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Starcrossed #6
Outcasts: a Starcrossed Prequel
The much-anticipated continuation to Scions, the prequel to the Starcrossed series, the #1 international bestseller.
Presumed dead, Daphne and Ajax try to steal away what happiness they can while living as Outcasts, when they discover that the Fates aren’t done with them yet. Ajax may have escaped death, but his fate is sealed.
Like mice in a maze, both are led back to New York City, where Daphne must find a way to keep the Fates from killing Ajax. But returning to the city puts them both in grave danger, and they are forced to seek help in the unlikeliest of places, from a reluctant Heir to the House of Athens, and a Prince of the House of Rome.
But their biggest challenge will come from Tantalus, who has been busy plotting to start the war he knows he is destined to win, but who tragically finds himself caught between his devotion to his brother, and his obsession with Daphne.
Presumed dead, Daphne and Ajax try to steal away what happiness they can while living as Outcasts, when they discover that the Fates aren’t done with them yet. Ajax may have escaped death, but his fate is sealed.
Like mice in a maze, both are led back to New York City, where Daphne must find a way to keep the Fates from killing Ajax. But returning to the city puts them both in grave danger, and they are forced to seek help in the unlikeliest of places, from a reluctant Heir to the House of Athens, and a Prince of the House of Rome.
But their biggest challenge will come from Tantalus, who has been busy plotting to start the war he knows he is destined to win, but who tragically finds himself caught between his devotion to his brother, and his obsession with Daphne.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2023
44 people are currently reading
1994 people want to read
About the author
Josephine Angelini
25 books7,647 followersHi! Thanks so much for stopping by my Goodreads page. I only check in on it occasionally, so if you’d like to send me a message please use the contact form on my website: http://josephineangelini.com.
I can also be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and I love connecting with readers. Check out the Linktree url above for more info.
I am a #1 international bestselling author, a Massachusetts native, and the youngest of eight siblings. I graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater with a focus on the classics and now live in Los Angeles with my husband and daughter.
I can also be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and I love connecting with readers. Check out the Linktree url above for more info.
I am a #1 international bestselling author, a Massachusetts native, and the youngest of eight siblings. I graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater with a focus on the classics and now live in Los Angeles with my husband and daughter.
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April 4, 2023I'm ready to be destroyed.
July 20, 2023
Where do I begin.. I LOVED this book. It made me laugh, cry and clutch at my chest more times than I can count. By the end of this book I was literally in a shouting match with myself.
Outcasts is a beautiful story of love and loss, with the characters being faced with tough decisions to take, tough sacrifices to make and above all else attempting to escape what is already fated to happen. Outcasts really makes you think about whether you can ever escape the inevitable, no matter how hard you try. This book has multiple POVs, which I initially thought I was not going to like but ended up loving. It really makes you appreciate each and every character and their role in the ultimate love story - that between Daphne and Ajax. This book gave me new characters to love, old ones to hate and also ties in perfectly with the rest of the series. By the end of the book, you fully understand why Daphne is the way she is in Starcrossed, Dreamless, Goddess and Timeless.
Aside from an epic plot, great fight scenes and some of the best story telling I have ever seen, this book pays an excellent homage to greek mythology in general, with Angelini tying in elements from the Odyssey and the Iliad that not only make sense in the context they are introduced but also add to the story in general.
TL;DR: I loved this book and am planning on re-reading it over and over again. 10/10.
Note: I am lucky to have received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Sungrazer Publishing!
Outcasts is a beautiful story of love and loss, with the characters being faced with tough decisions to take, tough sacrifices to make and above all else attempting to escape what is already fated to happen. Outcasts really makes you think about whether you can ever escape the inevitable, no matter how hard you try. This book has multiple POVs, which I initially thought I was not going to like but ended up loving. It really makes you appreciate each and every character and their role in the ultimate love story - that between Daphne and Ajax. This book gave me new characters to love, old ones to hate and also ties in perfectly with the rest of the series. By the end of the book, you fully understand why Daphne is the way she is in Starcrossed, Dreamless, Goddess and Timeless.
Aside from an epic plot, great fight scenes and some of the best story telling I have ever seen, this book pays an excellent homage to greek mythology in general, with Angelini tying in elements from the Odyssey and the Iliad that not only make sense in the context they are introduced but also add to the story in general.
TL;DR: I loved this book and am planning on re-reading it over and over again. 10/10.
Note: I am lucky to have received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Sungrazer Publishing!
October 1, 2023
This book is a continuation of our beloved Starcrossed series, and the second book to follow Daphne and Ajax's story. A villain origin story if you will...that's if you believe Daphne to be a villain.
These books have changed my perspective on a lot of characters, and even though I knew what was going to happen ...I was not prepared. I had to take moments during reading, where I would put the book down, walk around my bedroom and then jump back in. It was so worth it! Josie has a great way with her characters, this is one of my favourite things about her writing, they almost feel real to me(their heartbreaks are my heartbreaks). She makes me believe I know them, and then make me question everything! I have fallen for so many new characters in this book, and I would love to see more of them, see more of their story. Especially a certain blonde.
This book is a great addition to an already great series. If you are reading this before reading the series, hey! *spoilers* I highly recommend this series if you like Greek mythology, empowering women, starcrossed lovers and great friendships. This book is for you!
Excuse me whilst I mourn
These books have changed my perspective on a lot of characters, and even though I knew what was going to happen ...I was not prepared. I had to take moments during reading, where I would put the book down, walk around my bedroom and then jump back in. It was so worth it! Josie has a great way with her characters, this is one of my favourite things about her writing, they almost feel real to me(their heartbreaks are my heartbreaks). She makes me believe I know them, and then make me question everything! I have fallen for so many new characters in this book, and I would love to see more of them, see more of their story. Especially a certain blonde.
This book is a great addition to an already great series. If you are reading this before reading the series, hey! *spoilers* I highly recommend this series if you like Greek mythology, empowering women, starcrossed lovers and great friendships. This book is for you!
Excuse me whilst I mourn
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2023
The wait for this book was pure torture, so to have finally read it feels like a pure sigh of relief.
Outcasts is set around 20 years before the events of Starcrossed (the first book in this series), so going into this book we know some of the main events that will happen. And I expected myself to feel less emotionally attached or shocked by the events that occurred in this book but reading the writing and becoming immersed in this new environment really lulls you into a false sense of security that is shattered by the end of the book.
I loved the tension between the Four Houses as they attempted to co-exist in a city much too small for them. And I found myself falling in love with the characters and the world as we got to explore many more perspectives.
There were moments where I had to physically compose myself because I was so angry or sad that I couldn't see straight. And the ending was one of those. Seeing Daphne's character arc unfold in this story, knowing how she is in the future, is so fascinating as we learn all of her motivations and fears and strengths and we see how her face affects those around her.
Now that the wait for Outcasts has finished-the wait for Endless begins. And with that sneak peek at the end of the book I'm very much looking forward to it!
Outcasts is set around 20 years before the events of Starcrossed (the first book in this series), so going into this book we know some of the main events that will happen. And I expected myself to feel less emotionally attached or shocked by the events that occurred in this book but reading the writing and becoming immersed in this new environment really lulls you into a false sense of security that is shattered by the end of the book.
I loved the tension between the Four Houses as they attempted to co-exist in a city much too small for them. And I found myself falling in love with the characters and the world as we got to explore many more perspectives.
There were moments where I had to physically compose myself because I was so angry or sad that I couldn't see straight. And the ending was one of those. Seeing Daphne's character arc unfold in this story, knowing how she is in the future, is so fascinating as we learn all of her motivations and fears and strengths and we see how her face affects those around her.
Now that the wait for Outcasts has finished-the wait for Endless begins. And with that sneak peek at the end of the book I'm very much looking forward to it!
October 8, 2023
Oh, loved reading this book, it was a hard story knowing how things would end, and now I really need book 7!
August 29, 2023
I was lucky enough to get a digital arc of this book (thank you Josephine Angelini and the star squad💗) and that's my honest opinion.
I first read the starcrossed series when I was 12 and now, a few years later, I can say that I still love each of these books.
I didn't expect to love this book so much because I have high expectations and it's already the sixth part of this series but it still managed to become my favorite.
I love to get to know the history and the life of the “older generation” who were in the og trilogy and who didn’t always understood each other.
This way i understood their actions. I loved this book, I read it entirety in a few hours because it was so interesting.
And this last sentence… so good it made me cry.
I highly recommend it.
July 10, 2023
Another fantastic instalment in the Starcrossed series! I'm loving the insight we've had into Daphne's life as a teenager - she comes across as quite cold and ruthless in the original trilogy, so it's great to finally read her story and see all that she went through to lead to the events of Starcrossed. Ultimately the ending of this book isn't much of a surprise, seeing as it's a prequel story, but I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this older generation of Scions and their lives before the war
September 16, 2023
Outcasts is a book that surprised me in a lot of ways. First of all, I thought nothing could surprise me since I’d read all previous books and knew the fate of most of the main characters in Outcasts. But NO, Josie lulled me into a false sense of security and had me gasping for air by pulling plot twists here and there!
Although I had my prejudices for Daphne, I really fell for her in the end. I’ll certainly see her differently when re-reading the starcrossed books. It’s a book that will make you feel happiness, giddiness, fear and absolute desperation. AND guys, the tension!! That’s something I couldn’t get enough of.
BUT, you know me, I’m being honest here. There are a few things that bugged me. For one I felt the book was too short to really accomplish a good outline of every single POV (and believe me there are a lot), so it kind of felt like there wasn’t enough time to really explore some relationships and dive deeper into character developments. It was also really fast-paced, which I’m usually a fan of, but with the last book in a duology it might have been better to slow down and take some time to dive deeper into world-building.
Nevertheless, I feel like Outcasts is a worthy end for the story of Daphne & Ajax.
Although I had my prejudices for Daphne, I really fell for her in the end. I’ll certainly see her differently when re-reading the starcrossed books. It’s a book that will make you feel happiness, giddiness, fear and absolute desperation. AND guys, the tension!! That’s something I couldn’t get enough of.
BUT, you know me, I’m being honest here. There are a few things that bugged me. For one I felt the book was too short to really accomplish a good outline of every single POV (and believe me there are a lot), so it kind of felt like there wasn’t enough time to really explore some relationships and dive deeper into character developments. It was also really fast-paced, which I’m usually a fan of, but with the last book in a duology it might have been better to slow down and take some time to dive deeper into world-building.
Nevertheless, I feel like Outcasts is a worthy end for the story of Daphne & Ajax.
October 3, 2023
In a nutshell: I LOVED the book — a worthy end to the story of Daphne and Ajax.
What I found really astonishing are the different perspectives from which the story is told. There are books where I find this quite confusing and need to go back in the respective chapters to remember whose perspective I would even be reading at that time. This did not even happen once with Outcasts and I am pretty sure I know why: Josephine Angelini’s writing! She really manages to write differently from other perspectives, making the writing character- and perspective-specific in the respective chapters. Therefore, I always knew whose thoughts I read and I absolutely loved reading this book from multiple perspectives. To me, that truly shows skilled writing and so do Josephine Angelini’s characters! I am super grateful for every character that I got to meet. There are truly interesting backstories that I really appreciated and still do.
Knowing this is the last book in the prequels, I hoped for more Ajax and Daphne scenes that I could treasure in the future. But I guess I would still feel that way if even five more scenes were added, Outcasts is a worthy end to the story of Daphne and Ajax, however, this does not mean I was really for it to end. This is also accounted for by all the tears I shed despite knowing what will come eventually.
Another point worth mentioning is that even after Scions, I still was somewhat skeptical of Daphne because of the Starcrossed (original) trilogy and what (unnecessary) drama she caused. But I really learned to love her in Outcasts and I am certainly looking forward to re-reading the original Starcrossed series and seeing my perception of her change. Yet, there were scenes (I have one particular in mind) where I wasn’t too sure of what was going on and left me with questions, yet I am confident that I will as soon as I have read Endless… and speaking of Endless, oh my! I really CANNOT wait to get my heart broken.
I received a digital ARC by Josephine Angelini / Sungrazer Publishing — However, this does not influence my opinion in any way.
What I found really astonishing are the different perspectives from which the story is told. There are books where I find this quite confusing and need to go back in the respective chapters to remember whose perspective I would even be reading at that time. This did not even happen once with Outcasts and I am pretty sure I know why: Josephine Angelini’s writing! She really manages to write differently from other perspectives, making the writing character- and perspective-specific in the respective chapters. Therefore, I always knew whose thoughts I read and I absolutely loved reading this book from multiple perspectives. To me, that truly shows skilled writing and so do Josephine Angelini’s characters! I am super grateful for every character that I got to meet. There are truly interesting backstories that I really appreciated and still do.
Knowing this is the last book in the prequels, I hoped for more Ajax and Daphne scenes that I could treasure in the future. But I guess I would still feel that way if even five more scenes were added, Outcasts is a worthy end to the story of Daphne and Ajax, however, this does not mean I was really for it to end. This is also accounted for by all the tears I shed despite knowing what will come eventually.
Another point worth mentioning is that even after Scions, I still was somewhat skeptical of Daphne because of the Starcrossed (original) trilogy and what (unnecessary) drama she caused. But I really learned to love her in Outcasts and I am certainly looking forward to re-reading the original Starcrossed series and seeing my perception of her change. Yet, there were scenes (I have one particular in mind) where I wasn’t too sure of what was going on and left me with questions, yet I am confident that I will as soon as I have read Endless… and speaking of Endless, oh my! I really CANNOT wait to get my heart broken.
I received a digital ARC by Josephine Angelini / Sungrazer Publishing — However, this does not influence my opinion in any way.
October 3, 2023
Let me start off by saying I am a founder of the #AjaxLives movement and I will live and die by the hashtag.
Following on from that, you can probably guess that I am an Ajax lover. Ajax Delos is everything. Yet, the Ajax Delos in this book was just not Ajax Delos-ing? I felt like Ajax lost a lot of his personality in this book and just became an aside. And sure, this is largely Daphne's story, but Ajax is a big part of that. I felt sad that he seemed to have lost a lot of his personality. A lot of the time he began to feel one dimensional, like he only existed to be Daphne's love interest.
Now, this could've been intentional. A lot of what we've known about Ajax has been what we readers have created. He was an unknown entity for so long, only told through other characters POVs, that what we knew of his character was simply a reflection of what other characters thought of him. Ajax seemed to be a mirror that caused a lot of other characters to reflect on themselves, or to project emotions onto him. It also seems almost ironic/satirical that it is a male character that has been side-lined as a love interest, while the female character takes the lead as it is often the opposite way in many stories.
Daphne, on the other hand, only got richer in depth. Angelini did a very good job at exploring Daphne's anxiety over Ajax and the future. Seeing Daphne's desperation, eventual exasperation, her despondence and then her anger was brilliant. I loved - and was emotionally destroyed - by the ending of this book. I think it was so fitting, and really showed Daphne's humanity even when it is perceived she is lacking in it.
I do wonder if it is my expectations that led me to feel slightly disappointed in this book. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it a lot, but I think I expected this book to be something other than it was. I expected a lot more of Ajax and Daphne scenes, yet we hardly got any - they spent a majority of this book a part! I also though this book was going to dive more in to the politics of the world and the war, yet it only briefly - very briefly - covered the beginning of it and did a recap of the events afterwards. I thought thatwas the story we were getting, and in many ways because we didn't this felt incomplete.
I also feel like Tantalus' character was slightly rushed, his character development moving quicker than it should have done for the sake of the plot. I think where Tantalus ended up going made sense for the story and his character, I just wish we got to explore the certain stages of his 'descent' more.
This book also had me banging my head against the wall screaming 'WHY' because some of the decisions the characters made were absolutely ridiculous. To some extent I got some of them because the characters were in denial, but a lot of the time I was like 'REALLY? DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD WORK OUT?' It truly had me baffled. But the story had to have it happen for the sake of the plot - I just wish sometimes it felt like it was more a natural part of the story as opposed to feeling slapped in there for the plot.
Adonis is also my LOVE. I loved this complicated man!!!! Oooo the discussions my friends and myself have had over him. He's so complicated and morally grey. I think he's wonderful. He's definitely one of my favourite characters. Only thing I didn't like - and this wasn't necessarily due to him - was the whole crush he had on Daphne. Hated that. I wish it was a genuine friendship and I do not accept The Face as an excuse for this. I also hated the whole convo Ajax/Adonis had about if Ajax died, Adonis gets to be with Daphne. Felt icky.
Also icky - Ladon and Antigone. I don't support that romance.
Morpheus also gave me the ick in this.
I really loved the time travel elements in this again! No spoilers but oooo am I excited for Endless. It's so thrilling to think about the time travel and to begin to analyse how certain things have impacted other things etc. It's like a ball of wool that keeps unrolling, rolling back up and then unrolling again. So twisty and delicious!
Daedalus was also fantastic and I loved his POV. I also loved his relationship with Leda and the frenemy thing he has going on with Castor (oh god, was it Castor or Pallas?? I also get them confused).
I will say sometimes the male POV's felt same-y and sometimes I found myself lost on whose POV I was in / what event had happened to which character. But overall I enjoyed all the POVs and how this meant we got to see different sides of the story.
All in all, I did really enjoy Outcasts. It had twists that had me gasping and inboxing Angelini that she was evil, and then taking it back, and then taking back by taking back. The events made me emotional. This book gave old (but new) characters so many more layers that consequently has had (what I believe to be) the desired impact of enriching the previous stories, adding so many new layers to the story and insight in to the characters and their motivations. I think overall this was a successful novel that sets up the finale to the series, even when I was let down at points.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Following on from that, you can probably guess that I am an Ajax lover. Ajax Delos is everything. Yet, the Ajax Delos in this book was just not Ajax Delos-ing? I felt like Ajax lost a lot of his personality in this book and just became an aside. And sure, this is largely Daphne's story, but Ajax is a big part of that. I felt sad that he seemed to have lost a lot of his personality. A lot of the time he began to feel one dimensional, like he only existed to be Daphne's love interest.
Now, this could've been intentional. A lot of what we've known about Ajax has been what we readers have created. He was an unknown entity for so long, only told through other characters POVs, that what we knew of his character was simply a reflection of what other characters thought of him. Ajax seemed to be a mirror that caused a lot of other characters to reflect on themselves, or to project emotions onto him. It also seems almost ironic/satirical that it is a male character that has been side-lined as a love interest, while the female character takes the lead as it is often the opposite way in many stories.
Daphne, on the other hand, only got richer in depth. Angelini did a very good job at exploring Daphne's anxiety over Ajax and the future. Seeing Daphne's desperation, eventual exasperation, her despondence and then her anger was brilliant. I loved - and was emotionally destroyed - by the ending of this book. I think it was so fitting, and really showed Daphne's humanity even when it is perceived she is lacking in it.
I do wonder if it is my expectations that led me to feel slightly disappointed in this book. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it a lot, but I think I expected this book to be something other than it was. I expected a lot more of Ajax and Daphne scenes, yet we hardly got any - they spent a majority of this book a part! I also though this book was going to dive more in to the politics of the world and the war, yet it only briefly - very briefly - covered the beginning of it and did a recap of the events afterwards. I thought thatwas the story we were getting, and in many ways because we didn't this felt incomplete.
I also feel like Tantalus' character was slightly rushed, his character development moving quicker than it should have done for the sake of the plot. I think where Tantalus ended up going made sense for the story and his character, I just wish we got to explore the certain stages of his 'descent' more.
This book also had me banging my head against the wall screaming 'WHY' because some of the decisions the characters made were absolutely ridiculous. To some extent I got some of them because the characters were in denial, but a lot of the time I was like 'REALLY? DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD WORK OUT?' It truly had me baffled. But the story had to have it happen for the sake of the plot - I just wish sometimes it felt like it was more a natural part of the story as opposed to feeling slapped in there for the plot.
Adonis is also my LOVE. I loved this complicated man!!!! Oooo the discussions my friends and myself have had over him. He's so complicated and morally grey. I think he's wonderful. He's definitely one of my favourite characters. Only thing I didn't like - and this wasn't necessarily due to him - was the whole crush he had on Daphne. Hated that. I wish it was a genuine friendship and I do not accept The Face as an excuse for this. I also hated the whole convo Ajax/Adonis had about if Ajax died, Adonis gets to be with Daphne. Felt icky.
Also icky - Ladon and Antigone. I don't support that romance.
Morpheus also gave me the ick in this.
I really loved the time travel elements in this again! No spoilers but oooo am I excited for Endless. It's so thrilling to think about the time travel and to begin to analyse how certain things have impacted other things etc. It's like a ball of wool that keeps unrolling, rolling back up and then unrolling again. So twisty and delicious!
Daedalus was also fantastic and I loved his POV. I also loved his relationship with Leda and the frenemy thing he has going on with Castor (oh god, was it Castor or Pallas?? I also get them confused).
I will say sometimes the male POV's felt same-y and sometimes I found myself lost on whose POV I was in / what event had happened to which character. But overall I enjoyed all the POVs and how this meant we got to see different sides of the story.
All in all, I did really enjoy Outcasts. It had twists that had me gasping and inboxing Angelini that she was evil, and then taking it back, and then taking back by taking back. The events made me emotional. This book gave old (but new) characters so many more layers that consequently has had (what I believe to be) the desired impact of enriching the previous stories, adding so many new layers to the story and insight in to the characters and their motivations. I think overall this was a successful novel that sets up the finale to the series, even when I was let down at points.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2023
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
Daphne - It was definitely emotional seeing her in another light than the bad mom from previous books. I felt a bit sorry for her and what she's gone through, and the betrayal she's gone through actually. I still think she could've done better for Helen in the other books, but I did feel sorry for the things she's gone through. And as usual, she's such a badass when comes to combat and being strong overall. She's definitely a bad bitch and I loved it!
Ajax - We all know his fate from previous books, but it was so sad and heartbreaking to actually see the event happening. For a fraction, I totally forgot the fates will still get their way, and the betrayal I felt when his fate came to happen really left me heartbroken.
The rest of the characters - There are multiple pov's in the story, but I really loved Leda & Daedalus, I found them to be so sweet and they were so perfect together. Do I wish for a book only about them? HELL YEAH *looks at Josie*. The majority of the characters were important for the story and some were driving the story more than others, and some gave me the creeps *looks at Phaon and throws up* but I loved the way the story showed us more from the characters and their pov's.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The events are happening in our world and the events are at the beginning of the 90's. There are a couple of funny moments such as the mobile phones and how some don't have them and they talk about the new shiny things. I definitely liked the vibe of the story.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
I loved everything! The story felt fast-paced without a dull moment. You've got enemies to lovers, betrayal, family murder, lots of crazy events happening one after the other and as usual the damned fates playing with everyone involved and getting their way. Even tho this book doesn't have a happy ending, there are happy moments that will make you swoon but be prepared to have your heart broken towards the end, because the story made me forget of Ajax fate and I was hoping so much that things will be different. Overall, the story captured my heart fully and I will need a bit more time to recover.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
The romance is pretty clean, however, the story isn't. There's lots of fighting, killing, losing a family member, blood, and so on but the subjects presented in the book didn't trigger me.
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⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
Daphne - It was definitely emotional seeing her in another light than the bad mom from previous books. I felt a bit sorry for her and what she's gone through, and the betrayal she's gone through actually. I still think she could've done better for Helen in the other books, but I did feel sorry for the things she's gone through. And as usual, she's such a badass when comes to combat and being strong overall. She's definitely a bad bitch and I loved it!
Ajax - We all know his fate from previous books, but it was so sad and heartbreaking to actually see the event happening. For a fraction, I totally forgot the fates will still get their way, and the betrayal I felt when his fate came to happen really left me heartbroken.
The rest of the characters - There are multiple pov's in the story, but I really loved Leda & Daedalus, I found them to be so sweet and they were so perfect together. Do I wish for a book only about them? HELL YEAH *looks at Josie*. The majority of the characters were important for the story and some were driving the story more than others, and some gave me the creeps *looks at Phaon and throws up* but I loved the way the story showed us more from the characters and their pov's.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The events are happening in our world and the events are at the beginning of the 90's. There are a couple of funny moments such as the mobile phones and how some don't have them and they talk about the new shiny things. I definitely liked the vibe of the story.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
I loved everything! The story felt fast-paced without a dull moment. You've got enemies to lovers, betrayal, family murder, lots of crazy events happening one after the other and as usual the damned fates playing with everyone involved and getting their way. Even tho this book doesn't have a happy ending, there are happy moments that will make you swoon but be prepared to have your heart broken towards the end, because the story made me forget of Ajax fate and I was hoping so much that things will be different. Overall, the story captured my heart fully and I will need a bit more time to recover.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
The romance is pretty clean, however, the story isn't. There's lots of fighting, killing, losing a family member, blood, and so on but the subjects presented in the book didn't trigger me.
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Review Policy
October 3, 2023
Another hit from Josephine Angelini!
I absolutely adore this book - it was a greater hit for me than Scions (prequel #1) was! Following Daphne and Ajax on the run for their fate really brings you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I have never been a huge fan of prequels, however, this book made me SO glad that Angelini took the time to dive into the history of these characters.
If you have yet to read the Starcrossed series - Starcrossed, Dreamless, and Goddess - PLEASE do yourself a favor and do so. If you are curious about liking this book - make sure you read 'Scions' first to get the history of Daphne and Ajax before the events of this amazing book.
If you are a lover of anything Greek mythology, starcrossed lovers, hopeful yet tragic endings (no, this is not a spoiler) - then you absolutely have to give this series and book a try. I cannot wait for Angelini's future books in the Starcrossed and Scions universe!
I absolutely adore this book - it was a greater hit for me than Scions (prequel #1) was! Following Daphne and Ajax on the run for their fate really brings you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I have never been a huge fan of prequels, however, this book made me SO glad that Angelini took the time to dive into the history of these characters.
If you have yet to read the Starcrossed series - Starcrossed, Dreamless, and Goddess - PLEASE do yourself a favor and do so. If you are curious about liking this book - make sure you read 'Scions' first to get the history of Daphne and Ajax before the events of this amazing book.
If you are a lover of anything Greek mythology, starcrossed lovers, hopeful yet tragic endings (no, this is not a spoiler) - then you absolutely have to give this series and book a try. I cannot wait for Angelini's future books in the Starcrossed and Scions universe!
April 28, 2024
Unputdownable
September 4, 2024
3.5 stars
A nice book but who in their right mind made this book 6 and not 5. It ruins the enjoyment of the series
A nice book but who in their right mind made this book 6 and not 5. It ruins the enjoyment of the series
Want to read
October 4, 2023I need to reread this whole series so I can get to all these new additions 😩
September 28, 2023
I could not put this book down!
As a Starcrossed lover I might be biased but I loved this one, especially getting to take a deep dive into these fascinating characters' heads - some of them already known, some strangers.
My biggest complaint? That it ended and now I have to wait SO LONG for more...
As a Starcrossed lover I might be biased but I loved this one, especially getting to take a deep dive into these fascinating characters' heads - some of them already known, some strangers.
My biggest complaint? That it ended and now I have to wait SO LONG for more...
October 10, 2023
Complicated & twisted like the Scions themselves, OUTCASTS gives fans of the Starcrossed books to finally experience the war we heard all about back in book one with Helen & Lucas. OUTCASTS didn't disappoint, and boy oh boy, did I love Adonis (and wished for a bit more Morpheus), but overall, it gave me the story I needed and told it in a way that had me turning pages as fast as I could.
October 17, 2023
Outcasts is beautiful. It has such depth, something needed to wrap up this prequel duology before the main trilogy. I think it’s absolutely perfect for those new to the series as a whole, and those who have adored the series for forever.
For us fans of Starcrossed and the later two books(soon to be four), this was a duology that answered so many questions. We have more history, explanations, love, and even hate. But with all of this, there was still a sense of urgency, mystery, and let's all be honest, dread. After reading the main trilogy, we know the ending, we just aren’t sure how it takes place and to what degree it will impact us and our main characters. This keeps the reader on the edge of their seat for the entire book.
For fans new to the series, I think they get a really unique experience of reading these books in historical order. Learning about Daphe and her tragic love before being thrust into Helons’. There’s so much foreshadowing the reader won’t catch until they continue on with Starcrossed, but I’d imagine it’d be so much fun catching those twists as they come, in a way that we who are familiar with the series will never be able to experience.
This book has you thinking ‘dread’ from the first few chapters. It’s like playing with Fate ourselves. We mirror the characters. They know they are in a losing battle with Fate, as the reader, we are also just along for the ride, completely powerless to change what we know is coming, Fate itself.
The characters we don’t get as much information, history, back story, etc. on in the original books, are in this prequel duology and we get a whole lot of them. I fell more and more in love with some of the characters I liked in Starcrossed, and became to loath characters I didn’t even like(cough Tantulous) to begin with. Josie writes her characters with such emotion, there’s so much depth to each one. This is something that Josie excels at in all her books and writing, but it’s so much fun having the chance to explore characters she’s introduced previously, even more.
This book really does have the reader experiencing every emotion possible. Hope being one, desperation, love, happiness, and absolute heartbreak being another. The craft it took to write a book like this, a second books to a prequel duolgoy, to a very solid trilogy, that still has the reader experiencing their own feelings in such a profound way… is impressive. I can’t recommend Scions and Outcasts enough, it makes me second guess or see the original trilogy on such a new level that it ‘almost’ feels like a whole new series.
For us fans of Starcrossed and the later two books(soon to be four), this was a duology that answered so many questions. We have more history, explanations, love, and even hate. But with all of this, there was still a sense of urgency, mystery, and let's all be honest, dread. After reading the main trilogy, we know the ending, we just aren’t sure how it takes place and to what degree it will impact us and our main characters. This keeps the reader on the edge of their seat for the entire book.
For fans new to the series, I think they get a really unique experience of reading these books in historical order. Learning about Daphe and her tragic love before being thrust into Helons’. There’s so much foreshadowing the reader won’t catch until they continue on with Starcrossed, but I’d imagine it’d be so much fun catching those twists as they come, in a way that we who are familiar with the series will never be able to experience.
This book has you thinking ‘dread’ from the first few chapters. It’s like playing with Fate ourselves. We mirror the characters. They know they are in a losing battle with Fate, as the reader, we are also just along for the ride, completely powerless to change what we know is coming, Fate itself.
The characters we don’t get as much information, history, back story, etc. on in the original books, are in this prequel duology and we get a whole lot of them. I fell more and more in love with some of the characters I liked in Starcrossed, and became to loath characters I didn’t even like(cough Tantulous) to begin with. Josie writes her characters with such emotion, there’s so much depth to each one. This is something that Josie excels at in all her books and writing, but it’s so much fun having the chance to explore characters she’s introduced previously, even more.
This book really does have the reader experiencing every emotion possible. Hope being one, desperation, love, happiness, and absolute heartbreak being another. The craft it took to write a book like this, a second books to a prequel duolgoy, to a very solid trilogy, that still has the reader experiencing their own feelings in such a profound way… is impressive. I can’t recommend Scions and Outcasts enough, it makes me second guess or see the original trilogy on such a new level that it ‘almost’ feels like a whole new series.
October 28, 2023
Overall, I did not enjoy this story so much as I did the first. All the back and forth between all the characters was too much IMO and got confusing.
Adonis was the best part about this book and he definitely carried it for me I think. So therefore I hope he shows up in the last book because I fully believe he is in hiding!
But I did enjoy seeing some backstory building, it just got way too confusing for me with all the viewpoints.
Adonis was the best part about this book and he definitely carried it for me I think. So therefore I hope he shows up in the last book because I fully believe he is in hiding!
But I did enjoy seeing some backstory building, it just got way too confusing for me with all the viewpoints.
September 30, 2023
RECENSIONE OUTCAST 🇮🇹
Ciao. Oggi vi parlo di Outcasts, il sesto libro della serie Starcrossed di Josephine Angelini, in uscita il 3 ottobre. Ringrazio Josie e Sungrazer Publishing per avermelo inviato in anteprima. Outcasts riprende dalla fine di Scions e conclude la storia di Daphne e Ajax. Cercherò di fare meno spoiler possibili per tutti coloro che non hanno ancora letto Scions, promesso.
Nel primo libro abbiamo conosciuto meglio la Daphne adolescente e i personaggi secondari della serie: Tantalus, Castor, Dedalus, Leda, Noel...
Ma abbiamo anche scoperto le storie di Landon, Antigone, Leda e il fantastico Adone. Questo volume ci porterà nel culmine della lotta tra le quattro case. Mentre alcune storie d'amore "contrastate" nasceranno nonostante la battaglia per la conquista dei territori imperversi su di loro, l'amore tra Daphne e Ajax lotta contro il destino e il tragico epilogo che tutti conosciamo.
Il mio voto è 4 stelle. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cosa mi è piaciuto? Mi sono piaciuti i POV dei diversi personaggi e le storie tra Landon e Antigone e Dedalus e Leda. E ovviamente lui... Adone!
Cosa mi è piaciuto meno? Ho trovato un po' troppo veloce l'epilogo e la parte della battaglia. E per quanto conoscessi la fine della storia di Daphne e Ajax avrei voluto di più per loro. Avrei voluto molti più momenti insieme e molti più pezzi su Ajax. Nel complesso il libro mi è piaciuto e consiglio assolutamente di leggerlo. vi piacerà! ❤️
❤️❤️❤️
OUTCAST REVIEW 🇬🇧
HI. Today I'm telling you about Outcasts, the sixth book in the Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini, out October 3rd. Thanks to Josie and Sungrazerpublishing for sending it to me as a preview. Outcasts picks up from the end of Scions and concludes the story of Daphne and Ajax. I'll try to keep as few spoilers as possible for anyone who hasn't read Scions yet, I promise.
In the first book we got to know better the teenage Daphne and the secondary characters of the series: Tantalus, Castor, Dedalus, Leda, Noel...
But we also discovered the stories of Landon, Antigone, Leda and the fantastic Adonis. This book will take us to the height of the struggle between the four houses. While some "thwarted" love stories will be born despite the battle for the conquest of territories raging over them, the love between Daphne and Ajax fights against fate and the tragic epilogue that we all know.
My rating is 4 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What did I like? I liked the POVs of the different characters and the stories between Landon and Antigone and Daedalus and Leda. And of course he... Adonis! 😍
What did I like least? I found the epilogue and the battle part a little too fast. And as much as I knew the end of Daphne and Ajax's story I wanted more for them. I would have liked many more moments together and many more pieces about Ajax. Overall I liked the book and definitely recommend reading it. you will like it! ❤️
Ciao. Oggi vi parlo di Outcasts, il sesto libro della serie Starcrossed di Josephine Angelini, in uscita il 3 ottobre. Ringrazio Josie e Sungrazer Publishing per avermelo inviato in anteprima. Outcasts riprende dalla fine di Scions e conclude la storia di Daphne e Ajax. Cercherò di fare meno spoiler possibili per tutti coloro che non hanno ancora letto Scions, promesso.
Nel primo libro abbiamo conosciuto meglio la Daphne adolescente e i personaggi secondari della serie: Tantalus, Castor, Dedalus, Leda, Noel...
Ma abbiamo anche scoperto le storie di Landon, Antigone, Leda e il fantastico Adone. Questo volume ci porterà nel culmine della lotta tra le quattro case. Mentre alcune storie d'amore "contrastate" nasceranno nonostante la battaglia per la conquista dei territori imperversi su di loro, l'amore tra Daphne e Ajax lotta contro il destino e il tragico epilogo che tutti conosciamo.
Il mio voto è 4 stelle. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cosa mi è piaciuto? Mi sono piaciuti i POV dei diversi personaggi e le storie tra Landon e Antigone e Dedalus e Leda. E ovviamente lui... Adone!
Cosa mi è piaciuto meno? Ho trovato un po' troppo veloce l'epilogo e la parte della battaglia. E per quanto conoscessi la fine della storia di Daphne e Ajax avrei voluto di più per loro. Avrei voluto molti più momenti insieme e molti più pezzi su Ajax. Nel complesso il libro mi è piaciuto e consiglio assolutamente di leggerlo. vi piacerà! ❤️
❤️❤️❤️
OUTCAST REVIEW 🇬🇧
HI. Today I'm telling you about Outcasts, the sixth book in the Starcrossed series by Josephine Angelini, out October 3rd. Thanks to Josie and Sungrazerpublishing for sending it to me as a preview. Outcasts picks up from the end of Scions and concludes the story of Daphne and Ajax. I'll try to keep as few spoilers as possible for anyone who hasn't read Scions yet, I promise.
In the first book we got to know better the teenage Daphne and the secondary characters of the series: Tantalus, Castor, Dedalus, Leda, Noel...
But we also discovered the stories of Landon, Antigone, Leda and the fantastic Adonis. This book will take us to the height of the struggle between the four houses. While some "thwarted" love stories will be born despite the battle for the conquest of territories raging over them, the love between Daphne and Ajax fights against fate and the tragic epilogue that we all know.
My rating is 4 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What did I like? I liked the POVs of the different characters and the stories between Landon and Antigone and Daedalus and Leda. And of course he... Adonis! 😍
What did I like least? I found the epilogue and the battle part a little too fast. And as much as I knew the end of Daphne and Ajax's story I wanted more for them. I would have liked many more moments together and many more pieces about Ajax. Overall I liked the book and definitely recommend reading it. you will like it! ❤️
October 3, 2023
I loved this book so much that I had to paint my nails to match to celebrate release day!
Instant 5 stars!! I had a major book hangover after I finished reading Outcasts. I re-read the last couple of chapters again, and it took me several days to gather my thoughts. While Starcrossed will always hold a special place in my heart, Outcasts is my new favourite book in the series. Big call – I know, but I said it.
If you ever wanted a prequel or two to help understand the characters and their personal history on a much deeper level, Josephine Angelini has got your back! Outcasts is the sequel to the prequel, Scions, and continues in the early 90s. This book is just brilliant and showcases Josie’s expertise in storytelling and character building at another level.
It really impresses me how Josie cleverly crafted all these villains and anti-heroes in the original Starcrossed trilogy and then got us to understand, sympathise and fall in love with (some of) them in the prequels in the most beautiful way. In the wise words of Taylor Swift, Daphne Atreus comes back stronger than a 90s trend.
I really couldn’t recommend the Starcrossed series more! If you love a romantacy with badass characters, vivid imagery, and excellent world building, then get your hands on the Starcrossed series – now! Warning: You will need tissues, but it’s so worth it.
Thank you, Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing, for sending me an ARC of Outcasts.
Instant 5 stars!! I had a major book hangover after I finished reading Outcasts. I re-read the last couple of chapters again, and it took me several days to gather my thoughts. While Starcrossed will always hold a special place in my heart, Outcasts is my new favourite book in the series. Big call – I know, but I said it.
If you ever wanted a prequel or two to help understand the characters and their personal history on a much deeper level, Josephine Angelini has got your back! Outcasts is the sequel to the prequel, Scions, and continues in the early 90s. This book is just brilliant and showcases Josie’s expertise in storytelling and character building at another level.
It really impresses me how Josie cleverly crafted all these villains and anti-heroes in the original Starcrossed trilogy and then got us to understand, sympathise and fall in love with (some of) them in the prequels in the most beautiful way. In the wise words of Taylor Swift, Daphne Atreus comes back stronger than a 90s trend.
I really couldn’t recommend the Starcrossed series more! If you love a romantacy with badass characters, vivid imagery, and excellent world building, then get your hands on the Starcrossed series – now! Warning: You will need tissues, but it’s so worth it.
Thank you, Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing, for sending me an ARC of Outcasts.
October 18, 2023
I love this series. And I am incredibly impressed that the prequal duology to Star-crossed has made me empathize so emphatically with characters I previously viscerally disliked. The ending of this book has been revealed in the original trilogy so that was expected but the journey to that ending was enthralling. I couldn't put it down.
May 12, 2024
Allgemein sehr gut!
Viele Szenen waren zu kurz beschreiben (ihre Reise auf der Argo) und viele Szenen zu lange...
Aber ich fand es mega spannend Tantalus Zwiespalt zu lesen und wie er es einfach nicht wollte... er tut mir schon Leid.
Ajax >>>> einfach Nr. 1
Castor hat auch mein Herz und Leda und Deadalus Liebesgeschichte fand ich ja mal soo süß!!
Plottwist mit Antigone??!! Omg what? Sie lebt???!! Wo ist sie dann? Was ist mit ihr passiert??!....
Ajax Tot war ein bisschen kurz beschrieben und ich hätte nochmal gerne Tantalus Sicht davon gehabt 3.
Viele Szenen waren zu kurz beschreiben (ihre Reise auf der Argo) und viele Szenen zu lange...
Aber ich fand es mega spannend Tantalus Zwiespalt zu lesen und wie er es einfach nicht wollte... er tut mir schon Leid.
Ajax >>>> einfach Nr. 1
Castor hat auch mein Herz und Leda und Deadalus Liebesgeschichte fand ich ja mal soo süß!!
Plottwist mit Antigone??!! Omg what? Sie lebt???!! Wo ist sie dann? Was ist mit ihr passiert??!....
Ajax Tot war ein bisschen kurz beschrieben und ich hätte nochmal gerne Tantalus Sicht davon gehabt 3.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2023
🇺🇸 : Thank you to Sungrazer publishing for giving me an earc in exchange for an honest review!
Today I’m talking about Outcasts, the prequel of the Starcrossed series.
At the end of Scions, Daphne and Ajax faked their deaths and left New York City, seemingly happy ever after.
But in Outcasts we find them struggling with fate and death seems to keep knocking on their door.
The prophecies that the oracle makes are not always clear, but in more than one way it’s getting clear that Ajax lives on borrowed time. He will succumb by the hands of a loved one.
Once back in New York, the remaining Houses (Thebes, Athens and Rome) are on the brinc of war. Daphne’s “death” opened the hunt for a new territory to be claimed. Of all the House of Thebes is in a more advantageous position!
Daphne will not stand idly by and with the help of old friends and unexpected new allies, she will try to save the only thing that matters most to her: Ajax.
While Tantalus is spiralling deeper and deeper into his obsession with Daphne, he can’t think of killing his beloved brother to be with her. But certain thoughts touch his mind more and more.
In this book we can find new and old POVs: Daphne, Tantalus, Daedalus, Adonis and the mysterious Ion.
At first it wasn’t easy for me to switch between these many POVs and to be honest, I’d have preferred to read only Daphne’s and Ajax’s (who’s missing completely). Although he’s one of the main characters, in Outcasts he sadly seems to be sidelined.
In all honesty, of all the books by Josephine Angelini this one I liked the least. Admittedly, the last 100 pages or so I got really hooked to the storyline and although I knew what will happen at the end, I cried so much!
There were plot twists that I haven’t seen coming that made me hold my breath.
In some things I found the book too rushed, while in others it was a bit slow.
It was nice to get to know better some of the characters who are present, as adults, in the starcrossed series, to understand them better.
Outcasts, as well as Scions introduced me to Daphne, one of the most intricate and complex characters in the series, surely when I reread the original series I will see her in a different light. She became one of my favorite Josie characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5/5
🇮🇹: Grazie a Sungrazer publishing per avermi dato un earc in cambio di una recensione onesta!
Oggi parlo di Outcasts, il prequel della serie Starcrossed.
Alla fine di Scions, Daphne e Ajax hanno finto la loro morte e hanno lasciato New York City, apparentemente felici e contenti.
Ma in Outcasts li troviamo a lottare con il destino e la morte sembra continuare a bussare alla loro porta.
Le profezie che l’oracolo fa non sono sempre chiare, ma in più di un modo sta diventando chiaro che l’Ajax vive di tempo preso in prestito. Scomberà per mano di una persona cara.
Una volta tornati a New York, le restanti Case (Tebe, Atene e Roma) sono sul punto di guerra. La “morte” di Daphne ha aperto la caccia a un nuovo territorio da rivendicare. Di tutti la Casa di Tebe è in una posizione più vantaggiosa!
Daphne non sta a guardare e con l’aiuto di vecchi amici e nuovi alleati inaspettati, cercherà di salvare l’unica cosa che conta di più per lei: l’Ajax.
Mentre Tantalus sta precipitando sempre più in profondità nella sua ossessione per Daphne, non può pensare di uccidere il suo amato fratello per stare con lei. Ma certi pensieri toccano sempre di più la sua mente.
In questo libro possiamo trovare nuovi e vecchi POV: Dafne, Tantalo, Dedalo, Adone e il misterioso Ione.
All’inizio non è stato facile per me passare da un punto di vista all’altro e, ad essere onesti, avrei preferito leggere solo quelli di Daphne e Ajax (che mancano completamente). Anche se è uno dei personaggi principali, in Outcasts sembra purtroppo essere messo da parte.
In tutta onestà, di tutti i libri di Josephine Angelini questo mi è piaciuto di meno. Certo, le ultime 100 pagine, o più o meno, mi hanno tenuto con il fiato sospeso, anche se sapevo cosa sarebbe successo alla fine, ci sono stati colpi di scena che non mi sarei mai aspettata. Ho pianto, lo ammetto!
In alcune cose l’ho trovato troppo affrettato, mentre in altre era un po’ lento.
È stato bello conoscere meglio alcuni dei personaggi che sono presenti, da adulti, nella serie starcrossed, per capirli meglio.
Outcasts, così come Scions mi ha fatto conoscere Daphne, uno dei personaggi più intricati e complessi della serie, sicuramente quando rileggerò la serie originale la vedrò sotto una luce diversa. È diventata uno dei miei personaggi preferiti di Josie.
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5/5
Today I’m talking about Outcasts, the prequel of the Starcrossed series.
At the end of Scions, Daphne and Ajax faked their deaths and left New York City, seemingly happy ever after.
But in Outcasts we find them struggling with fate and death seems to keep knocking on their door.
The prophecies that the oracle makes are not always clear, but in more than one way it’s getting clear that Ajax lives on borrowed time. He will succumb by the hands of a loved one.
Once back in New York, the remaining Houses (Thebes, Athens and Rome) are on the brinc of war. Daphne’s “death” opened the hunt for a new territory to be claimed. Of all the House of Thebes is in a more advantageous position!
Daphne will not stand idly by and with the help of old friends and unexpected new allies, she will try to save the only thing that matters most to her: Ajax.
While Tantalus is spiralling deeper and deeper into his obsession with Daphne, he can’t think of killing his beloved brother to be with her. But certain thoughts touch his mind more and more.
In this book we can find new and old POVs: Daphne, Tantalus, Daedalus, Adonis and the mysterious Ion.
At first it wasn’t easy for me to switch between these many POVs and to be honest, I’d have preferred to read only Daphne’s and Ajax’s (who’s missing completely). Although he’s one of the main characters, in Outcasts he sadly seems to be sidelined.
In all honesty, of all the books by Josephine Angelini this one I liked the least. Admittedly, the last 100 pages or so I got really hooked to the storyline and although I knew what will happen at the end, I cried so much!
There were plot twists that I haven’t seen coming that made me hold my breath.
In some things I found the book too rushed, while in others it was a bit slow.
It was nice to get to know better some of the characters who are present, as adults, in the starcrossed series, to understand them better.
Outcasts, as well as Scions introduced me to Daphne, one of the most intricate and complex characters in the series, surely when I reread the original series I will see her in a different light. She became one of my favorite Josie characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5/5
🇮🇹: Grazie a Sungrazer publishing per avermi dato un earc in cambio di una recensione onesta!
Oggi parlo di Outcasts, il prequel della serie Starcrossed.
Alla fine di Scions, Daphne e Ajax hanno finto la loro morte e hanno lasciato New York City, apparentemente felici e contenti.
Ma in Outcasts li troviamo a lottare con il destino e la morte sembra continuare a bussare alla loro porta.
Le profezie che l’oracolo fa non sono sempre chiare, ma in più di un modo sta diventando chiaro che l’Ajax vive di tempo preso in prestito. Scomberà per mano di una persona cara.
Una volta tornati a New York, le restanti Case (Tebe, Atene e Roma) sono sul punto di guerra. La “morte” di Daphne ha aperto la caccia a un nuovo territorio da rivendicare. Di tutti la Casa di Tebe è in una posizione più vantaggiosa!
Daphne non sta a guardare e con l’aiuto di vecchi amici e nuovi alleati inaspettati, cercherà di salvare l’unica cosa che conta di più per lei: l’Ajax.
Mentre Tantalus sta precipitando sempre più in profondità nella sua ossessione per Daphne, non può pensare di uccidere il suo amato fratello per stare con lei. Ma certi pensieri toccano sempre di più la sua mente.
In questo libro possiamo trovare nuovi e vecchi POV: Dafne, Tantalo, Dedalo, Adone e il misterioso Ione.
All’inizio non è stato facile per me passare da un punto di vista all’altro e, ad essere onesti, avrei preferito leggere solo quelli di Daphne e Ajax (che mancano completamente). Anche se è uno dei personaggi principali, in Outcasts sembra purtroppo essere messo da parte.
In tutta onestà, di tutti i libri di Josephine Angelini questo mi è piaciuto di meno. Certo, le ultime 100 pagine, o più o meno, mi hanno tenuto con il fiato sospeso, anche se sapevo cosa sarebbe successo alla fine, ci sono stati colpi di scena che non mi sarei mai aspettata. Ho pianto, lo ammetto!
In alcune cose l’ho trovato troppo affrettato, mentre in altre era un po’ lento.
È stato bello conoscere meglio alcuni dei personaggi che sono presenti, da adulti, nella serie starcrossed, per capirli meglio.
Outcasts, così come Scions mi ha fatto conoscere Daphne, uno dei personaggi più intricati e complessi della serie, sicuramente quando rileggerò la serie originale la vedrò sotto una luce diversa. È diventata uno dei miei personaggi preferiti di Josie.
⭐️⭐️⭐️,5/5
December 31, 2023
4.25 stars
Reading Starcrossed books always feels like coming home for me. This is also true for Outcasts. It's technically not what you'd call a comfort read, but somehow, to me, it was exactly that.
Diving into this world is always super fun and a little like going on an adventure with my comfort characters. But Outcasts is not only that. Outcasts also introduced me to some new characters - or rather, some old(er generation) characters that I didn't know too well before.
And, what shall I say, Josie (AGAIN) made me madly (sorry, bad joke) fall in love with a couple of characters. Namely: Leda, Daedalus - also known as Daddylus -, and the one and only Adonis. Now I am blind to all their faults; they tried to or have done horrible stuff what??
I have to say I was a little sad not so see more Daphne and Ajax scenes, and since Ajax doesn't have a pov of his own, not to see more Ajax scenes in general. But the Daphne scenes were immaculate.
Oh, and Tantalus, let's talk about Tanny. At the beginning of the story, I loved Tanny's development. Super interesting, super well done. (Maybe, as a fellow oldest sibling, I kind of understood his struggles.) Then, as the story progressed, I thought he could have been given more time. There was still development, but it sometimes felt a little sudden, more like breaks than like transitions.
In general, I kind of felt like the book was trying to do too much in too little pages, which could be why some things felt a little too rushed.
That being said - because my negative feedback is always longer than my positive one - this didn't impact my reading experience very much. Sometimes I felt like this or that could have been done more, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading Outcasts (you say you love Adonis, I say I love Adonis, but we're not the same, I'm talking about Adonis Tiber). Will I read it again? Absolutely. More than once. I'm scared because Endless is the last book we'll get in the series. Team still hoping for Starcrossed short stories!
Thank you to Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Reading Starcrossed books always feels like coming home for me. This is also true for Outcasts. It's technically not what you'd call a comfort read, but somehow, to me, it was exactly that.
Diving into this world is always super fun and a little like going on an adventure with my comfort characters. But Outcasts is not only that. Outcasts also introduced me to some new characters - or rather, some old(er generation) characters that I didn't know too well before.
And, what shall I say, Josie (AGAIN) made me madly (sorry, bad joke) fall in love with a couple of characters. Namely: Leda, Daedalus - also known as Daddylus -, and the one and only Adonis. Now I am blind to all their faults; they tried to or have done horrible stuff what??
I have to say I was a little sad not so see more Daphne and Ajax scenes, and since Ajax doesn't have a pov of his own, not to see more Ajax scenes in general. But the Daphne scenes were immaculate.
Oh, and Tantalus, let's talk about Tanny. At the beginning of the story, I loved Tanny's development. Super interesting, super well done. (Maybe, as a fellow oldest sibling, I kind of understood his struggles.) Then, as the story progressed, I thought he could have been given more time. There was still development, but it sometimes felt a little sudden, more like breaks than like transitions.
In general, I kind of felt like the book was trying to do too much in too little pages, which could be why some things felt a little too rushed.
That being said - because my negative feedback is always longer than my positive one - this didn't impact my reading experience very much. Sometimes I felt like this or that could have been done more, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading Outcasts (you say you love Adonis, I say I love Adonis, but we're not the same, I'm talking about Adonis Tiber). Will I read it again? Absolutely. More than once. I'm scared because Endless is the last book we'll get in the series. Team still hoping for Starcrossed short stories!
Thank you to Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 30, 2024
Before reading this novel, make sure you remember what happened in Scions and the original Starcrossed series. There is not much recap and not knowing the details anymore definitely took away from my enjoyment. All in all this book was okay. I think there were too many POVs but I did like to pass the time with those characters and honestly, Tantalus's and Ion's chapters were so creepy, that I can see why Angelini did write a thriller once.
Sadly, what I liked about book 4 and 5 was what disliked about this one. The plot is just getting way too repetitive and the characters resemble the original ones so much that sometimes I got confused and thought I was reading from Helen's or Orion's perspective. The 2 huge downfalls of this book in my opinion were:
1. The furies: With all the different houses involved it just got too messy and that House of Rome can control them is so weird. It just doesn't make a lot of sense and it gets in the way of the plot a lot. It's constantly: oh he can't go there or we can't do this without House of Rome or we can't kill someone - because of the furies. I think it was handled well in the original series and probably there was no way around including them so heavily because of the rules of this fictional world, but it really frustrated me as a reader.
2. That absolutely everyone EVERYONE!!! has to fall in love with Daphne. I know this is like the whole point of the face but not only did we go through this with Helen before and it was repetitive, I also think it wasn't necessary for this particular character to fall for Daphne as well. His perspective became unbearable after this. Like please, think straight.
The ending felt rushed again, like in book 5. I think I probably wouldn't have wanted to read another book about these characters, so I can live with how the last 2 chapters basically included multiple years of plot, but I do feel a bit sad that Daphne's story ended like that. I hope book 7 will do a better job with the series' overall ending.
Sadly, what I liked about book 4 and 5 was what disliked about this one. The plot is just getting way too repetitive and the characters resemble the original ones so much that sometimes I got confused and thought I was reading from Helen's or Orion's perspective. The 2 huge downfalls of this book in my opinion were:
1. The furies: With all the different houses involved it just got too messy and that House of Rome can control them is so weird. It just doesn't make a lot of sense and it gets in the way of the plot a lot. It's constantly: oh he can't go there or we can't do this without House of Rome or we can't kill someone - because of the furies. I think it was handled well in the original series and probably there was no way around including them so heavily because of the rules of this fictional world, but it really frustrated me as a reader.
2. That absolutely everyone EVERYONE!!! has to fall in love with Daphne. I know this is like the whole point of the face but not only did we go through this with Helen before and it was repetitive, I also think it wasn't necessary for this particular character to fall for Daphne as well. His perspective became unbearable after this. Like please, think straight.
The ending felt rushed again, like in book 5. I think I probably wouldn't have wanted to read another book about these characters, so I can live with how the last 2 chapters basically included multiple years of plot, but I do feel a bit sad that Daphne's story ended like that. I hope book 7 will do a better job with the series' overall ending.
April 7, 2024
Did I know how it would have ended? Yes. Did I cry during the whole last chapter? Yes again.
Page after page my heart ached, knowing what I was getting into, and ever -NEVER- I would have thought that I would have felt this close to secondary characters. And I hate it now, because most of them won't live enough, others will live unfortunate lives and basically the very smallest portion will have a decent life. And I'm in pain thinking of what every single one of them will go through after these books.
I also curse myself because I didn't pay the right amount of attention to them in the previous one and now I feel bad about it. Maybe even guilty.
Differently from the other previous prequel, Scions, in here there are regular and multiple povs. A bit less of Daphne and Ajax and bit more of the Adonis, Daedalus and Tantalus and, by reflex, Castor and Leda, Antigone and Ladon.
The pace of the book is very fast, due to more characters to catch up with, so everyone is always busy with something and the reader finds themselves wishing for a break for them and to let them develop some healthy relationships outside the ones with their allies and enemies (where are Castor and Noel? And Pallas and Aeleen?😭).
Can they take a break for a moment? 🥺
I absolutely live for the trio Daedalus, Leda and Castor. They are so blunt around each other, which makes them so funny to read about. Leda and Daedalus a new favorite ship, hands down.
Ajax, my man, is in the scene for very little time and, yet, he never disappoints. He grew up so much in a little time between one book and another and every time he speaks in this one the growth is palpable: he seems to know more about his future than what he let out and it is so much painful to see him being almost resigned about it. Like it's a matter of fact. And it hurts.
I'll keep Outcasts with Scions in my heart forever: the best of the series so far and two books I see myself rereading again in the future. Maybe, yes, they might be my comfort books from now on.
Page after page my heart ached, knowing what I was getting into, and ever -NEVER- I would have thought that I would have felt this close to secondary characters. And I hate it now, because most of them won't live enough, others will live unfortunate lives and basically the very smallest portion will have a decent life. And I'm in pain thinking of what every single one of them will go through after these books.
I also curse myself because I didn't pay the right amount of attention to them in the previous one and now I feel bad about it. Maybe even guilty.
Differently from the other previous prequel, Scions, in here there are regular and multiple povs. A bit less of Daphne and Ajax and bit more of the Adonis, Daedalus and Tantalus and, by reflex, Castor and Leda, Antigone and Ladon.
The pace of the book is very fast, due to more characters to catch up with, so everyone is always busy with something and the reader finds themselves wishing for a break for them and to let them develop some healthy relationships outside the ones with their allies and enemies (where are Castor and Noel? And Pallas and Aeleen?😭).
Can they take a break for a moment? 🥺
I absolutely live for the trio Daedalus, Leda and Castor. They are so blunt around each other, which makes them so funny to read about. Leda and Daedalus a new favorite ship, hands down.
Ajax, my man, is in the scene for very little time and, yet, he never disappoints. He grew up so much in a little time between one book and another and every time he speaks in this one the growth is palpable: he seems to know more about his future than what he let out and it is so much painful to see him being almost resigned about it. Like it's a matter of fact. And it hurts.
I'll keep Outcasts with Scions in my heart forever: the best of the series so far and two books I see myself rereading again in the future. Maybe, yes, they might be my comfort books from now on.
June 29, 2025
3,5 stars
I liked this much better than Scions . It was generally more compelling to read, made me more invested.
Partly because there were many POVs that were rapidly changing, too. Which was jarring at first, however, I came to like it, this way the story was about much more than just Daphne.
One on those POVs was similar to Tal in Scions, as in, dominated by simple, primal thinking, but not nearly as meddlesome.
I found myself early on enjoying Adonis' POV the most actually, and that lasted throughout the whole book. Now to think of the tragic fate that awaits him if I remember it correctly ...
It was definitely interesting to see how Daphne unintentionally cleared her debts with all Houses, not just Thebes. But man, so many dudes were in love or obsessed with her, it wasn't even funny. Exhausting. And I mean for us, as she herself only knew about half of them.
We didn't get to see Castor and Noel or Pallas and Aileen get together, but we got Leda and Daedalus instead. Though the way their development peaked was a bit sudden, likely because we knew about his feelings from being in his head while we didn't get her POV. Still, Daedalus is such a positive character, a good guy here, whereas he left a negative impression in the original trilogy, mostly through Orion's eyes. All rather regretful.
Someone who didn't change is Castor who even decades ago was a better man than Pallas and thinking for himself as well without blindly following orders.
And speaking of the one giving those orders, this book really shows Tantalus spiraling in his obsession for Daphne. For that reason, I would've liked one last Tantalus POV at the end, to show him grappling with what he did after thinking it impossible and to show how he completely pulls away from the rest of the Delos family to hide his status as Outcast.
I further knew Antigone would be dead by the end of this, however, I didn't expect
Finally, oh that ending. I knew it was unavoidable, but the How blindsided me. I mean, at least Daphne and Ajax had three years instead of mere months together. But I can only imagine how distressing that must be for readers who don't know the original trilogy.
It left me with a heavy, sad feeling. And at least we saw how Daphne met Jerry.
Truthfully, now I feel like I want to read the original trilogy again just to see Daphne's generation with new eyes. To confirm the tragic turns some lives took. When I just reread it last year ...
While I'm at it, I did notice a lack of reaction about Helen being her daughter on Daphne's part. She was shocked, yes, bit didn't think about it outside of that scene. That bugged me a bit.
Plus, I had hoped for an explanation for the unusual name Helen, one we didn't get here, though maybe it is in the original trilogy and I just don't remember ...
We did, however, get some more glimpses into Helen's next book, and hold up, she herself tasked Daphne with keeping her away from Lucas?! Just because of what he did at the end of Timeless? That can't be all, because the things revealed about her and Lucas here, holy crap, now I really can't wait for Endless :o
I liked this much better than Scions . It was generally more compelling to read, made me more invested.
Partly because there were many POVs that were rapidly changing, too. Which was jarring at first, however, I came to like it, this way the story was about much more than just Daphne.
One on those POVs was similar to Tal in Scions, as in, dominated by simple, primal thinking, but not nearly as meddlesome.
I found myself early on enjoying Adonis' POV the most actually, and that lasted throughout the whole book. Now to think of the tragic fate that awaits him if I remember it correctly ...
It was definitely interesting to see how Daphne unintentionally cleared her debts with all Houses, not just Thebes. But man, so many dudes were in love or obsessed with her, it wasn't even funny. Exhausting. And I mean for us, as she herself only knew about half of them.
We didn't get to see Castor and Noel or Pallas and Aileen get together, but we got Leda and Daedalus instead. Though the way their development peaked was a bit sudden, likely because we knew about his feelings from being in his head while we didn't get her POV. Still, Daedalus is such a positive character, a good guy here, whereas he left a negative impression in the original trilogy, mostly through Orion's eyes. All rather regretful.
Someone who didn't change is Castor who even decades ago was a better man than Pallas and thinking for himself as well without blindly following orders.
And speaking of the one giving those orders, this book really shows Tantalus spiraling in his obsession for Daphne. For that reason, I would've liked one last Tantalus POV at the end, to show him grappling with what he did after thinking it impossible and to show how he completely pulls away from the rest of the Delos family to hide his status as Outcast.
I further knew Antigone would be dead by the end of this, however, I didn't expect
Finally, oh that ending. I knew it was unavoidable, but the How blindsided me. I mean, at least Daphne and Ajax had three years instead of mere months together. But I can only imagine how distressing that must be for readers who don't know the original trilogy.
It left me with a heavy, sad feeling. And at least we saw how Daphne met Jerry.
Truthfully, now I feel like I want to read the original trilogy again just to see Daphne's generation with new eyes. To confirm the tragic turns some lives took. When I just reread it last year ...
While I'm at it, I did notice a lack of reaction about Helen being her daughter on Daphne's part. She was shocked, yes, bit didn't think about it outside of that scene. That bugged me a bit.
Plus, I had hoped for an explanation for the unusual name Helen, one we didn't get here, though maybe it is in the original trilogy and I just don't remember ...
We did, however, get some more glimpses into Helen's next book, and hold up, she herself tasked Daphne with keeping her away from Lucas?! Just because of what he did at the end of Timeless? That can't be all, because the things revealed about her and Lucas here, holy crap, now I really can't wait for Endless :o
October 2, 2023
(no spoilers) Josephine Angelini is a master of the multiple POV, and Outcasts is her masterpiece
For fans of the Starcrossed series, it is no surprise that the world of scions gets complicated. There are feuding families, feuding siblings, feuds with fates and basically just a lot of contentious history to keep track of. The predecessor to Outcasts, Scions, #4 in the Starcrossed series, allowed us to dip our toe into the comprehensive world of 1990s scions politics while mainly following the love story between Daphne and Ajax.
So, yes, it's complicated, but it is entertaining as Hades too. Angelini has several POV characters, mostly men, all with unique and nuanced voices. The problem with prequels is that we already know the end of the story, but Angelini makes the journey in getting there interesting, beautifully complex, fulfilling, and filled with twists and turns that has you questioning if the ending you thought you knew is truly the real ending at all.
But Outcasts is not a love story. There is love, still between our beloved protagonists, but also between several other POV characters who make up the powerhouse of the different scion factions, but conflict is much more abundant in this conclusion to the prequels.
I am always a fan of Angelini's work and Outcasts is no exception. I bawled like a baby at the end of the story, despite knowing what was to come. I think both prequels are different in tone from the present-day Starcrossed books, but it is for that reason that the world of scions feels so much more comprehensive. With the series finale approaching and being released in early 2024, Outcasts cannot be missed.
For fans of the Starcrossed series, it is no surprise that the world of scions gets complicated. There are feuding families, feuding siblings, feuds with fates and basically just a lot of contentious history to keep track of. The predecessor to Outcasts, Scions, #4 in the Starcrossed series, allowed us to dip our toe into the comprehensive world of 1990s scions politics while mainly following the love story between Daphne and Ajax.
So, yes, it's complicated, but it is entertaining as Hades too. Angelini has several POV characters, mostly men, all with unique and nuanced voices. The problem with prequels is that we already know the end of the story, but Angelini makes the journey in getting there interesting, beautifully complex, fulfilling, and filled with twists and turns that has you questioning if the ending you thought you knew is truly the real ending at all.
But Outcasts is not a love story. There is love, still between our beloved protagonists, but also between several other POV characters who make up the powerhouse of the different scion factions, but conflict is much more abundant in this conclusion to the prequels.
I am always a fan of Angelini's work and Outcasts is no exception. I bawled like a baby at the end of the story, despite knowing what was to come. I think both prequels are different in tone from the present-day Starcrossed books, but it is for that reason that the world of scions feels so much more comprehensive. With the series finale approaching and being released in early 2024, Outcasts cannot be missed.
October 2, 2023
Thank you, @josephine_angelini for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was an amazing experience!
Have you ever had the chance to read a book before its premiere? I was lucky to do it with “Outcasts”. It’s a beautiful story about love and loss. About escaping fate and trying to fight destiny. The story is set years before Starcrossed (the original series). Even though we already know what will happen to some of the characters, it doesn’t take away the pleasure of reading this book. It’s still emotional and exciting to read and to meet all those amazing characters. While reading it, we can still have hope that some of the events won’t happen.
Outcasts its fool of action, angst and emotions. There was a plot twist that I didn’t see coming, and eventually it broke my heart! 💔 The way that Josephine Angelini is building those other worlds is amazing. I was fully consumed by this book and got totally lost in it.
I adored most of the characters. Not only that, but I love when I fall in love with side characters just as much as main characters. Especially when I didn’t expect it to happen! I was a little surprised when I noticed that it’s written from the point of view of so many people. I was a little confused at first, but I ended up loving it. Adonis is my forever favourite, and I still can’t believe what will happen to him in the future.
The emotions I felt reading “Outcasts” were so genuine that I was fully immersed. So please, read this book and all the other books in the series. 🥰 My heart will always be with Helen and Lucas, but the opportunity to get to know all those characters and their stories was incredible.
Have you ever had the chance to read a book before its premiere? I was lucky to do it with “Outcasts”. It’s a beautiful story about love and loss. About escaping fate and trying to fight destiny. The story is set years before Starcrossed (the original series). Even though we already know what will happen to some of the characters, it doesn’t take away the pleasure of reading this book. It’s still emotional and exciting to read and to meet all those amazing characters. While reading it, we can still have hope that some of the events won’t happen.
Outcasts its fool of action, angst and emotions. There was a plot twist that I didn’t see coming, and eventually it broke my heart! 💔 The way that Josephine Angelini is building those other worlds is amazing. I was fully consumed by this book and got totally lost in it.
I adored most of the characters. Not only that, but I love when I fall in love with side characters just as much as main characters. Especially when I didn’t expect it to happen! I was a little surprised when I noticed that it’s written from the point of view of so many people. I was a little confused at first, but I ended up loving it. Adonis is my forever favourite, and I still can’t believe what will happen to him in the future.
The emotions I felt reading “Outcasts” were so genuine that I was fully immersed. So please, read this book and all the other books in the series. 🥰 My heart will always be with Helen and Lucas, but the opportunity to get to know all those characters and their stories was incredible.
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