I’m normally a fan of Laura Shepperson, it this time the story has disappointed me. It seemed really flat and failed to bring the narrative or characters to life. I prefer her originals stories. Many thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book.

This is my first time reading a reimagined Roman story about Aeneas, the demigod son of Trojan prince Anchises and the goddess Venus. Aeneas is a hero who escapes the Trojan War with his son and other survivors. 

The story is told from the perspectives of three women whose lives intertwine with Aeneas: Creusa, Lavinia, and Anna, who recounts the tale of Queen Dido. Through their eyes and words, we as readers learn about the true man behind the legendary name. 

I love the author's storytelling style. She delivers the plot smoothly, making it easy to follow. The shifts between perspectives feel similar in tone but still serve the story’s purpose. The pacing is slower than my usual preference, but it remains enjoyable. 
Thank you Netgalley and Sphere from Little Brown Book Group UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting release date : 15 August 2024

A lovely greek retelling with a feminist twist.
I did get confused at some points between the three female points of view and I did find some of the points of View more interesting than others.

I could reccomend this, for a new take on greek/roman mythology

Falling the fall of Troy, Aeneas has voyaged for seven years awaiting to fulfil the prophecy that he will found a greater city state, now he has landed in Latinum. The King of Latinum has welcomed the Trojans and wants to marry his daughter Lavinia to Aeneas but Lavinia has another suitor and now the state is at war. Three women who will never meet hold the future of Aeneas in their hands.
This is a very light retelling of the story of Aeneas, son a goddess but a very unpreposessing character here. The stories of the women, his original wife, Dido of Carthage, and Lavinia are interwoven without ever crossing. The prose skips along and the whole is entertaining but not too demanding.

Despite devouring any and all mythology retellings that I can get my hands on, I don‘t think I‘ve ever read a modern take on any part of the Aeneid so far. Although, of course, this is less of an Aeneid retelling than it is a story about the way that Trojan hero influenced the lives of the three women that take turns in narrating this book: his wife Creusa of Troy, his second wife (depending on who you ask) Dido of Carthage, and his betrothed Lavinia of Latium.

The way that this book is narrated by switching back and forth between the three women telling their stories was very well done. The chapters tied into each other well without breaking the flow of the story and added depth to each other. Whereas other books with multiple POVs often suffer from the different voices sounding too similar, these three women really stood out and apart: Creusa as the dutiful, observant and undemanding princess of Troy who is a doting mother, Dido as the independent and unyielding leader of Carthage, and Lavinia as the clever and hopeful princess of Latium who would rather see the world than be married to either of her suitors. I just wish we had seen a little more of Dido, because her story seemed to be told in a rather rushed manner.

I know that this book is supposed to give a voice to the neglected women of the big epic tales, but I couldn’t help but also want for some more development of Aeneas‘ character. The focus is not on him, of course, but he is crucial to all three plotlines and we see three very different versions of him, so I would really have appreciated a nuanced explanation for his behaviour. As it is, I don’t think “I just follow the gods’ will” does his intelligence any justice. We do get some convincing justification when he talks about Aphrodite opening his eyes to the gods interfering on the battlefield, but I wanted more of that in order to turn Aeneas into a three-dimensional character rather than this bland backdrop to tie the plotlines together.

All in all, I enjoyed The Heir of Venus and would recommend it to all fans of mythology retellings, and especially those who look for a book that focuses on some of the lesser known characters!

4/5 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this! As someone very new to the Aeneid (but a huge fan of ancient history/mythology), there were some characters initially unfamiliar to me, and some I had only heard brief snippets about. By the end, however, I came out of it feeling like I knew the characters so much better and the story was really compelling. I read The Heroines recently and both books were so well written that I’m really excited for the next book by this author-can’t wait to see which characters it would focus on!

The Heir of Venus presents the perspectives of multiple women intricately connected to Aeneas’ life before and after the Trojan War. The non-linear narrative invites readers to navigate both the past and the present, creating a tension between wanting to delve deeper into history while simultaneously uncovering the mysteries surrounding Aeneas. This duality, particularly in the sections featuring Princess Lavinia, evokes a sense of unease as readers find themselves both ahead and behind in understanding Aeneas’ journey.

One of my favorite themes is Lavinia’s quest for purpose amidst the challenges she faces, highlighting the power of these retellings. Additionally, the inclusion of translated quotes from the epics pays homage to the original works and enriches the storytelling, setting the stage for this captivating retelling.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

The story of Aeneas told from the points of view of the three women central to his life: Creusa, his wife in Troy, Dido, his mistress in Carthage and primarily Lavinia, his future wife in Italy. The novel falls into the category of feminist reinterpretation of myth, but not quite. Aeneas, despite his faults, is given overall a sympathetic portrayal. The story is told clearly and simply, but some of the episodes lack credibility, e.g. the introduction of Paris to the tale, while the written style lacks subtlety and variety. It would seem to me to fall into a Young Adult category. Not bad, not great either - weak in comparison to Pat Barker and others. I might recommend Ursula Le Guin's novel, Lavinia, which touches on much of the same material, but without doubt tells a much better story.

Not a retelling of Virgil's Aeneid but a telling of the latter part of Aeneus's life as he seeks to establish a new Troy in Italy told though the eyes of the women who know him.
An imaginative version of the story of the fabled founder of a future Rome.
A good enjoyable read.

The Heir of Venus is written from the viewpoints of Aenius' three wives - Creusa, Dido and Livinia. I'm ashamed to say I'm somewhat unfamiliar with The Aenied (it has been sat neglected on my bookshelf for many years) and how much these women are discussed in the original text, but Shepperson has written a beautiful retelling which provides three contrasting images of the son of Venus. Oftentimes with these feminist retellings, the men are the villains - and rightly so (I'm looking at you, Persius and Thesius) but this actually strikes a refreshing balance. The stars however, are Creusa and Livinia and I found myself caring for them - it's quite emotive especially in Creusa's narrative, when you know how the siege of Troy is going to end. The focus on relationships - intimate, familial and friendly - is the real strength of this book.

I devoured this book within two days and it's given me the kick to dig out my copy of the Aenied - to me, this is the sign of excellence - a book that makes you want to discover, or perhaps rediscover, the classical literature of ancient Greece and Rome.

A retelling myth of Aeneas and Lavinia, interwoven with the stories of Aeneas' previous wives. I'm normally a big fan of mythology retellings but this was bland in comparison to heavy hitters like Pat Barker and Madeline Miller. The writing style is clunky, the conversations repetitive, the plot vague. It felt like an attempt to write a retelling of Troy but the author knew it couldn't compete with other retellings. Not one for me.

I've read a fair amount of mythology retellings, and this one, which focuses on retelling The Aenid by Virgil, felt very fresh. Considering the book is titled The Heir of Venus, I was pleasantly surprised that we heard from the women in Aeneas' life rather than Aeneas directly.

This didn't quite have the emotional punch of something like The Song of Achilles, but I found that it felt more grounded. The writing style also manages to find a good balance between classic/formal and more modern, without being jarring. I also really liked that each chapter starts with a quote from a classical source, which was really interesting as a point of reference.

Overall it was just such an easy read, I devoured it in one sitting and found it interesting, unique and enjoyable. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for future retellings by Shepperson.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Aeneid but not as you've ever seen it before. Shepperson tells Aeneas' story through the women who knew him best and through the lens of his betrothal to Lavinia.
I was enthralled as the Aeneid is not one that I'd particularly encountered before. Like the Odyssey, the Aeneid happens post the fall of Troy and is Virgil's attempt to ground Roman civilization in Hellenic myth.

Firmly in the feminist sphere Aeneas is a supporting character as Shepperson brings Kreusa, Dido and Anna, and Lavinia to the foreground, forgoing most of the violence in favour of the emotional drama and personal betrayals as well as considering the ethical and moral issues around the displacement of the Trojan remnant and nation building reflecting some of the issues in the world today.

I really enjoyed this and it inspired me to pick up her first book! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC, it has not affected my opinion.

This is a retelling of Virgil's Aeneid which follows the journey of Aeneas after the fall of Troy. I've not ventured much into Roman mythology before and I'm missing out clearly as this was so beautiful. I absolutely loved the way this book was laid out with each female POV and their connection to Aeneas. Lavinia was my favourite FMC in this, she is so strong and not prepared to let men walk all over her. We also have the views of Dido and Creusa. Dido, I've actually not heard of before and her downfall in this was tragic. Creusa, I have heard of before and it was refreshing to have her story laid out in this way.
The epilogue was stunning too.

The son of a goddess, a glorious future is prophesied for Aeneas. But as with so many other myths and legends, the role of the women in his life is rarely examined in any detail, let alone given due credit. Even if his mother *was* Venus herself!

In this beautiful book, Laura Shepperson does a fantastic job of redressing the balance, giving us insight into the hearts and minds of three women who each play a vital part in Aeneas's life and his rise to glory.

Lavinia, Creusa and Dido finally have the chance to all shine as they deserve to in this marvelous rendering of an ancient story about the founding of Rome and its place in the ancient world. This version is long overdue and will be joyously welcomed by those who enjoy the feminist (aka fair) retelling of legends like this.