sexuality. This book has great and healthy representation of a wide variety of sexual attraction, a trans character and gender fluidity. There’s even a section in the back where the author, Cait Corrain, goes into a little info and history about the subject.

Overall, fantastic! I’ll be adding Cait Corrain to my list of auto buy authors.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for this opportunity! I had so much fun reading this Ariadne and Dionysus retelling! It was such a fun time seeing how the author intermingled Greek Mythology with Space. I loved all of the characters, the Maenads were freaking hilarious! I want side stories of just all their antics!

This story was full of growth for Ariadne, I loved how far she came out of her shell and really found herself and her courage. I adored her relationship with Dionysus. Homegirl had 0 problems standing up to him and his antics while also allowing him to push her boundaries and challenge the beliefs that were shoved down her throat from a young age.

I cannot wait for the second book to see where this story takes us!

I did not know how much i would LOVE a Greek mythology/fantasy/sci-if story until this beauty of a book came along!
First off, thank you so so much to NetGalley and Delray for the giving me the chance to read this.

Our FMC is princess Ariadne Tholos of Crete, who is doing her absolute best to avoid the wrath from her father Kink Emperor Minos. That effort fails when she and her closest Allie’s on her home planet come up with a plan to escape. Minos is a horrible man who has no issue killing anyone in his way, and Ariadne is sick of the genocide, Minos, her mother, and the loneliness that comes with living on her planet.
After a quite terrible escape from her planet that leaves her bruised, confused, and a bit broken hearted, Ariadne comes across the god Dionysus, who takes an interest in her, and saves her from the situation that put her in a bind.

This book had such great world building, and the way the author actually depicted and described everything that was happening, it actually felt immersive, and i loved that. The character development of Ariadne was so vast. She went from a prude, shy, unconfident girl in the beginning, to a strong, sexual, confident woman in the end. The way the author took us through that whole journey AND perfectly captured inner monologue that goes with that exploration was PERFECT. Ariadne quickly became my favorite after finally standing up for herself against anyone who tried to bring her OR Dionysus down.
The way we got to see Ariadne and Dionysus relationship bloom from mistrust and companionship to full on love and trust really made me NOT want to put the book down until they FINALLY let go devoured each other (such a great slow burn, are you kidding).

This was an amazing sci-fi/Greek mythology/fantasy romance read with just enough action to switch it up a bit. The way the Author captured the mythological gods and goddesses and gave them specific personalities was GOLD, and i would read 10 more of these… so please tell me there will be a 2nd book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Del Rey, for this book.

It is nothing like typical mythological books! The book much better! The book is futuristic with a sci-fi setting.

I loved the plot, the world Cait created and her character development

Even the side characters were interesting! I became immersed in the world and the pages flew by. I read this book in just shy of two days and want another one!

Can't wait to see what Cait has for us next.

Highly recommend.

While marketed as a scifi retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Aridane, this book is really a queer coming of age novel. The characterization of Ariadne as an abused, sheltered girl taught to abhor her curves and sexuality is clearly directed at a YA audience. That is not me. I appreciated the sensitivity to power dynamics and the realistic healing process portrayed in the relationship between Ariadne and Dionysos. But there was not enough action (of the non-sexual kind) to hold my attention and the pacing was glacial due to the superfluous description of every single room, person, and outfit Ariadne encountered. That said, the writing did improve significantly in the second half of the book, so I’m still hopeful for future series by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this ebook.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing- Del Rey for a EARC copy in return for a honest review.
I am not super familiar with Greek mythology. I know the names but not the full back story, but that did not affect my enjoyment of this Sci-fi Fantasy Romance. I was enthralled in the world and found the juxtaposition between mythology and space really interesting. It opened me up to a new genre that I want to explore more of in the future.

Ariadne is such a strong character, and her battle with her sexuality and her unlearning of sexual repression was brilliant. As a reader, you couldn't help but feel empathy for her struggle and inner turmoil of trying to do the right thing and be a good person, but I'm not sure to what extreme. As someone who went to a Catholic school, it was frowned upon to feel normal emotions and have wants and desires. It was deemed as unclean and impure. This was the case for Ariadne, who could never act on her emotions or sexual desires as well as being shamed for her body and its natural structure. This was by far my favorite theme within the book, and I felt it added so much depth to her character.
Dionysus is every girls dream tall, dark, and handsome but also empathetic and patient. He helps Ariadne feel safe and accepted, and that's all a girl ever wants. The romance was a wonderful slow burn, and when we finally got the spice, it was well worth it!
Now, let's not forget the plot. We have fake dating/ marriage of convenience and lots of political intrigue towards the end. Which I thoroughly enjoyed. The dynamic between the other gods of Olympus was really fun and added a lot of insight into the true version of Zeus and Hera. Obviously, we are meant to dislike her, but one can understand why she is the way she is. The found family aspect between the Menads, Ampleos, Dionysus, and Ariadne was such a joy and heartwarming.
The ending was so well done and enjoyable and left me sadly wanting more even though it has a HEA. I could use a couple more books following Dionysus and Ariadne. Plus, the glimpse we get of the "underworld" with Hades and Persephone the dynamic was great, and I was sad that it was only a chapter.
I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading  other books Cait Corrain releases.

Posting to goodreads and storygraph now links will be added. I will post to my Instagram on release day. After posting I will edit my review adding that link here.

I received an early release of Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain from NetGalley and Random House Publishing in exchange for my honest review of the book.
I had a very difficult time maintaining interest in this book. I really wanted to like it, but I could not connect to the characters.
The FMC is very self-absorbed, which maybe was intentional what with the religious trauma and sexual repression. The MMC was interesting, probably my favorite of the book; I pictured this character as Jason Momoa from Slumberland while reading and he comes across as a lovable goofball.
The dialogue is very awkward to read. Even the FMC’s inner dialogue is unnatural; it reads like the character has a dry sense of humor, but only when she’s in her own head.
Overall, I feel that the characters need further development and some adjusting. I believe it could be good, but as is, I settled on 2/5 stars.

Thank you to the Author and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of Crown of Starlight.

This book follows Ariadne and her journey to escape from her monstrous father and the strict religious culture of her star system, as well as her growth from stifled to uninhibited and her love story.

I was unfamiliar with this particular branch of Greek mythology as I tend to read hades x persephone retellings. That being said, I was initially annoyed with Ariadne and her personality before she was finally free. Seeing her break out of the cage that she was shoved in her entire life was very satisfying. I felt the more I read, the deeper the characters developed. The banter was great between the love interest and her. I loved the teasing and jokes. The nymphs were also great side characters.

It was a slow burn but the tension was there for a good portion of the beginning. The spice was great when it finally came into play, with the exception of the wlw scene that I felt could have been more developed. It felt a bit awkward and rushed.

Overall, I think if you loved this branch of Greek mythology, this will be right up your alley. It's well written and has some well developed characters.