A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Queens of Themiscyra by Hannah M. Lynn

Series:
The Grecian Women Trilogy #3

Genre:
Mythology, Greek Mythology, Retellings, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Book Series, Duology and Trilogy, Ancient Greece, Feminist, Folklore, Sapphic, Lesbian, LGBTQIA+, Folklore, Ancient Greek Literature, Netgalley

Publication Date:
May 7, 2024

Read Date:
464

Read Date:
March 15th, 2024

Date Finished:
March 15th, 2024

Rating:
2.5/5

Blurb:

They are the women of war.

In ancient Themiscyra, Hippolyte rules as Queen of the Amazons. Feared throughout Greece, their skills on the battlefield are unmatched. But when a ship lands on their shores, it brings something more dangerous than the threat of war. It brings a future Hippolyte could never have dreamed of.

Swept away to Athens, Hippolyte learns a love that transcends even the bond of the Amazon women. Can she forget her warrior past and forge a new life she had never dreamed of?

With her sister gone, Penthesilea is left with no choice but to rise as the new Queen of the Amazons. She does so with a ferocity that sparks terror throughout the Aegean. Replacing her sister’s compassion and wisdom, Penthesilea rules with impulsiveness and might.

So when Hippolyte’s world starts to crumble it is up to Penthesilea to decide how far she will go to defend their honour.

Review:

I have been sitting on this review for almost a week trying to decide where to rate this last book in the trilogy. I loved the first two books in the series with the first being my favorite, but the third book - not so much.

I was never a fan of Theseus in Greek Mythology. I always found him to be arrogant and self-centered. He always seemed to think he was better than everyone else and boasted about his heroic deeds. Despite his bravery and skills as a warrior, I couldn't get past his egotistical nature.

I also found his treatment of women to be reprehensible. He abandoned Ariadne and Phaedra, two women who loved and supported him, without a second thought. His abduction of Hippolyte and his treatment of her as a trophy rather than an equal also left a sour taste in my mouth.

This was the daughter of Ares, God of War, owner of the zoster, whom she willingly gave to Heracles because he needed it for his twelve labours. She was the Queen of the Amazons, a woman who went to battle even against men.

She turned him down time after time and it seemed that Theseus does not like to talk NO for an answer. Any other good hero would have bowed his head in knowing defeat and moved on. Nope, he drugs her, abducts her from her world and when her sisters come to save her, she tells them she doesn't want to leave...that she knows he loves her in his way.

If this isn't a case of Stockholm Syndrome, I don't know what is.

While I love that Ms. Lynn is expanding on other myths outside the heavily saturated world of Hades and Persephone, this book was not my favorite. It may be due to that I found Theseus's character unbearable, arrogant, and selfish. I never liked him at all, which may be why I found this tale not to my taste.

I hope Ms. Lynn continues to dive further into the Greek and Roman world of myths and bring us tales that need retelling.


*Disclaimer: Thank you to the author, her publishers, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions of this review are mine and mine alone.

Similar Books:

Rise of Princes by Janell Rhiannon
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes

Daughters of Olympus by Hannah M. Lynn

Series:
N/A

Genre:
Greek Mythology, Mythology, Retellings, Fantasy, Standalone and Novella, Historical Fiction, Fiction, First Person Point of View, Netgalley

Publication Date:
July 9, 2024

Pages Numbers:
336

Read Date:
December 8th, 2023

Date Finished:
December 8th, 2023

Rating:
5/5

Blurb:

A daughter pulled between two worlds and a mother willing destroy both to protect her...

Gods and men wage their petty wars, but it is the women of spring who will have the last word...

Demeter did not always live in fear. Once, the goddess of spring loved the world and the humans who inhabited it. After a devastating assault, though, she becomes a shell of herself. Her only solace is her daughter, Persephone.

A balm to her mother's pain, Persephone grows among wildflowers, never leaving the sanctuary Demeter built for them. But she aches to explore the mortal world--to gain her own experiences. Naïve but determined, she secretly builds a life of her own under her mother's watchful gaze. But as she does so, she catches the eye of Hades, and is kidnapped...

Forced into a role she never wanted, Persephone learns that power suits her. In the land of the living, though, Demeter is willing to destroy the humans she once held dear--anything to protect her family. A mother who has lost everything and a daughter with more to gain than she ever realized, their story will irrevocably shape the world.

Review:

Zeus has never been my favorite Olympian nor has his brother, Poseidon. Both have always come across as manwhores who care little to none about the person they are pursuing and what sort of repercussions will come out of this. Zeus does this because, you know, he is the King of the Olympian Gods so you should be honored that he has taken any interest in you.

However, I felt sorry for Demeter when Zeus's lust turned toward her. He came to her under the pretense that he wanted to observe the humans while in snake form. Unfortunately, this was merely a ruse that Demeter should have set off warning bells in her head. She knew that her brother was not to be trusted. She had seen what he had done to Hera to force her to become his wife. She had been the focus of his obsession and she knew that. So, I did not understand why she trusted him to begin with.

I would never trust Zeus as far as I could throw him. But I liked how humanized we see Demeter. This portrayal is so different from the ones I have seen of her - a domineering mother who has already mapped out how her daughter's life should and would be accordingly. While there are some of those traits within this Demeter, we do see that she begins to allow Kore/Core to become her person.

The book's second half finds Kore/Core carving a path from beneath her mother's shadow. Kore/Core has always been the security blanket that Demeter has clung to. She has kept Kore/Core away from the world, hiding her away on an island making sure that no one can find them. But Kore/Core is not one to be kept within her mother's shadows and Demeter learns that Kore/Core needs to be free. Demeter is reluctant to do so but she allows her daughter the freedom. From the first taste of love to the moment her world is tilted upside down by Hades, Kore/Core is given a seat of power, one never allotted to her when she and her mother were on Olympus. Here in the Underworld, her rule is equal to that of her husband, something none of the other Olympian wives have.

I liked this version of Demeter and Kore/Core's story. Demeter's character was humanized in a way that made her relatable and sympathetic. Her love for her daughter and the pain she felt when Kore was taken away by Hades was palpable. It was heart-wrenching to see her mourn and fall into despair, recognizing the absence of her daughter in her life.

At the same time, Demeter's determination and strength shone through as she went on a journey to find Kore and bring her back. Her transformation into the powerful goddess we know her to be was empowering to witness. She showed resilience and refused to give up, even in the face of immense obstacles.

Kore's character, on the other hand, had a sense of innocence and vulnerability that was endearing. Her curiosity and desire to explore the world outside her mother's watchful eye were relatable, as many young individuals long for freedom and independence.

The dynamic between Demeter and Kore/Core was portrayed beautifully, showcasing the unconditional love between a mother and her daughter. Their separation and reunion were emotional, and they emphasized the importance of family bonds and the lengths one would go to protect and save their loved ones.

Final Thought:

This retelling of Demeter and Core/Kore's story brought depth and emotion to their characters, making them more human and relatable. It allowed readers to connect with their experiences and understand the range of emotions they went through. It was a refreshing and engaging take on a classic myth.

*Disclaimer: Thank you to the author, her publishers, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions of this review are mine and mine alone.

Similar Books:

Rise of Princes by Janell Rhiannon
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes