The love story is not the focus of the novel, and it is a slow-building romance. I love her strength and confidence, as well as her relentless spirit. There’s a fierceness about her that is admirable and empowering. She has spent much of her life trying to prove her worth to people who deem her unworthy, and yet she never gives up. Daphne’s sense of isolation and of not being fully embraced by the Spartans is clear from the first pages, and her need to belong propels many of her actions. All Daphne wants is to be accepted as a Spartan even though she was not technically born in Sparta. I also like that the author didn’t focus specifically on one mythological story, and instead twined several together to create a new and fresh tale.ĭaphne is a fantastic protagonist! Brave and determined, she is a true warrior. It definitely gives you a different perspective of some of the classic God and Goddesses like Apollo and Artemis, which I found intriguing.

I’m a fan of Greek mythology and appreciate how well the author interwove the stories of the Gods and Goddesses into this novel. Set in ancient Greece, the novel is a retelling of Daphne and Apollo, but it is very different from the original story. Guided by Artemis’s twin-the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo-Daphne’s journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves.Ī reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, Daughter of Sparta by debut author Claire Andrews turns the traditionally male-dominated mythology we know into a heart-pounding and empowering female-led adventure.ĭisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links.ĭaughter of Sparta is a captivating and immersive quest story that follows Daphne as she tries to save the powers of Olympus. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods’ waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother’s life will be forfeit. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis-who holds Daphne’s brother’s fate in her hands-upends the life she’s worked so hard to build. Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. Synopsis: Sparta forged her into a deadly weapon.

Daughter of sparta claire andrews