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gaiadances's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
an interesting retelling of the story of phaedra. i enjoyed the links drawn to the other well known characters in greek mythology like theseus, medea, the minotaur and ariadne. however the book was pitched as a strong feminist retelling which it really wasn’t. the trial we were promised occurs in the last third of the book and is wrapped up in 20 pages. i was very disappointed with that. the build up of phaedra’s and hippolytus’s relationship led to nothing ultimately. the characters felt very confused and indistinguishable from one another. overall i enjoyed the first half of the book but was highly disappointed by where it ended up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexual violence and Violence
luciuh's review against another edition
2.0
eeehh... idk it was just a thing i read.. not amazing... not the worst..
edit: i enjoyed the world that the novel was set in, but felt as though the plot went nowhere. there was a lot of potential for a very thought provoking novel exploring both the position of women in ancient greek society and the exploitation of mythos by those in power, but the book never took hold of that potential and instead fell flat.
edit: i enjoyed the world that the novel was set in, but felt as though the plot went nowhere. there was a lot of potential for a very thought provoking novel exploring both the position of women in ancient greek society and the exploitation of mythos by those in power, but the book never took hold of that potential and instead fell flat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
not_kamille's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Grief
elysareadsitall's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Phaedra" was a difficult read, but I'm glad to have read it. The Night Chorus of women in the story was heartbreaking and fascinating, and they were my favorite part of the book. This book follows Phaedra as Theseus kills her brother the minotaur, runs off with her sister, returns without her, marries Phaedra, takes her to Athens, and leaves her in the dangerous court alone. Phaedra is then raped by Theseus's son Hippolytus, and his trial follows.
The story dives headfirst into the politics of Athens and women's bodies. It's infuriating and hard to read, but it's realistic and important too. The prose is stark and driving. The book was quick to read and difficult to put down. Because it's a well-known myth, I knew what was going to happen, but I kept reading with hope and a need to know how Shepperson would wrap up the story.
The story is told in several perspectives. The characters Shepperson chose were confusing to me at first, but their parts in the story became clear quickly and made perfect sense. I liked the variety of perspectives because it showed how the ripple effects spread wide. Besides the Night Chorus, I was most drawn to Phaedra's perspective because she changes the most over the story and has a lot of inner turmoil.
The story dives headfirst into the politics of Athens and women's bodies. It's infuriating and hard to read, but it's realistic and important too. The prose is stark and driving. The book was quick to read and difficult to put down. Because it's a well-known myth, I knew what was going to happen, but I kept reading with hope and a need to know how Shepperson would wrap up the story.
The story is told in several perspectives. The characters Shepperson chose were confusing to me at first, but their parts in the story became clear quickly and made perfect sense. I liked the variety of perspectives because it showed how the ripple effects spread wide. Besides the Night Chorus, I was most drawn to Phaedra's perspective because she changes the most over the story and has a lot of inner turmoil.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Suicide
masoncasper's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A feminist mythological retelling focusing around themes of faith, justice, and identity. Phaedra, the maligned daughter of Crete is a wonderful source for powerful imagery and a story that absolutely breaks hearts. The multiple narrators provide a well rounded perspective of the plot as it develops and the myth plays out. Despite knowing how the story ends, it was an enjoyable read nonetheless (I just didn’t finish it in like a day)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Pregnancy
emmsbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
renettereads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
The Heroines is a Greek retelling of Phaedra who initially falls in love with her stepson, Hippolytus, and then accuses him of rape when the feelings aren’t reciprocated. With this novel, Shepperson takes a few liberties with the myth and shapes it into a relevant message.
Though I really appreciated what Shepperson was saying with this novel – we are still dealing with victim blaming and shaming whenever sexual assault comes to the forefront – I couldn’t entirely immerse myself in the story. I think that was partly because of the many POV’s of this book. I felt as though some perspectives weren’t essential and switching as often, and with each voice being so different, the experience became more jarring, pulling me out of the story instead of making an impact.
I also felt as though the writing style in places wasn’t for me – I’ll be the first to admit that I want my prose flowery, especially when it comes to Greek retellings – and so this one just didn’t grip me as much I would’ve liked.
Though I really appreciated what Shepperson was saying with this novel – we are still dealing with victim blaming and shaming whenever sexual assault comes to the forefront – I couldn’t entirely immerse myself in the story. I think that was partly because of the many POV’s of this book. I felt as though some perspectives weren’t essential and switching as often, and with each voice being so different, the experience became more jarring, pulling me out of the story instead of making an impact.
I also felt as though the writing style in places wasn’t for me – I’ll be the first to admit that I want my prose flowery, especially when it comes to Greek retellings – and so this one just didn’t grip me as much I would’ve liked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Murder
that_chick26's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: War
coffeekitaab's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a pretty heavy read...
I haven't read Greek mythology since school and have always wanted to read more as an adult. This has been the first opportunity I had in a long time and I found I was still as interested and had never come across the story of Theseus, Phaedra and Hippolytus.
Trigger warnings should be checked.
I really enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of the female characters, and the author did well to commit to the different narratives. I do feel it was weak for a novel that is set out as a "feminist retelling". The characters are helpless before the dominating males and, even the goddesses seem subjected to their violence and treachery. I felt uncomfortable at how explicit the description of male harassment, violence etc was so trigger warnings flagged here.
My only other gripe is at times there was an assumption that the reader was well versed on the different myths which left the writing hanging to your the reader's imagination. Of course that does not work unless you know the tales, so I lost myself in these moments and found it a bit frustrating. This was a 3.5* for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read Greek mythology since school and have always wanted to read more as an adult. This has been the first opportunity I had in a long time and I found I was still as interested and had never come across the story of Theseus, Phaedra and Hippolytus.
Trigger warnings should be checked.
I really enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of the female characters, and the author did well to commit to the different narratives. I do feel it was weak for a novel that is set out as a "feminist retelling". The characters are helpless before the dominating males and, even the goddesses seem subjected to their violence and treachery. I felt uncomfortable at how explicit the description of male harassment, violence etc was so trigger warnings flagged here.
My only other gripe is at times there was an assumption that the reader was well versed on the different myths which left the writing hanging to your the reader's imagination. Of course that does not work unless you know the tales, so I lost myself in these moments and found it a bit frustrating. This was a 3.5* for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
thereadingmum's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mythological retellings are one of my favourite genres and this one did not disappoint.
This is the story of Phaedra, daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and the Minotaur, wife of Theseus.
I didn't know the traditional story, and I didn't look it up while reading the book. I feel this helped me to enjoy the book more. However, it is important to know that this story does not end well. The atmosphere of impending tragedy is there right from the start and not everyone likes that. I personally don't, but with myths, there is a lot of it so it's to be expected. I mean humans are always either being abused and killed by gods. It seems to be our way to lay blame on most of our tragedies.
Anyhoo, here's what I liked about this version of the story. I liked the multiple view points of mostly all women, and one old man. It definitely sets the stage for how the women are treated in ancient Greece, which is similar to most of ancient history up to about 100 years ago or less, depending on where you live. I liked that while Phaedra seems very naive, she does have a depth of strength. I liked how Medea's story bolsters the ending. I also liked Theseus devotion to his son, which is not in the original myth.
What I didn't like: in The Heroines as well as Stone Blind, which I read recently, there is an extreme vilification of men. Yes, I get that women had a hard time and mostly because of men, but for every single male in this story, apart from one guard, to be a complete a-hole, is a bit much.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you enjoy tragic Greek myths.
This is the story of Phaedra, daughter of King Minos, sister of Ariadne and the Minotaur, wife of Theseus.
I didn't know the traditional story, and I didn't look it up while reading the book. I feel this helped me to enjoy the book more. However, it is important to know that this story does not end well. The atmosphere of impending tragedy is there right from the start and not everyone likes that. I personally don't, but with myths, there is a lot of it so it's to be expected. I mean humans are always either being abused and killed by gods. It seems to be our way to lay blame on most of our tragedies.
Anyhoo, here's what I liked about this version of the story. I liked the multiple view points of mostly all women, and one old man. It definitely sets the stage for how the women are treated in ancient Greece, which is similar to most of ancient history up to about 100 years ago or less, depending on where you live. I liked that while Phaedra seems very naive, she does have a depth of strength. I liked how Medea's story bolsters the ending. I also liked Theseus devotion to his son, which is not in the original myth.
What I didn't like: in The Heroines as well as Stone Blind, which I read recently, there is an extreme vilification of men. Yes, I get that women had a hard time and mostly because of men, but for every single male in this story, apart from one guard, to be a complete a-hole, is a bit much.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you enjoy tragic Greek myths.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence