4.5 stars

Finally, for the first time this year, I found a book that truly grabbed my attention from beginning to end. When I had to put Daughter of Chaos down, I found myself wishing I could listen to the audiobook so I could continue with the story. The book starts off strong with where the MC is currently in her adventure, then takes us back to the beginning to set the story up. The beginning is slower, but the book quickly picks up. The start is the introduction of the character and setting up the world.

There is a lot packed into one book. Danae is forced from her home island and has to travel to the end of the world to figure out what a prophecy means for her future. This is a Greek mythology retelling, and I liked the overhaul that the author did. I liked the reveals about the Gods in the end and following Danae as she journies with famous Greek heroes was so interesting. There was even some non-binary representation. I'm sad that Manto did not get as much page time because they were cool.

I really enjoyed this book and am sad I have to wait for the next one. I highly recommend Daughter of Chaos to those who like a Greek retelling fantasy book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade for the ARC.

Now I’m a sucker for Greek mythology, and I went into this knowing a good chunk of the lore. I was blown away with the twists that happened!!! The magic system intrigued me so much that i had a hard time putting it down that last 200 pages or so. I already want to read more and cannot wait to see where this series goes!!!

I was very lucky to get an ARC copy of this book, I have always loved Mythology and this book just continues to push my interest! It was a wonderful plot that was very interesting and quick-paced but had a great tempo for the story!

First let me start by saying thank you to NetGalley, author A.S. Webb and Harlequin Trade for this E-ARC of Daughter of Chaos the first in a planned trilogy: The Dark Pantheon series!
4.25/5 Stars
This book needs to be on your tbr coming out January 16th 2025!

The beginning of this book definitely has a lot of world building. It can be a bit overwhelming with not only the amount of character names but also places that are traveled to and just keeping track of this vast world. However, it is all necessary in setting up this story that the author crafted such a beautiful history for. Throughout the whole book you are pulled into this unique retelling of a world of Gods and Titans and power. There were so many parts of this story that had me going I know these characters, but they had a new story to their name that made the story entrancing. I also love a good coming of age story and our female main character Danae does not disappoint in any way. She is thrust into this world of power and with every step has something new challenging everything she knows about the Gods and Titans. Watching her grow as she not only learns more about herself, but about the world, has you on the edge of your seat wondering what could possibly happen next!

For those that want to know I would put this book in the Fantasy category and mainly think of it as a Greek mythology retelling adventure. While there is some romance it is very minimal and it is not a driving force in this first book. However, there are a wonderful amount of supporting characters that have carefully crafted stories connecting to our main character in friendship, family and enemies.

Fans of Greek mythology, adventure with mystery, heroes with unknown powers rising up, this book is going to be for you. My best advice is that if you feel like it’s too much information in the beginning, keep going! The second half of this book takes off on a whole new level of adventure and suspense and had me racing to finish it. The only downside of reading this as an ARC is that it will be longer until the sequel is out, which I think will be even better than the first!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I am curious as to where the story goes. It’s a Greek mythology fantasy, with some of its own unique elements. Nothing that was too stand out or super unique takes, but I still enjoyed it and would read the next books as well. Some parts weren’t paced the best, as well as at times I felt I was being told a story versus feeling shown a story, if that makes sense. The characters could use a bit more depth as well. Interested to see where the story goes as I said, however if the next book doesn’t pull me in better I wouldn’t continue reading the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC

In Ancient Greece, Danae our mortal FMC, is a fisherman’s daughter whom was forced to run away to learn and fulfill a prophecy after a tragic event happened to her family. This takes place during the Greek Pantheon when the Gods ruled every thing in their day to day lives. I’m a sucker for Greek mythology and this was a great overhaul.

This was a well written book that was high stakes and fast paced. Feels like I’ve read 3 books with how much is packed in. The way the author describes the world/feelings/anything was beautiful in an easy to understand way and was appropriate for the time. For example:
“The further she traveled from Naxos, the more she felt herself crumbling away, like the stones of the sea buried-temple eroded by the tide”

Tiniest spoonful of romance included that was a bit surprising

Really hoping the FMC can catch a break in the next one 😅

Side characters were well developed and a certain non-binary one I wanted more of 😭

Excited for book 2, as it will be exploring my favorite Greek mythology story and God. This series will be a trilogy.

Hope a map will be included in the published book

"𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑑"

Daughter of Chaos is an adventure-filled fantasy based on Greek mythology. The story follows Danae, a fisherman's daughter from a small town, as she embarks on different quests all while discovering her new powers.

A.S. Webb found a way to weave in the stories of Greek mythology while still making them new and entertaining. It was enjoyable to read about Danae's experiences as she left her small town, discovered who she was, and met new people.

While I did enjoy the quest aspect, there were some points in the story that felt a bit more slow-paced, making it read more like a historical fantasy book. Some of the relationships between the characters were lacking a bit of depth for me. I would have liked more interactions between those characters so that there was a stronger foundation.

If you enjoy reading quest-filled historical fantasy books, then Daughter of Chaos is definitely the book for you!\

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for allowing me to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC! Daughter of Chaos reminds me that Greek mythology was one of the precursors for an epic fantasy. As an avid myth retelling fan, I thought this would be a retelling of Danae, but this book was more than that - it is a reimagining, drawing from the original myth, with a few mythological Easter eggs (prophecies, Artemis’s hunters, and fire, oh my!) thrown in the mix.

I enjoyed seeing Danae’s growth throughout the book - she started out as the scrappy younger sister to a resilient adult. The other characters were written well too - Webb makes sure that they have similar traits to the original mythological characters but makes them more…human? Relatable? The world building was great and Webb’s descriptions the different islands and such offered an interesting perspective. One gripe I have with this book was that the ending felt a bit too rushed. Danae’s interactions with Hera and Hera’s interactions with Zeus were quite captivating, and I was sad that it ended so soon. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, as it this one ended with a cliffhanger.

Execution was lacking and I felt like the author didn't have their own voice, merely blended other's to form their own. The Show Vs. Tell rule was ignored and frustrating to the point of me almost DNFing. Pacing was slow, Third person POV was a total NO for me. The plot concept was so there for me, but this came down to a premise that was told versus an actual story.

I didn't get very far into this book because it simply wasn't grabbing my interest, and the very beginning challeneged my ability to suspend my disbelief. As such, I've decided to DNF it.

Loved this book. It was super original and fresh. I couldn't put it down. I even stayed up to read it all through the night when I had to work an early shift the next day. You won't regret picking it up.

Thank you to Net Galley for a preview of this book.
A well written book. The world building was intricate, and the characters were relatable. I did find the beginning a bit hard to get through. But the farther I read into the story, the more I became interested. While there were a lot of characters involved, it was easy to keep track of them all.

Dates read: 06/11/2024 - 06/21/2024
Rating: 3.5

The story follows Danae, a fisherman’s daughter, as she attempts to understand and fulfill a prophecy that was forced upon her after a tragic event in her life. It is action-packed and filled with familiar Greek myths that are then questioned and made into something unique to the story. While I enjoyed a majority of the plot and characters, there were times I felt a bit bored while reading and needed a break hence the 3.5 rating. However, I am curious as to how Danae’s story and relationships will evolve and will definitely pick up the sequel once it’s out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

A.S. Webb brings us a story filled with mythology. We meet Danae and her family who live during the times of ancient Greece where sacrifices are made to the gods. When her sister goes missing and then is returned, there is talk of what may have taken the young girl who appeared to have been drugged. Her abduction has lasting results that makes her family a target of shame especially to the family she was going to marry into. Danae's family is shamed and shunned by those around them making friends and family turn their backs on them. Danae will go on a hunt to find out why her sister was chosen and to wreak vengeance.

A.S. Webb shares with us the journey of one woman desperate to seek out the truth behind her sister's abduction. We follow along with Danae as she learns the secrets about the gods and about her true destiny. See what Danae has found out about the connection between the gods and humanity and what secrets may destroy all that she knows.

I have read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for this privilege.

I received this book as an ARC and it was wonderful! The world building and characters were interesting throughout the story. The plot was unique and left me wondering what was going to happen next. I’m excited for book 2!

Time was wasted on descriptions of literally everything. The set up in the beginning was way too long, it takes a really long time to even get to the point of the plot. No one tells the fmc what is going on half the time so that leaves us as readers very confused. I was not a fan of the writing style but I also don’t like third person.

I very much enjoyed this book. Weaved throughout the story are variations of Greek myths we've been taught or learned. As these are myths, it was fascinating to see deviations, nothing extreme, from what I grew up reading and learning about. A new perspective I've never considered. Also, as a lover of mythological creatures, I was excited to see what would appear throughout the story.

Danae lives in a time where the Greek Pantheon still dominates the every day way of life. From being a humble fisherman's daughter, to a runaway, to the center of a prophecy, you get to experience Danae's growth and understanding of her place in her world, what it means and what she must do.

The prose was well written, descriptive yet not overly lyrical like I've read in other books. It was easy for my brain to follow as too many metaphors and over use of adjectives to describe a single thing is too much.

I loved how the author used metaphors that fit with the times such as:
"her cheeks turned the color of a ripe fig."
"cry that sounded like the slaughter of a thousand lambs ruptured the air."

There is a LGBTQ+ character in the story, non-binary rep. I thought how they were introduced and how the clarification was done beautifully and realistically.

This story gave me a wide range of emotions: hope, pain, anger, sadness.

The plot twist near the end? I am already craving book 2 and the first hasn't even officially been released yet.

The book has a lot of potential. A plot involving Greek myths will always draw me in and I do so enjoy one that sticks closer to the true tales from Ancient Greece. However, the execution was lacking. I genuinely am intrigued by the story of Danae overthrowing the gods that rightfully deserve it and would love to give it another go after it’s completely finished and published.

The writing feels as if the author was attempting to mimic the style of other authors but couldn’t quite grasp it and ended up losing their own style in the process. There is a lot of telling and very little showing and the parts where showing was attempted felt rather forced.

I enjoy the way the plot shows contradictions in the beliefs of the gods and their abilities in so many ways. But overall, as it currently stands, too much of the writing felt forced and awkward, some parts too convenient and unbelievable even for fantasy standards.

Again, I feel this has so much potential. I feel it has the makings of being a hit and a five star read but it definitely would require a lot more work.

"Daughter of Chaos" by A.S. Webb transports readers to ancient Greece, a realm where mortals live under the oppressive rule of capricious gods. Set against this backdrop of divine tyranny, a prophesied hope emerges in the form of Danae, a fisherman's daughter from the island of Naxos.

Danae's journey is one of self-discovery and empowerment as she grapples with newfound powers linked to a mystical tree bearing golden fruit. Driven from her home by forces beyond her comprehension, Danae seeks guidance from the oracle, only to be thrust into a world of secrets and a clandestine network of believers awaiting her arrival.

Teaming up with the legendary Heracles and his crew, Danae embarks on a perilous quest to the ends of the earth, facing mythical monsters and vengeful gods along the way. Yet, beneath the surface of Danae's quest lies a terrifying truth—one that could unravel the very fabric of existence.

Webb masterfully weaves elements of Greek mythology into a riveting tale of adventure, intrigue, and the timeless struggle between fate and free will. Through Danae's journey, readers are immersed in a world where the destiny of humanity hangs in the balance, compelling them to ponder the weighty choices that define our lives.

"Daughter of Chaos" is a captivating blend of myth and imagination, offering readers a thrilling escape into a world where gods and mortals collide, and the fate of civilizations rests on the shoulders of a courageous heroine. Webb's vivid prose and intricate storytelling will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this enthralling series.

Overall, "Daughter of Chaos" is a must-read for fans of Greek mythology and fantasy alike, offering a fresh perspective on timeless tales and introducing readers to a new heroine destined to leave her mark on the annals of legend.

I'm a sucker for a Greek retelling, since that's one of the things I'm going to school for. I really enjoyed the experience and reading about the different Greek heros and whatnot interacting with each other