Daughter of Darkness by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr Review

Title: Daughter of Darkness

Author: Katharine and Elizabeth Corr

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Pages: 448

Release Date: 4 August 2022

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Hello fellow booklovers, today I’m sharing my review for Daughter of Darkness. Steeped in Greek mythology and full of endearing characters, Daughter of Darkness is a richly detailed and enthralling start to an irresistibly magical new Duology from the authors of A Throne of Swans, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.

Synopsis

Enter the Underworld in an epic new fantasy, where the Gods of ancient Greece rule everything but fate.

Deina is trapped. As one of the Soul Severers serving the god Hades on earth, her future is tied to the task of shepherding the dying on from the mortal world - unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out.

Then the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts.

So begins their perilous journey into the realm of Hades. . . The prize of freedom is before her - but what will it take to reach it?

 

Review

This was such an enjoyable (and rather addictive) read!

The worldbuilding was so rich and incredibly detailed that I found myself immersed in this ancient landscape of gods, monsters and tyrant kings. It’s a loosely based reimagining of the Orpheus and Eurydice tale and I found it really intriguing. I loved how action packed and plot twisty it was and the characters we encounter were all so exquisitely crafted. There were soo many likeable characters too (my faves were Deina and Drex but I really liked Theron and Nat as well.)

The romance between Deina and Theron was subtle but really well written and I really loved the slow-burn, tension filled buildup though I suspect there may be a little chemistry between Deina and Nat as well so I’m definitely intrigued to see where it goes.

I loved the imagery of the underworld which was beautifully written and incredibly atmospheric— the threat of danger around every corner was utterly palpable and rendered every scene with a delicious (and intense) urgency that I really enjoyed.

The action is fast paced and ferociously brutal at times, I found myself on the edge of my seat more than once during Deina and Co. journey through the underworld. Not knowing if they’d all make it back alive was, seriously gut wrenching—but in the best way possible! Trust me, there’s soo many twists, turns, betrayals and revelations that it was difficult to predict what was going to happen next, and THAT ending was *chef’s kiss* absolutely phenomenal—I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel!

A must read for YA fantasy lovers, fans of Greek mythology or Lore by Alexandra Bracken.

Also a huge thank you to Hot Key Books and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

About The Authors

Katharine and Elizabeth Corr are sisters and Essex girls transplanted to Surrey. They both read history at university and worked as professionals in London (accountancy and law). Then they stopped working to raise families, not realising that children are far more demanding than clients or bosses. When they both decided to write novels – on account of fictional people being much easier to deal with than real ones – it was obvious they should do it together.

When Katharine’s not writing, she likes playing the harp, learning dead languages and embracing her inner nerd. When Elizabeth’s not writing, she likes sketching, dancing round the kitchen and plotting for more time free of children and cats. They can sometimes be found in one of their local coffee shops, arguing over which character to kill off next.

Website | Kate’s Twitter | Liz’s Twitter | Instagram | Kate’s Goodreads | Liz’s Goodreads