I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t really enjoy the first half with Demeter’s POV. I felt like there was a lot of narrating myths to me and the characters felt flat. Even the beginning of the second half with Core’s POV felt repetitive since it again went over events we had already seen. It might’ve been stronger with the POVs mixed. It wasn’t until Hades came into the picture that I started to get interested. I really enjoyed how Hades and Persephone’s relationship evolved and that it took time for it to develop. The ending was great, if a bit rushed. Overall, not my favorite but I do love me a Hades & Persephone story! Also loved seeing Orpheus!

Persephone’s/Core’s story is so often told from the viewpoint of her relationship with Hades but in this retelling her relationship with her mother took centre stage. This is a beautiful and harrowing take on grief and love and how protection can become a prison. We see each woman fully come into her power after centuries of repressing who they are and all they can be.

The writing is beautiful and ethereal. Hannah Lynn made Olympus and Siphone and the Underworld come alive in such a tangible way. I was fully immersed in the world.

Because we spend so much time with Demeter and then Persephone/Core we get to know and understand each woman individually. We get to experience the same thing from two different perspectives but instead of feeling repetitive it felt essential because we see what the women hide from each other, we see how they truly felt in the moment vs. how the other perceived it.

While some of the romance felt rushed. Ione and Core’s love unfolded so beautifully. 4.5 stars but rounded to 5.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 48%. I did not look up content warnings prior to reading and there was far too much triggering content for me.

The book itself up to this point had felt slow despite many tragic events having taken place and I was not invested in the characters at all.

Oh my god, I loved this book. I cannot wait for a physical copy. I think this might be my favorite retelling of Hannah's so far. Core and Demeter's emotions are so raw and beautiful and Demeter's desperate love for her daughter will pierce your heart. If you liked any of Hannah's other books or if you are a fan of Jennifer Saint or Madeline Miller's writing, read this!

🌺 🏛️ 𝔻𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕆𝕝𝕪𝕞𝕡𝕦𝕤 🏛️🌻

Demeter wasn’t always afraid. For countless years after being freed from her father’s prison, she looked upon the world and the life in it with wonder and awe. It wasn’t until after fate dealt her one cruel blow after another that she chose to become a recluse in order to protect her greatest treasure, her daughter Core.

…𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵,

Core dreams of freedom, but fears what that would do to the fragile mother she adores. After centuries of seclusion, Demeter begins to let Core travel the world on the condition that she return each night. When the unthinkable happens, and Core ends up trapped in the Underworld, Demeter will find a strength she thought was lost in order to punish Heaven and Earth until her daughter is returned.

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know how much the romance angle of Persephone and Hades has blown up over the last few years. In a lot of these retellings, Demeter is cast as a villain, the selfish and controlling mother who doesn’t care about her daughter’s happiness. When I heard that this book was coming out I was honestly ecstatic that Demeter was finally getting a voice.

One thing I feel this author does remarkably well is multiple perspectives, which is another reason I was excited for this book. The first half is told from Demeter’s POV, and reader beware, it was not an easy read. Demeter’s mythos is full of pain and brutality that will break your heart, and I was truly impressed with the authors ability to tell her story in a way that made it impossible for me to hold on to old perceptions, replacing them with a massive amount of sympathy instead.

Persephone’s perspective is such as huge contrast to her mother’s, it’s easy to forget it’s written by the same author. As cliche as it sounds, Persephone is quite literally a breath of fresh air. I got lost in her story and the pages just flew by. I will NOT give away any spoilers, but there was a new twist that is completely original, and I loved every second of it.

After I finished reading, I went and hugged my kiddos, and then downloaded the rest of the authors Grecian Women series off of KU. I really enjoyed this book and if, like me, feminist retellings are something you’re into, you should definitely consider reading. Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: July 9, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for this free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will automatically be intrigued by anything that has to do with Greek mythology. Especially if it centers around a strong female.

In this book you have Demeter, one of the Olympians who was birthed from the Titans. As well as her daughter Core. You get alternating points of view from both of them throughout the book.

At the center the book is about the relationship between mother and daughter and the sacrifices each of them has to make in order to help and protect the other.

This book was full of such beautiful and vivid descriptions. And I really love the fact that the tone of this book was also reflected in the nature and things surrounding the people. When you're dealing with two goddesses of spring that felt really poetic and just enhanced the story.

I absolutely flew through the first half of this book and I could not put it down. There was a little section in the middle of that. Felt a little like it dragged for me personally, but then at the end it was once again action-packed.

It does deal heavily with feelings of grief and the emotions that go with that. So definitely keep that in mind if you pick up this book.

First I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. The pace of the book for me was a little slow for my liking, however it had its own unique touch to the timeless story of Core. Both Core and Demeter struggle with grief in their own ways, Demeter trying only to protect her daughter from the wrath of the gods and the pain she have experienced at their hand tried to hide Core away. Core on the other hand searching for her identity and a life of freedom end ups falling in love and never wanting to be trapped again takes a trip to the underworld. Will Demeter find Core? Will Core leave the underworld? Read and find out.

“It is easy to ignore the passage of time if leaves never fall, and hair never grows white.”

All the stars in the universe. 5 is not nearly enough. Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Hannah Lynn for providing me with an eARC to review!

I first came across Hannah Lynn back exactly a year ago in March 2023 when, on an inconspicuous day of scrolling through audiobook apps by the beach, I found ‘Athena’s Child’ on Storytel. I was intrigued - a Medusa retelling that I had not heard of? I immediately started listening. It was not long after that I realized that I had come across something incredibly special. Soon after, I devoured A Spartan’s Sorrow and Queens of Themyscira - the latter in particular having held my heart and soul captive for the length of its pages and beyond. This is all to say that since the day I first came across Hannah Lynn, I have been captivated by her words, her worlds, and her stories, in ways that I will confidently say I have not experienced often before.

I have spent months waiting for my next Greek Mythology fix from Lynn, and so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when I found out about Daughters of Olympus, I was refreshing NetGalley and my email every two business seconds just waiting for that approval - and when it came? I dropped everything I was doing. There was a certain fear that I would not come to enjoy Daughters of Olympus as I had its predecessors, I often worry that I set expectations far too high, and for Daughters of Olympus, indeed they were. Yet all those expectations were met and much much more.

Daughters of Olympus tells the story of Demeter and the famed Goddess of the underworld, Persephone (who for the greater part of this novel, is known as Core, her first given name). And yet where all retellings often fall short, Lynn delivers. In 83 short chapters, Lynn traces Demeter and Core’s beginnings; their origins, how they became who they are, and why. Hades comes near the end, and even then, Demeter and Core remain the focal points. Where all other retellings focus on Persephone’s abduction into the underworld, Lynn gives us a full account of her life before, offering a new, refreshing, and raw angle to her story, and that of her mother’s.

Lynn’s pen is magic, and I do not say so with hyperbole. There is a certain ethereal quality to her writing that is only possessed by those who tell a story from the heart; those who tell a story to a fellow heart. I was in a trance from the first page - Lynn had grasped my attention and I would not allow it to be let go. Through a first-person recollection, the reader is immediately invited into the deepest crevices of Demeter’s mind - and later, Core’s - we are privy to every thought, feeling, reservation, and fear in the Goddess’ mind. And so in a way that is often difficult to achieve with so many other retellings that tend to give their titular deities and heroes a sense of grandiose that so often puts the reader at arm’s length from them, the reader becomes the character.

I think it is a cop-out to compare every great mythological retelling to Madeline Miller’s Circe - and I will admit, I have done so many times in the past when I aimed to convey how great a book was - but this time around I will say something different: I believe in many ways, Daughters of Olympus surpasses Circe; the poetic writing, the introspectiveness, the yearning, the rawness of it all, and the offering of a completely new angle to these seemingly known tales are but a few traits that make this story truly one of a kind. It boggles me that Hannah Lynn and this series of Greek Mythology retellings are not up there on the best-seller shelves all over the world.

The way love, loss, grief, and motherhood are anatomized through words in Daughters of Olympus was simply beautifully touching. There is a certain weight to each word that is at once heavy, raw, and honest, and I could not get enough. Witnessing these immortal characters grow and seeing the fault lines crack in some of these ‘invincible’ Olympians was truly a breath of fresh air. There is so much complexity within these pages that I already cannot wait to go back and read them all over again, and I cannot wait to listen to the audiobook when it’s out - hopefully. Also, A vulnerable Zeus? Yep, loved every second of it. Without spoiling much, I also loved how Hades was portrayed. If I were to be nit-picky, I would say I wish we had learnt more about Despoina, Demeter’s other daughter, but perhaps that is a story for another day (or novel?).

I already cannot wait for Lynn’s next masterpiece. Daughters of Olympus is a book that will linger within me for long.

Beautiful novel, I really loved it! The characters were described in a way that seemed so realistic and I enjoyed the pacing of this novel.

I really liked Core's story and wish the book was more about her. Demeter's story got redundant. jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

Demeter, the goddess of harvest and agriculture, did not live an easy life. Swallowed at birth by her father Cronus along with her siblings, she grew up in the darkness of her father's belly until freed by her brother Zeus. Hannah Lynn has given Demeter a voice in her novel Daughters of Olympus. In the first half of the novel, we finally get to hear the story of the goddess's life from her point of view, both good and bad. The second half of the book is told from the point of view of Core, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Sheltered from the world by her mother, Core knew nothing of the world's pain, of true love or loss. That all changes when she falls in love with a mortal. After the death of her mortal lover, she is whisked into the Underworld by Hades, where she becomes Persephone, a true goddess, not a shadow of her mother. The novel's final part is told from both goddess's points of view.

The novel Daughters of Olympus delves into universal themes of love, loss, and the struggles of women, be they goddesses or mortals, in a world dominated by men. Demeter's story is one of resilience, as she endures countless hardships at the hands of her brothers, eventually finding her strength. Her love for her children is boundless. On the other hand, Core is a shy girl living in her mother's shadow, always seeking her approval. However, when given the opportunity, she discovers her potential and identity. The experiences of these two goddesses resonate with women from all walks of life. If you are passionate about Greek mythology, this novel is a must-read!

Trigger warnings: rape, child loss, abduction, death

I've always been interested in Greek mythology which is why I was interested in this book. It's not something I would typically read but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more like it. The Author, Hannah Lynn, is a great storyteller and this book was a breeze to read. I tend to get lost in these types of stories but not this one. It was told beautifully. The descriptions of nature and the landscapes were amazing. Out of my wheelhouse but so happy I gave it a try and loved it. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

╰► 3.75/5 ⭐️ 0/5🌶️

I want to thank Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, fair warning, this review will have spoilers.

Honestly, I think I love anything Hannah releases, she has very quickly become an auto-buy author for me, and I am glad there is someone out there releasing well written retellings that I can consume. I am still new to the world of Greek mythology,  so I am not hyper fixated on what has to be written, and in part, that's why I've been enjoying her novels so much. Some things to consider, this book is written in first person, which is different from other retellings Hannah has previously written. Personally, I prefer third person as it flows better, but the writing is great, so it didn't bother me that much.

I'm glad Zeus was depicted as the horrible god he was. Trigger warnings for those who haven't dived deeper into the story of Demeter, there is sexual assault involved, and death of her human lover. I feel like more stories need to depict him as a cruel god he was. I also enjoyed hearing more about Demeter's struggles with what happened to her as well. I have often heard about Demeter but from her daughter, Core/Persephone, retellings. She is always spoken as though she is evil and horrible mother. It is refreshing to read about her story too. Now Core, it was great to see her in a new light as well. Why I love powerful Persephone, I also really enjoyed seeing more of Core and who she was before being Queen of the Underworld. I also enjoyed how her relationship with Hades has been written as well. Overall, this was an enjoyable novel.

I will say, what I enjoy about Hannah's other books was that it felt like I was feeling what the characters were going through. However, there were moment where there was a lot of telling and not showing. I feel perhaps this was hard to implement in a first-person point of view. That doesn't mean it's not well written, I still truly enjoy her writing style and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

My rating system:

⭐️: Not my vibe at all.
⭐️⭐️: I finished it, but I didn't have a good time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️: Yeah, that was fun. I enjoyed myself. I probably won't reread it, but it was fun.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: I loved it and want to read more from this author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Perfect, amazing, everything I love in a novel!

WOW. I am completely blown away by this book. For how much I love the myth of Persephone and her mother Demeter, I’ve not read a book that focused on them as main characters before. I’m so glad this was my first. The way Lynn showed the contrast of the pain and horrors of Demeter’s life and how protective she was of her daughter against Core’s loneliness and isolation because of her mother’s grief and fear was absolutely beautiful. You really empathize and understand both characters so well. Like any Greek mythology book, there are some truly heartbreaking moments, but this book really showcased resilience, female power and independence. Also, I LOVED how Hades was written. There was so much complexity within him, but he never overpowered Persephone’s story. I HIGHLY recommend this one and I can’t wait to read the rest of Lynn’s books!
TW: rape, death of a child, violence, kidnapping, death, grief

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the e-arc. I love a Greek mythology retelling and this did not disappoint in many aspects.

I did find the first half very slow and did not enjoy Demeter’s perspective all that much. Once we got to Core’s though the story really picked up. I would have preferred more of the book from her perspective. Her character evolution was very strong.

I didn’t love that we often knew the outcome of something before it happened and the story could have used more nuance. The ending was also very abrupt. Otherwise a quick read!

4.5 stars! ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book!

This was such an interesting take on the Demeter/Persephone/Hades dynamic and I enjoyed it. I feel the perspective of Demeter in the first part of the book was really heavy with the various assaults and violence Demeter experienced. That part took me the longest to get through emotionally, because it felt like it was just one instance of violence after another. I understand it was for us to see how broken Demeter was, but maybe that could have eased in some of it? I’m not an author, so who knows.
I began to enjoy Persephone’s parts where we were seeing her personality and need to break free of Demeter. I liked the aspect that she had a female mortal lover and how that relationship shaped her, and mirrored her mothers relationship with a mortal, and I see how that love was necessary for her to grow into a queen, but it felt at times that their relationship got more focus when I would have liked to see more of hers and Hades’.
The last third when Persephone is in the land of the dead is where we see the growth and the thawing of her and Hades. The author made it such a point over and over that Persephone knew Hades was her captor. I would have liked to have seen more of how that view softened and how their relationship evolved after she came into herself more. This part of the book felt rushed just to wrap up, when it was my favorite part.
I enjoyed seeing Hades as an insecure and tepid god, who demonstrated his feelings for Persephone and who did not act at all like Zeus when it comes to women. This made me grow to like his character and want to root for Persephone to warm up to him.

In all I enjoyed this book. As much as it stinks that Greek Mythology is riddled with SA, this story could have been about more violent, and I appreciate that it ended setting Hades and Persephone up for an equal and powerful relationship.

“Daughters of Olympus” weaves a mesmerizing tale of love, loss, and the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter in the world of Greek mythology. With its ethereal prose and vivid imagery, this captivating retelling offers a fresh perspective on familiar tales, delivering a spellbinding masterpiece from beginning to end. Highly recommended for fans of mythology and those seeking a captivating literary journey.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6034077413">Hannah</a>used the word ethereal to describe the writing in this story and that so perfectly encapsulates what I'm looking for that I'm going to use it as well. The writing in this story is a lyrical, flowing prose that so perfectly encapsulates feelings ranging from painful desperation and hopelessness all the way to the bright warmth of being deeply, newly in love.

I really felt each part of this story (Demeter, then Core, then eventually, Persephone) in a different way, and could discern their individual voices, which isn't always true of a story told in multiple POVs. My favorite moments were the overlaps between stories, where we got to see what was happening on the other side of the relationship.

I haven't read many Greek mythology retellings, so I'm excited to further explore this genre! I'm not sure if anything can stand up to this book, though. The writing style has fully captured me. Highly recommending!

TW – sexual assault, child abandonment

I didn't know what to expect with this book as I pick it based on Hades and Persephone story. However I absolutely fell in love with this story. It now has a permanent little piece of my heart. If you enjoy mythology I would recommend this book. It makes me appreciate winter a little bit more.

I am always here for a mythology retelling centering women's perspectives!

Daughters of Olympus follows Demeter, one of the Olympians birthed from Titans, who wants nothing but to enjoy the beauty of the earth in bloom with her daughter at her side. The other Gods, especially her brother Zeus, may be cruel and callous, but they have underestimated what the Goddess of spring is capable of. The story alternates between the perspectives of Demeter and her daughter Core, and looks at the pain of motherhood, as well as the choices a daughter are forced to make between two worlds.

This is a great addition to the contemporary mythology retelling genre, with a story that has so much space to explore complex relationships, the mistakes made out of love, the grief of loss, and the meaning of free will. Lots of very interesting conversations to be had here!

I also really enjoyed the vivid imagery of nature, flowers, fields of wheat, mountains and seas. Because the story centered around two Goddesses of spring and harvest, this beauty was present throughout. Also, the way that life and growth was presented reflected the changing moods of the characters in a way I thought worked very well. Different flowers and plants, even thorny vines and frost, reflected the tone and setting of the story in a way that highlighted how connected the main characters were to the natural world, setting them apart from the other Gods of Olympus.

The beginning of the book was fast-paced and I couldn't stop turning the pages as I learned more about how Demeter's cruel family shaped her. And the last quarter of the book was exciting and action packed, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the pieces I knew about this mythology story all fell into place. I do think there was a bit of a lag in pacing in the middle, though. I will caveat that by saying that was when the themes of grief are most deeply explored, and I don't personally find myself so interested in reading about grief -- so, that may say more about <i>me</i> than about the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC to read and review