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.

I've said it countless times before and I know I'll say it forever more, but I love love love mythology retellings. Especially when told through the eyes of the females who surrounded the heros of these Myths. This one is no different and is told from the Roman side. That's a wonderful change so hopefully everyone is caught up on the Roman names.
I found it fascinating to hear Aeneas' side as told through POVs by different women in different time periods.
I think Lavinia and her logic, especially with Ann was desperately needed and it's a shame there couldn't have been more of an open dialogue between her and Aeneas with Lavinia as a mediator. Maybe things could've been different. Maybe not.

I did move the ending told from Creusa in Hades. My favorite part of the Myths have always been the gods part. How they're behind it over trivial things but creates huge issues in the mortal world. With them intervening throughout the Trojan war, it's nice to see them making appearances here. Venus whisking Aeneas away. Venus was the one who held Aeneas' future and he walked his life through his mother's wishes. Here for it

Shepperson does a great job showing the unreliable narrator part of the Greek myths. Often, people make claims that "retellings aren't canon" but it's hard to show canon in greek myths when by nature the teller is unreliable. In this story, each characters biases show and their unreliable nature. It also does a great job portraying the idea that women are not spared the pain of their mothers just because they think they are different. The leopards will eat your face, even if you vote in their favor.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for an audiobook ARC of this novel!

“The Heir of Venus” follows the final books of the “Aeneid” through the perspective of Lavinia, with a few flashback perspectives from the past women of Aeneas’s life.
I found the narrative structure hard to follow, and left me disengaged with several perspectives. I found the prologue and epilogue the most developed and intriguing elements of this novel. I wish the entire book was written in the same circumstances of either the prologue or the epilogue.
A really disappointing element in this book was the handling of Dido’s story line. There was a lot of opportunity to give the character a compelling and nuanced voice, when she just came off as a weak and power hungry character.

Creusa’s POV was definitely the best. She was presented as a nuanced and motivated character. In my opinion, she was one of the only characters who demonstrated actual character growth and development.

Finally we have Lavinia, who was the primary POV of the book. I found her voice very forgettable, and par for the course when it comes to myth retellings.

I think my biggest problem with this book was the writing style. Many of the choices felt very flat. There were countless opportunities to explore setting, and there were many times where the author could have had the characters question their own perspective to demonstrate character growth.

Overall this was a good listening experience, but I feel that the book lacks nuance to bump it up to a higher star rating.

After really enjoying Shepperson's previous novel, I was interested to see what she would do with the theme of the Aeneid. I haven't seen many authors tackle this story, and I've read a lot of mythological retellings, so I was also interested to see how Shepperson would handle the epic. Overall, I did enjoy this book. I thought the framing of Aeneas's story through the women's lives who he's touched and often unmoored was compelling. I also thought it interesting how, towards the end, we learn more about Aeneas in ways that complicate his characterization, making him less of a true villain and more of a man just trying to survive in a time of strife. There were areas I found a bit challenging to follow, and if I hadn't read the Aeneid, I think it would have been even more of a hurdle. While ambitious, I believe Shepperson always has something to say in her work, and I appreciate her perspective.
I found the narrator challenging to listen to, so this might have also affected my rating.

The Heir of Venus is a retelling of Lavina from Roman Mythology and the Aeneid by Virgil that captures the female characters' perspectives.

Lavina's father promises her hand in marriage to Aeneas, which angers her childhood sweatheart, Turnus. Turnus, determined to marry Lavina, wages war on Aeneas and the Trojans. Aeneas, rumored to be the son of Venus, has a slippery past and is known for his bravery and cunning.

Lavina soon realizes that to save everything she holds dear, she must take her future into her own hands.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Alcove Press for early access to read The Heir of Venus in exchange for an honest review. It was refreshing to have a Roman mythology retelling thrown in amongst all the Greek ones. Additionally, narrator Frances Butt did a wonderful job. Her voice is melodic and was perfect for the story.

I will start by saying that The Heir of Venus is a beautifully written work!! The words matched the setting and characters perfectly. The narrator did a fantastic job driving the story and bringing the characters to life. This book was a Greek mythology retelling told from the perspective of the women who were in Aneneas's life. Often the retellings and historical records are in a man’s view, so seeing what his wives, mother, lovers, and women he betrayed was so interesting. I don't know much about the story of Aeneas. All my Greek/Roman knowledge stems from a mixture of Percy Jackson/Song of Achilles, but The Heir of Venus had me hooked the entire time on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. What interested me the most was the dialogue of this story, as women were not in the front line of the action it was their inner thoughts and feelings that drove this story which I found compelling. Women's perspective of history is making its turn in the world! This is a story you don't want to miss out on.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Alcove Press for early access to read The Heir of Venus and for allowing me to dive into the adventure early!

3.25 stars

This is a completely serviceable retelling of the Aeneid. Based on the summary I was expecting more of a focus on Lavinia’s story, but we also get Dido and Creusa’s POVs (and Creusa even gets the epilogue). I was also expecting this to have a feminist take on the story, but I really can’t say that’s what we got. Especially by the end, the narrative seems to forgive his treatment of Dido.

From a writing perspective, I didn’t see a lot of difference between the three women’s voices. And the story was very straight forward. There was nothing to really stand out or distinguish any sections.
I did like the narrator for the audio though.

If you’re not super familiar with the story already and you haven’t experienced LeGuin’s Lavinia, I think you might enjoy this. (Also I really did like Shepperson’s first novel on audio, so check that one out!)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.