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Crown of Starlight
Greek mythology takes to the stars in this steamy, sci-fi reimagining of the tale of Ariadne and Dionysus—the first book in a snarky, queer, lushly romantic duology set in a galaxy of monstrous mortals, bloodthirsty gods, and love fierce enough to shatter the cosmos.
Raised amongst monsters, Ariadne Tholos, Crown Princess of the interstellar Cretan Empire, fears nothing more than becoming one herself. But trapped within the labyrinth of imperial politics and the puritanical restrictions of her father, King-Emperor Minos—and his totalitarian regime of militarized death cultists—she might not have another option. When the chance arises to take her fate into her own hands, Ariadne seizes it, only to find herself on the run—injured, alone, and in desperate need of a miracle.
Enter Dionysus—the exiled god of wine, madness, and revelry. He needs a Cretan royal to join his cult in order to end his banishment and return home to Olympus. Their meeting is the opportunity he’s been waiting for, but there’s just one problem: the Cretans are heretics, and Ariadne is no exception.
With a vengeful Minos closing in, Ariadne strikes a bargain. She’ll marry Dionysus and “join” his cult. In exchange, he’ll hide her away in the only corner of the galaxy beyond Minos’s reach: Olympus itself. But while Ariadne can handle the deadly politicking of the Olympians, a life of repression has left her unprepared for how powerfully Dionysus’s uninhibited debauchery will call to her darkest desires, and make her question parts of her identity she’s kept locked away her entire life.
Raised amongst monsters, Ariadne Tholos, Crown Princess of the interstellar Cretan Empire, fears nothing more than becoming one herself. But trapped within the labyrinth of imperial politics and the puritanical restrictions of her father, King-Emperor Minos—and his totalitarian regime of militarized death cultists—she might not have another option. When the chance arises to take her fate into her own hands, Ariadne seizes it, only to find herself on the run—injured, alone, and in desperate need of a miracle.
Enter Dionysus—the exiled god of wine, madness, and revelry. He needs a Cretan royal to join his cult in order to end his banishment and return home to Olympus. Their meeting is the opportunity he’s been waiting for, but there’s just one problem: the Cretans are heretics, and Ariadne is no exception.
With a vengeful Minos closing in, Ariadne strikes a bargain. She’ll marry Dionysus and “join” his cult. In exchange, he’ll hide her away in the only corner of the galaxy beyond Minos’s reach: Olympus itself. But while Ariadne can handle the deadly politicking of the Olympians, a life of repression has left her unprepared for how powerfully Dionysus’s uninhibited debauchery will call to her darkest desires, and make her question parts of her identity she’s kept locked away her entire life.
560 pages, Paperback
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December 6, 2023Update (December 6): Yeah, no. I definitely can't support an author who review-bombs their fellow (mostly BIPOC) 2024 debuts. This is just embarrassing.
Original review (December 1):
Interesting concept, but I think my expectations were too high. The world-building was fun, and I liked the way the author re-interpreted the original myth of Ariadne and Dionysus, but the characters were kind of boring and one-dimensional.
Original review (December 1):
Interesting concept, but I think my expectations were too high. The world-building was fun, and I liked the way the author re-interpreted the original myth of Ariadne and Dionysus, but the characters were kind of boring and one-dimensional.
nope
March 20, 2024Ok yall can stop now
Not this being my most liked review 💀
Way to ruin your career before it even started smh. No because I actually wanted to read it and the UK cover was so nice and I was going to get a special edition.
Uh it'll be a nope
Not this being my most liked review 💀
Way to ruin your career before it even started smh. No because I actually wanted to read it and the UK cover was so nice and I was going to get a special edition.
Uh it'll be a nope
December 6, 2023
Terrible writing. The characters lacked depth and the plot was uninteresting.
October 16, 2023
Dnf at 44%. This book is so easy to read. I could finish it honestly but it will be just me reading it without feeling anything. The plot feels so bland. And the characters, I already love Ariadne and Dionysus so much that’s why I found this book because I am searching for more of their books but omg I don’t feel any connection between them at all. Ariadne and Dionysus aren’t Ariadne-ing and Dionys-ing like they’re supposed to lol. Maybe because this book is set in sci-fi in a futuristic way?? I don’t know. Also, I get that Ariadne has this trauma that’s why she’s acting so protective of herself with Dionysus but I did not feel her trauma when I was reading it. The way I was reading her POV feels a lot like she’s being dramatic and always playing the victim. So different from the Ariadne I know. All in all, this book feels like a bad fan fiction of Ariadne and Dionysus, so disappointing. The writing is good but the dialogue is ruining it. Every time the mcs speak it’s so cringy lol.
dnf-or-dont-read-steph
December 6, 2023let’s see how this plays out
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January 19, 2024edit: deleted my arc review. it's actually horrifying to be associated with this book... please support the debut authors that are actually debuting (plus they don't sabotage others with review-bombs lol).
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May 31, 2024Review bombing fellow debut authors (the majority being POC) it is a sure-fire way to go on my DNR list. 🚩
January 4, 2024
I've tried to remove this from my "want to read" list so many times and Goodreads will not let me.
So here I am giving a review for a book that I haven't read and will not read. I wanted to read this so badly, but the author is a trash person who made fake Goodread accounts to bully fellow authors, many of which were POC, by rating their books low. She then refused to take accountability.
Just another author behaving badly.
So here I am giving a review for a book that I haven't read and will not read. I wanted to read this so badly, but the author is a trash person who made fake Goodread accounts to bully fellow authors, many of which were POC, by rating their books low. She then refused to take accountability.
Just another author behaving badly.
November 18, 2023
I received an early release of Crown of Starlight by Cait Corrain from NetGalley and Random House Publishing in exchange for my honest review of the book.
I had a very difficult time maintaining interest in this book. I really wanted to like it, but I could not connect to the characters.
The FMC is very self-absorbed, which maybe was intentional what with the religious trauma and sexual repression. The MMC was interesting, probably my favorite of the book; I pictured this character as Jason Momoa from Slumberland while reading and he comes across as a lovable goofball.
The dialogue is very awkward to read. Even the FMC’s inner dialogue is unnatural; it reads like the character has a dry sense of humor, but only when she’s in her own head.
Overall, I feel that the characters need further development and some adjusting. I believe it could be good, but as is, I settled on 2/5 stars.
I had a very difficult time maintaining interest in this book. I really wanted to like it, but I could not connect to the characters.
The FMC is very self-absorbed, which maybe was intentional what with the religious trauma and sexual repression. The MMC was interesting, probably my favorite of the book; I pictured this character as Jason Momoa from Slumberland while reading and he comes across as a lovable goofball.
The dialogue is very awkward to read. Even the FMC’s inner dialogue is unnatural; it reads like the character has a dry sense of humor, but only when she’s in her own head.
Overall, I feel that the characters need further development and some adjusting. I believe it could be good, but as is, I settled on 2/5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 11, 2024Edited Review 01/10/2024:
After a long period of not being able to edit my review due to GR blocking it, I can finally update this. Any reviews and ratings that I make on this account are my own opinions and not related to anyone else's. As much as I may have enjoyed this book, I do not want to support an author who actively chose to review bomb fellow debut, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ authors. However, I myself will not be contributing to the act of review bombing, so I am taking away my rating while keeping up the review for now. What an extremely disappointing end to a book that had so much potential. Author Xiran Jay Zhao has great posts regarding any information, proof, and actions that the author had taken. Please support the authors that were targeted in this act including: So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole, The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang, Voyage of the Damned by Frances White, Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright, and The Gods of Hunger series by RM Virtues.
Original Review 10/19/2023:
this book. THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!! Honestly this is the next book that will be living in my head rent free for the foreseeable future. I can feel the book slump coming on already. The fact I have to wait until May to have a physical copy, and even longer than that for the sequel is going to be the death of me!
Cait Corrain spins a lyrical and wondrous tale of love and recovery, not just between Dionysus and Ariadne, but also of Ariadne coming to terms with self love. There were plenty of moments that hit way to close to home and brought me to tears. Following Ariadne on her journey of discovering who she is, and not who others try to make her to be, is one that I will never tire of. Throw in Dionysus and his chaotic group of Maenads, followers and their many MANY revelries adds plenty of character to this book. I loved the way Corrain details Ariadne and Dionysus standing up to those who try to oppress them. The strength and unconditional love they provide each other is raw and beautiful. Ariadne and Dionysus are not perfect, but when they're together they come close to it. There is so much heart that went into writing this book. I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment to see more of these characters I have grown to love.
Crown of Starlight is a vulnerable, raw, sexy, and delectable book you don't want to miss out on. Cait Corrain is an author I will be closely following from now on.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
After a long period of not being able to edit my review due to GR blocking it, I can finally update this. Any reviews and ratings that I make on this account are my own opinions and not related to anyone else's. As much as I may have enjoyed this book, I do not want to support an author who actively chose to review bomb fellow debut, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ authors. However, I myself will not be contributing to the act of review bombing, so I am taking away my rating while keeping up the review for now. What an extremely disappointing end to a book that had so much potential. Author Xiran Jay Zhao has great posts regarding any information, proof, and actions that the author had taken. Please support the authors that were targeted in this act including: So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole, The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang, Voyage of the Damned by Frances White, Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright, and The Gods of Hunger series by RM Virtues.
Original Review 10/19/2023:
this book. THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!! Honestly this is the next book that will be living in my head rent free for the foreseeable future. I can feel the book slump coming on already. The fact I have to wait until May to have a physical copy, and even longer than that for the sequel is going to be the death of me!
Cait Corrain spins a lyrical and wondrous tale of love and recovery, not just between Dionysus and Ariadne, but also of Ariadne coming to terms with self love. There were plenty of moments that hit way to close to home and brought me to tears. Following Ariadne on her journey of discovering who she is, and not who others try to make her to be, is one that I will never tire of. Throw in Dionysus and his chaotic group of Maenads, followers and their many MANY revelries adds plenty of character to this book. I loved the way Corrain details Ariadne and Dionysus standing up to those who try to oppress them. The strength and unconditional love they provide each other is raw and beautiful. Ariadne and Dionysus are not perfect, but when they're together they come close to it. There is so much heart that went into writing this book. I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment to see more of these characters I have grown to love.
Crown of Starlight is a vulnerable, raw, sexy, and delectable book you don't want to miss out on. Cait Corrain is an author I will be closely following from now on.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
January 25, 2024
Yaaaaay! I can finally rate this book 1 star!
I was excited to read this book, but after what the author did? No thank you
She ruined her own career
I was excited to read this book, but after what the author did? No thank you
She ruined her own career
January 6, 2024
DNF. I was about 30% of the way through this book when it was brought to light the author was review bombing other debut authors and specifically BIPOC authors. This author ruined their own career and the book has been dropped from the publisher.
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January 19, 2024Finally, after over a month, I can update my review.
I've removed the stars. I won't give this 5 stars, but I can't give it 1 star either, because that'd be a review bomb, and I'm better than Corrain. No stars is as neutral as I can be.
My original review is behind the spoiler tag. It was a great read. I enjoyed it a lot. Corrain's a lousy excuse for a human being. I'm not removing the review entirely, because that would be dishonest, and that's Corrain's business, not mine. This book is no longer being published, so really, should be taken off Goodreads, but whatever.
I've removed the stars. I won't give this 5 stars, but I can't give it 1 star either, because that'd be a review bomb, and I'm better than Corrain. No stars is as neutral as I can be.
My original review is behind the spoiler tag. It was a great read. I enjoyed it a lot. Corrain's a lousy excuse for a human being. I'm not removing the review entirely, because that would be dishonest, and that's Corrain's business, not mine. This book is no longer being published, so really, should be taken off Goodreads, but whatever.
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May 20, 2024Well, I’m now even more pissed off at Cait Corrain, because she has accomplished the rare feat of writing a romantasy book that I actually liked … a book that no longer exists.
(ICYMI: Crown of Starlight is no longer being published by Del Rey due to Corrain’s review-bombing of other debut authors. I decided to read my ARC because I was curious, and I am now going to proceed to review the ARC like any other book, in case you are curious.)
Okay, so, Crown of Starlight. The novel is a romantasy through and through: technically it takes place in space, but it’s science fantasy more than science fiction. And I am a sucker for science fantasy—especially when it involves old gods and space temples and magic—which is why I originally accepted the ARC. Crown of Starlight has all those things in spades. Some of its best moments occur when Corrain really plays with the setting. The Underworld is a giant ship, and the Titans are implied to be black holes, which is awesome.
Also, the romance between Aridane and Dionysus is actually … really good? I, notorious curmudgeon, was prepared to roll my eyes the whole way through. But the relationship is surprisingly healthy, and surprisingly compelling. Corrain clearly put thought into developing why these two characters were a good fit for each other, instead of starting and stopping at “ehhhh…he’s like smoking hot. Or something.” (Cough cough Fourth Wing.)
That’s not to say Crown of Starlight is this amazing artistic feat free from blemish. If I were going to assign a star rating here on Goodreads—which I will not, because I feel semi weird and scummy doing that—I would give Crown of Starlight a solid 3. The first 100 pages of this novel are—and I cannot stress this enough—by far the weakest. The book’s first 100 pages cover the most well-known section of the Ariadne myth, in which Ariande helps Theseus kill her Minotaur brother, escapes Crete with him, and subsequently and unceremoniously gets abandoned on Naxos. In Crown of Starlight, this section exists almost like a cold open, separate from the rest of the narrative, but it is so rushed it feels almost like it belongs to an entirely different, and worse, novel. I’m curious whether Corrain tacked this part on during the revision process.
Regardless, Corrain clearly ended up beginning the novel in the wrong place. I think she should have honored the Iliad and the Odyssey and just begun in medias res, personally. But after the first 100 pages, Ariadne meets Dionysus, the tension crackles between them, and the novel starts to fly.
So, yeah. I’m pissed that most of y’all won’t get to experience this book, which booktok would ABSOLUTELY have loved. And I’m pissed that we won’t get a sequel. (And, obviously, I’m pissed on behalf of all the authors Corrain review-bombed.) But actions have consequences, and Corrain made her bed, and now she has to lie in it. Ironically, a big part of Ariadne’s journey in Crown of Starlight revolves around her coming to understand that she has worth, regardless of her own insecurities. Corrain could have stood to learn the same lesson.
(ICYMI: Crown of Starlight is no longer being published by Del Rey due to Corrain’s review-bombing of other debut authors. I decided to read my ARC because I was curious, and I am now going to proceed to review the ARC like any other book, in case you are curious.)
Okay, so, Crown of Starlight. The novel is a romantasy through and through: technically it takes place in space, but it’s science fantasy more than science fiction. And I am a sucker for science fantasy—especially when it involves old gods and space temples and magic—which is why I originally accepted the ARC. Crown of Starlight has all those things in spades. Some of its best moments occur when Corrain really plays with the setting. The Underworld is a giant ship, and the Titans are implied to be black holes, which is awesome.
Also, the romance between Aridane and Dionysus is actually … really good? I, notorious curmudgeon, was prepared to roll my eyes the whole way through. But the relationship is surprisingly healthy, and surprisingly compelling. Corrain clearly put thought into developing why these two characters were a good fit for each other, instead of starting and stopping at “ehhhh…he’s like smoking hot. Or something.” (Cough cough Fourth Wing.)
That’s not to say Crown of Starlight is this amazing artistic feat free from blemish. If I were going to assign a star rating here on Goodreads—which I will not, because I feel semi weird and scummy doing that—I would give Crown of Starlight a solid 3. The first 100 pages of this novel are—and I cannot stress this enough—by far the weakest. The book’s first 100 pages cover the most well-known section of the Ariadne myth, in which Ariande helps Theseus kill her Minotaur brother, escapes Crete with him, and subsequently and unceremoniously gets abandoned on Naxos. In Crown of Starlight, this section exists almost like a cold open, separate from the rest of the narrative, but it is so rushed it feels almost like it belongs to an entirely different, and worse, novel. I’m curious whether Corrain tacked this part on during the revision process.
Regardless, Corrain clearly ended up beginning the novel in the wrong place. I think she should have honored the Iliad and the Odyssey and just begun in medias res, personally. But after the first 100 pages, Ariadne meets Dionysus, the tension crackles between them, and the novel starts to fly.
So, yeah. I’m pissed that most of y’all won’t get to experience this book, which booktok would ABSOLUTELY have loved. And I’m pissed that we won’t get a sequel. (And, obviously, I’m pissed on behalf of all the authors Corrain review-bombed.) But actions have consequences, and Corrain made her bed, and now she has to lie in it. Ironically, a big part of Ariadne’s journey in Crown of Starlight revolves around her coming to understand that she has worth, regardless of her own insecurities. Corrain could have stood to learn the same lesson.
will-not-read
January 4, 20241/4/2023: So I’ve been off of GoodReads/Bookstagram/BookTok for a hot minute now so this is old news to many people. This news is new to me because I’ve been so busy the last few months so I’m catching up on everything that’s been going down!
I can’t turn down a good Greek mythology-inspired book (say “Greek mythology” in any synopsis and it’s an autobuy for me) and HAVE YOU SEEN THE COVER? IT’S GORGEOUS! However, after learning about what this author did, I feel so bad for the cover artist who won’t be able to see their artwork on the shelves of bookstores and libraries everywhere.
After learning about what the author did to fellow authors having their own books published this year (mostly targeting women POC authors at that)—creating multiple fake accounts to give her own book 5 stars, making fake accounts under POC names to drag other fellow authors down—that’s a no from me. As a POC, absolutely not. It’s 2024 and I can’t believe there’s still people out here who are still doing stupid sh*t like this.
I can’t in good faith support this author and I’m glad justice was served by Del Rey Books dropping them from their publishing schedule this year.
I can’t turn down a good Greek mythology-inspired book (say “Greek mythology” in any synopsis and it’s an autobuy for me) and HAVE YOU SEEN THE COVER? IT’S GORGEOUS! However, after learning about what this author did, I feel so bad for the cover artist who won’t be able to see their artwork on the shelves of bookstores and libraries everywhere.
After learning about what the author did to fellow authors having their own books published this year (mostly targeting women POC authors at that)—creating multiple fake accounts to give her own book 5 stars, making fake accounts under POC names to drag other fellow authors down—that’s a no from me. As a POC, absolutely not. It’s 2024 and I can’t believe there’s still people out here who are still doing stupid sh*t like this.
I can’t in good faith support this author and I’m glad justice was served by Del Rey Books dropping them from their publishing schedule this year.
February 15, 2024
Ooo I can finally edit this review! Review star rating edited to reflect the author’s actions. If you’d like to learn more about the actions that caused me to drop my review star rating, feel free to message me!
Original review below.
———
Queer SciFi Space Romantasy
…need I say more?
You'll Love This If You're Into:
* Greek Mythology Retellings
* Space Operas
* Slow Burn Spice with Queer Lovers
* Dry Humour and Anything but Dry Reveleries
Characters: ★★★★★
Plot Progression: ★★★★★
Writing Style: ★★★★★
Memorability: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★
Thoughts: LOVED IT
Review:
Crown of Starlight is a beacon of Queer Sci-Fi Space Romantasy and will be my measuring stick for the genre going forward. It is an enchanting slow burn that seamlessly weaves the age old narratives of Dionysus and Ariadne with a backdrop of richly detailed and immersive sci-fi universe.
Ariadne’s journey and inner monologue is marked by a dry sense of humour and resonated with me as she delves inter exploration and self discovery. The author brilliantly captures the internal struggles that Ariadne faces in the company of the God of Wine, Madness, and General Revelry, juxtaposed with her conservative and suffocating upbringing without belabourment or bore.
The romance between the two main characters may be a slow burn, but it shines as bright as the sun and and is a celestial dance all the way through. Their relationship may be a story of old, but the streamy and passionate connection the two share and the multifaceted sexuality and gender expression of Dionysus that are shown is a fresh take.
Overall, this is a wonderful marriage of fantasy, science fiction, romance, and mythological tales that pays homage to and keeps the essence of the original tales while imbuing them with newfound vibrancy.
I didn’t know I needed a SciFi Retelling of Dionysus and Ariadne, but Cait Corrine knew I did, and I will never doubt her again.
*Thanks Netgalley, Del Rey, and Cait Corrine for letting me embark on this enthralling odyssey in exchange for an honest review. I am now a devoted member of this cult and can’t wait for whatever Cait writes next.*
Original review below.
———
Queer SciFi Space Romantasy
…need I say more?
You'll Love This If You're Into:
* Greek Mythology Retellings
* Space Operas
* Slow Burn Spice with Queer Lovers
* Dry Humour and Anything but Dry Reveleries
Characters: ★★★★★
Plot Progression: ★★★★★
Writing Style: ★★★★★
Memorability: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★
Thoughts: LOVED IT
Review:
Crown of Starlight is a beacon of Queer Sci-Fi Space Romantasy and will be my measuring stick for the genre going forward. It is an enchanting slow burn that seamlessly weaves the age old narratives of Dionysus and Ariadne with a backdrop of richly detailed and immersive sci-fi universe.
Ariadne’s journey and inner monologue is marked by a dry sense of humour and resonated with me as she delves inter exploration and self discovery. The author brilliantly captures the internal struggles that Ariadne faces in the company of the God of Wine, Madness, and General Revelry, juxtaposed with her conservative and suffocating upbringing without belabourment or bore.
The romance between the two main characters may be a slow burn, but it shines as bright as the sun and and is a celestial dance all the way through. Their relationship may be a story of old, but the streamy and passionate connection the two share and the multifaceted sexuality and gender expression of Dionysus that are shown is a fresh take.
Overall, this is a wonderful marriage of fantasy, science fiction, romance, and mythological tales that pays homage to and keeps the essence of the original tales while imbuing them with newfound vibrancy.
I didn’t know I needed a SciFi Retelling of Dionysus and Ariadne, but Cait Corrine knew I did, and I will never doubt her again.
*Thanks Netgalley, Del Rey, and Cait Corrine for letting me embark on this enthralling odyssey in exchange for an honest review. I am now a devoted member of this cult and can’t wait for whatever Cait writes next.*
February 20, 2024
should be called CROWN OF LIES AND DELULU
January 24, 2024
Lovers of a two-thousand-year-old man and his nineteen-year-old girlfriend rejoice: I have a new addition to your collection.
I wanted to enjoy Crown of Starlight; the description is everything a lover of mythological adaptations could wish for. However, what was found within the pages left me wanting a completely different story; the issues within the book can be best organized into two points: one, the story, and two, the characters.
Trigger warning for SA
The plot
Crown of Starlight's plot is thinner than tissue paper, falling apart under the smallest questioning; the majority of the story uses Hera as the villain, which can and has been done well, just not by Corrian, who takes a complex character and reduces her down to a jealous woman who hates others being happy. The first 100 or so pages are the traditional myth of the labyrinth; the plot takes a backseat to a romance that made me increasingly bored; then, at least in the last 50 pages, the reader is subjected to a battle that makes me believe that it was written by someone who has only ever seen the Fast and the Furious.
The Characters
Ariadne, I genuinely wish she was more than a copy of a Sarah J Maas. protagonist, but she isn't anything else. For such a self-assured character, Ariadne spends most of the book telling the reader how she knows what she's doing and then failing. I would also like to point out that around every 44 pages, she will sleep or be knocked out by another character; over the ten times this happens in the novel, only one instance serves the plot. Ariadne is also dull as a character in a way that makes me long for the insanity of Piper CJ, throwing everything at the wall to see what is stuck. Despite the novel being in first person, the only things I can remember about her are that she likes flight simulators, Dionysus, and sex.
Dionysus a strange take on the character to make him the leader of a sex cult, but one I am not surprised by considering the original mythology. Again, like Ariadne, I wish he was more interesting because there is so much about this god that could be explored, exiled from Olympus; yet, we are only ever given a very loose reason. Why would someone choose to join his over that of another god? Free wine, maybe? I have imagined that this version of the god of wine graduated from the Sarah J Mass School of Feminism with honors because of all the fucked up shit in this book; he always lets Ariadne know it's always her choice; however, he is over two thousand years old, and she is barely nineteen.
The representation *Trigger warning for SA*
Crown of Starlight does what I have begun to view as a book crime, using sexual assault to drive two characters together. Ariadne is assaulted twice in the book. Both times, the story ignores how living through something traumatic would affect a person as she goes about her life as she would normally. The use of SA victims in the novel is truly strange as the fact that Hera was forced into marriage with Zeus and that he also likely assaulted her is not looked over but instead used as another reason that Hera hates Dionysus. When handling topics like SA, it is vital that the violence not be just another kind of needless horror but serve a point to the story instead; Crown of Starlight sees sexual assault as another in a long list of trigger warnings.
Final Note: After seeing the author's behavior online, the rating has been dropped from a 2/5 to a 1/5. We don't review bomb anyone, but especially those who are marginalized just because you want more people to read your book
I wanted to enjoy Crown of Starlight; the description is everything a lover of mythological adaptations could wish for. However, what was found within the pages left me wanting a completely different story; the issues within the book can be best organized into two points: one, the story, and two, the characters.
Trigger warning for SA
The plot
Crown of Starlight's plot is thinner than tissue paper, falling apart under the smallest questioning; the majority of the story uses Hera as the villain, which can and has been done well, just not by Corrian, who takes a complex character and reduces her down to a jealous woman who hates others being happy. The first 100 or so pages are the traditional myth of the labyrinth; the plot takes a backseat to a romance that made me increasingly bored; then, at least in the last 50 pages, the reader is subjected to a battle that makes me believe that it was written by someone who has only ever seen the Fast and the Furious.
The Characters
Ariadne, I genuinely wish she was more than a copy of a Sarah J Maas. protagonist, but she isn't anything else. For such a self-assured character, Ariadne spends most of the book telling the reader how she knows what she's doing and then failing. I would also like to point out that around every 44 pages, she will sleep or be knocked out by another character; over the ten times this happens in the novel, only one instance serves the plot. Ariadne is also dull as a character in a way that makes me long for the insanity of Piper CJ, throwing everything at the wall to see what is stuck. Despite the novel being in first person, the only things I can remember about her are that she likes flight simulators, Dionysus, and sex.
Dionysus a strange take on the character to make him the leader of a sex cult, but one I am not surprised by considering the original mythology. Again, like Ariadne, I wish he was more interesting because there is so much about this god that could be explored, exiled from Olympus; yet, we are only ever given a very loose reason. Why would someone choose to join his over that of another god? Free wine, maybe? I have imagined that this version of the god of wine graduated from the Sarah J Mass School of Feminism with honors because of all the fucked up shit in this book; he always lets Ariadne know it's always her choice; however, he is over two thousand years old, and she is barely nineteen.
The representation *Trigger warning for SA*
Crown of Starlight does what I have begun to view as a book crime, using sexual assault to drive two characters together. Ariadne is assaulted twice in the book. Both times, the story ignores how living through something traumatic would affect a person as she goes about her life as she would normally. The use of SA victims in the novel is truly strange as the fact that Hera was forced into marriage with Zeus and that he also likely assaulted her is not looked over but instead used as another reason that Hera hates Dionysus. When handling topics like SA, it is vital that the violence not be just another kind of needless horror but serve a point to the story instead; Crown of Starlight sees sexual assault as another in a long list of trigger warnings.
Final Note: After seeing the author's behavior online, the rating has been dropped from a 2/5 to a 1/5. We don't review bomb anyone, but especially those who are marginalized just because you want more people to read your book
October 31, 2023
This book was a five star for me. I love Greek mythology, the plot was amazing and sucked me in. The writing was very descriptive, so much so some scenes made me feel like I was actually involved! Very good read!
October 30, 2023
I was immediately drawn to this beautiful cover. And when I read the description, I knew I just had to read this!
Mythology and space—that is unusual. I wondered how they'd pull it off, but let me tell you, they did it amazingly! The world-building was great; they took the solar system and wove it into the story. I mean, for someone like me who loves all things space, this made me happy.
It's clear that the author put a lot of thought and consideration into her characters and the romance. Oh, it was so sweet. Ariadne's journey—her path to healing those emotional scars—was enduring. And Dionysus? Let's just say he's the reason why I adore book men more than real men! But honestly, I became deeply invested in both of these incredible characters.
I can't even express how much I enjoyed this story! I mean, who doesn't love it when an author can tell an entire fantasy story in just one book, without dragging it out over five or more volumes?
I highly recommend this book, and I'm getting the physical copy for myself upon release! It's going right on my shelf, where it belongs. A massive thank you to Netgalley and Cat Corrain for letting me read this story.
Mythology and space—that is unusual. I wondered how they'd pull it off, but let me tell you, they did it amazingly! The world-building was great; they took the solar system and wove it into the story. I mean, for someone like me who loves all things space, this made me happy.
It's clear that the author put a lot of thought and consideration into her characters and the romance. Oh, it was so sweet. Ariadne's journey—her path to healing those emotional scars—was enduring. And Dionysus? Let's just say he's the reason why I adore book men more than real men! But honestly, I became deeply invested in both of these incredible characters.
I can't even express how much I enjoyed this story! I mean, who doesn't love it when an author can tell an entire fantasy story in just one book, without dragging it out over five or more volumes?
I highly recommend this book, and I'm getting the physical copy for myself upon release! It's going right on my shelf, where it belongs. A massive thank you to Netgalley and Cat Corrain for letting me read this story.
January 4, 2024
(January 4th 2024) **Update** Upon reflection and recent news, I have updated my score to a 1 star. When I previously rated at a 3.5, I was being very generous however this book took me almost 3 weeks to complete and I wanted to DNF multiple times. I ended up completing it by skim reading, which is not like me. Also with the recent issues regarding BIPOC authors, I have decreased my rating. I do not doubt that this book would be enjoyed by other readers, but it just was not a great read for me.
(November 28th, 2023) Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey books for the arc. Crown of Starlight is set to publish on May 14, 2024. This is a retelling of the Greek story with Ariadne and Dionysus, but with a fun sci-fi twist. I wanted to love this book but it fell short for me. A solid 3.5/5stars. I had a difficult time staying fully engaged with the story, which might have been more me. All in all, it was enjoyable but lacking for me. If you are interested in a fun, sci-fi Greek mythology retelling with some steamy scenes, then Crown of Starlight is your book.
(November 28th, 2023) Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey books for the arc. Crown of Starlight is set to publish on May 14, 2024. This is a retelling of the Greek story with Ariadne and Dionysus, but with a fun sci-fi twist. I wanted to love this book but it fell short for me. A solid 3.5/5stars. I had a difficult time staying fully engaged with the story, which might have been more me. All in all, it was enjoyable but lacking for me. If you are interested in a fun, sci-fi Greek mythology retelling with some steamy scenes, then Crown of Starlight is your book.
January 19, 2024
An interesting concept, the author ruined it for me.
May 7, 2024
What is the publishing industry coming to if this managed to get picked up? I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise to say that this book is poorly written. I don’t care that this book isn’t coming out! I got my hands on an arc, and it’s still listed on goodreads, so I’m going to review it!
Spoiler alert: it’s trash!
This book was pantsed to hell and back and written more like a fanfic than an actual novel (derogatory btw. I love fanfic but fanfic is not meant to be published). The worldbuilding makes no sense, nor does the religion that Ariadne supposedly follows, which apparently influences her entire life…even though she doesn’t really believe in said religion because everything about Crete is Bad and Wrong. And yet she believes in the Morai enough to not believe the Greek pantheon are gods? Okay Cait.
The characters are flat with one-track minds. All Ariadne can think about is how hot everyone is and how horny it makes her. Sometimes she realizes being horny all the time is bad! But not always. In fact, the majority of this book is about Ariadne being horny rather than any greater plot. As for Dionysus, even though Cait painstakingly points out the million and one things he’s the god of, he’s just the party god. All Dio does is host orgies and get drunk, and in the latter half of the book, he dicks down Ari a couple of times (one time is even a very light, blink and you’ll miss it, kinky/BDSM scene!!! OoOohhh SPICY~~~!!!). Oh and at the end, he suddenly gets all heroic and goes to fight one of the other gods. I don’t remember who. Don’t get too excited, though, it’s all off-page, and we see none of it.
It’s structured terribly, and there’s no plot to be found, not even a romantic one, which is the genre this book technically falls more into than sci-fi. For over 300 pages in the middle of the book, nothing happens. We just continually read about Ari attending orgies while watching from the sidelines and being horny about Dio. Oh, and she likes to lament how ugly she is because she’s got big titties and a fat ass (and presumably a teeny tiny waist because Ari is so Smol!!! uwu)
The only parts of this book worth reading (not that this book is really worth reading at all tbh) are the first roughly 100 pages and the last 50, which is absolutely shocking since this book is just over 500 pages. I literally do not understand how so many people read this book where nothing happens and thought it was worth putting out into the world.
Most of this book is just Ariadne standing around waiting for something to happen to her. The only times that isn’t true are the aforementioned first 100 and last 50 pages.
The first part of the book deals with Ariadne on Crete and she decides immediately at the very beginning that she wants to escape. She does this after having a genius plan that has no possibility of going wrong because Ariadne is never wrong!! Because she’s a genius!! Despite not caring about her Important Heir to the Empire Lessons… Once she and the Athenians get off-planet, Theseus immediately betrays Ariadne in a comical, mustache-twirling fashion. She then escapes Theseus by hiding in some random building and is rescued and practically adopted by Dionysus and his followers.
This is essentially all the important action until the end of the book. At one point, Dio and Ari get married, but it’s so lackluster because just saying the words to each other is apparently enough for Dio’s god magic to work or whatever, but it’s not given any sort of gravity. Their being married is what the plot hinges on, but apparently the how didn’t matter.
The middle of the book, while occasionally sprinkled with hints of plot in the latter half (that only felt they were added when the author suddenly remembered, “oh yeah, there needs to be a point to this book,”) is essentially filler. It’s nothing but Ari and Dio attending revels aka the orgies, and that’s it. It’s clear even the author realized nothing was happening in the middle because there were several instances of “a few weeks later” to advance time because Ariadne never leaves Olympus once she’s there, and she only leaves Dio’s temple when she needs to stumble into two seconds of plot.
The last 100 or so (but really the last 50 are what matters), we learn that Hera is working with Aries and Athena to start a war between Athens and Crete. Why is she doing that? Because she’s an evil, ugly hag, who’s jealous of Ariadne of course!!! Perfect Ari how gets Sassy and Talks Back to Hera and then Everyone Claps. There’s so much room to do something interesting with Hera, but like much of this author’s writing, it’s all surface-level nonsense mixed with childish writing and motivations. Whenever Hera is on page, she’s twirling her Villain Mustache, and it’s treated like she’s some master manipulator when, really, the author just doesn’t know how to write a compelling villain (or any compelling characters at all. Or a compelling plot. Seriously, Cait had the entire story laid out for them and it was still god awful).
The worst thing about this, though, is that Ariadne stops the war, not by participating in it, but by recording a video of herself giving a speech with the scene ending in a way that can only be described as “and everyone clapped” because Ariadne is so good at speeches and being A Good Person.
And that’s the thing about Ariadne throughout the whole book. Despite being raised under Minos’s thumb and in such a conservative society, Ariadne somehow is Better Than Everyone and doesn’t hold an ounce of prejudice every other Cretan possesses. Ariadne was simply born Pure and Good and disparages Crete, often lamenting how they only believe in heterosexuality, and the gender binary, which Is Wrong, and Cait really wants you to know it’s Wrong and that Ariadne is Right. Ariadne grew up in a world where she would have been punished for reading all the smutty romances she read and for being attracted to women as well as men, but it’s all brushed under the rug, and Ariadne never has to truly deal with falling outside of her world’s belief system. Sure, we get the occasional “ooh~~ uwu sex is illegal on Crete!! I shouldn’t be so turned on by this orgy!! uwu *GASP* what if someone saw my titties teehee uwu,” but it’s written in a way that plays more into the author’s apparent virginity kink than to reckon with Ariadne having to unpack and unlearn Crete’s teachings.
Her not falling under the teachings of Crete and the Morai is “explained” with a throwaway line about how Daedalus was Ariadne’s teacher and, thus, because he’s also a Good Person, taught Ariadne how to be Good and Pure. What’s hilarious is, even though Daedalus is soooo important to Ari, he’s barely in the book, and once Ari is off Crete, she never thinks of Daedalus or Icarus ever again. Well, okay, she thinks of them one time but that’s it.
One final thing I’ll go into detail about is the queer rep in this book. Honestly, my main issue with it is that it feels almost disingenuous. Despite the futuristic sci-fi, labels for sexuality and gender identity are never used/are nonexistent (mentioned in the author’s note, it made Cait uncomfy to put labels on her fanfic characters because it might be disrespectful to the ancient Greeks). So instead we get an alleged non-binary Dionysus, even though he presents as a man for 99.9% of this book, and it’s rarely mentioned how he’s not exactly a cis man. Particularly bothersome to me is when Dio does change his form to be a woman (all two times), it’s just so Ari can get horny about how smoking hot Woman Dio is for two seconds before Dio’s a man again. There’s one sex scene that starts out with Dio as a woman, but he quickly changes back to a man, and the rest of the scene is just hetero PIV sex. Yawn. I mean, OoOhHh!! SPICY because that’s the kinky scene!!!!!
It should also be noted that both Ari and Dio are bi or pan, not that Cait used either of those labels. The lack of labels here was also irksome, but the non-binary “rep” particularly stuck out to me after reading all the Drama surrounding Cait and how proud they were to portray Dio as such (even though they did the bare minimum).
There are so many other things I could talk about (like how this being a sci-fi makes no sense, how poorly it was thought out, how all of the characters were written like a child came up with everything, or how Dio is just the current flavor of generic male love interest who goes “someone was mean to you once??? I’ll kill them for you because you make my dick SO HARD”), but it’s so tiring to think about this book.
Honestly, this book is so embarrassing! I can’t believe anyone wanted their name attached to it and I, for one, am glad that it never got published. True, the tiktok girlies would have ate this shit up, but it’s still garbage and they can do better.
Spoiler alert: it’s trash!
This book was pantsed to hell and back and written more like a fanfic than an actual novel (derogatory btw. I love fanfic but fanfic is not meant to be published). The worldbuilding makes no sense, nor does the religion that Ariadne supposedly follows, which apparently influences her entire life…even though she doesn’t really believe in said religion because everything about Crete is Bad and Wrong. And yet she believes in the Morai enough to not believe the Greek pantheon are gods? Okay Cait.
The characters are flat with one-track minds. All Ariadne can think about is how hot everyone is and how horny it makes her. Sometimes she realizes being horny all the time is bad! But not always. In fact, the majority of this book is about Ariadne being horny rather than any greater plot. As for Dionysus, even though Cait painstakingly points out the million and one things he’s the god of, he’s just the party god. All Dio does is host orgies and get drunk, and in the latter half of the book, he dicks down Ari a couple of times (one time is even a very light, blink and you’ll miss it, kinky/BDSM scene!!! OoOohhh SPICY~~~!!!). Oh and at the end, he suddenly gets all heroic and goes to fight one of the other gods. I don’t remember who. Don’t get too excited, though, it’s all off-page, and we see none of it.
It’s structured terribly, and there’s no plot to be found, not even a romantic one, which is the genre this book technically falls more into than sci-fi. For over 300 pages in the middle of the book, nothing happens. We just continually read about Ari attending orgies while watching from the sidelines and being horny about Dio. Oh, and she likes to lament how ugly she is because she’s got big titties and a fat ass (and presumably a teeny tiny waist because Ari is so Smol!!! uwu)
The only parts of this book worth reading (not that this book is really worth reading at all tbh) are the first roughly 100 pages and the last 50, which is absolutely shocking since this book is just over 500 pages. I literally do not understand how so many people read this book where nothing happens and thought it was worth putting out into the world.
Most of this book is just Ariadne standing around waiting for something to happen to her. The only times that isn’t true are the aforementioned first 100 and last 50 pages.
The first part of the book deals with Ariadne on Crete and she decides immediately at the very beginning that she wants to escape. She does this after having a genius plan that has no possibility of going wrong because Ariadne is never wrong!! Because she’s a genius!! Despite not caring about her Important Heir to the Empire Lessons… Once she and the Athenians get off-planet, Theseus immediately betrays Ariadne in a comical, mustache-twirling fashion. She then escapes Theseus by hiding in some random building and is rescued and practically adopted by Dionysus and his followers.
This is essentially all the important action until the end of the book. At one point, Dio and Ari get married, but it’s so lackluster because just saying the words to each other is apparently enough for Dio’s god magic to work or whatever, but it’s not given any sort of gravity. Their being married is what the plot hinges on, but apparently the how didn’t matter.
The middle of the book, while occasionally sprinkled with hints of plot in the latter half (that only felt they were added when the author suddenly remembered, “oh yeah, there needs to be a point to this book,”) is essentially filler. It’s nothing but Ari and Dio attending revels aka the orgies, and that’s it. It’s clear even the author realized nothing was happening in the middle because there were several instances of “a few weeks later” to advance time because Ariadne never leaves Olympus once she’s there, and she only leaves Dio’s temple when she needs to stumble into two seconds of plot.
The last 100 or so (but really the last 50 are what matters), we learn that Hera is working with Aries and Athena to start a war between Athens and Crete. Why is she doing that? Because she’s an evil, ugly hag, who’s jealous of Ariadne of course!!! Perfect Ari how gets Sassy and Talks Back to Hera and then Everyone Claps. There’s so much room to do something interesting with Hera, but like much of this author’s writing, it’s all surface-level nonsense mixed with childish writing and motivations. Whenever Hera is on page, she’s twirling her Villain Mustache, and it’s treated like she’s some master manipulator when, really, the author just doesn’t know how to write a compelling villain (or any compelling characters at all. Or a compelling plot. Seriously, Cait had the entire story laid out for them and it was still god awful).
The worst thing about this, though, is that Ariadne stops the war, not by participating in it, but by recording a video of herself giving a speech with the scene ending in a way that can only be described as “and everyone clapped” because Ariadne is so good at speeches and being A Good Person.
And that’s the thing about Ariadne throughout the whole book. Despite being raised under Minos’s thumb and in such a conservative society, Ariadne somehow is Better Than Everyone and doesn’t hold an ounce of prejudice every other Cretan possesses. Ariadne was simply born Pure and Good and disparages Crete, often lamenting how they only believe in heterosexuality, and the gender binary, which Is Wrong, and Cait really wants you to know it’s Wrong and that Ariadne is Right. Ariadne grew up in a world where she would have been punished for reading all the smutty romances she read and for being attracted to women as well as men, but it’s all brushed under the rug, and Ariadne never has to truly deal with falling outside of her world’s belief system. Sure, we get the occasional “ooh~~ uwu sex is illegal on Crete!! I shouldn’t be so turned on by this orgy!! uwu *GASP* what if someone saw my titties teehee uwu,” but it’s written in a way that plays more into the author’s apparent virginity kink than to reckon with Ariadne having to unpack and unlearn Crete’s teachings.
Her not falling under the teachings of Crete and the Morai is “explained” with a throwaway line about how Daedalus was Ariadne’s teacher and, thus, because he’s also a Good Person, taught Ariadne how to be Good and Pure. What’s hilarious is, even though Daedalus is soooo important to Ari, he’s barely in the book, and once Ari is off Crete, she never thinks of Daedalus or Icarus ever again. Well, okay, she thinks of them one time but that’s it.
One final thing I’ll go into detail about is the queer rep in this book. Honestly, my main issue with it is that it feels almost disingenuous. Despite the futuristic sci-fi, labels for sexuality and gender identity are never used/are nonexistent (mentioned in the author’s note, it made Cait uncomfy to put labels on her fanfic characters because it might be disrespectful to the ancient Greeks). So instead we get an alleged non-binary Dionysus, even though he presents as a man for 99.9% of this book, and it’s rarely mentioned how he’s not exactly a cis man. Particularly bothersome to me is when Dio does change his form to be a woman (all two times), it’s just so Ari can get horny about how smoking hot Woman Dio is for two seconds before Dio’s a man again. There’s one sex scene that starts out with Dio as a woman, but he quickly changes back to a man, and the rest of the scene is just hetero PIV sex. Yawn. I mean, OoOhHh!! SPICY because that’s the kinky scene!!!!!
It should also be noted that both Ari and Dio are bi or pan, not that Cait used either of those labels. The lack of labels here was also irksome, but the non-binary “rep” particularly stuck out to me after reading all the Drama surrounding Cait and how proud they were to portray Dio as such (even though they did the bare minimum).
There are so many other things I could talk about (like how this being a sci-fi makes no sense, how poorly it was thought out, how all of the characters were written like a child came up with everything, or how Dio is just the current flavor of generic male love interest who goes “someone was mean to you once??? I’ll kill them for you because you make my dick SO HARD”), but it’s so tiring to think about this book.
Honestly, this book is so embarrassing! I can’t believe anyone wanted their name attached to it and I, for one, am glad that it never got published. True, the tiktok girlies would have ate this shit up, but it’s still garbage and they can do better.
November 11, 2023
Crown of Starlight is a stellar space opera that hits all the right notes: deadly politics spanning the galaxy, the most epic godly family drama, and a steamy romance that will make you need to fan yourself.
this was fun! It was sexy! It was creative! It was unashamedly queer and spicy! It had unexpected emotional depth!
I’ve been so burnt out on Greek myth retellings because so many lack real creativity and passion and this had that in spades!
this was fun! It was sexy! It was creative! It was unashamedly queer and spicy! It had unexpected emotional depth!
I’ve been so burnt out on Greek myth retellings because so many lack real creativity and passion and this had that in spades!
August 12, 2023
this is incredibly good? and i’m not a space girlie, but after this i might be? 10/10 would bang
August 25, 2024
Wow.
Full Review (Deep dives into both the book and controversy) on YouTube.
Really harrowing to be one of the only people to read this, but I got to read it, and I'm a "booktuber", so I feel like I have to talk about it. I won't retread on what's in our ridiculously long video, but instead use this space to fit in some points I forgot to make as I remember them.
Actual review: This book is good. I don’t think it would have been a cultural phenomenon the likes of Fourth Wing, but it’s good. And I worry about saying that because of who Cait Corrain is. Can I enjoy this book without guilt? Can I love Dionysus without loving Cait Corrain? Lord, I will keep asking you.
Stuff I forgot to point out:
- For all the anti-purity culture talk, the book ultimately presents purity culture as objectively correct. Seriously--Adriane's monogamous, holy matrimony to Dionysus is what gives her special powers and magically protects her
- This I did mention in the episode, but it pisses me off so much that the only reason Crete is having resource problems is because Minos made Zeus mad. The implication, much like with purity culture, is the opposite of what I think Cait intended--it's as if we're to think that Crete is struggling IN SPITE OF Minos's fascist mismanagement
Full Review (Deep dives into both the book and controversy) on YouTube.
Really harrowing to be one of the only people to read this, but I got to read it, and I'm a "booktuber", so I feel like I have to talk about it. I won't retread on what's in our ridiculously long video, but instead use this space to fit in some points I forgot to make as I remember them.
Actual review: This book is good. I don’t think it would have been a cultural phenomenon the likes of Fourth Wing, but it’s good. And I worry about saying that because of who Cait Corrain is. Can I enjoy this book without guilt? Can I love Dionysus without loving Cait Corrain? Lord, I will keep asking you.
Stuff I forgot to point out:
- For all the anti-purity culture talk, the book ultimately presents purity culture as objectively correct. Seriously--Adriane's monogamous, holy matrimony to Dionysus is what gives her special powers and magically protects her
- This I did mention in the episode, but it pisses me off so much that the only reason Crete is having resource problems is because Minos made Zeus mad. The implication, much like with purity culture, is the opposite of what I think Cait intended--it's as if we're to think that Crete is struggling IN SPITE OF Minos's fascist mismanagement
Read
June 18, 2024[EDIT 18.06.2024: Now that the ban on editing and writing reviews for this book has been lifted by goodreads (last time I checked was in December 2023, which... fair), I will add my final two cents to the discussion and finally remove my star-rating from this book entry entirely. Retrospectively, I can now look at the one sentence below which I initially wrote about it and laugh. I was an accuracy reader for the novel, my name was even mentioned in the acknowledgments, and I used to frequently chat with the author around the time I read an early version of it. Believe me when I say my disappointment and sadness over their choices, even months later, can barely be put into words. Now, I'll be leaving this disaster behind me, as everyone should, and strive to do better than them in the future.]
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You are not ready.
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You are not ready.
don-t-interest-me
January 5, 2024Can finally put this on here!
Received an arc from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
After founding out the author was one star bomb reviewing POC books by creating fake accounts, I will not be reading or reviewing this tittle. I was looking forwards to reading it.
The author had to much time and malice on her hands to do something like this.
https://x.com/XiranJayZhao/status/173...
https://x.com/XiranJayZhao/status/173...
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/a...
Received an arc from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
After founding out the author was one star bomb reviewing POC books by creating fake accounts, I will not be reading or reviewing this tittle. I was looking forwards to reading it.
The author had to much time and malice on her hands to do something like this.
https://x.com/XiranJayZhao/status/173...
https://x.com/XiranJayZhao/status/173...
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/a...
August 22, 2025
So I’m mostly shocked that this was ever going to get published at all before it was pulled
Read
May 9, 2024This book was a unique take on Greek mythology while still being remincient of the tales that we know. It is all of our beloved, and deranged, Olympians with a sci fi twist. The names and places are the same, just in space and with technology. This story revolves around Ariadne and Dionysus. Ariadne wants to escape her oppressive life with her abusive father in their brutal kingdom that does nothing but treat her poorly. When she makes her escape by helping her kingdoms enemy, she is quickly betrayed causing her to become untrustworthy of anyone willing to help her. In comes Dionysus, who is quick to help and even quicker to flirt. He rescues her and takes her under his wing. Ariadne is whisked into the world of the Gods that she was never allowed to worship. Coming from her previous life where all things depraved and carnal were basically illegal into the world of the God of Madness and Wine, Ariadne’s eyes are open to a world of possibilities and danger.
The romance between these two is a slow burn. While there is immediate chemistry, it take awhile for Ariadne to let her walls down and trust her feelings towards Dionysus. Meanwhile, Dionysus is patient and just wants her to be happy and free. When Ariadne does eventually trust her feelings, they are definitely on the spicy side. All of this is with the world of Olympus as the back drop which means we have messy family relations and completely toxic gods such as a vengeful Hera and a philandering Zeus.
There was a great mix of political intrigue and a great slow burn relationship. The romance and feelings between the two characters was believable and the timeline made sense in their developing feelings.
Ariadne and Dionysus is such an underrated Greek mythology story that needs more retellings. I really loved this story, especially because I have an obsession with anything Greek Mythology. I also love the queer representation that is involved in the book and feels that the use of Greek mythology to represent it was very smart.
Tropes: marriage of convenience, touch her a die vibes, only one bed, political intrigue
Thank you to Cait Corrain and Del Ray Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The romance between these two is a slow burn. While there is immediate chemistry, it take awhile for Ariadne to let her walls down and trust her feelings towards Dionysus. Meanwhile, Dionysus is patient and just wants her to be happy and free. When Ariadne does eventually trust her feelings, they are definitely on the spicy side. All of this is with the world of Olympus as the back drop which means we have messy family relations and completely toxic gods such as a vengeful Hera and a philandering Zeus.
There was a great mix of political intrigue and a great slow burn relationship. The romance and feelings between the two characters was believable and the timeline made sense in their developing feelings.
Ariadne and Dionysus is such an underrated Greek mythology story that needs more retellings. I really loved this story, especially because I have an obsession with anything Greek Mythology. I also love the queer representation that is involved in the book and feels that the use of Greek mythology to represent it was very smart.
Tropes: marriage of convenience, touch her a die vibes, only one bed, political intrigue
Thank you to Cait Corrain and Del Ray Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
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