This was such a refreshing gem of a book. It’s my favourite type of YA - has a dark edge, is a Greek retelling and features death in quite a literal way!

Deina is a soul severer but has a mysterious edge to her that allows her to do things and endure the process better than the others. When given the opportunity to take on a mission that will buy her freedom - she jumps at the chance to go into the underworld with a group of other soul severers to bring Eurydice back to life.

We have a quest, enemies having to work together , backstories of betrayals and relationships and ofcourse the hijinks of being in the underworld with different beings trying to kill you, not to mention the literal Gods and their capricious whims.

I really enjoyed this. Deina is a great character to root for. I like that she’s far from perfect, isn’t your typical beauty or all powerful being. She has a great arc as she begins to realise her full potential. I also really enjoyed seeing the growth of the other characters as we peel back their layers (nothing I hate more than 2-dimensional side characters). The ending was well done - not an annoying cliff hangar as this story wraps up pretty neatly. However I want to see what is next for these characters and how they deal with the aftermath of everything that happens.

Dare I say I’m also torn between what could be a potential love triangle? Maybe it’s my imagination - but I was definitely getting that vibe lol. All in - please read this. A thoroughly enjoyable read. 4.5/5 stars.

3 ⭐️A wonderful idea for a greek mythology retelling but the pacing was a little off for me

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Being massive fan of greek mythology, I knew I wanted to read this as soon as I first saw it and I thought it was a really interesting concept that took greek mythology and the ancient greek world and mashed them together in a reimagining. The author’s note at the end of the book sheds a bit of light on this process and some of the liberties taken by them when creating this world but that is also worth a read!

This is the first in a duology and I feel like it set things up well for Book 2 and I think I sense a ‘which guy will she choose’ scenario coming which will be good (I’m team Nat all the way- He fits the criteria for fictional men I love🤣)

For me, although this had a lot of potential and was a cool concept, the pacing just wasn’t great. It felt like it was dragging on a bit and I’m not sure it needed to be so long. There’s a lot of worldbuilding at the start which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I would have loved it if we entered the underworld a lot sooner. Without giving too much away, I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if the authors had leant into the time on the underworld being more of a hunger games type experience and i’d be interested to know what anyone else who’s read it thinks about that!

Despite that I will probably read book 2 as I want to know where this goes- there were a lot of revelations and twists in this book, some I guess and some I didn’t so i’m excited to see the aftermath of those!

A stunning story steeped in Greek Mythology.
I wish I knew more about the stories of old because then I might be able to appreciate the finer details of this amazing story.
I can, however, appreciate the research that has gone into this book. It not only shows the dedication of the authors, but also the love they’ve put into it too.

A mesmerising tale with a cast of intriguing characters, glorious world-building and unexpected twists that completely pulls you in and takes you along on their perilous journey.

I loved the variety of characters, each with their own personality, flaws and secrets, but there was something amiss that stopped me for loving one more than the others. That’s not a bad thing, but with all (fantasy) books, I usually find myself drawn to one character above the others. That’s not to say I didn’t like them or they weren’t integral to the story, it’s just none of them stood out for me.

I really enjoyed this book especially the twists that I honestly didn’t see coming and loved venturing into the Underworld. I can’t wait for the sequel and hope there’s more from Hades.

Thank you so much, NetGalley & Bonnier Book UK, for gifting me the ebook arc in return for an honest review.

A fantastic retelling of various Greek myths and concepts and you can tell that the author has done their research.

This fantasy book features magic from the gods which children get gifted to them and this determines the house that they will train within. They then spend their lives carrying out tasks for the gods for their power.

A great concept for a spin on greek myth, thoroughly enjoyed this story

Wow! This was my first ever mythology book, and also my first book by these authors and it won’t be my last.

At first I admit I struggled with the world building and plot, but I think that’s to be expected when you’re unfamiliar with Greek mythology; but once I understood the story I was hooked.

A thief, a warrior, a rogue and others embark on a journey through the underworld on a mission for the king, but not all is as it seems!

I enjoyed the characters, backstory and the relationship that were built, the only criticism I have is the pacing around the 50-60% mark which I felt was slow and a bit of a slog.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I will be picking up the second book in the duology.

Thanks to NetGalley for access 💖

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 😍😍

I don’t even know where to start with how much I enjoyed and loved this book!! 😍😍
There are 2 things I’m a huge fan of, Greek Mythology and retellings so this book was basically made for me.

Deina is a Soul Severer living with the Order of Hades on Iolkos working towards winning time of off her servitude. She longs to be free, is a little bit naughty, loves to steal anything she can get her hands on and it totally loyal to those she loves. When the offer comes from King Orpheus to venture into the Underworld to retrieve his love Eurydices’ soul she does not hold back and, along with 4 fellow Soul Servers, they sail towards their fates.

Whilst in the Underworld, Deina meets with trials and ‘persons’ and learns more about herself that she really wants to (sorry I’m trying to be vague as I want to keep this spoiler free). Her relationships bend, change and develop and there’s one in particular that I really enjoyed because I am a sucker and really enjoy a romance 😏🥰

I really loved the story, all of the characters were incredibly engaging and the Mythology was totally on point!! I literally cannot fault the Daughter of Darkness at all!! 😍😍 The Corr sisters are geniuses. There’s one part in particular in the Underworld that involves one God that made me so happy I can’t wait for you guys to read it, it’s just so cool!! And I cried at the end of the book, just saying…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For sure!!

Deina is a Soul Severer bound to the House of Hades. She longs to be free and is always ready to find a way to reduce her time in Hades’ service. When the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers the chance of freedom and riches in exchange for a mission to the Underworld, Deina and a number of her fellow Soul Severers jump at the chance. Their journey to the Underworld will be perilous and who will gain their freedom?

Obsessed with Greek mythology and stories, I was so excited to read Daughter of Darkness. I was sold on the story from the very first page and didn’t want to put the book down! I devoured this story within hours and although it ends in a cliffhanger, I can’t wait to read the second book in the duology!

I am obsessed with the main character Deina; there’s a real mystery about her past which I found so intriguing. Her relationships with the other characters, and the dynamics of their group was so well written. I loved her love/hate relationship with Theron; it’s a real potential lovers to enemies (with a question mark!) scenario which I loved. There are plenty of twists and turns in this story and I won’t give anything away because some of them are really shocking! The creatures found in the Underworld were particularly terrifying and the authors’ dedication to rich world building was superb.

I can’t wait for the second book in the duology, Queen of the Gods, to be written. I need to find out what happened! Thoroughly entertaining, Daughter of Darkness has all the magic ingredients to make this a bestseller for fans of fantasy, mythology and adventure. One of the best YA fantasy/mythology books I’ve read in a long time. 5 stars….

Can we take a moment to just appreciate the beauty of this cover! Stunning!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Daughter of Darkness is out today!

𝕊𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕆 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕖, 𝕒 𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 …

Before I go deeper into the review, thank you <i> NetGalley and Hot Key Books (publisher) </i> for this ARC in exchange for an <b> independent and honest review. </b>

This book is perfect for anyone loving a good YA adventure and Greek mythology.
First of all, the cover! Is stunning and I added the book to my TBR as soon as I saw it.

The story is perfect for you if you are looking for:

✨An impossible quest deep in the Underworld - the feeling of danger in each corner was great.
✨A very loose retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth.
✨Great world building and a very atmospheric story.
✨Rivals forced to work together to survive
✨Slow burn and a possible love triangle (Im not sure about that chemistry between Deina and Nat)
✨Action packed and plot twists that keep you at the edge of your seat and wanting to read more.

Over all, if you are looking for an atmospheric YA book inside Hades’ realm… then welcome to Daughter of Darkness.

Thank you Net Galley and Bonnier Books UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

I really loved this book as Deira is an incredibly lovable, strong and driven protagonist which makes reading this book so easy. The characters are very well written, with even the side-characters having such complexities to them. I am a massive fan of mythology, so a book about Greek Mythology was instantly going to be a yes from me. The world created in this book is also very well written, and it made it so easy to picture it. I also loved the tone of the book and it was set in the perfect pace for the plot - not too fast but not too slow. A gorgeous YA novel - such fun to read.

For fans of: Lore by Alexandra Bracken, anything by Leigh Bardugo, and obviously Percy Jackson or The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan.

Daughter of the darkness is the story of Deina as one of the Soul Severers serving the god Hades on earth, her future is tied to the task of shepherding the dying on from the mortal world - unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out. Then the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts. So begins their perilous journey into the realm of Hades. . . The prize of freedom is before her - but what will it take to reach it?

It was an amazing book. The characters are wonderful. If you like Greek myths, a rich fantasy worlds and strong females characters, this is your book.
I loved how the writers managed to modernise the Greek myths, adding plot twists and strong female characters. Plus a complex villain, mysteries to give and take and heart-stopping scenes. If you still don't feel like reading it, here's a sentence that made me scream with emotion: "You think you know what courage is, Aster? You think it's something only possessed by men? I've seen bravery among the women of Iolkos that you couldn't even aspire to. So when you've borne children - when you've watched your sister or daughter die in childbirth - when you've sold your body to keep yourseld and your family starving - then you can talk to me about the weakness of women."

Hope you love this book as much as I did!

"Sickness stalks the broad streets of Iolkos, and Death follows in its wake. After all, he is everywhere, in all living things: their beginnings, their endings, and each moment of existence between. Built into every atom of the space they inhabit. He is only, and always, to be expected. Whether through disease or violence or the swift-footed passage of the years, all life eventually falls beneath the shadow of his wings."

Deina was taken as a child to be amongst the Soul Severers; a group tasked with moving the dying on from the mortal world, as well as punishing criminals with either death or eternal abandonment in the underworld.

But as she gets older, she craves freedom beyond the confines of the city and her job. So when when Orpheus offers fortune and freedom to whoever can bring his dead wife Eurydice back from the Underworld, she immediately volunteers.

Deina knows that there are only two possible outcomes - she will be successful, or she will die a failure:

"... if she had to court death to feel truly alive, she wasn't likely to live very long."

This is the first I've read from Katherine and Elizabeth Corr, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I was reminded of The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper in the detailed, yet accessible, descriptions of the ancient world. I never studied Ancient Rome or Greece, so both books are similar in their ability to immerse me, a novice, in such established societies.

What really intrigued me about Daughter of Darkness is how palpable the feelings of isolation is despite Deina never really being alone. Whether she's with the other Severers or just has the gods watching over her, neither her life purpose nor her beliefs bring her a sense of community.

Deina is always surrounded by darkness. Deina is the darkness. But she is also the light.

In the sea of mythological retellings being published lately, Daughter of Darkness manages to stand on its own two feet.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy if this book in return for an honest review!

Deina, the Soul Severer of Iolkos, is ready to do anything to escape her service to Hades, the King of the Underworld. In the competitive environment of the House of Hades, where women are treated as inferior to men, she has to steal and bribe to build her position. When Orpheus, the tyrant ruling over the ancient world, asks for volunteers for a mysterious task and offers wealth and freedom from the service as a reward, she jumps at the chance. Soon, she is forced to forge an alliance with her rival Severers as they embark on a mission to retrieve the king’s wife Eurydice from the Underworld.

Daughter of Darkness is an epic adventure in a world based on Greek mythology. It is your classic quest narrative, where a group of heroes has to overcome many difficulties in their journey to attempt the unthinkable, fulfil a prophecy or their destiny. The world created by the authors is a detailed recreation of ancient Greece with the addition of the usage of the god’s power by the chosen mortals. They can channel the energy but have to pay the price for it. For a Severer, forty years of service, that can be shortened by performing more prestigious tasks. Which explains their competitive nature, little arguments and determination to complete the impossible task of bringing a dead woman back to the land of the living.

This book is an exciting, addictive read. It has incredible world-building, lots of action and great characters. Deina is an exceptional heroine. Morally grey, as she is a known thief and liar, but still has her own rules and remains loyal to her companions. Apart from the original heroes created by the authors, we meet many characters known from mythology, like Orpheus, Hades and Charon, portrayed in a refreshing, original way. Mythology seems to be only a skeleton on which Katharine and Elizabeth Corr built their unique universe.

I genially enjoyed reading this fantastic novel. I would recommend it to all the fans of YA fiction, fantasy and mythology retellings.

This was a pretty enjoyable fantasy read about a group of people blessed by the greek gods with mythical powers. In return they lost their freedom and were made to serve in the tyrant's empire. The book details their journey in a risky attempt to gain their freedom and touches upon many well known greek myths. I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to friends and family alike.

Firstly, thank you Netgalley & the publisher for this beautiful book - what a novel!

It's no surprise to anyone at this point when I pick up a book related to Greek Mythology. Whilst this isn't a strict retelling, it's still just as magical. The particular myth, we find ourselves in a loose alternate retelling that involves Orpheus and Eurydice. You absolutely do not need to have any understanding of the myths prior to reading this, Katharine & Elizabeth Corr do all the leg work to bring you up to speed whilst thoroughly entertaining you.

What I loved:
- Loved Deina, our bad-ass MC. Just loved her. She's flawed, hot tempered, rash and full of raw emotion.
- Our found family are all so wonderfully different, both likeable and unlikeable in their own ways! I feel like each reader will align themselves with someone different!
- The whole lore around soul-severers is just perfect.
- The world building is beautifully done; the descriptions of the underworld particularly stood out!
- There's some slow burn enemies to lovers hinted at here, without spoiling anything, and I am here for it!
- This felt like it was a natural progression from works like Lore and Percy Jackson and I love that it fills that void for me.
- The twist on the original myth is so original and thrilling; my jaw DROPPED

What could be improved upon:
- My only slight criticism was the pacing for the first 10% of the book - it was just a little slow; that being said it didn't take away from my enjoyment so I haven't knocked off a star.

Read if you love:
- Reading: Lore; Percy Jackson, all the greek mythology classics
- Enemies to lovers
- Slow burn
- Found Family
- Bad-Ass Female Main Character

All in all, 5 stars - can't wait to reread, and can't wait for the concluding 2nd instalment,

When I saw a Greek mythology book I was immediately interested, then I saw it was by 2 authors I recognised I knew I had to at least try to be a NetGalley reader of it and luckily I was accepted!

Daughter of Darkness is a dark retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (the one where they are just married when she dies and he goes to the underworld to retrieve her, but on the way back he looks at her before they are fully out and she is taken back to the underworld) where it is not Orpheus who goes to the underworld, instead he sends a group of Severers - Severers have a tiny amount of their god's power.

Deina is a severer of Hades, and she is chosen with 3 others to retrieve Eurydice in return for freedom. The group share a lack of trust, desire for freedom, and complicated past. We follow them on their quest as they develop into a found family. The love interest is friends to rivals/enemies to lovers which is not often done, let alone done well - which Katharine and Elizabeth Corr achieve.

There's found family, friends to rivals to lovers, secrets, danger, competition and betrayal all in a wonderful combination and I can't wait for the sequel!

The first 20% was full of potential but it soon fell flat for me. At the beginning, I was really invested in the book's premise - Greek gods but never as I had seen before and the main characters were life Severers, desperate for freedom. Although Deina hated most of the side characters, there was always an element of found family. Especially between Deina and Chryse, but also Theron who, although she hated him at the beginning, became an important side character.
I enjoyed the plot idea - returning the Kings deceased wife because she was the love of his life - but this was not the case.
After the 30% mark I became slightly lost. There were a lot of terms, characters and dull points that I struggled to keep up with. This felt typical of a Book 2 filler I've read from other series rather than a debut to a story. The journey through the underworld felt drawn out and slightly pointless. I think the entire plot of the duology could have been told in one book.
The plot twists were slightly unexpected but came out of left field during dull points.
Overall, I enjoyed the first quarter, and felt its potential but after that it felt drawn out and confusing.

Thank you for the ARC, I really appreciate the opportunity

The premise for this book was wonderful, I was hooked from the very beginning. You can tell the author has put a lot of time into researching the Greek Mythology aspects of this book. It felt like such a well-developed book.
From the first page I was completely hooked. The plot was full of twists and turns, and I could honestly not guess what was going to happen next. The world building was spot on.
If you love Greek Mythology this is definitely the book for you.

Deina is a Soul Severer in the service of Hades, a 40 year indenture, her main task to guide souls on their last journey. She strives to earn her freedom and will even steal to achieve it. King Orpheus offers gold plus freedom to whoever goes to the Underworld and retrieves his dead wife Eurydice. Deina wishes to try but she will have to team up with a group of Severers who mostly antagonize her. And the perilous journey begins...

With an enticing prologue that jumpstarts the epic feel of this tale, the descriptions of life in this fictitious Ancient Greece call to mind inspired historical fiction. Drawing life from Greek mythology, it engages a twist on the Orpheus & Eurydice story, constituting the building blocks of an enthralling fantasy. The worldbuilding is seasoned with a plethora of details, welcoming to those who love that sort of thing. Images are drawn with a lyrical, melancholic tone to the narrative.

Determined and brave, Deina is a poster child for courage. Through her POV, we witness her hardship as a Severer and as a woman. Watching the character grow and the team's evolution is satisfying. The narrative is peppered with glimpses of an overall mystery that pertains to her. An unexpected character who will pique your curiosity and constitute as a catalyst, a more than likeable, dangerous, smirk-worthy one. Being Greek I guessed where the nickname came from.

A little thing that was needling me as I read this it that it seems in the attempt to create an epicness we've lost a little of the inviting personality the Corr sisters' books usually present. Not that I didn't get into this book, it just wasn't instantaneous. But then the quest to the Underworld begins and any reservations I had fly out the window. This is the Corr brilliance I was looking for. Presenting gasp-worthy twists and being utterly captivating.

Fate plays an important role. Are there things that are 'meant' to be? Do things happen for a reason or is it all random? Also the age-old question of nature versus nurture underlines a lof the book's events. Do where we come from matter as to who we are, or is it up to us with our actions and decisions?

In a nutshell, Greek mythology plus the Corrs' imagination and writing prowess make a winning combination.

I received this book as an electronic advanced reader copy in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to Katharine & Elizabeth Corr and to Hot Key Books for giving me the chance to read Daughter of Darkness before it's release.

Daughter of Darkness is a high stakes fantasy surrounding the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Serving the god of Hades is a group known as Soul Severers; individuals with the power to separate a soul from its body. Their jobs range from relieving a suffering body to enacting punishments on criminals to tie their souls to experience the punishment forever.

Soul Severer Deina is trapped; just like all Soul Severers are. Forced to work to buy their own freedom, when Orpheus offers the opportunity to buy their freedom by performing one last job. The catch? The job is to go into the underworld itself to bring back Eurydice as part of a team with people who think she is inferior at her job; including the man she despises most of all, Theron.

This book quickly hooked me, as the twists and turns kept coming; nothing was as it seemed and no one was to be trusted!

I will give special mention to the portrayal of Hades within this book.

Katharine and Elizabeth Corr have struck again with an amazing fantasy series, but this time with Greek mythology mixed in.
I loved how well they set the scene of the underworld, it was written really well and you really thought you were there with the main characters.
Deira is a new favourite character of mine, and I do love a book where you see death as a character it always seems to make it more interesting.
Definitely a series to keep an eye on, I can't wait for the next book!