Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

A story of 3 women whose lives were affected by Aeneas and his mother Aphrodite. Told from 3 different POVs and with jumping timeline, it is an interesting story of love, destiny and a womans place in a mans world. A shoutout to the narrator - Frances Butt, who made it very easy to follow the different plotlines!

The Heir of Venus is a story that follows the experiences of different women in the lives of Aneas, the Prince who escaped Troy as it fell and was destined to be the founder of a new city, by his mother, the Goddess Aphrodite/Venus. We hear from his first wife Creusa, his lover Dido and her sister Ana and his future and last wife, Lavinia. As they walk us through the events of his life.

I enjoyed the structure of this story, the change in protagonists and the jumping between timelines was a great way of reshaping a story I knew well and keeping things fresh and engaging. The wholly feminine perspective was a fun spin on the Aeneid and a different way of communicating the facts. Unfortunately, the characters, particularly Creusa and Dido’s motivations seemed to hinge on Aneas in an obsessive almost worshipful manner that I thought was a little outdated and adhered quite strongly to masculine retellings of the story, to the point where they happily accepted death. Lavinia showed a lot of agency and promise and she was quite enjoyable to read from the perspective of. While I know it is true of these stories, I found the experiences and endings of the women extremely violent.

There were small deviations from the standard myths that didn’t bother me and that should be expected from historical fiction and mythology retellings. However, there was one that was so unnecessary and obvious (even the most novice of Trojan War enthusiasts would be able to identify) relating to Hector, that I became quite frustrated. It is especially disappointing as it occurred around 80% of the way in and to that point had been really enjoying the story. I felt that certain elements weren’t communicated or glossed over, because that certain protagonist didn’t see them.

I enjoyed the narration, there was some differentiation in the voices and tones of the different protagonists. Some of the pronunciation of names in particular deviated from what I am used to and I found that to be a little jarring, especially at the beginning of the story. The pacing was appropriate and there was inflections in tone that helped set the scene and keep things engaging. If I am being really picky, I felt that the voice sounded a lot more mature/older than Lavinia was meant to be.

Thank you to Natgalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own.

This book would be perfect for fans of Jennifer Saint! Told in multiple POVs of the 3 women who married Aeneas, we unveil a retelling of the Aeneid and the founding of Rome. Lavinia, Creusa and Dido are compelling narratives to follow, with additional details and depth that are new to the reader. The audiobook is well narrated and easy to follow, and overall I enjoyed this retelling! Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Laura Shepperson for an ARC of this audiobook.

Following the life of Lavina and Aeneas, the story is narrated in 3 different timelines. The current state where Lavina was promised to Turnus, but her father has now changed his mind and decided to marry her to a better suitor coming from across the sea (Aeaneas). This triggers yet another war, that Lavina wants no part of but is now stuck as the centre-piece.

Aeneas(Son of Venus) has survived Troy but refuses to discuss his past & his secretive nature only compels her to dig more as she comes across a storyteller from a foreign land who knows it all. The tale is woven across prophecies and the lives of humans dangling in the direction of God's plan.

This one is for the fans of Greek Mythology, who would enjoy discovering characters and their stories beyond the Troy Heros. The world back then left little freedom for women, but that never seems to have diminished their will to play a key role following the significant events of history.

Genre: Greek Mythology
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

I tried to like this, I swear. I just couldn't connect with the characters and the storytelling itself seemed kind of choppy to me. It held my attention for the most part, but I had to constantly remind myself who everyone was and it was just kind of bland. I seem to be in the minority here though so give it a try if it sounds interesting to you.

The captivating tales of Roman mythology have always held a special place in my heart. So when i got the chance of access this ARC of Laura Shepperson I get all excited about it and I did enjoy this retelling. The different POV of different people and the pre and post troyan world environment was such a enganging story for me. Big shout to the audiobook narrator who made this book more interesting. For me is a solid 4 starts

Laura Shepperson did it again with another amazing retelling! thank you so much to netgalley and dreamscape media for this wonderful audiobook arc!

firstly, the narration was done really well and i loved the narrator's voice as it was clear and easy to follow! i will definitely be listening to more audiobooks narrated by them.

onto the book itself, i loved this Roman mythology retelling of Aeneas, but from the povs of the women who influenced him. each pov was done really well, and i couldn't help but wanting more!
this story explores everything from to duty to self-determination to destiny and i loved how Laura brought the complexity of each character to life and made you understand them better. i think it was the perfect balance between plot and character focus and the overall pacing was just perfect.

I love Greek mythology retellings. I enjoyed Shepperson's Phaedra but I think The Heir of Venus is even better. I am not as familiar with the characters of Aeneus or Lavinia as I am with some other Greek characters, but that wasn't a problem. This book is a good read even if you don't have much of a background in mythology. I really liked the portrayal of Lavinia. She is a strong character. I would have liked to see a bit more of Venus - she is so often portrayed as a bitch and I would like to see a more nuanced portrait of her sometime in these retellings. I give this book a solid 4 stars. I look forward to more from Shepperson in the Greek mythology retelling genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an advance audio copy of this book for review.

This retelling portrays the story of Aeneas, survivor of the Trojan war and ancestor of the founders of Rome, from the perspectives of the women who influenced him throughout his life. The narrative is composed exquisitely, and the different POVs converge perfectly to create a fascinating tableau of Aeneas’s life. This is filled with strong and fierce female characters, and I was up until 4 am finishing it!

Lavinia is a young woman caught in a conflict not of her making when her childhood sweetheart declares war over her being promised to Aeneas, a man with a terrible past. Aeneas, the son of Venus, is destined to build a great Empire. Lavinia's skepticism about Aeneas grows when a stranger arrives with troubling stories about him, prompting her to question his true intentions.

Lavinia's character develops from a passive and naive girl to a proactive figure determined to control her destiny. The depiction of Aeneas is more than a one-dimensional hero; he is complex and only loyal to prophecy. His secrets and motivations gradually unravel and adds a layer of intrigue. You will be invested in uncovering the truth alongside Lavinia and the story behind the women of the Trojan War.

The story explores duty, love, destiny, betrayal, and self-determination. The author brings the mythological setting to life and captures the complexity of the characters and their journeys to modern readers. It balances action, mystery, and character development. It brings to light that human nature has always been messy, even if you are a demigod. I enjoyed the story; the narrator and audiobook recording were well done.

I received an ARC audiobook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media.

A "Feminist" retelling of Aeneas life including the women whose views were missing from the tale. I don't like feminist retellings as a whole, and i did find the women a bit thin skinned in this story and thought they cried too much. However it was beautifully written and engaging. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook.

As usual Laura did an amazing job bringing overlooked and undertold characters to the forefront. I have long wanted someone to give Dido more than just a brief glance and I love that not only did I get Dido, but all the women in his life were able to tell their stories. So well done.

The Heir of Venus portrays the POVs of multiple women whose stories are interwoven with Aeneas’ life pre and post Trojan War. The narrative follows a non-linear timeline that allows you to better grasp what’s next while greedily wishing for more time in the past. This dichotomy of the past and the sections with Princess Lavinia gives you feelings of uneasiness as you read. At some points you’re seemingly ahead of her but simultaneously just as in the dark about the unknowns of Aeneas’ past. It’s unsettling and intriguing!

A favorite theme of mine was Lavinia’s strive for purposefulness despite the obstacles she faces, it helps showcase why these retellings can be so powerful.

A small detail I enjoyed was the author’s choice to include quotes translated from the epics, it pays homage to the original works while setting the scene for the retelling!

I want to thank Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me with access to this ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.47!

I almost never read Roman mythology- well like I do read articles and stuff but not retellings and this one fairly surprised me. I won't be giving a big review and I won't call it a novella either because it was more of a novella and read like it and even for an audiobook it was very short. So, I was able to enjoy it way more than I should have. I feel like there were so many names to keep up with and there were certain parts where I would zone out because it felt like it was dragging but there were other moments where it was very enjoyable. I liked that it wasn't from the male pov but more from the female perspective and I liked the we saw the war battle and the whole Trojan horse scene from a women's perspective- meaning that it felt more of an observation. Usually I don't like telling and I like showing more but the FMC was telling us what was happening and it was heavily intertwined with her emotions. It feels like a storybook that someone tells you when you're about to sleep and I definitely think that I enjoyed it more of it because of the audiobook. I didn't really form a solid opinion about the characters because I wasn't able to build that connection with them but it was enjoyable to read about them. It's like the story heavily follow Aeneus but his story is not told through his pov but rather the women related to him but I liked the glimpses of romance that we got and men fighting over women 🤭 always fun to read about that!!

Overall, an enjoyable read that would be well served as a pallette cleanser.

The story of Aeneas and Lavinia has been told over the millennia and the Heir of Venus is a very readable retelling that fleshes out the women who are often overlooked in mythology.

It was refreshing to read a book coming from Roman mythology, as most of the stories I've read recently are based in Greek myths. This was particularly cool because it blended parts of Virgil's Aeneid and myths and explored characters that have been overshadowed or forgotten over the years. The story dragged a little bit in the beginning, and it started kind of slowly, but once it picked up, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This made me realize how, even though I’ve read and listened to many mythological stories, that I’ve only nicked the tip of the iceberg.

I have heard portions of stories of the women in this tale, but it’s so interesting to see those stories from what could be their perspectives as it brings them to life in a new way.

There was empathy for all the characters in the way that they were written; it was not solely to highlight the women and bash the men. It showed a more vulnerable side to characters and their inner workings.

It was interesting how the women’s lives were woven together: in a non-linear, multi-pov way. It made certain things click at different times of their lives.

Thank you so much to the author, Laura Shepperson, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio arc of The Heir of Venus!

The Heir of Venus follows three women whose lives were intertwined with Aeneas. I love seeing mythology retellings from women's POVs, so I really enjoyed the different perspectives. The narration was fantastic and absolutely enhanced my reading experience.

I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed listening to this book. I am more of a Greek Mythology girlie but enjoyed the Trojan side of things. To be honest, while I am still not sure what this book was supposed to be about, I stayed for the vibes. While I wanted to hate the male character (not good with names, sorry) I just could not find a reason, and whatever reason I found was not enough. Like yeah maybe he could have lived his life differently and treat Dino better, he followed the prophecy his mother laid out for him. So in this case do we blame this mortal man or the immortal gods who were bored and decided to meddle in mortal affairs?

4 out of 5 Star

A very good, very fun, and enjoyable time. While not a hundred percent my cup of tea, I'm very happy to have read it.

4 glowing stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟

I haven’t read a myth retelling in a long time, but the audiobook version of **The Heir of Venus** was absolutely amazing!

It’s a multi-POV Roman mythology retelling of Aeneas from the perspectives of the women he crossed paths with.

I’ve always loved the story of the Trojan War, and this book gave me a beautiful new perspective on it. It was a perfect blend of plot and character focus. The pace of the book was just right, and the characters were flawed but relatable. My favorite part was seeing Lavinia's growth and her navigating through what she is "supposed to be doing" vs. what she actually wants to be doing with her life.

It took me a little bit of time to fully understand and follow the characters in the audiobook, but after a while, I was 100% consumed by the story.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for this audiobook ARC! All opinions are my own.