Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Daughters of Olympus

Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Daughters of Olympus by Hannah Lynn

4 reviews

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.

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kowalskepie's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

4.5

Thank you netgalley and sourcebooks for the eARC! Number 4 in Grecian Women series but they’re more interconnected, stand alone books that can be read separately/out of order.

I loved Lynn’s Athena’s Child and was so excited for a Demeter and Persephone story. Love getting Demeter’s story and some justice for her! She’s one of my favorite goddesses and doesn’t get enough love 💗 I also enjoyed getting to know other gods and goddesses too, like Hephaestus and Hecate!

The story is told through Switching POVs from Demeter and Core (Persephone) which I always love in my books! I was engaged most of the book, there were times it slowed a little in the middle but overall the pacing was well done. Atmospheric writing made me feel like I was in the Underworld and traveling the islands picking flowers with Core!

So far Lynn has done an amazing job of retelling myths and stories of Greek goddesses! This is only my second from her and I’ll definitely be reading her other books!

I loved the explorations of grief and love! The book could be dark at times given some of the topics but they were handled well in my opinion.

Characters are complex and flawed and multi dimensional! I could connect and feel for most of them (🖕🏻Zeus and Poseidon). I didn’t completely hate how Hades was portrayed? He was a bad guy but had a soft side so it felt weird but I’m not mad about that choice. I did however get a little upset by the last few chapters. I HATE when Persephone and Hades are romanticized and being put into this view of love when he KIDNAPPED AND IMPRISONS her?! It was a 5 star read up until this point and I’m kinda mad that Lynn took the same direction that everyone does with their story. I wanted Persephone to stay upset with begrudging respect for Hades not fall for the guy!!!

I think Hannah Lynn handled this retelling very well for the most part. Such an emotional, moving story of mother-daughter relationships, womanhood, grief, freedom, and claiming your power/voice.

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daniellereadslikealot_'s review

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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.

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