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The Troy Game #1
Hades' Daughter
Ancient A place where the gods hold mortal life cheap, mere playthings to amuse, delight, and abuse at their will. But those puny mortals are not wholly devoid of power and at the core of their fabulous city-states lies the Labyrinth, where they can shape the powers of the heavens to their own design. When Theseus entered the Labyrinth and came away with the prize of freedom and his beloved Adrianne, Mistress of the Labyrinth, his future seemed assured... Until he abandoned her for the unforgivable sin of bearing him only a daughter, and the world seemed to change. From that day forward, all the Labyrinths in the ancient world started to decay. It slowly became clear that power was fading from the city-states.Was it the natural decline that comes to all cultures or was it because the power of the Labyrinth had been corrupted by a woman spurned?A hundred years pass--Troy has fallen and the Trojans are a scattered and humbled people. The warrior Brutus is of the line of kings and gods. He wears the golden kingship bands of Troy proudly--but they are his only mementos of a former glory, for he is a man without a country and is left little else but pride and a memory of the latent power that he could wield if but given a chance. When he receives a god-sent vision of a distant shore where he can rebuild the ancient kingdom, he will move heaven and earth to reach his destiny.Ever eastward he is drawn, to a lovely and mystical green land that offers him a haven--and a dream of power and conquest. Nothing will deter him... not even the entreaties of the young princess whom he took as his wife and bedded against her will. First her hatred--and now her love--torment and bind him. She is the only one who realizes the danger he is stepping into, and she will do anything to save him... and his son, whom she carries in her womb.For in the mists of Albion there lies a woman of power--a woman who has used her siren call to cloud Brutus's mind and has her own reasons for luring the warrior to these lush shores.... She is the long-descended granddaughter of Adrianne, and she has in her heart a hatred that has been passed down for generations. Her plans for Brutus will enact a revenge that could destroy the gods themselves.s20If Brutus makes the journey successfully, it will be the next step in the Game of the Labyrinth and might start a complicated contest of wills that could span centuries....At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
672 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
103 people are currently reading
2925 people want to read
About the author
Sara Douglass
65 books1,030 followersDouglass was born in Penola, South Australia. She attended Annesley College, in Wayville, a suburb of Adelaide. She studied for her BA while working as a Registered Nurse, and later completed her PhD in early modern English History. She became a lecturer in medieval history at La Trobe University, Bendigo. While there she completed her first novel, BattleAxe, which launched her as a popular fantasy author in Australia, and later as an international success.
Until the mid-2000s, Douglass hosted a bulletin board on her website, with the aim of encouraging creative thinking and constructive criticism of others' work. She maintained an online blog about the restoration project of her house and garden entitled Notes from Nonsuch in Tasmania.
In 2008, Douglass was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment, but in late 2010 the cancer returned. She died on 27 September 2011, aged 54.
She also wrote under her real name Sara Warneke.
Until the mid-2000s, Douglass hosted a bulletin board on her website, with the aim of encouraging creative thinking and constructive criticism of others' work. She maintained an online blog about the restoration project of her house and garden entitled Notes from Nonsuch in Tasmania.
In 2008, Douglass was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment, but in late 2010 the cancer returned. She died on 27 September 2011, aged 54.
She also wrote under her real name Sara Warneke.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
June 17, 2016
Loosely based on mythology & ancient history, 'Hades' Daughter' reimagines the migration of Trojans to Albion (ie, pre-Roman Britain) as the result of a curse laid by Ariadne, who was spurned by Theseus after he used her to slay the Minotaur of the Labyrinth. Her fifth daughter-heir, Genvissa, sinks her claws into Albion & boots out the old forest gods, Mag & Og, to make room for a new version of the Labyrinth magic -- & for that she needs an asshole named Brutus, who is the last surviving heir of Troy. Along the way Brutus picks up an unwanted wife, Cornelia, who attracts him even though he hates her, while she grows to love him (god knows why) & repeatedly screws up Genvissa's attempts to destroy their so-called marriage.
It's not a very Nice(tm) story. There are no cuddly fuzzies & no HEA. Good people do bad things & bad people do worse things. There's an overload of violent rapey sex, incest, bloodspray, entrails, death, & general nasty behavior -- a bodice ripper masquerading as a fantasy, something of a redneck inbred cousin to the beautifully dark & elegant Kushiel books (also fantasy rippers, but with more likable characters & subtle evils).
...And yet I could not stop reading this trainwreck of soap & violence. >:D
It's not the type of book I'd have appreciated in my youth. Not because of the melodrama -- I've always enjoyed lolzy flailing -- but because 95% of the characters are clueless and/or malicious dunderheads. Brutus, in particular, is one of the sorriest examples of "hero" that I've come across in quite some time. He's an alpha asshole bodice-shredding dickhead of the old skool, & by the end he hasn't redeemed himself in any way, shape, or form. He's an ass from day one, & part of me admires Douglass' balls to make him so utterly, unapologetically horrid. (Fair warning: if you read this book, you will spend 600 pages wanting to beat him senseless with a baseball bat.)
Cornelia, for her part, is frequently bratty & dense, but I did find her sympathetic. She's a throwback to downtrodden ripper heroines, & her (eventual) devotion to Brutus is more tragic than anything else, given their wretched relationship foundations -- though nobody seems to understand this until Blangan, Coel, & Loth enter the story. They are relative islands of sanity in this maelstrom o' WTF, which guarantees they won't survive...until they're reborn in later installments, given Genvissa's curse & whatnot.
Anyway...
I enjoyed this bizarro hybrid brick & will read the others at some point. :)
It's not a very Nice(tm) story. There are no cuddly fuzzies & no HEA. Good people do bad things & bad people do worse things. There's an overload of violent rapey sex, incest, bloodspray, entrails, death, & general nasty behavior -- a bodice ripper masquerading as a fantasy, something of a redneck inbred cousin to the beautifully dark & elegant Kushiel books (also fantasy rippers, but with more likable characters & subtle evils).
...And yet I could not stop reading this trainwreck of soap & violence. >:D
It's not the type of book I'd have appreciated in my youth. Not because of the melodrama -- I've always enjoyed lolzy flailing -- but because 95% of the characters are clueless and/or malicious dunderheads. Brutus, in particular, is one of the sorriest examples of "hero" that I've come across in quite some time. He's an alpha asshole bodice-shredding dickhead of the old skool, & by the end he hasn't redeemed himself in any way, shape, or form. He's an ass from day one, & part of me admires Douglass' balls to make him so utterly, unapologetically horrid. (Fair warning: if you read this book, you will spend 600 pages wanting to beat him senseless with a baseball bat.)
Cornelia, for her part, is frequently bratty & dense, but I did find her sympathetic. She's a throwback to downtrodden ripper heroines, & her (eventual) devotion to Brutus is more tragic than anything else, given their wretched relationship foundations -- though nobody seems to understand this until Blangan, Coel, & Loth enter the story. They are relative islands of sanity in this maelstrom o' WTF, which guarantees they won't survive...until they're reborn in later installments, given Genvissa's curse & whatnot.
Anyway...
I enjoyed this bizarro hybrid brick & will read the others at some point. :)
March 5, 2012
I read reviews written by others on this site and cannot seem to fathom how anyone could give this book less than 4 stars.
A fantastic premise for a book calling on the beliefs of many religons, but built in such a way that you are kept guessing not only through this book but into the final books in the series.
Rich characters, well developed plots (and sub plots) and a refreshing take on the events that defined the world which we live in today.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!
A fantastic premise for a book calling on the beliefs of many religons, but built in such a way that you are kept guessing not only through this book but into the final books in the series.
Rich characters, well developed plots (and sub plots) and a refreshing take on the events that defined the world which we live in today.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!
October 25, 2016
Read for the Women of Genre Fiction Challenge, the Second Best Challenge, and the High Fantasy Challenge.
This was my first acquaintance with the work of Sara Douglass. She has a lot of other published books (which is more than I can say) and so obviously a lot of people like her work.
But I'm sorry; I just couldn't do it.
I made it about halfway through this book before I gave up in disgust.
It's not for bad writing; although I must admit, I found the frequent cackling and hand-rubbing soliloquys of the villains to be extremely bad form. I will let that pass, however, because I have enjoyed books written by authors given to melodrama before. I like melodrama when it's well done. Handled correctly, it can enhance the emotional timbre of a novel.
No; the big problem with this novel is that I did not care one fig for any of the characters. So whether they lived or died didn't matter to me.
I suppose Douglass thought she was being edgy. Write flawed characters that you're not sure if you like or not! It's all the rage! But Douglass is not George R.R. Martin, and this is not Game of Thrones, though I'm sure she'd have liked it to be. The key to writing flawed characters is to give them something that a reader can like, some redeeming quality or another; and Douglass has, in my opinion, utterly failed at this.
First, let me tell you the plotline, and then let me tell you where I think it went wrong and why.
Here's my first issue: this event was powerful enough to destroy the gods, and none of them foresaw it or tried to stop it? Where were Apollo and Dionysus, who are gods of prophecy? Where was Hermes and His cleverness? And even failing that; this thing spilled over to the gods of the nearby nations (remember, Greece was hardly alone in the Ancient World). What about the Persian gods? Or the Mesopotamian gods? Or the Egyptian gods? They just stood by and watched without doing anything to stop it?
You might suggest that this dilemma could be resolved by saying that only the Greek gods actually existed, and all other gods were either not real, or were other names for the Greek gods (and the Greeks believed in syncretism, so why not?) But no; because later on we meet Celtic gods, who are being murdered as well at the hand of the dark witch Genvissa, and They are not the same as the Greek gods.
Also, it seems to be really easy to kill gods, and since the world is not completely destroyed, They don't seem to have a useful function anyway. Perhaps Douglass did not understand the concept of "god?"
Not only that, but when the gods do appear, They do not behave in a way that is consistent with Their mythology, and no one seems to notice. For instance, one of the characters (Brutus, whom we will be discussing momentarily) believes that Artemis is guiding him to restore the former glory of Troy; and She gets him to do what She wants by seduction and the implication of a future coupling. Except that, of course, Artemis has always preferred the company of women. Wouldn't Brutus have known that? He's not completely stupid! Of course, it's not really Artemis, but Genvissa, the real villainess of the piece (whom, again, we shall be discussing momentarily) but isn't he at all suspicious?
I find this very annoying and frustrating, especially since Douglass clearly went to great efforts to familiarize herself with the culture of the Ancient World. Like Homer, she takes the time to describe in ponderous detail what people are eating and wearing. She's aware that the ethics of the cultures of the Ancient World are not the same as modern ethics (actually, much of her story depends on this). How can she know that much about the real life of these cultures and be so dismissive and so disrespectful of the religions of those cultures, especially since her story depends upon those myths?
So now, generations later, Brutus, the last heir to Troy and the last Kingsman (which means he too has some power over the Game; what, we can't say for sure because it's never really explained,) seeks to restore his people, who are wanderers and slaves, to their former glory. Genvissa, the descendant of Ariadne, seeks to bring Brutus to her in order to control the last labyrinth in Britain and thus continue Ariadne's revenge, for Reasons. But Asterion (the Minotaur) even now schemes to be reborn so that he can work against everybody.
The other major player in this fantastical soap opera is Cornelia, daughter of the Dorian (Greek) Mesopotamian King. The only reason that I know that she's supposed to be the main character that we're cheering for is that she is the only one whose story is told in the first person. For the rest of the book we are exposed to blurbs that mostly offer us third person personal, and occasionally, third person omniscient, and the choices never seem to have any rhyme nor reason to them, except that somehow we are supposed to also identify with Brutus because we get his third person personal perspective quite a lot.
This can be done well. Margaret Atwood is doing it well in The Year of the Flood, which I am also currently reading. But in Douglass' hands it just feels awkward and weird, like she couldn't decide whose story she was trying to tell.
Now, let's examine our major characters. Genvissa is an undeemedly evil b*tch, for no other reason I can discern than she is Ariadne's descendant and Ariadne taught her daughters and granddaughters to carry out her revenge. What's in it for Genvissa? Why the hell should she care about some ancient quarrel her great-grandmother had? If she wants personal power, why aren't we given more insight as to why? Was she abused as a child? We don't know; she's just evil because the piece needs an evil witch to do all the evil magic. Not to mention that she seems to have better powers of precognition than the gods ever did, and the ability to anticipate anything the nominal "good guys" might try to do to stop her nastiness or even save themselves; which is a bit like having a Dungeon Master who just comes up with a way to screw up your plans no matter what you do when you're gaming, which makes you ask, "Why bother?" And she's given no redeeming qualities at all. She just uses all the people around her, even people who have absolutely nothing to do with any of this, and destroys them utterly without a thought.
Then there's Asterion. He's the only guy in the piece I actually understand. He's been screwed, by everybody, and he's out to get control of his life back and maybe vengeance on the people who screwed him. But everyone treats him like he's some great force of apocalyptic darkness, and we are supposed to believe in his unrelenting evil because everyone tells us he's evil. Right now I'm hoping that if anybody wins, it's him.
Brutus, the would-be Trojan king, is a man of his time. He's brutal, violent, and cares about nothing and no one except for the restoration of Troy. He's miserable even to his friends. And for some reason we're supposed to identify with him? Especially after he rapes and "takes to wife" the main character, Cornelia? Now granted, the Ancient World did not have the same moral outrage towards rape that we do, but if Douglass wants us to like the character, she has to work around that somehow. Later on we're supposed to warm to him because he has thoughts of regret about his actions and tries to win Cornelia's love; when he isn't slapping her for defying him.
In the meantime, Cornelia quite understandably schemes for hers and her father's freedom and the freedom of her people, and revenge on these invading Trojans. I really wanted to like Cornelia. I was reminded of Sanza in Game of Thrones, who was hated so roundly by so many people who watched the show for just being a teenager. But no. The story lost me completely because moments where we were given an opportunity for pathos were ignored, and her behaviour in response to the situation is as inconsistent and nonsensical as the plot.
Having become completely impatient and disgusted at this point, I do what I sometimes do when the story frustrates me, which is to skim ahead in the hopes it would improve.
What's worse is that in between all the already-confusing switches of perspective, we are treated to periodic seemingly nonsensical interruptions in which a guy named jack Skelton is walking around 1940s London looking for someone.
Ah, I see. This saga carries on with the very same characters I dislike through numerous reincarnations, continuing the same soap opera that has no logic to support it in the first place? And it goes on through three more books?
Nope! I'm done. I opt out. If you tackle this thing, I hope you have better luck with it than I did. I'm sure I will try something else by her in the future to try to be fair about it. I'm reluctant to declare that everything Douglass has done is terrible since I haven't read anything else she's done. But this one? Yeah. I say; just don't.
This was my first acquaintance with the work of Sara Douglass. She has a lot of other published books (which is more than I can say) and so obviously a lot of people like her work.
But I'm sorry; I just couldn't do it.
I made it about halfway through this book before I gave up in disgust.
It's not for bad writing; although I must admit, I found the frequent cackling and hand-rubbing soliloquys of the villains to be extremely bad form. I will let that pass, however, because I have enjoyed books written by authors given to melodrama before. I like melodrama when it's well done. Handled correctly, it can enhance the emotional timbre of a novel.
No; the big problem with this novel is that I did not care one fig for any of the characters. So whether they lived or died didn't matter to me.
I suppose Douglass thought she was being edgy. Write flawed characters that you're not sure if you like or not! It's all the rage! But Douglass is not George R.R. Martin, and this is not Game of Thrones, though I'm sure she'd have liked it to be. The key to writing flawed characters is to give them something that a reader can like, some redeeming quality or another; and Douglass has, in my opinion, utterly failed at this.
First, let me tell you the plotline, and then let me tell you where I think it went wrong and why.
Here's my first issue: this event was powerful enough to destroy the gods, and none of them foresaw it or tried to stop it? Where were Apollo and Dionysus, who are gods of prophecy? Where was Hermes and His cleverness? And even failing that; this thing spilled over to the gods of the nearby nations (remember, Greece was hardly alone in the Ancient World). What about the Persian gods? Or the Mesopotamian gods? Or the Egyptian gods? They just stood by and watched without doing anything to stop it?
You might suggest that this dilemma could be resolved by saying that only the Greek gods actually existed, and all other gods were either not real, or were other names for the Greek gods (and the Greeks believed in syncretism, so why not?) But no; because later on we meet Celtic gods, who are being murdered as well at the hand of the dark witch Genvissa, and They are not the same as the Greek gods.
Also, it seems to be really easy to kill gods, and since the world is not completely destroyed, They don't seem to have a useful function anyway. Perhaps Douglass did not understand the concept of "god?"
Not only that, but when the gods do appear, They do not behave in a way that is consistent with Their mythology, and no one seems to notice. For instance, one of the characters (Brutus, whom we will be discussing momentarily) believes that Artemis is guiding him to restore the former glory of Troy; and She gets him to do what She wants by seduction and the implication of a future coupling. Except that, of course, Artemis has always preferred the company of women. Wouldn't Brutus have known that? He's not completely stupid! Of course, it's not really Artemis, but Genvissa, the real villainess of the piece (whom, again, we shall be discussing momentarily) but isn't he at all suspicious?
I find this very annoying and frustrating, especially since Douglass clearly went to great efforts to familiarize herself with the culture of the Ancient World. Like Homer, she takes the time to describe in ponderous detail what people are eating and wearing. She's aware that the ethics of the cultures of the Ancient World are not the same as modern ethics (actually, much of her story depends on this). How can she know that much about the real life of these cultures and be so dismissive and so disrespectful of the religions of those cultures, especially since her story depends upon those myths?
So now, generations later, Brutus, the last heir to Troy and the last Kingsman (which means he too has some power over the Game; what, we can't say for sure because it's never really explained,) seeks to restore his people, who are wanderers and slaves, to their former glory. Genvissa, the descendant of Ariadne, seeks to bring Brutus to her in order to control the last labyrinth in Britain and thus continue Ariadne's revenge, for Reasons. But Asterion (the Minotaur) even now schemes to be reborn so that he can work against everybody.
The other major player in this fantastical soap opera is Cornelia, daughter of the Dorian (Greek) Mesopotamian King. The only reason that I know that she's supposed to be the main character that we're cheering for is that she is the only one whose story is told in the first person. For the rest of the book we are exposed to blurbs that mostly offer us third person personal, and occasionally, third person omniscient, and the choices never seem to have any rhyme nor reason to them, except that somehow we are supposed to also identify with Brutus because we get his third person personal perspective quite a lot.
This can be done well. Margaret Atwood is doing it well in The Year of the Flood, which I am also currently reading. But in Douglass' hands it just feels awkward and weird, like she couldn't decide whose story she was trying to tell.
Now, let's examine our major characters. Genvissa is an undeemedly evil b*tch, for no other reason I can discern than she is Ariadne's descendant and Ariadne taught her daughters and granddaughters to carry out her revenge. What's in it for Genvissa? Why the hell should she care about some ancient quarrel her great-grandmother had? If she wants personal power, why aren't we given more insight as to why? Was she abused as a child? We don't know; she's just evil because the piece needs an evil witch to do all the evil magic. Not to mention that she seems to have better powers of precognition than the gods ever did, and the ability to anticipate anything the nominal "good guys" might try to do to stop her nastiness or even save themselves; which is a bit like having a Dungeon Master who just comes up with a way to screw up your plans no matter what you do when you're gaming, which makes you ask, "Why bother?" And she's given no redeeming qualities at all. She just uses all the people around her, even people who have absolutely nothing to do with any of this, and destroys them utterly without a thought.
Then there's Asterion. He's the only guy in the piece I actually understand. He's been screwed, by everybody, and he's out to get control of his life back and maybe vengeance on the people who screwed him. But everyone treats him like he's some great force of apocalyptic darkness, and we are supposed to believe in his unrelenting evil because everyone tells us he's evil. Right now I'm hoping that if anybody wins, it's him.
Brutus, the would-be Trojan king, is a man of his time. He's brutal, violent, and cares about nothing and no one except for the restoration of Troy. He's miserable even to his friends. And for some reason we're supposed to identify with him? Especially after he rapes and "takes to wife" the main character, Cornelia? Now granted, the Ancient World did not have the same moral outrage towards rape that we do, but if Douglass wants us to like the character, she has to work around that somehow. Later on we're supposed to warm to him because he has thoughts of regret about his actions and tries to win Cornelia's love; when he isn't slapping her for defying him.
In the meantime, Cornelia quite understandably schemes for hers and her father's freedom and the freedom of her people, and revenge on these invading Trojans. I really wanted to like Cornelia. I was reminded of Sanza in Game of Thrones, who was hated so roundly by so many people who watched the show for just being a teenager. But no. The story lost me completely because moments where we were given an opportunity for pathos were ignored, and her behaviour in response to the situation is as inconsistent and nonsensical as the plot.
Having become completely impatient and disgusted at this point, I do what I sometimes do when the story frustrates me, which is to skim ahead in the hopes it would improve.
What's worse is that in between all the already-confusing switches of perspective, we are treated to periodic seemingly nonsensical interruptions in which a guy named jack Skelton is walking around 1940s London looking for someone.
Ah, I see. This saga carries on with the very same characters I dislike through numerous reincarnations, continuing the same soap opera that has no logic to support it in the first place? And it goes on through three more books?
Nope! I'm done. I opt out. If you tackle this thing, I hope you have better luck with it than I did. I'm sure I will try something else by her in the future to try to be fair about it. I'm reluctant to declare that everything Douglass has done is terrible since I haven't read anything else she's done. But this one? Yeah. I say; just don't.
July 16, 2007
This book was so laughably awful that I could not stop reading it. The two main characters, Cornelia and Brutus, wallow in guilt and stupidity that was obviously contrived to drive the story. It is saturated with sex...if you can call rape and trickery "sex." The villain spends most of the story doing nothing but gloating over a mystic knife and chuckling venomously. I will concede that the scenes of violence are well-written, and those aren't always the easiest things to write. This is supposedly the first book of a cycle...unless the others get much better, I would suggest skipping this one (unless the reader has a high tolerance for silly).
April 27, 2012
I really liked this book. (I've never met a Sara Douglass book I didn't like) It combines elements of ancient Roman mythology and Celtic mythology in a compelling fantasy world. It has power plays, sorcery, gods and goddesses, as well as evil personified in the Minotaur. There is quite a bit of unrequited love, sensuousness, and lust. The story line has a parallel story that takes place in the future running throughout the book. Chapters are told in different voices, which helps to give insight into the well-developed characters. This is the first of a four book series. I've also read the second book and found it just as compelling. Now, I have to acquire the last two books in this series.
April 30, 2019
Here's the best I think I can say about this book: it was better than I expected it to be.
Granted, my expectations were not high. I have long had an idle curiosity about Sarah Douglass's work, but approached reading her with caution as reviews were pretty frank about the level of melodrama, sexual violence, and general soap-opera-ishness that should be expected. Those reviews were not wrong; this book is basically a Bronze Age soap opera which serves to introduce a larger, century-spanning story.
The thing that took me by surprise was... well, that Douglass actually had some pretty nuanced characterization in there. Cornelia, in particular - I spent a lot of the book worried that she would be another rape-victim-to-loving-wife character, and to some extent she did go that direction internally, but Douglass used other characters' perspectives to reframe this as Cornelia seeking security any way she can. She managed to show Cornelia as an unreliable narrator in a way that actually made her more sympathetic, even when Cornelia just kept going back and trying in vain to win Brutus's heart.
Ultimately, though, a bit of interesting character writing gets me through one book, but no more. My Douglass curiosity is sated.
Granted, my expectations were not high. I have long had an idle curiosity about Sarah Douglass's work, but approached reading her with caution as reviews were pretty frank about the level of melodrama, sexual violence, and general soap-opera-ishness that should be expected. Those reviews were not wrong; this book is basically a Bronze Age soap opera which serves to introduce a larger, century-spanning story.
The thing that took me by surprise was... well, that Douglass actually had some pretty nuanced characterization in there. Cornelia, in particular - I spent a lot of the book worried that she would be another rape-victim-to-loving-wife character, and to some extent she did go that direction internally, but Douglass used other characters' perspectives to reframe this as Cornelia seeking security any way she can. She managed to show Cornelia as an unreliable narrator in a way that actually made her more sympathetic, even when Cornelia just kept going back and trying in vain to win Brutus's heart.
Ultimately, though, a bit of interesting character writing gets me through one book, but no more. My Douglass curiosity is sated.
January 27, 2011
Original Language: English
Publisher: Voyager Books
Country: Australia
Publication Date: December 2002
ISBN: 0732271649
Page Count: 596
Hade's Daughter is the first of Sara Douglass' (Sara Warneke) Troy Games Quartet. Narrated by the adolescent Dorian Princess Cornelia, Hades Daughter is a fantastic historical adventure in an alternate universe. Set in the Ancient World, a hundred years after the fall of the legendary city of Troy, Hade's Daughter is about the greatest Game ever played. At the heart of all the great cities of history lies the Labyrinth; the Labyrinth protects cities from harm until the great Greek warrior Theseus shuns Ariadne and brings doom down upon all civilisations.
Hade's Daughter plays on the legend of the Great Labyrinth in Crete, built for King Minos at Knossos. King Minos angered the Gods when he claimed a fine bull for himself, after offering it to the Sea God Poseidon. In retaliation the Gods made Minos' wife fall in love with the bull and she bore it a child; the Minotaur, half man. half bull. Minos had Daedalus build a great Labyrinth for the Minotaur.
Each year (or nine depending on the source) seven youths and seven maidens were sacrificed from Athens into the Labyrinth. By the third cycle, Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens, volunteered as a sacrifice.
On his arrival in Crete Theseus met Ariadne, daughter of Minos, and she fell in love. Ariadne gave Theseus the key to defeating the Labyrinth ( a golden ball of string) and he defeated the Minotaur.
Unfortunately for Theseus, some accounts say the Gods forced him to abandon Ariadne on an island instead of taking her back to Athens with him, and this is where Hade's Daughter begins. (More on the legend...)
The scorned Ariadne is not just a Princess of Crete, she is the powerful Mistress of the Labyrinth and in her anger she brings destruction to the Ancient World. The cities of Athens, Troy and many other ancient civilisations fall as destruction follows in the footsteps of Theseus. One hundred years after the curse of Ariadne, the Game is dead and only one Kingsman (the male partner of the Mistress) is left.
Douglass writes a convincing account of the fall of glorious cities, allowing her readers to picture events as she portrays. Hade's Daughter is obviously well researched; the small details from language, to clothing and behaviour show a deep understanding of the Ancient Worlds she recreates through her words. From the Greek city of Mesopotamia to the Llangaria (early England) Douglass' attention to detail makes the narrative more plausible. Brutus of Troy is believed to be the original founder of England (see more here) and her portrayal of events follows the correct time-line while offering an alternate view point.
The characters are diverse. Brutus is an important legendary/historical figure, along with his fellow Corineas (founder of Cornwall), Ariadne and Theseus are well known mythical characters; by using real figures, Douglass had created an alternate history for us to appreciate. The dark magic of the Labyrinth is something worthy of both our awe and our fear.
Woven through the narrative is a secondary story. Written in short bursts, are the follow up stories of the main cast. From Asterion, the Minotaur, to Genivessa, the Darkwitch, to Cornelia, the innocent, a familiar cast appear in the unfamiliar and (somewhat) modern setting of war torn London. By introducing the future storyline in Hades Daughter, Douglass is foreshadowing the events of the following three novels, but never gives anything important away.
If you are looking for a fun and intriguing historical novel then Hade's Daughter, and the rest of the Troy Games quartet are a wonderful addition to your library. A lengthy and detailed novel, it has loveable and emotional characters that will keep you on your toes.
Publisher: Voyager Books
Country: Australia
Publication Date: December 2002
ISBN: 0732271649
Page Count: 596
Hade's Daughter is the first of Sara Douglass' (Sara Warneke) Troy Games Quartet. Narrated by the adolescent Dorian Princess Cornelia, Hades Daughter is a fantastic historical adventure in an alternate universe. Set in the Ancient World, a hundred years after the fall of the legendary city of Troy, Hade's Daughter is about the greatest Game ever played. At the heart of all the great cities of history lies the Labyrinth; the Labyrinth protects cities from harm until the great Greek warrior Theseus shuns Ariadne and brings doom down upon all civilisations.
Hade's Daughter plays on the legend of the Great Labyrinth in Crete, built for King Minos at Knossos. King Minos angered the Gods when he claimed a fine bull for himself, after offering it to the Sea God Poseidon. In retaliation the Gods made Minos' wife fall in love with the bull and she bore it a child; the Minotaur, half man. half bull. Minos had Daedalus build a great Labyrinth for the Minotaur.
Each year (or nine depending on the source) seven youths and seven maidens were sacrificed from Athens into the Labyrinth. By the third cycle, Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens, volunteered as a sacrifice.
On his arrival in Crete Theseus met Ariadne, daughter of Minos, and she fell in love. Ariadne gave Theseus the key to defeating the Labyrinth ( a golden ball of string) and he defeated the Minotaur.
Unfortunately for Theseus, some accounts say the Gods forced him to abandon Ariadne on an island instead of taking her back to Athens with him, and this is where Hade's Daughter begins. (More on the legend...)
The scorned Ariadne is not just a Princess of Crete, she is the powerful Mistress of the Labyrinth and in her anger she brings destruction to the Ancient World. The cities of Athens, Troy and many other ancient civilisations fall as destruction follows in the footsteps of Theseus. One hundred years after the curse of Ariadne, the Game is dead and only one Kingsman (the male partner of the Mistress) is left.
Douglass writes a convincing account of the fall of glorious cities, allowing her readers to picture events as she portrays. Hade's Daughter is obviously well researched; the small details from language, to clothing and behaviour show a deep understanding of the Ancient Worlds she recreates through her words. From the Greek city of Mesopotamia to the Llangaria (early England) Douglass' attention to detail makes the narrative more plausible. Brutus of Troy is believed to be the original founder of England (see more here) and her portrayal of events follows the correct time-line while offering an alternate view point.
The characters are diverse. Brutus is an important legendary/historical figure, along with his fellow Corineas (founder of Cornwall), Ariadne and Theseus are well known mythical characters; by using real figures, Douglass had created an alternate history for us to appreciate. The dark magic of the Labyrinth is something worthy of both our awe and our fear.
Woven through the narrative is a secondary story. Written in short bursts, are the follow up stories of the main cast. From Asterion, the Minotaur, to Genivessa, the Darkwitch, to Cornelia, the innocent, a familiar cast appear in the unfamiliar and (somewhat) modern setting of war torn London. By introducing the future storyline in Hades Daughter, Douglass is foreshadowing the events of the following three novels, but never gives anything important away.
If you are looking for a fun and intriguing historical novel then Hade's Daughter, and the rest of the Troy Games quartet are a wonderful addition to your library. A lengthy and detailed novel, it has loveable and emotional characters that will keep you on your toes.
September 3, 2016
I’m going to come right out and say it; I loved this book.
I’m not quite sure why – I’ve always considered myself a very character-driven reader, and I found every single one of the characters in this book utterly unappealing, to the point where about half way through I remember remarking that I had no idea who I was supposed to be cheering for. Yet still, this story gripped me, and I had to read on.
Hades’ Daughter combines elements of ancient roman mythology and pagan ritual into a compelling fantasy world. It is a world of lust, sex, violence (and violent sex), jealousy, ambition and power.
Douglass has been criticized for over-zealous depictions of sex and depravity in her novels, but I didn’t find this to be so. Douglass is a female-centric writer, and I think it is hard to imagine a female protagonist in a medieval setting who does not confront ‘sex-as-weapon’ – either used against her or wielded by her for advantage. I enjoyed the backdrop of the feminine world that this book so richly invokes; the roles of woman as mother and lover, and the concepts of fertility, birth and rebirth.
As I have said, the characters in this book are seriously flawed, yet fascinating all the same; Cornelia is desperately needy to the point of melodrama, Brutus as his name implies is heartless and brutal, Ariadne’s power-hungry desire for revenge and her cold jealousy makes her entirely unlikeable. And behind it all, lurks the greatest evil, the Minotaur who once inhabited the heart of the ancient Labyrinth, and aims to destroy all their plans.
A fabulous start to a series, and, in my opinion, Sara Douglass’s best.
Reblogged from http://highfantasyaddict.wordpress.com
I’m not quite sure why – I’ve always considered myself a very character-driven reader, and I found every single one of the characters in this book utterly unappealing, to the point where about half way through I remember remarking that I had no idea who I was supposed to be cheering for. Yet still, this story gripped me, and I had to read on.
Hades’ Daughter combines elements of ancient roman mythology and pagan ritual into a compelling fantasy world. It is a world of lust, sex, violence (and violent sex), jealousy, ambition and power.
Douglass has been criticized for over-zealous depictions of sex and depravity in her novels, but I didn’t find this to be so. Douglass is a female-centric writer, and I think it is hard to imagine a female protagonist in a medieval setting who does not confront ‘sex-as-weapon’ – either used against her or wielded by her for advantage. I enjoyed the backdrop of the feminine world that this book so richly invokes; the roles of woman as mother and lover, and the concepts of fertility, birth and rebirth.
As I have said, the characters in this book are seriously flawed, yet fascinating all the same; Cornelia is desperately needy to the point of melodrama, Brutus as his name implies is heartless and brutal, Ariadne’s power-hungry desire for revenge and her cold jealousy makes her entirely unlikeable. And behind it all, lurks the greatest evil, the Minotaur who once inhabited the heart of the ancient Labyrinth, and aims to destroy all their plans.
A fabulous start to a series, and, in my opinion, Sara Douglass’s best.
Reblogged from http://highfantasyaddict.wordpress.com
December 16, 2012
This was the second attempt at this book - the first being when I was a teenager and I just couldn't get through it. This time was totally different. A very complex and compelling story taking us back to the days of the ancient Greek gods. With the fall of the ancient Labyrinth, evil is unleashed on the Greek world and civilization quickly crumbles. Far away on the coast of what will one day be England, one small outpost thrives with the Mistress of the Labyrinth as it's leader. Calling out to her partner, the Kingman, she sets in motion a devastating series of events that will either lead the world into the light, or destroy it forever.
While at times the complex storyline made the book drag a little - every sentence had a reason for being there, you just might not realize it yet. Definitely not a book for those wanting a quick run through a fantasy land, this book requires a bit of concentration - but it's well worth the effort. About half way through things just started falling into place and I had a hard time putting it down.
While at times the complex storyline made the book drag a little - every sentence had a reason for being there, you just might not realize it yet. Definitely not a book for those wanting a quick run through a fantasy land, this book requires a bit of concentration - but it's well worth the effort. About half way through things just started falling into place and I had a hard time putting it down.
September 14, 2018
Story: 2/5 Uhh, yeah, well, teenage girl is in love with this one guy but he gets brutally murdered by.. Brutus. Then he takes her as his wife, rapes her then decides he does want her to love him but keeps rejecting her and she him (duh). In the end they both want to love each other but they were to hurt by their words and actions so they got back to how it all started?
Characters: 2/5 Annoying. Egocentric. Weird.
Writing: 3/5 ... Well, it feels really old.
Reread: Most likely not. And why did I want to finish this so badly?
Characters: 2/5 Annoying. Egocentric. Weird.
Writing: 3/5 ... Well, it feels really old.
Reread: Most likely not. And why did I want to finish this so badly?
February 24, 2012
While this starter to the series is packed full of passion and promise, I feel like it was the best book in the series. Without spoilers, by the time I was reading the fourth book, I was so disgusted with the main character that I found her unlikable. When terrible things would happen to her, I didn't care anymore. So I quit reading the book at that point.
As a setup for a series, it does it's job in spades. The four rating will be the highest this series will get from me.
As a setup for a series, it does it's job in spades. The four rating will be the highest this series will get from me.
August 11, 2016
Its been a number of years since I first read this book. Initially I bought it because it looked really interesting. It was set in Ancient Greece and seemed to be set heavily in mythology, things that I was, and still am, interested in.
The book is beyond tedious. Sitting at around 600 pages, the story could have easily been told in 300. It is painfully boring; the characters seem to do little more than ponder things for more than half of the book. Rape scenes seem to be randomly inserted every x number of pages, with absaloutley no relation to the plot. I know that there are a number of Greek myths that feature rape, but in this book it just seemed to be thrown in for no reason other than to make up the page count. The 'sex' scenes, while described in great detail more than half the time, are somehow still boring. They didn't inspire anything in me other than a yawn.
The characters are all blank and boring and seem to just potter around raping each other and angsting.
Despite all this, I still finished the book and even moved on to the second one. The second one was a million times worse and I got only halfway through before giving up. Actually, if I'm not mistaken, I believe I was in middle of another tedious rape scene involving the main heroine and a Minotaur when I finally went 'Okay, this is just ridiculous. I'm not reading this anymore.'
Granted it has been a few years since I've read it, but I don't think I would really recommend the series to anyone. Ever. It is terrible.
The book is beyond tedious. Sitting at around 600 pages, the story could have easily been told in 300. It is painfully boring; the characters seem to do little more than ponder things for more than half of the book. Rape scenes seem to be randomly inserted every x number of pages, with absaloutley no relation to the plot. I know that there are a number of Greek myths that feature rape, but in this book it just seemed to be thrown in for no reason other than to make up the page count. The 'sex' scenes, while described in great detail more than half the time, are somehow still boring. They didn't inspire anything in me other than a yawn.
The characters are all blank and boring and seem to just potter around raping each other and angsting.
Despite all this, I still finished the book and even moved on to the second one. The second one was a million times worse and I got only halfway through before giving up. Actually, if I'm not mistaken, I believe I was in middle of another tedious rape scene involving the main heroine and a Minotaur when I finally went 'Okay, this is just ridiculous. I'm not reading this anymore.'
Granted it has been a few years since I've read it, but I don't think I would really recommend the series to anyone. Ever. It is terrible.
September 20, 2012
It's interesting rereading this book again several years after the first read. I kept wanting to get to the points that I remembered from the first read. Things I picked up on this go round included excessive rape and brutality of women in contrast with their connection with how the Trojans also are coming into a land to take it over and trap evil within it. I also missed the stone room = St. Paul's Cathedral connection. As far as plot goes, I felt like the traveling between Greece and Llangarlia felt really long this time. I don't know if it's because I was anxious to get to the parts I knew or not. I still think this book is a good start to the series and it does make me look forward to the rest of the series (even though I remember some of what is to come and I know that some of the writing quality declines).
March 20, 2009
I tried to like this book, but ultimately, I just didn't think it was very good. It had a lot of the elements that I look for in an entertaining "get lost in the saga" kind of read. But it fell short of my expectations.
I will admit to only reading the first about 200 pages, the "London" pages at the beginning of each section, and the last 100 or so pages. But my friend Meegan, who read the book in its entirety, assures me that I didn't miss anything. Honestly, I would not have even read as much as I did if it hadn't been the March selection for my friend Michael's Words Beyond Worlds book discussion group. The group was unanimous in not liking this book; even Michael, the facilitator, was not a fan.
I will admit to only reading the first about 200 pages, the "London" pages at the beginning of each section, and the last 100 or so pages. But my friend Meegan, who read the book in its entirety, assures me that I didn't miss anything. Honestly, I would not have even read as much as I did if it hadn't been the March selection for my friend Michael's Words Beyond Worlds book discussion group. The group was unanimous in not liking this book; even Michael, the facilitator, was not a fan.
April 2, 2014
You know those books that are recommended to you but you don't pick up because you're totally judging it by the cover? That was this series. But I finally did and I was glad. I know there are a lot of people who couldn't stand this book, but I had a lot of fun with it.
Are the characters arch? Sure. But in this epic world of good and evil, for me at least, it all worked just fine. Sex and violence, both on the slightly campy side but I enjoyed myself enough that I'm curious to see how the series plays out.
Are the characters arch? Sure. But in this epic world of good and evil, for me at least, it all worked just fine. Sex and violence, both on the slightly campy side but I enjoyed myself enough that I'm curious to see how the series plays out.
May 14, 2016
To be honest, this book is absolute shit.
It really doesn't deserve more than one star, but for some inexplicable reason I enjoyed reading it.
The characters have no depth and somehow undergo no development over the course of 740 pages. Additionally, the main plot points are either predictable or make no sense (in a bad way). Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this book is that it is built on the premise of Greek mythology, and yet essentially explores none of it.
I'll probably continue reading the series, but only if I find the books in the $2 bin.
It really doesn't deserve more than one star, but for some inexplicable reason I enjoyed reading it.
The characters have no depth and somehow undergo no development over the course of 740 pages. Additionally, the main plot points are either predictable or make no sense (in a bad way). Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this book is that it is built on the premise of Greek mythology, and yet essentially explores none of it.
I'll probably continue reading the series, but only if I find the books in the $2 bin.
April 25, 2008
The Characters aren't interesting, the plot is boring (ancient evil was released 2500 years ago! - yawn) and the author seems to be casting about for inspiration from fairly obvious sources without success.The use of sex and gore to cover up the stalling plot is a bit pathetic. A bit sad as the Author is Australian, and I had high hopes.
August 14, 2018
Very mixed feelings so far with Hades’ daughter. I discovered the book on Goodreads, after searching something to feed my reader-appetite with something like Kushiel. I can already tell it has nothing to do with Jacqueline Carey’s exquisite and rich world.
The 2-stars rating might seem harsh, but it is strictly what I felt in the end of the book : “It was ok”. Ok enough to make me want to read further, but not thrilling so I’d feel moved by the story.
What I disliked : a lot of things actually ! When I was at 50% reading, I was still wondering when the plot was going to show up. I mean, the real plot. Not vague pieces of scheme that won’t go anywhere. I kept wondering “why this ?” or “why that ?”. Not because I would guess how the characters were going to solve their problems, but because I was completely lost in the sudden and illogical developments.
Along with this hard-to-follow storyline, I found that the characters themselves are somehow poorly depicted, and appeared all shallow to me; even the ones who aren’t supposed to be. Each one of them is a cliché; and it seems like the author doesn’t want you to like one character in particular. Instead, she makes you loathe every one of them …!
What I liked : If anything else, the descriptions; even if I’m not a native English speaker, I enjoyed enhancing my own vocabulary, and I felt I was there, in the forests, the hills, the cities etc etc. Then I liked a lot the fact that the narrative changes from one chapter to another : once it’s an omniscient point of view, then Cornelia speaks, and finally, a jump cut to 1939. And these passages were worth my attention, and the fact that I shall continue the sage at the end of the book.
In the end of the book (and also because I’m writing this while I’m currently reading the third), I felt like the author probably planned the story arc over the span of the four books, and she needed the first one to be just the foundation of the whole story. Hence the “2 stars” rating.
The 2-stars rating might seem harsh, but it is strictly what I felt in the end of the book : “It was ok”. Ok enough to make me want to read further, but not thrilling so I’d feel moved by the story.
What I disliked : a lot of things actually ! When I was at 50% reading, I was still wondering when the plot was going to show up. I mean, the real plot. Not vague pieces of scheme that won’t go anywhere. I kept wondering “why this ?” or “why that ?”. Not because I would guess how the characters were going to solve their problems, but because I was completely lost in the sudden and illogical developments.
Along with this hard-to-follow storyline, I found that the characters themselves are somehow poorly depicted, and appeared all shallow to me; even the ones who aren’t supposed to be. Each one of them is a cliché; and it seems like the author doesn’t want you to like one character in particular. Instead, she makes you loathe every one of them …!
What I liked : If anything else, the descriptions; even if I’m not a native English speaker, I enjoyed enhancing my own vocabulary, and I felt I was there, in the forests, the hills, the cities etc etc. Then I liked a lot the fact that the narrative changes from one chapter to another : once it’s an omniscient point of view, then Cornelia speaks, and finally, a jump cut to 1939. And these passages were worth my attention, and the fact that I shall continue the sage at the end of the book.
In the end of the book (and also because I’m writing this while I’m currently reading the third), I felt like the author probably planned the story arc over the span of the four books, and she needed the first one to be just the foundation of the whole story. Hence the “2 stars” rating.
May 7, 2025
This was so much better than I expected. I found it by chance at a thrift store, and the cover made me expect some sort of romance or romantasy. I only bought it because it was cheap, and I was hoping it'd be so-bad-it's-good. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find it's actually good. I was instantly hooked, both by the intricate and immersive worldbuilding and the beautiful writing. Douglas has such evocative descriptions that I often felt like I was journeying alongside the characters. I loved the world she created, and the ways she blended elements of Greek society and myth with original fantasy. I can't say much about any accuracy concerning Llangarlia, as I know nothing about the Celts or early Britain, but I loved the richness of that world too. The cast of characters was well-rounded and there wasn't a single one that felt dull or flat or uninteresting. My favourites were Cornelia, Loth, and Blangan, and my least favourite was Brutus, but despite hating him I was still interested in his story. I especially loved the way the story was woven and the little flash-forwards incorporated throughout. The only thing I didn't like at all was that there were several graphic (graphic-ish, anyway) SA scenes, which were very uncomfortable to read, but I understand the context and society they come from and I didn't feel like any of it was gratuitous. That's just a personal ick, but it didn't spoil the whole book or anything.
I have to find the rest of this trilogy now!
I have to find the rest of this trilogy now!
September 30, 2018
Backstory: When I was about twelve, I was obsessed with Hades, god of the Underworld, and so when I saw a book about his daughter I was like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Then I read it and not only was Hades not a character but there were some sex things where I was like "Perhaps this is not for twelve-year-olds."
So I returned the book to the library and lived my life for ten years. But reader, I never forgot. What was in that book? Did Hades ever show up?
A decade later, I sought out the book. And I read the first few chapters. They were not very good. (They were, however, exactly as I remembered them, traumatic birthing stories and all.)
It was not enough for me to read the whole book, but I did end up skimming all the scenes with Cornelia, since she seemed the most compelling. I was correct, y'all. This book is not for twelve-year-olds. Nor is Hades in it.
My assessment from skimming is that this book is rapey, not particularly empowering for women (although it certainly *tries*, with the amount of time spent on wombs and birth and whatever), and the plot about "The Game" is not interesting at all.
So, now I know. And I need not pick it up again.
So I returned the book to the library and lived my life for ten years. But reader, I never forgot. What was in that book? Did Hades ever show up?
A decade later, I sought out the book. And I read the first few chapters. They were not very good. (They were, however, exactly as I remembered them, traumatic birthing stories and all.)
It was not enough for me to read the whole book, but I did end up skimming all the scenes with Cornelia, since she seemed the most compelling. I was correct, y'all. This book is not for twelve-year-olds. Nor is Hades in it.
My assessment from skimming is that this book is rapey, not particularly empowering for women (although it certainly *tries*, with the amount of time spent on wombs and birth and whatever), and the plot about "The Game" is not interesting at all.
So, now I know. And I need not pick it up again.
June 20, 2016
This book suffers from the unfortunate fact that all of the main characters are terrible people; however, it still manages to drag you (well, at least, me) in. Thus, it is somewhat of a masterpiece. I'm long overdue on my review for this series, but will do in bits and probably have the most to say about Druid's Sword.
Hades' Daughter opens with the destruction of the Mediterranean World by Ariadne, she of Greek mythos. In this retelling, Ariadne is a "Mistress of the Labyrinth" and half-sister and lover to the Minotaur, Asterion. The Labyrinth is the physical embodiment of the "Game," which has different incarnations (including a "Troy" variation the series is named after) and is a danced ritual which attracts and traps evil, keeping cities prosperous. The dances are heading by a Mistress and a Kingman, powerful individuals in this alternate reality. Ariadne is a particularly skilled Mistress. She falls for Theseus and betrays Asterion to him; when spurned by Theseus (in this storyline, Theseus leaves a pregnant Ariadne for her sister) Ariadne strikes a deal with Asterion. He will teach her the Darkcraft, and if she ever crosses him, she shall become his slave. This bargain binds both Ariadne and her future daughter-heirs.
Ariadne then casually destroys the world.
Some generations later, Ariadne's great-great-etc. granddaughter, Genvissa, is the head priestess of society living around what will eventually become London. She's not very nice and has been working to ruin the local deities to get more power for herself. She wishes to resurrect a Game in Britain, with herself, as Mistress, in a powerful position. For that, she needs a Kingman.
Enter Brutus, descendant of Aeneas, escapee of Troy. A fine specimen of a man. He wears the golden bands of a Kingman. Genvissa appears to him as Artemis and tells him to bring his people to Britain and they will dance a Game and bask in their own power.
First, though, Brutus comes to Mesopotama, requests the freeing of the Trojan slaves there, and, when refused, destroys the local army and then the entire city. He "takes to wife" (aka, rapes) the king's very young daughter (13 or so), Cornelia. He is not sure why he bothers to do so. Cornelia tries to instigate a rebellion against Brutus before he is set to leave but the rebellion fails. Brutus unwinds the Game that has survived in Mesopotama in retaliation to this rebellion, and the city turns to ash. Cornelia weeps. Brutus tells her it is her own fault for trying to cross him. Cornelia weeps some more, and starts to desire Brutus' love and approval.
[Yikes. The multiple instances of Stockholm syndrome/typical abusive relationships in this series are incredibly disturbing. There is some resolution/retribution and growth from the different characters, and everything ends happily enough, but still. Yikes.]
The rest of this book is a succession of power struggles wrapped in power struggles of this alternate reality. Cornelia and Brutus fall in and out of love and hate. Genvissa is always nasty. Cornelia grows from an irritating girl-child to an irritating, sorrowful woman. Brutus is aptly named. So. What will happen next to our intrepid non-heroes?
Hades' Daughter opens with the destruction of the Mediterranean World by Ariadne, she of Greek mythos. In this retelling, Ariadne is a "Mistress of the Labyrinth" and half-sister and lover to the Minotaur, Asterion. The Labyrinth is the physical embodiment of the "Game," which has different incarnations (including a "Troy" variation the series is named after) and is a danced ritual which attracts and traps evil, keeping cities prosperous. The dances are heading by a Mistress and a Kingman, powerful individuals in this alternate reality. Ariadne is a particularly skilled Mistress. She falls for Theseus and betrays Asterion to him; when spurned by Theseus (in this storyline, Theseus leaves a pregnant Ariadne for her sister) Ariadne strikes a deal with Asterion. He will teach her the Darkcraft, and if she ever crosses him, she shall become his slave. This bargain binds both Ariadne and her future daughter-heirs.
Ariadne then casually destroys the world.
Some generations later, Ariadne's great-great-etc. granddaughter, Genvissa, is the head priestess of society living around what will eventually become London. She's not very nice and has been working to ruin the local deities to get more power for herself. She wishes to resurrect a Game in Britain, with herself, as Mistress, in a powerful position. For that, she needs a Kingman.
Enter Brutus, descendant of Aeneas, escapee of Troy. A fine specimen of a man. He wears the golden bands of a Kingman. Genvissa appears to him as Artemis and tells him to bring his people to Britain and they will dance a Game and bask in their own power.
First, though, Brutus comes to Mesopotama, requests the freeing of the Trojan slaves there, and, when refused, destroys the local army and then the entire city. He "takes to wife" (aka, rapes) the king's very young daughter (13 or so), Cornelia. He is not sure why he bothers to do so. Cornelia tries to instigate a rebellion against Brutus before he is set to leave but the rebellion fails. Brutus unwinds the Game that has survived in Mesopotama in retaliation to this rebellion, and the city turns to ash. Cornelia weeps. Brutus tells her it is her own fault for trying to cross him. Cornelia weeps some more, and starts to desire Brutus' love and approval.
[Yikes. The multiple instances of Stockholm syndrome/typical abusive relationships in this series are incredibly disturbing. There is some resolution/retribution and growth from the different characters, and everything ends happily enough, but still. Yikes.]
The rest of this book is a succession of power struggles wrapped in power struggles of this alternate reality. Cornelia and Brutus fall in and out of love and hate. Genvissa is always nasty. Cornelia grows from an irritating girl-child to an irritating, sorrowful woman. Brutus is aptly named. So. What will happen next to our intrepid non-heroes?
January 21, 2018
I'm not even sure how to leave a review for this one. While I was drawn in by the story and loved the writing, I had a very hard time liking ANY of the main characters and for most of the novel I wanted them all to lose. Brutus is a rapist, a murderer, cruel and merciless, abusive in every sense to the women around him, and a complete agro-bro. He's the worst. Cornelia is an awful brat in the beginning but she's also young, and while she mostly redeems herself by the end of the novel, I could not get past the way she supposedly fallen in love with the man who murdered her family, raped her, forced her to be his wife, treats her like absolute dogsh*t in front of everyone and humiliates her constantly -- I don't know how we're supposed to buy the fact that they actually have some ill-fated romance that neither of them can ever get round to when he's busy cheating on her without regard and then calling her a whore if she so much as looks at another man. Yeah no. And obviously Genvissa is a awful, but at least she isn't painted as deserving of sympathy in some way.
I hate all aspects of that so much, especially since the other characters recognize Brutus' awful treatment of Cornelia but she still, to the very end, insists she loves him anyway, it's ridiculous. I wish that was different because I loved the rest of the book. And the fact that when Genvissa is dead Brutus just like, takes Cornelia back as a wife and sleeps with her, like, the assumption that all these women are just his right, I mean, obviously the author knows the difference because the Llangarlan society is the complete opposite of that.
I'm still going to read the rest of the series, I do like the overall story and I want to see how it all wraps up. But I just hated that part of it all the way through.
I hate all aspects of that so much, especially since the other characters recognize Brutus' awful treatment of Cornelia but she still, to the very end, insists she loves him anyway, it's ridiculous. I wish that was different because I loved the rest of the book. And the fact that when Genvissa is dead Brutus just like, takes Cornelia back as a wife and sleeps with her, like, the assumption that all these women are just his right, I mean, obviously the author knows the difference because the Llangarlan society is the complete opposite of that.
I'm still going to read the rest of the series, I do like the overall story and I want to see how it all wraps up. But I just hated that part of it all the way through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2015
When I read this as a teenager, I liked it, but clearly didn't understand it. Rereading it as an adult, I can appreciate it a lot more fully. If no one has told you yet, there should be a couple trigger warnings here and there, particularly for the sexual assaults you'll occasionally see. Also, it's pretty heteronormative, with an emphasis on heterosexual fertility and gods, etc. The writing isn't perfect, and it's a bit problematic (the concept that anyone could so quickly fall in love with someone who forces marriage on them...enough said). All the caveats out of the way, I can confidently give this book four stars. The feminist subtext (and not so sub) is great, lending a little more weight to the seriousness of the story. It is true that most of the characters are appalling, but it's not accidental, and it's done in such a way that it leaves room for a lot of personal growth. The mythology of the story is not entirely original, but it is compelling, and readers of other Douglass books will no doubt recognize elements therein. I'm tearing through the whole series again right now, and even just having read a whole slew of ostensibly quality books, Douglass' work is not contrasting too much in comparison. If you like the genre, and you like moral complexity--and yea, sexy literature (we can all agree that not every part of this book is sexy, though, right? Gendered and sexual violence = not okay)--I do recommend it. I'm very sad that Ms. Douglass will no longer be providing us with works like this or "Threshold."
November 1, 2015
I'm not sure what to say about a book I picked up when it was first printed, set it aside because I found it frustrating, and then decided to give it another chance when it was picked for BookBub. Honestly, I can see why I put it down the first time because I found the characters to be annoying, to put it mildly. It's not until you get near the end of the book where you see some of the true colors of the main cast. Genvissa is from a proud line of jilted women who are using their magical powers to destroy all the gods and bring the world under their control (fury of a woman scorned taken too far). Brutus seems like a normal conquering "king" until the end where you find out just how far he will go to take power. And poor Cornelia taken as a spoil of war, angry because the would-be king took away her chances at life and spurned him, is now treated as everything that's wrong with the world and made to feel like she's nothing but an evil curse. Others are brought into the story, which some I can feel some sympathy to, and others not so much because of their usage of Cornelia. I find these characters as frustrating as the lead cast to "The Sword of Truth" series, where I wish I could smack some smarts into them. I've decided to carry on with this series and went ahead with the second book with the hopes that these people start getting their act together, as is hinted in the flash forward sections of the book.
May 22, 2009
Sara Douglass, Hades' Daughter (Tor, 2003)
It's rare that I completely abandon a book these days. And when I do, it almost always happens on page fifty, once I've had more than enough of whatever piece of the structure I can't take any more. That didn't happen with Hades' Daughter, in part because when I reached page fifty I was locked out of the house and had no other reading material. In any case, over the past nine months, I have struggled my way through one hundred eighty-eight pages of this monstrosity, or about a third of the first book in a series, before the prose got the best of me. I can't really quote you a passage to show you why, because there aren't many passages that don't involve the kinds of subjects that would get a review censored in the places one normally posts a review. Which, honestly, usually means that book is right up my alley; have can you go wrong with almost six hundred pages of sex, violence, and combinations of the two? In short, by writing a Harlequin romance that's too violent (and long) for Harlequin to publish. The premise is interesting, but the execution leaves a great deal to be desired. I'd like to see a really, really good romance author take this on (Marjorie Liu would be a fine choice, I think), but as it stands, it's just plain silly. (zero)
It's rare that I completely abandon a book these days. And when I do, it almost always happens on page fifty, once I've had more than enough of whatever piece of the structure I can't take any more. That didn't happen with Hades' Daughter, in part because when I reached page fifty I was locked out of the house and had no other reading material. In any case, over the past nine months, I have struggled my way through one hundred eighty-eight pages of this monstrosity, or about a third of the first book in a series, before the prose got the best of me. I can't really quote you a passage to show you why, because there aren't many passages that don't involve the kinds of subjects that would get a review censored in the places one normally posts a review. Which, honestly, usually means that book is right up my alley; have can you go wrong with almost six hundred pages of sex, violence, and combinations of the two? In short, by writing a Harlequin romance that's too violent (and long) for Harlequin to publish. The premise is interesting, but the execution leaves a great deal to be desired. I'd like to see a really, really good romance author take this on (Marjorie Liu would be a fine choice, I think), but as it stands, it's just plain silly. (zero)
June 2, 2016
I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. I've had it since high school, tried starting it several times and never made it through. Read it this time in a few hours. Couldn't put it down.
Douglass' novels were always about 'the long game' in the end, and I'm very curious to see how the entirety of this series plays it. I have the rest of the books so I can read through them one after another.
Much of this book was extremely brutal; there is rape, torture, murder and despicable deeds aplenty littering the pages. If that sort of subject matter bothers you, leave this one on the shelf. If you've read any of Sara Douglass' other novels, hearing this won't surprise you; they're pretty much all violent and brutal.
Hades' Daughter was more plot-driven than character-driven. I don't think that I liked more than maybe one or two minor characters, personally. A few of the Llangarlians, certainly none of the Trojans (especially not Brutus, he's a bigger bastard than Axis ever was) and maybe Cornelia in the the end. Just a little bit. The plot and the drama kept me turning the pages, and the cast, while unlikeable, were well-fleshed out enough to be truly unlikeable!
On to Gods' Concubine now.
Douglass' novels were always about 'the long game' in the end, and I'm very curious to see how the entirety of this series plays it. I have the rest of the books so I can read through them one after another.
Much of this book was extremely brutal; there is rape, torture, murder and despicable deeds aplenty littering the pages. If that sort of subject matter bothers you, leave this one on the shelf. If you've read any of Sara Douglass' other novels, hearing this won't surprise you; they're pretty much all violent and brutal.
Hades' Daughter was more plot-driven than character-driven. I don't think that I liked more than maybe one or two minor characters, personally. A few of the Llangarlians, certainly none of the Trojans (especially not Brutus, he's a bigger bastard than Axis ever was) and maybe Cornelia in the the end. Just a little bit. The plot and the drama kept me turning the pages, and the cast, while unlikeable, were well-fleshed out enough to be truly unlikeable!
On to Gods' Concubine now.
September 17, 2013
OMG I read an Adult Sci-fi / fantasy novel! .... and I remembered why I stopped reading them. All the weird sex. Not trying to judge, just sayin' it got a little too freaky in there. I was also uncomfortable with the exposition surrounding gender roles, seemed to present male and female social hierarchies as polarized and antagonistic. Really, this novel is a fancier version of flowers in the attic, with magic, a Trojan horse and a free trip to Camelot. However the main protagonist is strangely sympathetic, despite her dithering and her Stockholm syndrome, it's hard not to care about her and hope she conquers in the end. Will probably finish out the series, will probably skip all the naked parts.
March 13, 2014
A historical fantasy, this book has some great moments and then some rather poor ones. While I enjoyed Sara Douglass's writing, the characters quite often seemed too much. Brutus was anything but the man he claimed to be and in many ways he was more of a spoiled brat than his thirteen or fourteen year old wife that he conquered and raped. The other member of this love triangle, Genvissa, was too evil for her own good and came off not quite believable. While I will continue the series and hope many things will become more obvious i the further installments, I was left feeling not quite satisfied with this story. Furthermore, the brief leaps forward in time I found to be more exhausting than helpful.
April 13, 2009
A one-way ticket to a bummer.
This book is written by Sara Douglass, and I expected a fantasy series like the Wayfarer Redemption. She continues with her weak female characters (disappointingly), and all the characters in this book - male or female - are questionable. Sometimes that's a good thing but in this book everyone seemed so despicable or just stupid that I couldn't relate to anyone. I read about 1/3 of the book and I wasn't rooting for anyone yet. I actively hoped that one of the main characters would FAIL. After reading it, my mood would become more unhappy than usual. At this point, it seemed like a good idea to return it to the library.
This book is written by Sara Douglass, and I expected a fantasy series like the Wayfarer Redemption. She continues with her weak female characters (disappointingly), and all the characters in this book - male or female - are questionable. Sometimes that's a good thing but in this book everyone seemed so despicable or just stupid that I couldn't relate to anyone. I read about 1/3 of the book and I wasn't rooting for anyone yet. I actively hoped that one of the main characters would FAIL. After reading it, my mood would become more unhappy than usual. At this point, it seemed like a good idea to return it to the library.
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