I really enjoyed this book, even though Greek mythology isn't my favorite niche of fantasy. What I really liked is how she "found" her family and how the relationships between them are written.
This book doesn't really have romance (I mean it's about one of Artemis' maidens, what would you expect?) but there are romantic relationships presented in this book including a LGBTQ+ relationship.
The gods annoyed me to a degree, but this just shows how well they were written, because after all, they are horrible beings
The COWPILE score is 8.29 / 4.5 stars rounded up because I enjoyed the book

First off: Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

So. This book.
I don't want to be mean, but i feel like there is value in honesty, so here it goes.

It took me like 65% before i started actually having a good time. Reading it felt like a chore, and time just did not pass as i did. The percentage bar just stayed the same and it made me want to bash my head in.

Don't get me wrong. The story in itself wasn't bad. I grew quite fond of the characters and there were really nice parts.

However. However, the writing was bumpy. Often i could feel myself being pulled out of the story because of it. The prose felt like it was trying a bit too hard to be poetic, or the dialogue changed drastically from very modern to "time appropriate", as if it didn't know what it was going for. There were so many commas either misplaced or missing entirely. Most importantly, the author consistently confused Charon, ferryman of the underworld, with Chiron, trainer of heroes.

All aside, what this book did really well was characterization. I loved the group of women and their unique personalities, quirks, manners. My favourite has got to be Lyssandra, who's just a bitch for the entire book, and I love her for it. All of the gods are assholes, which feels appropriate; though i would have loved Artemis to be just a bit more center and a bit more likeable, with this being a book about her, in some way.

I also loved the fact that this book focused so much on women. It's refreshing to read a book where the main cast consists (almost) entirely of women. More of that, please!!

I really, really enjoyed the last 20%. I would've loved to enjoy all of it.

Excellent read. Really enjoyable. Exquisitely written with relatable and likable characters and beautiful world-building. 100% would recommend to all of my friends and fellow book lovers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Maiden of Artemis follows Otrera’s journey through Ancient Greece to find a place of safety and her freedom. Blessed by the goddess Artemis early in the story, Otrera is pursued by the god Ares, and soldiers following her every move all while defending the women who join her on her quest.

I found the story a little slow to start, and at times confusing, especially when Otrera is dreaming or having a vision. I suspect the confusion lies in my being distracted while reading, as at the end of each passage, I realised what was going on in the story. My only real bugbear is that it felt like her story ended too soon. I feel that there should be a sequel to finish off her story, and perhaps touch upon the stories of the other women who accompanied Otrera. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

#maidenofartemis #NetGalley

The premise of this book was promising and I liked the idea following a mythology retelling. I did find it confusing for a while trying to follow what the main plot was and where the story was going. There were parts I felt were described beautifully with really thorough imagery, and other sections that felt more like we were being told, not shown, what was happening.
The story really took hold in the second half of the book and I liked the solidarity of the women throughout. The romantic notions with Ares confused me as there was no real lead up to it and it just appeared out of no where.
This book wasn’t for me in the end, but there will be those who find it enjoyable.

Before the men of myth and legend, there was Otrera, first Queen of the Amazons.

Good, not great. Could have benefited from being a bit longer so things could be fleshed out more.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC Ebook

3.5 Stars

Maiden of Artemis is a fun adventure full of myth, magic, and friendship. The story follows Otrera, an escaped slave, who has devoted herself to Artemis. On her journey, she is determined to keep her friends safe while the consequences of past actions and the might of gods threaten everything she holds dear.

I really enjoyed the focus this story had on female relationships. By the end of the book, Otrera has collected a large group of women she is set on protecting and each is a distinct character and the relationships between them were interesting. I am also a big fan of not only Greek mythology, but Artemis specifically so I enjoyed seeing the different myths come to life. The complexity of the Gods, particularly Ares, toward the end of the book was also interesting.

I did struggle with the pacing of this book. I found the beginning a bit slow and the middle too fast. I wanted to sit in the moments between all of the characters a bit more and further develop the complexity of feelings their trauma, desperation for survival, and love for each other create.
There were also elements of the story that I felt were left without being wrapped up enough. The tension between Otrera and Pamphilos and the tension between Otrera and Ares felt a little disconnected from the rest of the story.

The book does set up for a sequel with lots of questions yet to be answered and a quest far from complete.

Overall, I had fun reading this story and for those who love Greek mythology, this is certainly worth reading!

Felt like this was a little too long at times. I was trying to stay interested but it got difficult towards the middle. Maybe not the right book for me,

4.5 (This review will be posted on goodreads, storygraph and some bookish discord servers, on the 08.02.2024.)
Thank you so much to Musadora Publishing for providing me with an e-arc of this book!

Maiden of Artemis tells the story of Ortrera, the first Amazonian Queen. We follow her, as she is on the run from Nisos because she has killed his son and swore an oath to Artemis. She gathers a group of women she would do anything for. But as she goes on her quest to find a safe sancturary for her chosen sisters and herself, everyone seems to throw a stone into their way.

So first of all: Wow. This was a really nice debut in my opinion. The writing style was good, the world building was nice and it felt like the author knew what she was talking about. I especially loved all the different mentions of greek myths and everything was so nice to see, at least to me. I also felt like this is the first time I read a good feminist retelling. Don't get me wrong. I've read others and they were good but this is exactly what I wanted from them. Talking about women from that time and how they lived in the a non-priveleged part of society. Not only that but I also loved the sex positivity in this book.

Also, why is Ares kind of hot in this book? I always hated him but in this book kind of not??? Help??

One thing I didn*t feel though, is the connection between Pamphilos and Otrera. I get that they are childhood friends but somehow I never felt that. The fact that he kept appearing out of nowhere kind of threw me off as well.

Overall, Maiden of Artemis was a fun book, especially for those seeking greek myth fun. I look forward to the future books in the series and Eloise Bahr's other new books, since this was a strong debut for me.

Maiden of Artemis 🏹 (Book #1 Legend of the Amazons)

By: Eloise Bahr-debut

📕 Format: eBook 305 pgs., published 2/6/24


🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Musadora for this ARC 💜! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: Historical Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Women's Fic

Tropes: feminism, found family, quest/journey w/ companions

⚠️sexual assault attempt, virgin h


🌎Setting: Attica, Greece

Summary: Otrera is a slave who killed a prince and marked herself for death. She goes on the run with Artemis's protection (a bow and arrow) provided she stays pure and loyal . Otrera meets her "sisters," other women who need her strength and shelter. She faces monsters and men that make it difficult to keep her word to Artemis.


🤔 My Thoughts: I am a sucker for mythology and any retellings, Otrera was a warrior and protector within a tribe of women. I loved the female empowerment and banter between the sisters.


⭐Rating: 4/5

This was an interesting retelling of the founder of the Amazons!

We follow Otera, a slave who becomes blessed by Artemis after defending herself against unwanted advances from a visiting prince and is forced to go on the run. We follow her journey from demure slave to powerful warrior and define what it means to be strong and god-blessed.

This was an enjoyable read once you get to the action around 35% into the book! It was so refreshing to get a story of one of the lesser told myths and focusing on a mortal woman instead of the gods controlling her. As interesting as Otera is, the secondary characters are where this book really shines for me. On her quest for sanctuary, Otera collects a variety of other women seeking refuge and becomes their champion. We love women supporting women!!

However, the pacing felt a little slow at the beginning, and there was a lot of dialogue/description that felt clunky and unnatural and it took me out of the moment while reading. The ending felt a little rushed and inconclusive as well--not in a normal "this is the end of the first book, you have to pick up the second to see what happens" kind of way. More in a "Okay we're done now but I guess there's more okay bye" sort of way.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Maiden of Artemis follows Otrera on her search for sanctuary after pledging herself to the service of the maiden goddess of the hunt who saves her life and gives her the chance of freedom from life as a slave. She gathers a group of sisters on her journey across Ancient Greece, all hoping for a haven removed from the evils men perpetrate. She believes she has found that place in Orthia, but she soon realizes that all was not as it initially seems.

The supporting characters are well developed and maybe even more lovable than Otrera. This was a lovely adventure story with found family that gave you some warm fuzzies. The end of the story with our mortal characters seemed abrupt and rushed, (the loss of one of my favorite characters was hardly addressed, though Otrera would likely disagree with me after almost being choked/suffocated) leaving no option but for there to be a second installment.

The two scenes we get with the gods outside the mortal realm were so interesting. I wish there had been more than just the prologue and epilogue. Though I’m still slightly confused as to why the author left the “demon” nameless in the prologue.

While I’m a sucker for Greek mythology, I know very little of the stories about the Amazons. I’m ready to continue the series to see where we go from here.

not a bad book in any way, shape or form! i personally found the plot build up a little slow for my personal taste. i couldn’t get any connection to the characters, the only relationship i felt any connection to were Otrera and Thalia. the book was a nice read, but not something i would pick up again. this is good for people who don’t necessarily need action early on in the book.

I have posted the review on both my Goodreads and my personal blog, links below. They were posted on February 5th.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an advanced copy of Maiden of Artemis by Eloise Bahr.

The Amazons in Greek mythology have always captivated me, so getting to read a retelling of their founder, Otrera, was something I was super excited for. Maiden of Artemis is another excellent Greek myth retelling that kept me entertained the entire time with its large cast of characters and fun adventure!

Throughout most of the book, Otrera is on a journey with her friends and found family across Greece. I really liked all the characters in this book, especially Otrera, as they felt like real people who were trying to figure out what they needed to do and where they needed to go. Each of the characters feels different from the other and unique in their own right. I do think several characters were introduced too quickly, so it was a bit harder to keep track of them, but I had figured them all out by the end of the book. Otrera is a great female lead who has to stay strong in the face of pressure. She is always looking out for her new family and when the gods are not helping them out, she takes matters into her own hands.

The world we are in also feels more real to me than other greek retellings often do. The gods are not always going to be helpful so sometimes you have to do things yourself. Other gods show up throughout the book, sometimes to be helpful and sometimes to just cause trouble, which also makes sense to me as they are all powerful. I also liked the interpretations of the gods and goddesses in this book, representing what they were worshipped for and also showing off that they are all powerful and their is reason why mortals feared and loved them. The pacing in this book is also good for the most part, the last 50 pages though felt a bit rushed.

Overall, I would give Maiden of Artemis by Eloise Bahr a 4 out of 5 stars. Other than the quickly paced character introductions, I really enjoyed the characters, world, and adventure the characters got to undertake.

This was an interesting read though I struggled with some of it. There were plot points dropped in the beginning that never were resolve (i.e. the girl they "rescued" and her whereabouts after). Then halfway through the book the tone changed and the characters began to speak with a more modern tone and turn of phrase in their cursing. it jolted me out of the story very quickly. I still liked the majority of it but found myself picking it apart with the uneven pacing and topics/scenes I thought should have spent more time on being cut short and the opposite being true as well.

I love historical fiction but this is my first foray into Ancient Greece. I'm a huge history and mythology buff so this was right up my street. It may confuse some with no knowledge of the Ancient World but google yourself a map of Ancient Greece and follow along Ortera's journey!

Ortera is far from being a hero or demi-goddess! She is a 20 year old slave on a farm. Her mother figure has tried to keep her out of sight from the men of the farm but it would seem her luck has run out. When Ortera falls foul of a slimy visitor who thinks he can help himself to whatever he wants, she strikes back and then has to run for her life. But she doesn't set out on her journey alone.

Along the way she accumulates a bevy of mistreated, abandoned, abused and unwanted women. Housemaids, children, s3x workers, and priestesses all gravitate to Ortera and her mission to find a sanctuary for all women. A lofty mission indeed from Artemis.

Ortera may be young and naïve but she has a sense of duty and wants to serve her goddess. When her mission does not go as planned she begins to wonder if she has been abandoned by her goddess. But there are plots afoot - interfering friends, gods and demons get in her way. Ortera does not want to be a hero or a leader - which of course means she's going to be the best!

The gods are as fickle as they have always been characterised. Even when they plan on doing something good for humans, there always has to be something in it for them. The bickering sibling rivalry is very real-world like. Similarly the camaraderie that grows between Ortera and her band of outcasts grows over the course of the book. Not everyone sees her as a saviour at first, some have to be won over hard!

The pacing was a wee bit stop-start but it didn't put me off. I'd really love to read more in this series - the ending certainly lays the ground for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, first and foremost.

I thought this book was in the middle, there were parts that I thought were good and some parts I didn't so much enjoy. I think the book is full of interesting characters from start to finish. For me that really was the highlight and showed how diverse the world really was. I also thought how the gods and nymphs/dryads were described to rather interesting, and cast them in that divine, ethereal world that made them so different from the mortals. Additionally, it was fantastic to read a story about women, women helping women, and dealing with their personal struggles (Chloe wanting a child for example), but still have it placed within its own time period. What I mean is that the author doesn't push a modern feminist narrative in the world of Ancient Greece, but still portrays ideals and desires that we as modern readers can understand. The entire story begins with Otrera's humiliation and not wanting to be violated by a man - this is something that almost all women can understand and relate to.
Now, for the not so great. I did struggle with some of the pacing. At parts, it seemed really slow, others it moved really quickly. And overall, the plot was interesting, but I struggled to remain interested and engaged with the story. Sometimes, the writing felt a bit YA almost and that I was reading something written for a younger audience, then suddenly we would have something that shifted the narrative (a curse word?) to more adult. This was a bit jarring at times. Even with the colorful cast of characters, I sometimes felt like I was again, reading characters for a younger audience (there is no way a female slave could be that naïve about what occurs between men and women in the stables) and that some just felt a little flat. There was an element of telling me, not showing me that left some parts of the story a bit bland.
Overall though, it was a quick read in a genre I really enjoy and it was solid. I also think the research concerning Greek stories, myth, the types of love, that went into this book was well done and incorporated well. It's a good read and overall written well.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was easy to get into, and kept me hooked throughout. I really appreciated how seamlessly Greek mythology was integrated into the story and background of this world, clearly the author has done their research. The author addresses the more difficult issues well without putting unneccessary, overly upsetting description. Most of the characters have very clear personalities, and I'm excited to see where the author goes with the rest of the series. The depiction of Ares was also interesting and much more nuanced than other depictions.

I don't have much criticism, other than that the character of Pamphilos wasn't fleshed out, and overall his motivations were confusing. If there's meant to be a love triangle, I don't see it working. And this is just a personal preference, but I'd like to see some aromantic and/or asexual representation down the track. For a story called "Maiden of Artemis" I kinda expected to see at least an aroace side character, though I do understand this is focused on the beginnings of the Amazons rather than the Priestesses of Artemis or Artemis herself.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC NetGalley! A solid 4 star. I really love Greek mythology so this book was a lot of fun for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the FMC. She came across as a strong woman coming into her own but also had her faults. I loved all the female characters and the idea of finding family along the way. Lots of women of different ages and viewpoints. There were definitely a few twists I was not expecting. There are some sensitive subjects and sexual violence but the topics were dealt with well. The book was a little on the slow side for my taste but the characters kept me in it!

"Maiden of Artemis" explores the compelling journey of Otrera, the first Amazonian queen, from a life of slavery to self-discovery and empowerment. Liberating herself through a decisive act of violence, Otrera, now a free and determined woman, embarks on a quest for a secure sanctuary with a group of fellow women. Guided by the goddess Artemis, Otrera's odyssey unfolds in a mix of captivating and occasionally monotonous moments.

The protagonist's mission provides an engaging narrative, but there are also moments, where repetitive actions detract from the overall excitement. Otrera's complex relationship with men remains enigmatic; her blanket disdain/hate for them feels somewhat unjustified and lacks nuance. On a positive note, the narrative beautifully illustrates Otrera's protective instincts towards her fellow women and her grounded nature despite her divine mission from Artemis.

While Otrera's character is well-explored, other characters are overshadowed, leaving me hopeful for more depth in future books. The book, unfortunately, falls prey to the "first book syndrome," where the foundation is laid, but the broader ensemble lacks the development needed to fully captivate the audience.

In summary, "Maiden of Artemis" is a tale of a powerful woman's evolution from slavery to freedom, with a mix of enthralling and less dynamic moments. Otrera's journey, while intriguing, could benefit from more nuanced character interactions and a more balanced focus on supporting characters. With potential for improvement in subsequent volumes, the story holds promise for those intrigued by the mythic world of the Amazons.