lrauert's review
4.0
I want to give this five stars because I love Greek mythology more than any other, but I can't. I can't because it was a little too slow-paced for my taste. However, this rating should be a 4.5 and I will tell you why: it was so completely different than what I had imagined.
Firstly: the main character is a villain. This is amazing and is never truly done. Especially in YA. The best part? You actually feel sorry for her from the very beginning.
Secondly: unlike every other book where people have these amazing powers, the two main characters are the only real ones without any. It was a fresh way of saying that we may not be gifted, but we're all special. By this I mean that both characters do things in extraordinary ways because they need to figure out how they can accomplish their goals due to them being not godmarked.
It was clever and amazing and I couldn't put it down. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves mythology and breath-taking stories.
Firstly: the main character is a villain. This is amazing and is never truly done. Especially in YA. The best part? You actually feel sorry for her from the very beginning.
Secondly: unlike every other book where people have these amazing powers, the two main characters are the only real ones without any. It was a fresh way of saying that we may not be gifted, but we're all special. By this I mean that both characters do things in extraordinary ways because they need to figure out how they can accomplish their goals due to them being not godmarked.
It was clever and amazing and I couldn't put it down. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves mythology and breath-taking stories.
dtaylorbooks's review
4.0
It doesn’t take much to hook me into a story about ancient Greece so to find one on NetGalley about the labyrinth at Crete and the minotaur it housed it was a no-brainer for me. Luckily the publisher approved me and here I am. And I thank them for it.
This really was a wonderful book but it’s a story that you need to make an investment in. It’s a story that’s definitely more about people and character than about a fast action plot but I think Sweet’s painted just a brilliant portrait of all of them and I couldn’t help but follow them along on their paths. Not to mention she knows her history. She writes in exquisite detail about Crete that I had no trouble picturing it all in my head but at the same time I never felt bogged down by details. I never felt that the author’s knowledge was intruding on the story. Her setting was part of the story and it all blended so seamlessly.
Ariadne really is a repugnant, reprehensible human being. I mean there is absolutely nothing to like about her. Not a damn thing. Yeah, she’s unmarked. But so was Chara and she wasn’t a bitter snatch about life because of it. Ariadne was cruel and calculating and relished in other people’s misery and pain. She’s a true psychopath but at least she doesn’t have power. She had her father on her side and they were of one mind so her manipulation of him wasn’t really so much in her control as it was her father already leaning that way anyway. And because she was actually so powerless her situation was rather laughable. People had nothing to fear from her, at the end of the day. Not really. Especially by the end of the book when her hold was waning and control started slipping from her fingers. But no matter how vile she got I was hooked into reading her life. Every deplorable thing she did made want to see her get her comeuppance even more. I was rooting for her to die by the end of it. It would be only fitting.
Chara is Ariadne’s handmaiden and personality opposite. Where Ariadne is a psychopath Chara is kind and inviting and actually knows how to act, and treat people like, a human being. She was close with Ariadne’s half-brother, the supposed bull god, and she will stop at nothing to save him from his sister’s manipulative ways. His mother is all but powerless to help him, either resigning him to his fate because she knows she can’t do anything or is willfully ignorant of what’s going on. I refuse to believe the latter considering her antagonistic relationship with her husband. Chara is warmth and life to Ariadne’s bitter cold and calculating death. She’s steadfast and refuses to just sit by and accept what’s happening to someone whom she cares deeply for, no matter her station.
The story ends at a very pivotal moment and while, if you’re familiar with the story of the minotaur at all, you’ll know what’s coming but I couldn’t help but hold my breath at where the story left me hanging. Sweet took a familiar story and added enough suspense to it so that even though you may know how it’ll ultimately end, the path to that end is unknown so you’ll have no choice but to take it and see what means will get you to the end. She humanizes the beast so that he no longer is a beast but someone born to a crappy situation and forced to become something for the sake of a religiously delirious mother and a vindictive step-father that will stop at nothing to see him eradicated. And someone who can write such an incredibly unforgivable character as Ariadne and have her POV be half of the book and still keep me reading, is someone to keep reading. I can’t wait for the next book.
4
This really was a wonderful book but it’s a story that you need to make an investment in. It’s a story that’s definitely more about people and character than about a fast action plot but I think Sweet’s painted just a brilliant portrait of all of them and I couldn’t help but follow them along on their paths. Not to mention she knows her history. She writes in exquisite detail about Crete that I had no trouble picturing it all in my head but at the same time I never felt bogged down by details. I never felt that the author’s knowledge was intruding on the story. Her setting was part of the story and it all blended so seamlessly.
Ariadne really is a repugnant, reprehensible human being. I mean there is absolutely nothing to like about her. Not a damn thing. Yeah, she’s unmarked. But so was Chara and she wasn’t a bitter snatch about life because of it. Ariadne was cruel and calculating and relished in other people’s misery and pain. She’s a true psychopath but at least she doesn’t have power. She had her father on her side and they were of one mind so her manipulation of him wasn’t really so much in her control as it was her father already leaning that way anyway. And because she was actually so powerless her situation was rather laughable. People had nothing to fear from her, at the end of the day. Not really. Especially by the end of the book when her hold was waning and control started slipping from her fingers. But no matter how vile she got I was hooked into reading her life. Every deplorable thing she did made want to see her get her comeuppance even more. I was rooting for her to die by the end of it. It would be only fitting.
Chara is Ariadne’s handmaiden and personality opposite. Where Ariadne is a psychopath Chara is kind and inviting and actually knows how to act, and treat people like, a human being. She was close with Ariadne’s half-brother, the supposed bull god, and she will stop at nothing to save him from his sister’s manipulative ways. His mother is all but powerless to help him, either resigning him to his fate because she knows she can’t do anything or is willfully ignorant of what’s going on. I refuse to believe the latter considering her antagonistic relationship with her husband. Chara is warmth and life to Ariadne’s bitter cold and calculating death. She’s steadfast and refuses to just sit by and accept what’s happening to someone whom she cares deeply for, no matter her station.
The story ends at a very pivotal moment and while, if you’re familiar with the story of the minotaur at all, you’ll know what’s coming but I couldn’t help but hold my breath at where the story left me hanging. Sweet took a familiar story and added enough suspense to it so that even though you may know how it’ll ultimately end, the path to that end is unknown so you’ll have no choice but to take it and see what means will get you to the end. She humanizes the beast so that he no longer is a beast but someone born to a crappy situation and forced to become something for the sake of a religiously delirious mother and a vindictive step-father that will stop at nothing to see him eradicated. And someone who can write such an incredibly unforgivable character as Ariadne and have her POV be half of the book and still keep me reading, is someone to keep reading. I can’t wait for the next book.
4
archergal's review
3.0
Interesting take on the Greek myth of The Minotaur, Ariadne, and others. Ultimately the characters didn't really keep my interest. Ariadne is so wicked that she's almost a caricature.
Not really interested enough to follow the story into the next book.
Not really interested enough to follow the story into the next book.
queenofthefaebaes's review
4.0
This is a bit of a prequel to the Greek story of the Minotaur.
Its an interesting telling and really gives you a reason to why the Minotaur's sister was so angry at him and treated him the way she did. I really liked that.
From what I understand the next book will be more of the classic story re told.
My only complaint is I found it a bit easy to get lost while reading this, the writing was very strong and includes thing you may have to look up or use inference clues to figure out so be prepared.
Its an interesting telling and really gives you a reason to why the Minotaur's sister was so angry at him and treated him the way she did. I really liked that.
From what I understand the next book will be more of the classic story re told.
My only complaint is I found it a bit easy to get lost while reading this, the writing was very strong and includes thing you may have to look up or use inference clues to figure out so be prepared.
king_lyd's review
3.0
A decent retelling of Greek myths. There was a little oddness with the characters making them a bit unlikeable and, if you had no basic knowledge of Greek mythology then you might find the names confusing. That said it was a decent read and she handled the nuances well. Expect more thought-provoking than action scenes.
erikachung182's review
4.0
Summary
The Door in the Mountain by Caitlin Sweet is part one of a two-part YA fantasy series, and is very much like a prequel story to the classic Greek myth of the Minotaur. The Door in the Mountain tells the story of how the Minotaur gets locked away inside of a mountain maze, and how Princess Ariadne, who is bitter and resentful of her god-marked half-brother Asterion, becomes in charge of the famous labyrinth. But the story is more complex than a simple prequel story, a slave girl named Chara causes conflicts in the motives of the princess, and Icarus, another god-marked boy who is trying to fly, is conflicted between supporting his friend Asterion and resenting him. Ariadne, Chara and Icarus all hold stakes in the imprisonment of the Minotaur, and while two of them may share similar motives, none of them are willing to compromise in their objective.
Great Parts:
I really enjoyed the characters in The Door in the Mountain because of the interconnections between them. While the story is told from the third person, the story focuses well on each of the characters, and therefore, enables readers to become familiar with them, and see the relationships form between characters. I really admired the character Ariadne for the complexity in her character development. She is a brilliant character not because she is a wonderful and positive, but the opposite – she is the cunning, scheming and power-hungry. Caitlin Sweet does an amazing job with Ariadne in forming and creating her complex personality.
Another aspect I really enjoyed was the plot. The plot was well paced and tension was gradually built up as the story progressed. But what made the plot truly lovely and enjoyable was how it focused on each character’s stake in the conflict, as well as the relationships between characters, and how those relationships came into conflict with one another as the characters sought out their objectives.
Lastly, I really liked Catlin Sweet’s writing style, because it really brought to life Ancient Crete. The style of writing is not like that of a typical YA novel; Sweet’s writing really brings texture and vividness to the classical myth of the Minotaur. Detailed and clear, the world building in The Door to the Mountain was really enjoyable.
Disappointing Parts:
For me, there was only one disappointment part to the Door in the Mountain, and that was the sudden change to first-person narration. The majority of the novel, the story is told from the third-person. While it was interesting to have a more intimate perspective of the story from two of the characters’ eyes, I found it to disrupt the tone and consistency the story had developed. It felt out of place, and maybe, even a bit unnecessary.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I really enjoyed The Door in the Mountain. I am certainly looking forward to when the second and final part of the series comes out. The way it ended was movie-esque (or at least, that’s how I imagined it), and I think, anyone who enjoys Greek mythology will find this to be a wonderful read.
**I received an e-ARC (electronic Advanced Reader’s Copy) from ChiTeen for the purpose of an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions**
The Door in the Mountain by Caitlin Sweet is part one of a two-part YA fantasy series, and is very much like a prequel story to the classic Greek myth of the Minotaur. The Door in the Mountain tells the story of how the Minotaur gets locked away inside of a mountain maze, and how Princess Ariadne, who is bitter and resentful of her god-marked half-brother Asterion, becomes in charge of the famous labyrinth. But the story is more complex than a simple prequel story, a slave girl named Chara causes conflicts in the motives of the princess, and Icarus, another god-marked boy who is trying to fly, is conflicted between supporting his friend Asterion and resenting him. Ariadne, Chara and Icarus all hold stakes in the imprisonment of the Minotaur, and while two of them may share similar motives, none of them are willing to compromise in their objective.
Great Parts:
I really enjoyed the characters in The Door in the Mountain because of the interconnections between them. While the story is told from the third person, the story focuses well on each of the characters, and therefore, enables readers to become familiar with them, and see the relationships form between characters. I really admired the character Ariadne for the complexity in her character development. She is a brilliant character not because she is a wonderful and positive, but the opposite – she is the cunning, scheming and power-hungry. Caitlin Sweet does an amazing job with Ariadne in forming and creating her complex personality.
Another aspect I really enjoyed was the plot. The plot was well paced and tension was gradually built up as the story progressed. But what made the plot truly lovely and enjoyable was how it focused on each character’s stake in the conflict, as well as the relationships between characters, and how those relationships came into conflict with one another as the characters sought out their objectives.
Lastly, I really liked Catlin Sweet’s writing style, because it really brought to life Ancient Crete. The style of writing is not like that of a typical YA novel; Sweet’s writing really brings texture and vividness to the classical myth of the Minotaur. Detailed and clear, the world building in The Door to the Mountain was really enjoyable.
Disappointing Parts:
For me, there was only one disappointment part to the Door in the Mountain, and that was the sudden change to first-person narration. The majority of the novel, the story is told from the third-person. While it was interesting to have a more intimate perspective of the story from two of the characters’ eyes, I found it to disrupt the tone and consistency the story had developed. It felt out of place, and maybe, even a bit unnecessary.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I really enjoyed The Door in the Mountain. I am certainly looking forward to when the second and final part of the series comes out. The way it ended was movie-esque (or at least, that’s how I imagined it), and I think, anyone who enjoys Greek mythology will find this to be a wonderful read.
**I received an e-ARC (electronic Advanced Reader’s Copy) from ChiTeen for the purpose of an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions**
fortifiedbybooks's review
3.0
While I enjoyed The Door in the Mountain, by Caitlin Sweet, I’m not jumping up and down with excitement over it. It’s a retelling of the Greek myth about the Minotaur, Asterion, through the eyes of Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and a slave girl, Chara. The story contains all of the major players from the myth, including Daedalus, Icarus, and Theseus. It’s full of vivid imagery, and the world came alive easily in my mind. However, there were times when the pace got slow enough for me to get a bit bored.
I’m fond of the growing trend of telling old stories and myths from the perspective of the “evil” characters. Ariadne is one of those characters. As a little girl, I felt sympathy for her because of how Pasiphae, her mother, treated her. However, I also disliked her. I could see what she was becoming in order to get attention and approval. My dislike continued to grow as she became more and more conniving, deceitful, jealous, and hateful. Near the end, though, there was a moment I pitied her. I never truly hated her. Instead, I understood that she would never be redeemed because that’s all she knew how to be.
Despite the pacing issue, I still recommend reading this book. It’s a quick read, at a little over 200 pages, and anyone who loves Greek mythology will enjoy it.
I’m fond of the growing trend of telling old stories and myths from the perspective of the “evil” characters. Ariadne is one of those characters. As a little girl, I felt sympathy for her because of how Pasiphae, her mother, treated her. However, I also disliked her. I could see what she was becoming in order to get attention and approval. My dislike continued to grow as she became more and more conniving, deceitful, jealous, and hateful. Near the end, though, there was a moment I pitied her. I never truly hated her. Instead, I understood that she would never be redeemed because that’s all she knew how to be.
Despite the pacing issue, I still recommend reading this book. It’s a quick read, at a little over 200 pages, and anyone who loves Greek mythology will enjoy it.
marie_thereadingotter's review
3.0
I'm not sure what to rate this book. It was weird and kind of confusing, and that birthing scene was unnecessarily descriptive and way too accurate.
It was interesting and well written. But since I am not very familiar with greek mythology other than just basic stuff like names of the gods and their role... I didn't know how much was liberties made by the author. I like to know more than just basic stuff about mythology when authors write books set in the mythology.
I'd recommend this book to people who like this genre, and who like greek mythology.
I received this book from Netgalley for review
It was interesting and well written. But since I am not very familiar with greek mythology other than just basic stuff like names of the gods and their role... I didn't know how much was liberties made by the author. I like to know more than just basic stuff about mythology when authors write books set in the mythology.
I'd recommend this book to people who like this genre, and who like greek mythology.
I received this book from Netgalley for review
vellichorveins's review
1.0
Did you ever want to read the myth of the Minotaur, but have Ariadne be the bad guy???
That's basically what this is. Everything is Ariadne's fault, and it is terrible, and people die. The end.
Also magical powers. Because we needed another reason for the Minotaur to exist than "the gods made him that way." No, he basically has superpowers, but it's attributed to the gods.
It's just. Not very good.
That's basically what this is. Everything is Ariadne's fault, and it is terrible, and people die. The end.
Also magical powers. Because we needed another reason for the Minotaur to exist than "the gods made him that way." No, he basically has superpowers, but it's attributed to the gods.
It's just. Not very good.
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