⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The Heir of Venus is a beautifully written Greek mythology retelling that powerfully presents a voice for the many women who were initially ignored.

THoV’s beautiful, compelling prose captivated me from the start, but as I continued reading, I realized that this story felt like all of the other retellings I’ve read before (for example, A Thousand Ships or The Song of Achilles). That’s fine, but I was hoping for something other in this story that made it more original and unlike the retellings I’ve heard before. As always, however, I appreciated the author taking on the story to shine a light on the women whose voices have been quieted. Fans of Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller may rejoice in finding another read similar to their favorite authors’ works, or they may be disappointed in the similarities. Again, the writing and character development were beautiful, but the story was so familiar that it didn’t captivate me as much as I’d hoped.

The audiobook narrator for THoV did a lovely job. Her voice was soothing and fit the story well, though I had been hoping for more varied accents for the different characters. The narrator also did a wonderful job narrating the women’s voices and presented the story in an apt tone.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

I had high hopes for this book and for the most part, it did not disappoint. When Lavinia’s father announces that she is to marry Aeneas, Turnus, her childhood friend, threatens war believing that he would marry her (a fact that neither Lavinia nor her father were not aware of). As the war rages on, Lavinia has to deal with the guilt of being the cause, even involuntarily of the conflict. She also slowly learns about her betrothed’s secret past further complicated her path forward.

What I liked about this book was Lavinia. As her parent’s only child, she expected to be queen - now she’s being fought over by two men neither of which she particularly cares for at the start. This indifference towards her suitors contrasts with her care for her people. Being a woman however, her power is limited so we wait to see what/if any change she could actually bring.

Another thing I liked about the book is that the mystery of Aeneas’s past is told through other women. These perspectives further the story while also bringing other women into the light, women who might have also been relegated to the footnote of history.

It was a bit tricky with the audiobook to keep track of all the names at the start, but as I made my way through the book, that became less of a problem.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Laura Shepperson for the advanced copy of the audiobook!