Storm of Olympus by Claire M. Andrews

Storm of Olympus picks up where the previous novel, Blood of Troy ended. 

The Trojan War is over and Troy has been destroyed. Not only that but Daphne battled her nemesis, Nyx, who warped the mind of her beloved brother Alkaios into attacking her. The resulting battle saw the release of the Titans who had been imprisoned beneath the city by Zeus as punishment for the Titanomachy. Close to death, she was fed an ambrosia seed by Apollo unleashing her immortal powers as the daughter of the titan, Oceanus. Daphne fled the city along with others including Odysseus and his men. Now on Aeaea Island, Daphne struggles to come to terms with all she has lost: her mother, her beloved brother Alkaios, her kingdom and her queen. 

Aeaea is the prison and sanctuary of the titaness, Circe. Daphne is now a titan with the ability to control the sea and the sky. Circe encourages Daphne to use her emotions to call up her new powers, but even the pain she feels over the death of her brother Alkaios fails to work and almost leads to Daphne drowning. Meanwhile on the beach below Circe's cottage, Odysseus and his men work on rebuilding their ships.

Asleep in Circe's cottage, Daphne is awoken by screams. She races down to the beach where Circe and Odysseus are pulling bodies from the waves. One of the bodies is that of Hermes, the messenger god, who is barely alive. Circe manages to save Hermes, removing the poison of Nyx from him.

When Daphne falls asleep that night, Hypnos, the god of sleep, shows her the destruction of the Olympian gods by the Titans. She sees Hera get impaled, a dead Poseidon, the death of Demeter, Persephone and Hades. Apollo, her lover, warns Daphne to leave before she too is killed. Horrified, she watches as Apollo and Zeus are killed by the titans.  Hypnos tells Daphne she can still save them. When she awakens, Daphne tells Circe that the titans have stormed Olympus, killing the gods and have claimed Mount Olympus for themselves. She was unable to save them, but Circe tells her that's because she isn't ready yet to use her powers.

When Hermes regains consciousness, he tells Daphne that she is able to save the gods including her lover, Apollo, because they are not dead but trapped in Tartarus (the Underworld), a sort of purgatory or cage. He tells her must free the gods from the Underworld. Hermes informs Daphne that because of the curse on him, the titans will know where Daphne has fled and they will come to Aeaea. He was a spy in the titan's camp during the Trojan war. He also tells Daphne that Helen of Troy, Lykou, and Hippolyta are safe in Mount Kyllini and that in the seven months that she has been on the island, the titans have attacked Olympus, while Agamemnon's army has conquered Athens, Crete and Salamis. The Spartans have rebelled against Menelaus but likely will not defeat him. 

Eventually Odysseus and his men finish one ship and Daphne and Hermes set sail for Eleusis where they know there is still an entrance to the Underworld. During the journey there, Hermes reveals that Cronus is likely leading the titan army which includes Perses the titan of destruction, Phoibe and  Oceanus, Daphne's father. Daphne will not only have to free the gods from Tartarus, but she must also reclaim Mount Olympus and save the Garden of Hesperides. But can Daphne accept her fate, as the Storm of Olympus, to save those she loves?

Discussion

Storm of Olympus is a book of battles from beginning to end with plenty of gore and death. Andrews draws from Greek and Norse mythology to create a lengthy saga involving a secondary goddess, Daphne while incorporating many other facets of Greek mythology.

The end of the Trojan war has seen the release of the titans from their prison beneath the city of Troy. They waste no time in attacking the gods on Mount Olympus, defeating and imprisoning them in Tartarus. Their ultimate goal is to take over the world. Daphne, now a titan, is the gods' only hope of regaining Mount Olympus. But to do this she must learn to wield her immense powers over sea and sky. With the help of Hermes and the mortal, Odysseus, she journeys to Eleusis, the location of a door to the Underworld. There, after battles with sea monsters and the god Ares as well as titans, Daphne, with the help of the souls of the Underworld including her beloved brother Alkaios and her friend Theseus, frees the gods. Escaping the Underworld takes Daphne and the gods to Lemnos, the site of the resistance's camp and Hephaestus's forge. In an attempt to win the battle against the titans, Daphne is initially unsuccessful in enlisting the help of the gods of Asgard: Odin, Thor, Freyja  and Loki. This, despite her reminding the AEsir, that should the titans and gods succeed in controlling the Garden of the Hesperides, they will come for other gardens including Yggdrasil.

Eventually, Daphne along with Zeus and the other Olympians, their mortal and centaur allies engage the titans and their allies, the armies of Menelaus and Agamemnon in an epic battle on Mount Olympus. Daphne is fighting to restore balance to Mount Olympus because she, along with some of the Olympian gods and the mortals, believes the gods/titans have abused their powers. They have used the mortals, causing wars and other calamities for their amusement. Mortals like Clytemnestra, princess of Sparta also believe that the gods allowed Troy to fall, and that they have led mortals "astray with their selfish interests  for too many centuries." 

Once they take Mount Olympus, Daphne must now protect the Garden where Zeus and Poseidon have fled. The AEsir do eventually respond and come to their aid in this final battle, helping defeat Zeus, Nyx and Poseidon. Daphne explains what must happen next:

"A thousand years ago, the Garden spoke to the goddess Hecate and told her to give the Olympians and titans ambrosia, creating the immortals we know today. They were chosen as the Hesperides's protectors, to keep the power from falling into the wrong hands and destroying the world. Some - the titans - went mad with power. Over the centuries, it consumed many of the gods, too." Now the Garden has asked for new protectors, balance and sacrifice. Hecate arrives to help decide who will be the protectors, allowing the Garden to be reborn.

Storm of Olympus is plot-driven, with a wealth of battles, gore and gruesome death, but also sacrifice and heroism. There are so many characters and various monsters in the novel that unless the reader is well versed in Greek and Norse mythology, they may feel overwhelmed. Andrews, to her credit, does attempt to identify characters and beasts within the story. There is a list of characters at the back of the novel but this by no means covers every character or monster involved (for example, Perses, a recurring character is missing). This list should be more extensive, perhaps in order of appearance in the story, and placed at the front of the book. 

A subplot is the relationship between Daphne and her lover Apollo. He is the impetus for her drive to save the Olympians from Tartarus. Seeing his gruesome death at that hands of the titans fuels her rage which leads her to develop and learn to control her power over sea and sky. They are reunited after his rescue from Tartarus and survive many battles. Another storyline is the relationship Daphne has with her brothers, Alkaios who was warped by Nyx and whom Daphne killed, and Pyrrhus who considers her a Spartan traitor. She is reunited with both at various points and they each experience the power of forgiveness.

Not surprisingly, the major character, Daphne is a strong, determined, courageous immortal who risks everything to try to save those she loves. Along the way she learns to trust not only her own abilities, but her friends too.

Storm of Olympus ends happily, after many battles, hardship, suffering and sacrifice. Andrews has crafted a unique story, focusing on a minor figure in Greek mythology, Daphne, beautiful daughter of a river god, loved by Apollo. This trilogy will appeal to those adults and older teens who have a good knowledge of mythology and who grew up on the Greek and Norse myths!

Book Details:

Storm of Olympus by Claire M. Andrews
New York: Little, Brown and Company    2023
470 pp.

Blood of Troy by Claire M. Andrews

Daphne has returned to Sparta after her successful mission to return to the gods, the Muses, caretakers of the Garden of the Hesperides. They had been stolen by the gods, Ares, Hermes and Nyx, and Daphne returned them to Olympus. This restored power to the gods.

After a poor performance training against Lykou, Daphne finds herself called back by the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, to her palace. Many of the gods are present including Demeter, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Athena, Hades, Hephaestus, Hera, and Apollo. Zeus tells Daphne that there will be a competition in Sparta to be a part of Queen Helen's personal guard and they want her to win it. Zeus wants her to protect his daughter, Queen Helen, who he believes is in danger. King Menelaus has called all the Achaean kings to Sparta for a conclave and when all the rulers of Greece are present, the gods believe that Nyx will seek her revenge.

Daphne returns to the home of her adopted parents, Revna and Ephor Apidanos Diodorus. They inform her that there is to be agon tomorrow. For her brother Pyrrhus, the agon is a chance to redeem himself from being the Deserter of Carneia. Daphne is overjoyed until she realizes that it is she who must win the agon.

As expected, Daphne wins the agon, but just barely, defeating Pyrrhus, who is furious. However, before she moves to the palace, Daphne is visited by the Moirai, "the keepers of destiny and children of Nyx" Each Fate shows Daphne a part of the future. 

The first Fate shows her a bloody battlefield strewn with corpses from Sparta, Tenedos, Athenia and Mycena. The second Fate, Lakhesis tells Daphne "There is a great war on the horizon, like none Greece has ever known. All the kingdoms from every corner of this world will take part and stake their claim. Should you fail in the task assigned to you by the gods, that which you love most will meet its end right here on this battlefield. The Sparta you know will be gone forever more on the bloody fields of Troy."  The third Fate, Atropos tells her they will welcome their destruction and that she will be the ruin of Olympus.  Klotho, the oldest Fate asks her to protect Troy when she fails to protect her queen. Daphne is devastated by what the Fates have revealed to her. And her horror is only compounded by a dream in which Nyx appears and she sees the kings of Greece all murdered on the palace floor.

Daphne quickly discovers that Menelaus, the husband of Queen Helen is a cruel man, determined to control who Helen sees and where she goes. Helen, who is half-sister to Artemis and Apollo, and has a daughter, Hermione, considers the palace her prison. King Menelaus is not friendly towards Daphne. 

Soon the kings from across Greece begin arriving: first  to arrive is Odysseus, Anax of Ithaca, followed by Achilles of Phthia and his Myrmidons, then Alcimedes of Locris, Ajax of Salamis, King Nestor and his sons, and Ariadne Princess of Crete along with the gods Dionysus disguised as Dion of Phrygia and Apollo as Appollodoris. They are followed by the Trojans, dark-haired Hector and golden-haired Paris, two sons of Priam King of Troy. The last person to arrive is Theseus of Athens, who supposedly Daphne killed.

The purpose of the conclave is to arrange potential trades in exchange for the Trojans dropping the Hellesport tax. To the surprise of the Achaeans, the Trojans accept their offer and agree to lift the tax. However, Daphne makes two discoveries that night. Theseus whom she killed is actually Ares, the god of war, and King Menelaus and his hateful brother Agamemnon are plotting a war with Troy. With the Trojans agreeing to lift the tax, initiating a war is now much more difficult. King Menelaus, Agamemnon and Ares decide the only way to bring about war is to capture the Trojan princes who are staying with Daphne's father and family. King Menelaus gives the order to kill the ephor -and his family. 

Horrified, Daphne goes to tell Helen and sends Apollo to warn her father. Helen and Daphne arrive at her father's home, only to find that the Achaeans are only doors away. Daphne learns that her adoptive father is actually Peneios, the river god. Peneios tells the group that the only way to flee Sparta for Troy is by the river Eurotas. The group is pursued to the banks of the river by Ares, Melenaus and the soldiers. At the river Penois won't reveal the name of Daphne's father, but Ligeia tells her that when the Midas Curse is removed, her questions will be answered.

At the river bank, Daphne, Helen, Paris, Hector and Lykou flee in a boat while Penois, Revna, her maid Ligeia and Lykou's family  flee into the forest around Gythium. They are pursued by Ares and the Achaean soldiers. Daphne, Helen, Paris and Hector all manage to flee Sparta. Helen is distraught over leaving her young daughter Hermione. 

Daphne is taken to the wooded throne room in the pantheon. Hera the Queen of Olympus, Dionysus, Athena, Hephaestus, Poseidon, Zeus, Hades and other gods including Apollo, are present. Daphne begs the gods to stop the war but they refuse, telling her there are darker powers at work. Zeus tells Daphne she has failed to protect Helen, instead drawing her into the war. The gods are divided, some side with Zeus, other with Apollo and Daphne. Zeus, furious at Apollo siding with Daphne, binds his son's power. 

When Daphne returns to Earth she finds herself in the beautiful city of Troy. King Priam allows Helen to choose to stay or leave, and Helen decides to stay. Soon after Penthesila, Queen of the Amazons, her sister Hippolyta, along with the Amazons arrive in Troy. Hippolyta reveals that they have heard rumours of Helen being seduced and kidnapped by a Trojan prince. Soon Troy's other allies begin arriving.

As Troy heads towards war, Daphne must not only protect Helen but also deal with the schemes of the gods as they take sides in the war.  Daphne knows the walls of Troy were given a special power by Apollo to protect the city, which can only fall if the invader is invited inside. However, Daphne begins to understand that Troy's walls are protecting something being kept inside from being removed. Too late, Daphne uncovers what that secret is, and its unleashing leads to the destruction of Troy and much that she holds dear.

Discussion

Blood of Troy is the middle novel in the Daughter of Sparta series by Claire M. Andrews. It continues the saga of Daphne Diodorus, who is now tasked to protect Queen Helen of Sparta, but finds herself drawn into the Trojan War.

To understand the relationship between the many characters in this novel, it is helpful to understand some of Greek mythology. It's possible to read the novel without having this background but it makes the novel more enjoyable if the reader already has some knowledge of the gods and goddesses and their relationships to one another. Andrews does incorporate explanations within her novel of the Olympians and the Titans and events like the Titanomachy but a Foreword would also have been helpful in this regard.

The Titans were the twelve children of Uranus and Gaia. There were six sons: Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus and Cronus and six daughters: Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys. Uranus and Gaia also birthed the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes. The first generation of Olympians, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia (Dionysus), Demeter and Hera were the result of the union of Cronus with his older sister Rhea. 

After the birth of these children, they decided not to have anymore children. When Uranus imprisoned six of their children in the Earth along with several of the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes, Gaia asked her other Titan children to help free them but only Cronus agreed to help because he wanted to rule the cosmos. Gaia wanted him to castrate Uranus, which Cronus agreed to do and accomplished with a special adamantine sickle! Cronus then became ruler of the Titans. Uranus cursed Cronus, that his own children would rebel against him.

Cronus, fearful of the curse, swallowed each of his children as they were born. But his wife, Rhea was able to save her youngest child, Zeus who grew to manhood. Zeus tricked his father into vomiting up Zeus's siblings. They, along with the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, rebelled against Cronus and the Titans. After ten years of war, called the Titanomachy,  Zeus and the Olympians were victorious. The major Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus (a type of dungeon of torture) with the Hecantonchires as their guards.

In her Author's Note, Andrews asks, "What is the true story of Helen of Troy?...In actuality, we do not know much about the Trojan War, other than that the archeological evidence points to a war between the Achaeans (known then as Ahhiyawa) and Troy (known then as the city of IIius/Wilusa)..." From her considerable research, Andrews "sought to create a story that was both authentic and original, that does not diminish the myth that has persevered for many millennia, and that would still be a new experience for readers." 

In Blood of Troy, the story of the Trojan War is told from the perspective of a female warrior, Daphne Diodorus. who is an acclaimed Spartan warrior. It also includes other female characters, including Helen Queen of Sparta, Hippolyta and Penthesila of the Amazons, as well as the goddess of the night, Nyx. The retelling is fresh and engaging. Helen does not flee Sparta with her lover Paris, but flees while helping save two of the Trojan princes, Paris and Hector, as well as Daphne and her family who have been hosting the princes. In the novel, as in the Iliad, the gods take sides in the war, some helping Sparta and others like Apollo, Artemis, and Demeter on the side of Troy. The wooden horse, given as a departing gift to Troy by the Spartans, never enters the city unopened. In Blood of Troy, Daphne warns against bringing the wooden horse into the city and instead the Trojans set fire to it outside the gates, exposing the hidden Achaeans within, who are then taken prisoner. While the Spartans do massacre the Trojans, the city is destroyed when Pandora's jar containing Nyx's family is inadvertently uncovered by Daphne.

In Greek mythology, the gods are often busy interfering in the lives of humans, sometimes helping them, other times creating chaos. And in the novel,  the Trojan War is one such event where they interfere in a big way. When Daphne asks the gods of Olympus to help stave off a war between Sparta and Troy they refuse, telling her there are darker forces at work. Lykou  notes the absence of funeral games, their brilliant leader Paidonomos Leonides and the unusual Spartan battle formations, suggesting something evil is in the Achaean camps. When Nyx appears on the battlefield, Daphne begins to suspect that she is working for the downfall of Troy, but to what end she doesn't know. 

Between the deadly skirmishes, Daphne must deal with various gods who are either trying to help or hinder her. Some of the gods help her: Apollo gives Daphne a bangle to wear around her bicep with golden stones that glow different colours. This bangle, he tells her, will protect her when she cannot, and does save her life. Hermes takes her to the island of Lemnos where the god Hephaestus makes her armor and weapons to fight the gods. He also trains Daphne further, so she will be able to fight Ares who has already challenged her.  Other gods are more interested in killing her, including Hera, Ares and Nyx.

Since the Trojan War takes up much of the novel, the story features Daphne in battles against both Spartans and various gods with plenty of blood, gore and death.  Daphne, who is an accomplished Spartan warrior, has struggled all her life to be accepted in her adopted home of Sparta. She doesn't know the identity of her father, which adds to her internal conflict. In addition to this, she must deal with the gods who continue to ask for her help, while never fully divulging their reasons. Her devotion and loyalty to her family comes into conflict because of the tasks the Olympians set for her. By the time Troy falls, she feels she has betrayed by everyone she loves. 

Andrews offers her readers a map of the Greek world and of the city of Troy. Historical fiction should seek to portray the setting as accurately as possible and Andrews definitely accomplishes this. At a whopping 461 pages, Blood of Troy is not a quick read, but it is exciting, filled with action, and a touch of romance. Blood of Troy is suitable for older teens and those adults who love Greek mythology.

Book Details:

Blood of Troy by Claire M. Andrews
New York: Little, Brown and Company     2022
461 pp.

Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews

Seventeen-year-old Daphne is a Mothakes, an outsider, someone not born in Sparta. She and her brothers, Alkaios and Lykou were adopted by an ephor after the death of their parents. It is Carneia, the annual festival honoring Apollo. The festival includes duels, drinking, feasting and the agon. Daphne is being challenged by her brother Lykou as King Melenaus and Queen Helen watch.  Paidonomos Leonides gives them both a dory, a spear used by Spartan soldiers. A glancing blow is enough to end the duel and declare a winner. 

After a short battle, Daphne's dory grazes Lykou's side, tearing part of his black chiton. She wins the duel, her win acknowledged by the king. As she leaves, Daphne is reminded by Paidonomos Leonides to pay her respects to the king and she kneels briefly before him. Lykou praises Daphne for her victory, telling her she has shown that the Spartan army needs women warriors like her.

The time arrives for the agon, the climax of the Carneia. In this event, "...five unmarried men are chosen by Sparta's five ephors to chase a deer. If it is caught, the year will be a superb one for the harvests and army. And if not...disaster awaits." It is especially important they succeed as Menelaus and Helen are to meet with the mad king of Crete. Daphne's brother, Pyrrhus has been chosen as one of the five men to run the agon. He believes he will easily win the race and brags about it to Daphne during the party. 

However, when the racers are summoned with the call of a horn, Daphne is shocked to see Pyrrhus hasn't shown up. So amid gasps of dismay, she steps forward to take his place. A deer is brought out, with a garland of laurel branches and flowers around its neck. King Melenaus tells the runners they must retrieve the garland before dawn to prevent the failure of Sparta's crops, the Eurotas from drying up, and disaster befalling the Spartan army. The race is to ask for Apollo's divine favour and his strength. The winner will receive many gifts, including a beautiful dory.

Daphne along with Castor and Lykou and two other runners make for the Taygetus Forest. But once inside the forest, in a moonlit glen, Daphne comes upon the deer as well as the goddess of hunt, Artemis who reveals that her powers and that of her family, the gods of Olympus are dying. Just then Pyrrhus emerges into the glen, his face bloodied and bruised begging Artemis to forgive him. She turns him into a stag and turns on Daphne, slicing her with a golden arrow that was a gift from her Uncle Hephaestus. 

Artemis reveals to Daphne that something very dear to her father, Zeus has been stolen and without it, the powers of Olympus will fail. This will mean disaster for humans, and the armies of Greece will be overrun. Only one person knows who stole them and where they are hidden. To be certain Daphne won't betray her, Artemis drives the golden arrow into her abdomen causing a solid gold line to begin to form. This, the Midas Curse, blossoms and slithers across Daphne's torso, binding her to Artemis, but threatening to kill her too. If she cannot find where the Olympian powers have been hidden away, she will die as will her brother Pyrrhus. She gives Daphne the laurel to claim the prize of the Carneia, telling Daphne she has until the harvest moon to meet her obligation to Artemis.

As winner of the agon, Daphne receives the dory from Queen Helen who along with King Menelaus return to the palace while the Carneia continues. Daphne sets out on her journey, asking Ligeia, her handmaid, to make an explanation for her sudden disappearance. Her promised escort turns out to be Artemis's twin, Apollo, who tells her they are travelling to Mount Kazbek where "an old friend...has the answers...". Apollo is accompanying her in an attempt earn his father's favour and forgiveness.

Soon Apollo discovers Daphne's friend, Lykon has been following them. To prevent his interference, Apollo turns Lykon into a wolf but allows him to accompany them. They arrive at the foothills of Mount Kazbek after seven days. While Lykon stays with the horses, Daphne and Apollo climb the rocky, treeless mountain. At the top, Daphne finds Prometheus chained between two stone columns. But when she questions him about what was stolen from Olympus and where Apollo can find it, he refuses unless Apollo leaves. 

Prometheus reveals that nine things were stolen from Olympus and must be returned because these "pieces" are the power of the gods. Whoever has them can harness this power, making it dangerous. He tells her a traitor took them. After showing her a vision of the circumstances of her birth and the death of her mother, Prometheus gives her several clues. In the vision, Daphne learns that "three have been traded to the anax of Crete as playthings for his unruly son... three more have been given to the plague of Thebes as a sacrifice so that the power may never return..." and that "Their only salvation lies behind doors opened through a test of wit and words."  Finally, the god tells her, " A sacrifice will reveal two at the limits of Okeanos, mean to sow dissent, their fates bound to the river of the dead. And the last, the most celebrated, joins Tantalus, demanding body and soul." 

With these clues, Daphne, Apollo and Lykon set out for Crete knowing they must enter the palace of King Minos whose "unruly son" is known as the Minotaur.  There they will learn more about the missing "pieces", who is responsible and who is working to thwart them. Their battle with the Minotaur will be the first of  many brutal battles as they work to restore the powers of the gods!

Discussion

Daughter of Sparta is a remix of Greek mythology that includes most of the Greek gods and goddesses and their stories. In Greek mythology, Daphne was a naiad, a nymph who becomes a victim of Apollo's infatuation as a result of a curse made by Cupid on the god.  She was pursued relentlessly by Apollo. When he finally caught her, Daphne prayed to her father, the river god Peneus, who changed her into a laurel tree. In Daughter of Sparta, the myth of Daphne is re-imagined, transforming her from a victim of the gods to a fierce warrior.

Andrews writes in her Author's Note that her " goal was to bring to light the often-underappreciated women of Greek myth and history..." Instead of "...the jealous wives and damsels - here are strong, nuanced women who tell their own stories. Women in ancient Greece were allowed very few, if any liberties: places like Sparta, where they were allowed many more privileges and rights, were the exception, and make for some exciting storytelling, both in historic and contemporary writing." As a result, Andrews does mess with timelines and stories a bit: Daphne kills the Minotaur instead of the Athenian hero, Theseus, who in turn is later killed by King Minos instead of Lycomedes, King of Scyros

Daphne's quest is truly Olympian in nature and breadth. She initially doesn't know what the "pieces" are that have been stolen from Olympus, nor who has stolen them and betrayed the gods. Her escort, Apollo insists that this task is now his responsibility but he doesn't divulge why. It is in the palace of King Minos that Daphne learns the truth about her task: it isn't objects that have been stolen but the nine Muses from Olympus. The Muses, who "are the sacred caretakers of the Hesperides, the source of all the power of Olympus", are under the protection of Apollo who somehow lost them. Daphne realizes that Apollo knew all along what was stolen.

Although Daphne has fulfilled her duty to Artemis - to obtain clues from Prometheus, she decides to help Apollo despite his deception. She angrily tells Apollo, "You and Artemis never intended for me to save all the Muses. You just wanted to use me to get Prometheus to speak."  As they travel to Thebes, Daphne learns through a vision that Ares stole the Muses, that their efforts have been betrayed by Hermes, and she eventually learns how Apollo lost the Muses from the Garden of the Hesperides. 

During her quest, Daphne engages in many battles: she fights the Minotaur (whom she slays), she also battles the Kentauroi of Foloi who are led by Eurytion and allied with Nyx, goddess of the night, she fights the Sphinx in the Cithaeron mountains, out-witting and slaying her, she kills King Minos and the two demons who attempt to avenge the Minotaur's death, and she takes on Ares, stabbing him. In fact there are so many bloody battles that by the time the novel gets to the climax, which involves Daphne confronting Nyx to free the last Muse, the events are almost anti-climactic and the reader somewhat battle-weary.

At times Daughter of Sparta reads like a romance novel, as Daphne's feelings for Apollo grow throughout their journey. Eventually the two kiss. "Warm and sweet, our lips fold together in a warm embrace. A fire erupts inside me, turning my fears and doubts to ashes. And from the ashes rises a wanting so intense my entire body aches....." In the end however, Daphne, furious at his betrayal, repudiates the god, telling him he has to earn her trust again.

Although this novel isn't true to the stories in Greek mythology, it should appeal to those who enjoy this genre and who grew up on the Rick Riordan Percy Jackson novels and who have read the D'Aulaire's Greek Mythology. For those who have a more limited knowledge of Greek mythology, a Glossary of the Greek gods and goddess as well as a cast of characters would have been very helpful. Andrews does include a map of ancient Greece and a Greek Glossary of some of the words used throughout the novel.

Daughter of Sparta is the first novel in a trilogy. The conclusion sees Zeus asking Daphne to become the Storm of Olympus. He promises to give her the means to become the greatest warrior in Sparta, but Daphne only will agree if they will protect her family. Because Nyx is only wounded, Zeus tells Daphne that she will continue to be hunted by the goddess of the night. He tells he they will empower her to take on Nyx but only if she becomes their "emissary to the realm of men." Persephone and Hades give Daphne tokens of the debt they owe her, telling her she can claim them when needed. Athena offers her the answer to a much needed question in the future, while Aphrodite and Hera refuse to offer even their thanks. Dionysus offers Daphne a drink of wine, Hephaestus promises weapons and armour designed just for her, while Artemis offers nothing. Hypnos, son of Nyx also offers Daphne help in the future, betraying his own mother. Andrews has fashioned a fitting ending, open to Daphne's new adventures in the next book in the series.

Book Details:

Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews
New York: Jimmy Patterson Books, Little, Brown and Company   2021
375 pp.