Daughter of Ares

Ariadne's Crown #2

by Meadoe Hora

An exiled Amazon warrior. A princess on the run. A journey that will change them both.

The Minotaur is dead. Ariadne is on the run. Though she has the freedom she’s always craved, she’s adrift, haunted by guilt and hunted by a prince who wants to drag her back to Crete.

Aella is an Amazon warrior, alone and exiled from her tribe. Without the Amazons, she is lost and is determined to win back their trust.

When she hears the King of Athens plans to abduct an Amazon queen, Aella sees her chance to earn redemption. Ariadne sees an escape.

Together, they race across ancient Greece to warn the Amazons. It’s not going to be easy. The land and seas are unforgiving and to gain passage, they strike a shaky alliance with a band of ruthless pirates. With each step, the line between prisoner and crew blurs and the shadows of their past come to light.

As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, a betrayal forces Aella to choose between her past and her present. In the fight that follows, she’ll either lose everything or find where she truly belongs.

This is an adventure for fans of strong female characters charting their own paths through the untold stories of ancient Greece. It’s the anticipated sequel to Ariadne’s Crown, but can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Mythology, Greek Mythology

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2024

About the author

Meadoe Hora is the author of books for teens and kids, including the new Furious Legacy series, Ariadne's Crown, and the Superhero Kick team children's book series. She is a middle of the night reader and lover of beautiful words.

Her website is www.meadoehora.com. She also writes about her health and fitness journey on her blog at www.meadoeoutonalimb.com. She lives in WI with her family, a spoiled basset hound and a crazy black lab.

Reviews

[Marcia Crabtree]

I LOVE reading modern day retellings of Greek myths — I absolutely cannot seem to get enough of them. When I’m offered the chance to read an advanced reader’s copy for free, how could I possibly say no? Such was the case when asked by BookSirens to read “Daughter of Ares” by Meadoe Hora, an apparent follow up to a book she had written previously titled “Ariadne’s Crown” which I have not read, and which easily was read on its own. Perhaps this is because I am already familiar with much of the mythology, since several readers have complained that they would have preferred to have read “Ariadne’s Crown” first. Notably, this is only the second book I’ve read involving the Amazon female warrior tribe, the first one being “Penthesilea” by Stephanie Vanise, which I read less than two weeks ago.

While “Penthesilea” revolved heavily around the Amazons themselves,
“Daughter of Ares” used them mostly referentially, as one of the main characters had been raised by them but then banished, and the tribe does play a role in the story arc. The story is heavily populated by pirates, which is a first for me among my current Greek mythology stories. The captain of the main crew is an Amazon herself, but it’s never revealed why she left the tribe and became a pirate. Also populating the story are some familiar princes, princesses, kings, gods, and places, but most are tangential to the actual story. As the author says, when she decided to write about Ariadne again, she wanted her to go on an adventure, so she created a story that was between two different myths.

My review of this book is voluntary. I must say, I found the story original and inventive. Ms. Hora did something unique. She took pieces of various myths and knowledge of ancient history and geography and created her own story, turning a princess into a fighter, a warrior into a friend, and a pirate into a hero, and creating a seemingly unlikely pairing. There are plenty of twists and turns and derring-do’s, and Ariadne probably gets much more adventure than she could have imagined, but it’s enjoyable to watch unfold.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fascinating sequel in Hora’s Ariadne’s Crown series, readers join Ariadne after the death of the Minotaur and her escape from Crete with Dionysius, a prince of Crete on her tail to return her to her home and her proper social position. When she encounters Aella, an exiled Amazon warrior, both women see a temporary alliance as the solution to their problems of redemption and escape. As they cross the Greek world from Athens to Themyscira, with many stops along the way, the two women’s alliance with a band of pirates changes their relationships with each other and with their senses of self. With increasingly high stakes, secrets, and questions about loyalty, the two women must choose the future they want when it is so uncertain. Alternating between Aella and Ariadne’s perspectives, readers gain some fascinating insights into their values, psyches, and emotional states as their uneasy alliance with the other woman and the pirates. With two powerful heroines with very different narrative arcs and motivations, Hora’s latest book is a fascinating and high-stakes reimagining of the ancient Greek world and myths so beloved by readers. Complex, exciting, and adventurous, fans of feminist Greek mythology retellings and adventure novels starring women will absolutely love this latest installment in the Ariadne’s Crown series.

Thanks to BookSirens and Meadoe Hora for the advance copy.

[Ivy Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost- I thought with enough common knowledge of general mythology I'd have a good ground to stand on with starting this book without reading the prior.

It was difficult to find my footing at first. (100% on me) because it picks up where I'm assuming the first book left off. I'd recommend reading the first book in this series. Then RUN not walk, RUN to get this book.

God where to begin with this review? The words. The quotes. The angst. The feelings. The witty banter.

It was everything and more.

First-person isn't a style of writing I usually read because I find it overall restraining or sometimes lacking. This book proved how wrong I was about that. Not only did the perspective shift from chapter to chapter (via charas) but you really got to understand each character. You got to live in the shoes with them as they went along this grand adventure.

I cannot share spoilers-

But god I want to.

I want to Yap for weeks about how much I fell in love with Aella and Ariadne. This was a masterpiece and I cannot wait to read more of this authors work in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!!! Wonderful characters, a great plot, exciting adventures, and beautifully woven myths. It felt like a grown up Percy Jackson made especially for the girls, and I LOVED it. The girls are the perfect heroines. They’re not perfect people, they make mistakes, and they learn from them. Sometimes they get captured/beat, but that’s reality, not weakness. And they don’t always win which is also very realistic. I enjoyed that part actually, they were relatable and it didn’t feel cheesy. Im really hoping we get a part 3 to Adriane’s story with the rest of the gang … I was really excited to receive this advanced copy, and was very pleased to be able to leave a 5 star review!

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of an adventure novel than a mythology retelling, this book delivers on nonstop action. Ariadne’s story is different than what I remember and have read previously but I liked her teaming up with Aella to accomplish a mission. Both women are strong and fearless and their adventures both together and separate at times are numerous and fun to read. But the real story is the development of their friendship. This is mostly a standalone novel but I did feel like I was missing some key elements about Ariadne such as how she ended up with Dionysus that was probably covered in the first book. Overall, an entertaining and fun read!

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a strong sequel in the Ariadne's Crown series, it had that mythology element that I was looking for from the first book. I enjoyed the way the Greek mythology elements worked together and had that feel that I enjoyed from the first book. The characters felt like they belonged there and enjoyed getting to read this. I thought Meadow Hora wrote this perfectly and glad I read this. It uses the historical fiction element in a way that I was hoping for and glad I read this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the second in a series and if you have not read the first book, it is rough to get your footings. I wasn't certain how far I was going to read because of that, but I also found I couldn't set it down. I'd read 90% of the book after two sessions and only stopped there because I had to go to work the next morning.

I liked how this covered the time period and the myths. I'd read the next book to see more of Hellas and the time period.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[readingcactuss · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Greek mythology lover I was very excited to read this book. It started out slow and I had a hard time getting into it but I am glad I persevered. I grew to enjoy Aella and Ariadne’s characters and the plot. Aella and Ariadne both learned so much throughout the book. They grew as characters and became more likeable for me. If you like strong female characters, Greek mythology and Amazons this book is for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Book Sirens for this ARC.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC for free and am sharing this review voluntarily.

I love the fast-paced action and the flow of the book. The story isn't choppy, and the multiple points of view aren't repetitive for the sake of having multiple points of view. Each voice has a purpose for the story and furthers the plot. I give this a 4 out of five stars. The slang the characters used did throw me off a little, and I can't say anymore without spoiling anything, so I will refrain from saying anything here.

[Tea_with_a_book · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I actually am going to rewrite this review after I finish book one. When I received this arc (Thank you) I wasn't aware that it was the next installment in Ariadne's crown. I liked what I read thus far, but I was completely lost in the plan of the story. I thought I had seen that it could be read on it's own but I would disagree (If I misunderstood, that was my mistake). Definitely read the first one before reading this one.

[Paige Melton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Daughter of Ares was a fun take on classic mythology. I enjoyed the main character, but the pacing was a little bit off. The description mentioned that it was the second in a series of books, but that there was no prior knowledge of the series required; I disagree. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first book. All in all, a fun read.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nooooo

This book felt like it was just going and going and going for no reason other than to fill pages... I didn't care about the new character at all. This could just be me but it felt bad to read... How incredibly pointless it all was. I can't stress that enough, this book is so pointless and we still have no answers.

[Rebecca Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Sequel to your Saga of Ariadne and Dionysius

Although there isn't very much of Dionysius in this continuation of Ariadne's personal story, it is great to see her develop her own destiny with the companionship of an outcast Amazon, Aella.

[Nina Cervini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started this book and was enjoying it before a certain cousin “came back to life” seeing as how he died in the previous book. Can’t really get into it now that that detail was seriously blundered past since none of this makes any sense now.
Really did love the first book, too.

[Christine Szeremeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will start by saying, I have not read Ariadne's Crown. But this book was still very easy to follow. But, do to mentions of the plot of Ariadne's, if you plan to read both and don't want spoilers I would read them in order. We have Greek Gods, royalty, Amazons, and pirates all in one story, and I am all here for it! When each character went through their turmoil, I went through it with them. My heart ached, I got furious at characters, and overjoyed. The only complaint I had while I was reading was the imagery was inconsistent. There were times where the scene was depicted very well, and there were other times where I felt the author could have expanded more.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily