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Summary: Beautiful; Lose yourself in fantasy.
Review: Hades' Daughter is a very well written book, and I enjoyed it very much. Yes the characters can be annoying, but I think it portrays my life very well, what with people constantly being angry at one another. Its not like life is a fairy tale and everybody gets along.
It was easy to get lost in the story and imagine yourself there. It helped me escape the real world for a while.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch out!
Review: "Hades' Daughter" is a revision of Greek Mythology. I should have been known when I saw the word 'revision' that I was in trouble. But I bravely went forth and gave this book a try because I love Greek Mythology, especially the Trojan War. The plot is that Ariadne was cast aside by her husband Theseus. She gives birth and then called upon her murdered brother Asterion for help to curse him and all of Greece. A hundred years later, Brutus, a Trojan exile, sacks the city Meopotama, kidnaps spoiled Cornila, and then sets forth to build Troya Nova ( I am not making that up). Both Brutus and Cornila are having dreams of a goddess beckining them o a land far to the north (modern day England). Basicly it is the Book of Exodus from the "Bible" and "The Aneneid" slapped together (indeed, Moses gets an honorable mention here). The idea is a good one, and that carries you much further than it should have. But after awhile it dawns on you that this book is really very smutty. It has every form of dieviant sexual behavior known to man; beasiality, rape, incest, and a few other things I can't mention here. The characters are pretty weak, and the story gets real thin after awhile. Just avoid this book, please.
Rating:
Summary: A bit of a slow start, but I couldn't put down
Review: After reading the other reviews of this book, I found myself initially agreeing with the other reviewers' opinions, but eventually wondered, "Did most of them even read the whole book?" Yes, it starts slow, but it picks up so much momentum that by the last 200 pages, I couldn't put it down. Yes, the writing seems stilted at first, but anyone who has read any classical literature, such as Homer or Virgil, would see the similarities and decide that it was a deliberate move by the author. Yes, the characters all seem quite horrible in the beginning, but at least one of the main characters experiences personal growth and maturation, becoming very honorable and even admirable by the end. The main characters are not unlike the average person, one who sees and takes what he wants, but doesn't understand what he needs until it is too late.Perhaps some of the historical facts were skewed or wrong, but depending on which sources are used, placenames and figures are often cited differently. Beyond that, this is a work of fiction, the author is not a historian, and those incorrect facts will not detract in any way for the ordinary reader (i.e. one who is not a professor of history or reading in search of mistakes rather than enjoyment). For people who enjoy history and science fiction, this is a smooth melding of the two. The snippets of Greek mythology and the story of the Game sent me out in search of more information, the emotion and drama that dominate the latter half of the book kept me glued to my seat and often in tears, and the potential for the series will keep me eagerly awaiting the other books.
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Summary: vast historical fantasy
Review: Approximately in 1000 BC, Athens annually sends tributes to Crete to include sacrifices to Asterion the Minotaur. This year's tribute includes Thesus, the son of the Athenian King, but he plans to beat the Labyrinth's monster. He gains the love of Ariadne, daughter of the Crete monarch and the Mistress of the Labyrinth. She betrays her heritage to abet her lover who defeats Asterion. Later, he deserts his pregnant wife leaving her abandoned on an island to birth a daughter while Thesus takes up with Ariadne's sister. Outraged, a proud Ariadne seeks revenge by destroying the fabric of the Game, the divine magic that holds the world together. One hundred years later, Brutus, former ruler of fallen Troy, seeks a different throne. He seemingly triumphs aided by the Goddess Artemis, a survivor of Ariadne's opening gamut of a century ago. However, Ariadne, calling herself Genvissa, sees Brutus as a useful lackey because the avaricious brute is too cocky to see beyond his own superego. Through him, she sets in motion act two of her Troy Game vengeance. Though at times wordy and one subplot (occurs in 1939) does not tie back to the ancient theme (clarity in future novels?), readers will appreciate the scope and characterization of the opening saga in Sara Douglass' vast historical fantasy. The key two elements to this delightful epic tale are the flawed and contemptible lead characters and the two prime ancient eras vividly alive due to rich texturing interwoven into the plot. Fans will definitely want to read HADES' DAUGHTER and the sequels as Ms. Douglass clearly has game. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: This is even better......
Review: Ever since I picked up the Hardcover of The Wayfarer Redemption in a bargain bin.... I have been in love with Sara's work! Now... having read the entire series, all the way to Crusader, I decided to pick up Hades' Daughter. I will tell you that I wasn't displeased! This book was magnificent! Although set in our world it took me away to a place that was not familiar... well, maybe that was due to when these events were taking place, but none the less I read it ferociously. I feel that Sara has matured in her writing, and the plot was much more complex and exciting than the later work! If you are a fan of Ms. Douglass' work, pick up this book.... you won't be disappointed!
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Summary: Awesome read!
Review: Great book! A little slow at the beginning but dont give up on it! One of her best.
Rating: 
Summary: It's all Greek to me
Review: Greek mythology is full of mythical creatures, gods tormenting great heroes, epic battles, and is generally quite exciting and a lot of fun. The characters, be they mortal or gods, are well known through the telling and re-telling of myths and legends through the millennia since the events were supposed to have happened. Somehow, Sara Douglass manages to strip the personality from the characters and excitement from the oft told tales, leaving the protagonists as cardboard cut outs meandering through a number of seemingly unrelated and uninspiring events. The central character Cornelia is a spoiled brat, and several misfortunes befall her. However, it's hard to feel any sympathy for her because her own arrogance brings much of it on her own head. Her tormentor, and husband Brutus (now there's an original name), is the brooding, silent type, but is also a leader of people trying to rediscover their lost kingdom of Troy. Other characters come from ancient British mythology, and they are involved in incestuous relationships and fiddling with magic, but ultimately further confuse the messy story. As if this were not enough, Douglass also intersperses the story with flash-forwards to London during the Second World War, which shows the characters are still alive 3000 years after the original events. Through it all there are episodes of graphic and gory violence, and unnecessarily brutal sex scenes. It is impossible to connect with any of the characters because they are so fatally flawed, and I actually found myself hoping something horrible would happen to some of them. Unfortunately, it was telegraphed so early in the piece who survives it made such wishes utterly futile. This is a thoroughly disheartening read. It promises so much and delivers so little, taking the lively world of the ancient Greeks and wringing all excitement and vitality from it.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting... but somewhat tedious
Review: Hades Daughter starts out with the short story of Ariadne and Theseus. She betrays her father, her brother, and her entire heritage for the love of this handsome prince. When he tosses her aside for her younger sister, Phaedre (who can bear sons where Ariadne can bear only daughters), Ariadne draw upon her power as Mistress of the Labyrinth and her brother's darkcraft to destroy the game, Theseus, and everything allied with him. This is the basis of the entire series.
A number of years later, we are introduced to the key characters, Brutus, Cornelia, and Genvissa. Every one of these characters is significantly flawed in some way, and rather than add to the character, it makes them more tedious. Brutus is greedy and abusive. He takes his wife in 15 year old Cornelia and brutally rapes her on the night of their "wedding". But it doesn't stop there. The mental abuse and even beatings follow well into her labor, and up to and beyond the birth of thier child. Cornelia is a spoiled and naive young child, but this is to be expected of an adolescent princess. Her stubborness, rather than endearing her to the reader, makes her more annoying. Finally, there is Genvissa, daughter-heir of the line of Ariadne. Genevissa is manipulative and power hungry. During the one point in the book where she speaks of love, it is completely unconvincing.
The story revolves around a love triangle created by the three characters. Brutus is drawn to Cornelia, and insists she become his wife and go with him to create Troia Nova. Genvissa is a witch who casts enchantments to convince Brutus, the homeless King of now broken Troy, to build Troia Nova on the far away shores of Langarlia. Her goal, of course, is to lure Brutus to her side. Cornelia, through this long journey, finds herself falling in love with her husband. Brutus, on the other hand, tires of Cornelia and finds himself now drawn to the enigmatic and powerful Genvissa.
The basic plot of the book is that Genvissa plans to rebuild the Labyrinth with Brutus, a Kingman. Deceptively simple, this book has many twists and turn that guarantee to keep the reader interested and offguard.
Despite the tediousness of it's characters and the brutality (and even bestiality), the book tells a good story. Douglass has a way of capturing the attention of her readers and getting them involved in a story, even if they despise what is being done in said story. I reccomend you read this book, if only to read the second, God's Concubine, which is INFINATELY better than the first.
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Summary: The Fury of a Woman Scorned
Review: Hades' Daughter is the first novel in the Troy Game series. Millennia ago, during the late Bronze Age, the king of Athens was forced to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete every nine years. There they were left in the dark maze of the Labyrinth to become victims of Asterion, the Minotaur son of the Minoan king. One year, the Athenian king sent Theseus, his own son, to Crete among the sacrificial levy. Theseus gained the love of the Minoan king's daughter, Ariadne, slayed Asterion and escaped with the other captives, Ariadne, and her younger sister Phaedra. Now Ariadne was pregnant with a daughter by Theseus and he had become infatuated with Phaedra. So Theseus abandoned Ariadne and his unborn daughter on the island of Naxos, saying that it would be too dangerous for her to sail on and that he would return from Athens after the child was born to take them to his home. When Ariadne objected, Theseus claimed that he was only doing the will of the gods and sailed off with his his paramour to Athens. In her anger, Ariadne plotted vengeance against the entire Aegean world, gods as well as men, and used her powers as Mistress of the Labyrinth to initiate the destruction of all the labyrinths except one. Since these labyrinths had been used to magically trap all manner of evil influences to protect their cities, corruption and destruction soon began to spread throughout the Aegean. After launching her curse, Ariadne sailed away from Naxos to the far distant island of Albion. In the following years, disaster after catastrophe destroyed cities and crops and lives throughout the Aegean as the labyrinths failed. Finally, the Aegean world was wracked by the ten year Trojan War, spreading Trojan refugees throughout the known world. In this novel, 98 years after the fall of Troy, the Trojan Kingman Brutus, son of Silvius and heir of Aeneas, is visited by the seeming of the goddess Artemis and told that he is destined to build Troia Nova on the island of Albion. First, however, he must complete a task to prove his worthiness. Cornelia is a fifteen year old dreamer who has decided on a certain youth as her future husband. When this youth is slain by Brutus and then Brutus takes her in marriage by force of arms, Cornelia screams her hatred and starts to plot against the Trojans. When that plot and other efforts to oppose Brutus fail disastrously, Cornelia blames herself for the lost lives and her spirit is broken. In this story, the Trojans sail to Llangarlia on Albion as victims of a great scheme by the great-great-granddaughter of Ariadne to reconstruct the Game (or labyrinth) of Troy upon the Veiled Hills above the banks of the River Llan. She is the only surviving Mistress of the labyrinth and Brutus is the only surviving Kingman. Together the two can rebuild the Trojan Game and Brutus will sacrifice almost anything to gain that power. Strangely, however, he can't quite sacrifice Cornelia. This story is rich in ancient Greek and British allusions and nuances. The many details of ordinary life in those societies make the tale convincing and immediate. One finds oneself vicariously living among these characters and participating in their lives. The story nicely weaves the myth of the Minotaur with other Greek and British myths. The author tells us why and how the Aegean world self-destructed. Moreover, she tells you the real story of the city of Llanbank on Albion. Just when you thought you knew the truth, this novel comes along to confuse you once more. The story does include some rather explicit sex and sexual cravings. Moreover, the relationship between Brutus and Cornelia has more than a hint of sado-masochism, but may be fairly typical of those brutish times. This relationship is nicely contrasted with such bonds within the matriarchial Llangarlian society. This novel does move somewhat slowly at first. One is almost tempted to look ahead to see how it will come out. Moreover, the author has interspersed scenes from pre-war London prior to the Blitz to further tantalize the reader. Just when the story is beginning to really move, however, it terminates; although it will be continued in God's Concubine, one hates to wait. Recommended for Douglass fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of ancient societies and magic.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I cannot give this book a five because it does get a bit slow some times and you kinda need some basic knologe of greek mythology. Other than that, it was VERY good.
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