Servants move from pyre to pyre around the makeshift arena that separates us with blazing torches. This is Carneia, and so no better time to prove to Sparta and the gods all I have to offer. “Fools,” I mutter as both my brother and Lykou, like every other man here, underestimate my determination. To reject Lykou’s challenge, though, would be much more than my ego could tolerate.

As a Mothakes woman-not born of Sparta-I should be granted little but an eternity of servitude, but as the adopted daughter of an ephor I have more liberty-though not too much. To fight would bare for all that I know much more than I should. My oldest brother gives me a small shake of his head, lips pressed together in a narrow line. We’ve always jested about who would win in a single-combat duel.Īlkaios stands among the crowd. His challenge isn’t malicious, but rather a test. Lykou flashes me a crooked grin and accepts the dory, a whole three meters of bone-shattering wood and metal that Paidonomos Leonidas hands him. The usual cheers of Carneia have dulled to mere whispers, the crowd surrounding us waiting for my response. The sun begins its descent beyond the Taygetus mountains, filling the sky with a golden glow as the honor of my family balances upon my shoulders.

Guided by Artemis's twin-the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo-Daphne's journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends, such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves.Ī reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, Daughter of Sparta by debut author Claire Andrews turns the traditionally male-dominated mythology we know into a heart-pounding and empowering female-led adventure. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods' waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother's life will be forfeit. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis-who holds Daphne's brother's fate in her hands-upends the life she's worked so hard to build. Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta.

In this thrilling reimagining of ancient Greek mythology, a headstrong girl becomes the most powerful fighter her people have ever seen. Don't miss the page-turning sequel, Blood of Troy!

Daughter of sparta by claire andrews