Review - Daughter of Chaos (The Dark Pantheon, #1) by A.S. Webb

  

 

 

Title: Daughter of Chaos (The Dark Pantheon, #1)

Author: A.S. Webb

Pages: 468

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Release Date: 16th January 2025

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 FOR MORTALS TO RISE THE GODS MUST FALL.

In ancient Greece, the twelve gods demand the ultimate tribute – food, treasure, even human sacrifice.

There are some mortals who cling to a desperate prophecy – telling of one to come who’ll set them free. But few truly believe it.

Until Danae, a fisherman's daughter, eats a mysterious golden apple. And suddenly, her life unravels and a strange and dangerous path unfolds before her.

Chased from her home, she neither understands nor fully controls her future. One which will find Danae walking the winding roads of heroes. There, she encounters and befriends the mighty demi-god, Heracles. Together, they will seek out monsters to battle.

But Danae’s destiny is not to fight beasts.

She will hunt the gods.

She will drag them screaming from Olympus . . .

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph*

Danae has spent all her life on the small Greek island of Naxos, living with her family and giving tribute to the twelve gods.

As bad things happen to those she loves, Danae starts to question the rule of the gods and finds herself on a path that will change everything she knows.

Can mortals be freed from the cruel reign of the gods?

Who is the Last Daughter?

As someone who can't resist a Greek mythology book, I was intrigued to read this and see what happened.

Danae was an okay protagonist. I liked how much she cared for her sister, and that she was willing to fight for what she believed in. However, I never felt that I really connected with her.

I liked some of the secondary characters.

The setting of ancient Greece was interesting and I liked that the author used myths/legends throughout.

The plot was very mixed. I started off enjoying the story, but as it went on things began to bother me - I felt that certain events were brushed over, and that not enough explanation was given - and I found my interest waning. I didn't care about what was happening, and was not invested at all.

I feel that this had a lot of potential, but the execution didn't work for me.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

Review - Butter by Asako Yuzuki, Polly Barton (translator)

 

 

 

 Title: Butter

Author: Asako Yuzuki, Polly Barton (translator)

Pages: 448

Publisher: Fourth Estate

Release Date: 29th February 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

 

Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop

 

  

 

 

My Review:

 *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate*

 

Journalist Rika Machida writes for a men's magazine and dreams of getting a job in the editorial team.

Rika has the idea of interviewing Manako Kajii, a woman in Tokyo Detention Centre who was convicted of the deaths of several men she was in relationships with.

Until then, Kajii has refused all visitors and requests for interviews, but when Rika sends her a letter about a recipe, Kajii - who is a known food lover and cook - agrees to meet Rika.

Rika's visits to Kajii will change how Rika sees food, and she finds herself wondering if she's more similar to Kajii than she could ever have thought.

The concept of a Japanese female serial killer intrigued me, and with all the hype around the novel, I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I ended up disappointed.

Rika was a likeable and relatable protagonist. I liked the relationships she built with secondary characters.

It was interesting to find out more about Kajii and why she was the way she was.

The setting of Japan was interesting, and I enjoyed finding out about the way things are viewed compared to the West.

The plot was okay, but the book could easily have been cut in half as not much really happened. If I hadn't been able to dip in and out of the audiobook version alongside the Kindle version I originally started, I'm not sure I would have finished this. While I wasn't excited to continue reading after putting the book down, I did want to know how it ended.

My favourite part of the book was the exploration of friendship, beauty standards and misogyny.

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, and I'm not sure if I will try another book by the author.

Overall, this was a mixed read.