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anniehayez's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I thought this was unremarkable. Pretty well written. It was often repetitive and slow for my taste. I also felt that a lot of the trauma suffered by all of the characters went unresolved or at least brushed away. I wish there was a bigger push back from Persephone towards Demeter. She speaks of seeking freedom and then accepts being possessed. I feel like Demeter was never chastised for never seeing her child as the grown being she was and wanting to own her. I get that’s from her own trauma but I was hoping this story would touch more on breaking cycles. I also just don’t love a lot of the creative choices that were made. It was fine but not for me. The StoryGraph AI did try to warn me I wouldn’t like this book and I should have listened.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Incest, Rape, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
farmpaws's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Absolutely incredible. So beautifully written, and the way that Lynn writes the complex relationship between mother and daughter is like nothing I have ever read. She writes a version of the gods that makes them both relatable but so alien in the way that they experience the events of the book and also express their own emotions.
Lynn’s descriptions of the world around the characters was so lush and atmospheric, perfect for this story.
Demeter and Persephone had such individual voices and the way their versions of events contrasted made this a book I couldn’t put down.
Lynn’s descriptions of the world around the characters was so lush and atmospheric, perfect for this story.
Demeter and Persephone had such individual voices and the way their versions of events contrasted made this a book I couldn’t put down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Rape
Not graphic as in on page description but prevalent and repeating throughout the bookmurphiicreates's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I had issues connecting with the first half of the book. I’m not sure if it’s my lack of being a mother or what, but Demeter is an ignorant woman who never takes responsibility for any action. The second half, which is about Core / Persephone was much more relatable and relied heavily on the journey to finding one’s self.
I did notice something that bothered me about the writing style…a handful of times, the author reused word for word certain lines. They didn’t seem to relay anything to make me think this was done on purpose. I didn’t notice it in the first part. That’s ultimately why I lowered my score as it seemed more of an “let’s add some fluff for word count” versus having meaningful or more varied descriptions, etc.
I did notice something that bothered me about the writing style…a handful of times, the author reused word for word certain lines. They didn’t seem to relay anything to make me think this was done on purpose. I didn’t notice it in the first part. That’s ultimately why I lowered my score as it seemed more of an “let’s add some fluff for word count” versus having meaningful or more varied descriptions, etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
crothe77's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Daughters of Olympus by Hannah Lynn is a dual first-person POV retelling of the story of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades. Starting with when Demeter was swallowed by her father, Hannah Lynn centers Demeter’s story in Greek myth and later explores a different angle for how Persephone might have been tempted to eat the pomegranate. Demeter’s trauma and Persephone’s grief are key parts of their POVs and dictate many of their decisions.
Demeter’s chapters retell the stories of Hera and Zeus, Hephaestus, and aspects of Poseidon as well as her own. A defining feature is Demeter’s children and how she took care of each of the three sets of twins she bore. Of all six, only Persephone remains in Demeter’s life while the others were either mortal or given to others who could take care of them properly. I knew about Persephone and Arion, one of her children with Poseidon, but I had not heard of the others before reading Daughters of Olympus. They aren’t talked about as much, possibly because the story of Hades and Persephone is usually the main story in which Demeter appears in most Greek mythology retellings or anthologies.
Persephone’s chapters center a relationship between Persephone and Ione, a married woman, before her abduction by Hades. As far as I can tell, Ione’s romantic relationship with Persephone is a creation of Hannah Lynn used to highlight relationships between women, layers to marriages in Ancient Greece, and give a different angle to Hades and Persephone’s love story, particularly in relationship to Ione’s death and the afterlife.
Hades and Persephone are more of a slowburn romance where their marriage is built on a friendship first before Persephone starts to open her heart further to him. The pair’s similarities as two gods who are not really part of Olympus nor particularly interested in engaging in the drama of the other gods is noted as a large reason why their relationship grows as well as Hades’ empathy for the souls of his kingdom.
Content warning for brief depictions of the death of a child, sexual assault, pregnancy, and childbirth
I would recommend this to readers of Greek mythology retellings who tend to prefer less romantic depictions of the story of Hades and Persephone but still want a hint of that romance and fans of retellings that are more focused on character’s interiority.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
daniellereadslikealot_'s review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WOW. I am completely blown away by this book. For how much I love the myth of Persephone and her mother Demeter, I’ve not read a book that focused on them as main characters before. I’m so glad this was my first. The way Lynn showed the contrast of the pain and horrors of Demeter’s life and how protective she was of her daughter against Core’s loneliness and isolation because of her mother’s grief and fear was absolutely beautiful. You really empathize and understand both characters so well. Like any Greek mythology book, there are some truly heartbreaking moments, but this book really showcased resilience, female power and independence. Also, I LOVED how Hades was written. There was so much complexity within him, but he never overpowered Persephone’s story. I HIGHLY recommend this one and I can’t wait to read the rest of Lynn’s books!
TW: rape, death of a child, violence, kidnapping, death, grief
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Rape
Moderate: Kidnapping
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