BOOK REVIEW: Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews

I just finished another YA adventure based on Greek mythology, Daughter of Sparta, by Claire M. Andrews. 

Daphne (and her two brothers) are outsiders in Sparta, brought up by adoptive parents to be warriors but never quite belonging. During a critical Spartan contest, a race which will determine the success or failure of their yearly harvest, Daphne is lured into the woods where she meets the goddess Artemis. The goddess has a task for her. Daphne must retrieve nine items stolen from Olympus by a traitor to the gods. Without these items, the gods’ powers will wane and the Olympians will fall. 

Daphne is to be aided and guided by Artemis’ brother, the god Apollo. Since Artemis has enslaved Daphne’s favorite brother to ensure cooperation, Daphne hasn’t much choice but to do the gods’ bidding.

She (and Apollo) embark upon a series of dark adventures, encountering a plethora of Greek gods and goddesses, legendary heroes and heroines, and mythological creatures/monsters. The Olympians know who their enemy is, but not which of them has betrayed the family to that enemy. It’s Daphne’s job to find out. Daphne has to decide who to trust and who to fight. 

Trained by the Spartans, she has the speed and strength of a warrior. At first, she puts her faith in her training, but slowly learns her powers are superhuman. Unfortunately, no one will explain to her why. Much of the questing is performed on a need-to-know basis, which helps build suspense even though it doesn’t always seem logical.

The adventures come at the team fast and furious. (In addition to Daphne and Apollo, this team includes a friend/boyfriend of Daphne’s who has been turned into a wolf, and, for a period of time, the Greek hero Theseus.) The pace is fairly quick, though at times it feels like too much is crammed in and threads are left hanging, making it apparent there will have to be at least one more book to complete the tale.

Daphne is an admirable character and her supporting cast is entertaining. It’s a fun book to read and held my attention throughout as each new villain or ally entered the picture. The world-building was intricate and credible. However, it is a typical superhero story in that there was never really any doubt that Daphne would succeed in overcoming the increasingly dangerous difficulties thrown at her. For me, the battles tended to blur after a while. Nevertheless, it was a clever way to tie together many Greek myths.