This is an ARC read from NetGalley. I give it 3.5 stars so I’ll round up to 4 on this app. I really enjoyed the first and middle halves of this story. Unfortunately, I started to get a little bored toward the end. I expected a big finish or perhaps a more enthralling cliffhanger, nonetheless, it was an entertaining story that interwove Greek mythology and fiction to make for a fun YA read.

DNF @ 35%

First, thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review. I received this just a few days ago, though it's already available to purchase if it sounds like your jam. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Set in Ancient Greece, Danae is a fisherman's daughter who's life is turned upside down when her sister goes missing during a tribute to the Gods. What follows is a dark, dangerous, mysterious adventure that highlights the harshness of both the Gods and the mortals they exploit.

The writing is engaging and occasionally dreamlike, and I suspect you'd enjoy this if you like Greek mythology retellings with a dark bite to them. The narration of the audiobook is very well done! Alas, this one just wasn't for me. I have never not finished an ARC before, but I really wasn't having a good time with this one.

This story has some very grim content that isn't obvious from the official blurb and wasn't what I was expecting. Some minor spoilers ahead (beware!) but within the first 15%, we have human sacrifice, k*dnapping and r*pe of a side character, unwanted pregnancy, child k*dnapping, and s*icide. Things don't really get much more cheerful from there, so be prepared for that going in.

It's also a slow burn in terms of plot. I DNFd at the 35% mark and while a lot had happened, we still hadn't met Heracles and the main plot points promised in the blurb hadn't really got going.

While this book wasn't for me, don't let that put you off if it sounds like something you'd enjoy. Based on other reviews I've read, I know it's a hit with the right audience.

Rating 3 "Not For Me" stars because I have to give a rating on here.

A.S. Webb's Daughter of Chaos is a captivating debut that immerses readers in a world where mortals rebel against the gods of ancient Greece. The protagonist, Danea, discovers her mysterious powers tied to a golden fruit-bearing tree, which sets her on a perilous journey. Webb's storytelling is rich with mythological elements and non-store action, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The character development, especially Danae's growth through her struggles, is both satisfying and compelling. The book's blend of historical and fantastical settings adds depth to the narrative, making it a thrilling read.

Overall, Daughter of Chaos is a promising start to what looks to be an exciting series!

🏺 BOOK REVIEW 🏺

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS by A.S. Webb
4.5/5 🌟
Pub date: Out now!

So along with being @caffeineandlegends February book of the month, I also recieved an Audio ARC. It was fate that laid this at my feet twice because it was incredible. It was a unique take on Greek mythology, giving the world a unique magic system while paying homage to the myth.

The book follows a young woman living on a small island in the Mediterranean off the coast of ancient Greece. We follow her on her journey as she learns what her true destiny is. Please read if you like the following:

🚣‍♀️ Marginalized characters from Western culter getting their own stories
🚣‍♀️ Unknown forces controlled by the 'Gods'
🚣‍♀️ The brutal reality of being a woman during this time period
🚣‍♀️ Meeting mythical figures and figuring out the person behind them

Please use ANGLER10 at @caffeineandlegends shop for 10% off!

And thank you to @_mira_books_ and @htp_hive
For the audio ARC!

🔖 #fantasy #mythology #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookstagrammer #reading #bookish #bookaddict #booknerd #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #instabook #bookrecommendations

pice 0.5 🌶️

I feel this book was like a combine of the Odyssey and The Lightning Thief, but like....not in a good way. The story took FOREVER. I feel there was no real point of everything?

I also don't understand the relationship between Heracles and Danae...because there was none? Sure, she had a mini crush on him, but they barely really interacted to each other. Or if they did, it wasn't implied if it was off-page or not.

I don't understand the magic in the world? How Danae was even able to control her powers almost instantly, there was no 'training arc.' I hope book two explains more becauseeee....I don't get it.

I do not like Danae, at all. Out of all FMCs I have read, she was the most pointless and useless character. I'm pretty sure without her, the book still would have been the same just with different characters.

I will give props to the narrator, I think she did a good job.

Chosen One
Epic Fantasy
Prophecy
Greek Mythology
Girl on the run
Destiny
Coming of age

“You alone are the last reckoning”

Danae, an ordinary girl in Ancient Greece’s sister is SA’ed by Zeus, gets pregnant, which leads to a sequence of events that makes her the champion of humanity destined to unalive all Greek Gods.

This is a crazy action filled Greek mythology retelling, and I loved it! This is perfect for anyone who grew up loving anything Greek myth related. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this one at first, but I absolutely loved it and can't wait for the next one! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my audio ARC!!

As a big Greek mythology fan, I loved this story! Danae is not a character I’ve read about, so that was a nice change to be rooting for a new character. There were also nice cameos by some of my favorites- Ariadne, Jason, Hercules, Atalanta.

Danae goes on an adventure away from home to set free the mortals and take down the gods. Lots of fun battles, a little romance sprinkled in, and the storytelling was great !

The narrator was excellent and expressive to bring the story to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. The first of a series, I’ll definitely be looking for more !

I liked the premise of this book and how it used mythology to develop the story. I wish there was more Heracles in this story and that he was more of the main character. I honestly didn't love any of the characters and had a hard time connecting with them or caring about their story.

Danae's story is about overthrowing the Gods. I felt that alot happened that didn't help develop the plot. There was plenty of action scenes but yet each one felt underwhelming. I don't think I will be continuing this series.

En la antigua Grecia, los mortales sufren bajo la tiranía de los dioses, obligados a sacrificar la comida de la que dependen, sus posesiones mundanas e incluso ellos mismos según los caprichos de los Doce. Pero una antigua profecía habla de esperanza, de alguien que liberará a la humanidad. En la isla de Naxos, Danae, la hija de un pescador, desarrolla poderes extraños vinculados a un misterioso árbol que da frutos dorados. Expulsada de su hogar, busca la guía del oráculo, pero solo encuentra más preguntas... y susurros de una red secreta de creyentes que llevan mucho tiempo esperando su llegada. Danae debe elegir entre seguir su destino o su corazón, mientras el destino de la humanidad descansa sobre sus hombros.

El libro es una fantasía con elementos de mitología griega, me pareció un muy buen debut, el ritmo es bastante rápido, me gustó la acción y el crecimiento de la protagonista, me gustó el desarrollo y construcción de mundo.

El audiolibro es narrado excelentemente por Lucy Walker-Evans.

This was a bit tough to get through. I’ve read through a handful of Greek mythology retellings or adjacent stories, and this one did not hold me at all in the way the others did. I feel like the actual plot that is teased in the marketing synopsis doesn’t actually happen until the nearly 40% mark of the book, and the characters are flat and grey. I couldn’t find it in me to root for Danae, and while the audiobook narrator kept me marginally entertained, I just couldn’t make myself care about any of the plot points. The twists in the known mythology was a bit interesting but again, could have been way more integrated into the plot and not what felt like an afterthought. On the whole, I give this 2.5⭐, rounded to 3 on Goodreads.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Daughter of Chaos

By A.S. Webb

Daughter of Chaos is every Greek Mythology fantasy reader's dream. Daughter of Chaos is more of a darker fantasy, with heavier themes. Danae, a daughter of a fisherman, seems to be followed by a shade. She sees a person with red eyes, a shade, in different parts of her town. Her sister is taken during a ceremony of offerings, and is brought back not quite the same. Tragedy happens and Danae must find answers.

Daughter of Chaos is the first book in the Dark Pantheon Trilogy. I would rate Daughter of Chaos and 3.75/5 stars. The plot was compelling, but it took a large portion of the book to get to it. A great deal of foundation was set. Danae felt flat at times, but she was also going through a lot of trauma. The side characters were fun and unique. I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the trilogy. Daughter of Chaos is definitely not for the faint of heart.

I listened to the audiobook of Daughter of Chaos, and the audiobook was clear and concise. I rate the audiobook 5/5. The narrator was easy to understand. I usually listen to audiobooks at 2x, and I was able to dive right into the realm.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to Daughter of Chaos.

www.goodreads.com/book/show/198132882-daughter-of-chaos

Danae lives on the island of Naxos in the South Aegean where villagers must give an offering to Demeter and human sacrifices happen if she is not appeased. After a tragedy happens and she eats a golden apple, she must flee her island to save her life. Once she flees she finds out
that she is part of a prophecy, which she doesn’t really believe; is hunted by monsters; and meets Hercules and his crew; and has other surprising experiences as her hero’s journey is just getting started.

I liked the retelling of some of the Greek myths, but I was a bit annoyed with Danae at times. Overall it was a good story. Lucy Walker-Evans does a good job at narrating the audio book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

#Netgalley #HarlequinAudio #retellingofgreekmyths

A girl from a tiny Greek island destined to change the world

If you like Greek History, fresh retelling of old stories, Powerful female characters, and non-Binary representation you MUST read this book!

I love Greek retelling, but this story flips everything on its head and...and I loved it.

Danae is forced to leave her island after a traumatic event reveals she has god-like powers. She is tumbled down a traumatic river of events as she seeks to find her way back to her family while her world is getting ripped apart.

Content warnings: Rape, gore, intense situations, closed door intimacy.

I just finished this book and my mind is reeling. This fresh take on the Greek myths is as crazy as it is intriguing. The book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger with a lot of threads unresolved so be prepared. I can't wait for the next one!

I really liked the narrator. Some of the pronunciations were not traditional American English due to where this was published, but I loved how it fit the character.

Felt too "modern" for a book about and set in Ancient Greek Myth. Just not the kind of thing I can get engaged with or dive into.

This is the story of Murphy’s Law walking around Greece and in inadvertently terrorizing the Mediterranean. Danae should have been called catastrophe. It was a fun red but a bit redundant with the amount of chaos that just keeps happening to her and everybody around her because of her throughout the story and I about halfway through I got a little old.

This audiobook is definitely an odyssey…if you were a millennial who became obsessed with Greek mythology right around the time of Hercules (Zero to Hero!) and now still maintains at least one active Wikipedia tab about some kind of Greek myth, this is for you. I was able to listen to this as part of The Hive and the narration was excellent, although it is one that I’d want to get a physical copy of to tandem read to reference back to names/places that I may not have absorbed the first time. It was hard to listen to this while trying to focus on another task, but super enjoyable to kick back and listen to when I could focus on it. It skews nearly all mythology/fantasy and very little romance, which didn’t bother me at all but is worth knowing if fantasy romance is more your thing. It ends on the cliffiest of cliffhangers and I will be eagerly awaiting book 2!

Thank you to The Hive and NetGalley for the ALC of this title. All opinions are my own.

First and foremost- I really enjoyed the narration for this! I think the narrator did a great job. But my thoughts on the book itself are conflicted. I enjoyed it. I loved this take on Jason, the argonauts, and the Gods. But I am so familiar with the story that at times I felt pulled out of the book. I have been a lover of Greek/Roman history, stories, and their Gods for so long that this has been such a hard review to write. I think the book is good, don't get me wrong! I loved the story and thought it was so interesting. At times I just wish I could've been more invested that I was. I definitely recommend this one though! I think this sets up such a great story and I can't wait to see what happens next!

If you are a fan of Greek mythology, you need to jump on this book ASAP. There are easter egg references to so many different things. There is also a very nice twisty take on who the gods are and how they get their power that I absolutely love. The world and myth building are excellent and really help this book stand out against other Greek mythology retellings. Webb also does a great job of weaving original characters into established myths and reexplaining them to fit into this winding plot.

I listened to the audiobook for this and while I loved the narrator and how things were portayed through the audiobook, I think I would have done better physically reading this one too as I had no idea of how to spell any of the characters names or many of the cities. This made it harder to follow at first, but once things got going and Danae left her home, I start to be able to follow better.

Daughter of Chaos by A S Webb takes Greek mythology, shakes it up like a storm from Olympus, and drops us into an epic adventure filled with gods, heroes, and one very determined fisherman’s daughter. Danae is just minding her own business on the island of Naxos when a golden apple changes everything. Where that apple sprouts from was both shocking, disturbing, and terribly sad. She suddenly finds herself on a collision course with fate, legendary heroes, and deities who have way too much time on their hands to be this dramatic.

Webb’s writing is fast paced, immersive, and refreshingly modern. She doesn’t bog the story down with heavy handed prose. She keeps it snappy, which makes for an addictive read. Danae is the kind of protagonist you root for. Clever, resilient, and just bold enough to make you wonder if she has any survival instincts at all. But let’s be honest. You don’t go toe to toe with Heracles and Jason without a little nerve.

Speaking of mythology, Webb sprinkles in familiar faces from Greek legends, but she doesn’t just rehash old tales. She reimagines them, weaving Danae’s journey seamlessly into the existing lore while keeping things unpredictable. The world building was truly masterful. And let’s talk about the gods for a second. Webb nails their chaotic, self absorbed, and occasionally terrifying personalities. They’re not just background noise. They’re major players in Danae’s destiny, whether she likes it or not.

Is Danae a little too confident at times? Maybe. But honestly, when your life is basically a Greek tragedy waiting to happen, confidence might be the only thing keeping you from getting turned into a constellation. The stakes are high, the action is constant, and the deeper themes like destiny, free will, and the questionable morality of divine beings give the story some real weight.

Bottom line. Daughter of Chaos is a wild ride through ancient Greece that mythology nerds and fantasy lovers alike will devour. It’s clever, cinematic, and packed with enough twists to keep you flipping pages well past bedtime. If this is just the beginning of The Dark Pantheon series, sign me up for whatever chaos comes next.

The audiobook edition of Daughter of Chaos is an absolute treat, thanks to Lucy Walker Evans’ stellar narration. She doesn’t just read the story, she breathes life into it, giving each character a distinct voice and personality that pulls you even deeper into Danae’s journey. Her delivery is engaging, her pacing spot on, and the way she captures the intensity of the story makes for an immersive listening experience. Whether it’s the commanding presence of gods, the swagger of heroes, or the raw determination of Danae herself, she nails every moment. If you’re thinking about picking this up in audio, do it. Highly recommend.

A special thank you to @netgalley and @Harlequinaudio for a copy of this enchanting audiobook, in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.