The trashy cover and ridiculous title predisposed me to discount this, but the emphasis on character development, and the healthy splashes of almost-realistic history, made me like the book despite myself. There *are* some trashy bits--the sex scenes are by and large romance-novel-y, and sometimes the female characters get locked into the "strong, beautiful, and quietly commanding" niche. Regardless, I find myself excited about reading the third and final novel, which promises to answer the question of who has survived through the centuries--and who will triumph. ( )

As a huge fan of the Wayfarer's Redemption series, I may be rating this unfairly in comparison. But, there was no plotline or character that I liked or could get into. Lots of endless sex and went very quickly from Troy to ancient Britain with all the druid stuff that has been done to death (and better) by other authors. Seemed like endless sex between characters that went body and time hopping in confusing fashion. In some incarnations were villains who did lots of violent or evil stuff; in others were good guys losing out to or getting molested or betrayed by villains that may or not be the reincarnation of their loved ones. I have an inkling what author was going for and friends tell me the series gets better and clearer—but the "to read pile" too large for foreseeable future to give this series a chance to be less confusing or get characters I might get interested in. Might appeal to readers not familiar with author's other works, with a strong interest in historical eras portrayed, or who like the body and time hopping around stuff that left me confused. ( )

I rarely have the pleasure of being so caught up in a book, so entrapped by its characters, that I fail to notice the steadily increasing pile of laundry on the floor, or dust that is accumulating past an inch. But this book did, with its heady blend of Greek and Celtic mythology, its factual references to many customs of the 11th century BCE, and its sprinkling of fantasy - just enough to claim the world as the author's own.

The characters are refreshing. Brutus, a headstrong descendant of Aeneas (founder of Rome), Cornelia, a proud child princess who is only looking for affection, to the darkwitch Genvissa, descendant of Ariadne, the original Priestess of the Labyrinth. I alternated between wanting to smack all of them for misbehaving, and cry during their desperate struggle. Good and evil are often very hard to define here, and all of the characters have their moments, where it is clear that they are only trying to do what is best for their land and their people (though some more at the expense of others). But where Douglass shines at fleshing out her characters, be forewarned that she is also ruthless with them. By mid-book, I knew not to be too firmly attached to any of them. Yet the snippets of happiness thrown in, made me eagerly press on, hoping for that happy ending.

If you are familiar with the myth of Ariadne, Theseus and the minotaur of Crete, you will jump right into the story. Ariadne has already helped Theseus at the expense of her family. Now pregnant and jilted, the book opens with Theseus sailing away with his new lover, and Ariadne seeking revenge by making a pact with Asterion, the minotaur. But this story isn't about Ariadne. It is about the result of her pact, and successive generations of her bloodline and their struggles, as well as those around them, to keep their land from dying. It is also the story of Brutus, determined to found New Troy on the land of once peaceful Mag and Og's domain. It is about his struggle through the Mediterranean and across the waters, and affect everyone and everything he touches, and not necessarily in a good way.

Douglass has done her research well. She throws in details familiar to many ancient historians, from the topless Minoan young women where women rule as honored priestesses, to the matriarchal society of Albion where women ask the goddess for a child and are beholden to no man. Then there are their manly neighbors who ride naked into battle, painted black and blue and cause chaos and destruction in their wake, treating women no better than chattel.

It's clear the story isn't finished with this first installment, and there are three books to go. It's also a story that leaves the reader eagerly wanting to know what happens to the characters, and who will win in the end, and I look forward to the second installment. ( )

With Hades' Daughter, Douglass kicks off her 4-book series "The Troy Game," in which descendants of the ancient Trojans journey to a new, foreign land where, with the assistance of The Game, they begin to build Troia Nova. Along the way, they capture Cornelia, a Greek princess who is brutally forced into marriage with the Trojans' leader Brutus. Brutus ultimately plans to abandon Cornelia for Genvissa, the woman whose mystical powers will ensure that he and she will reign as king and queen.

Unfortunately, none of the main characters are particularly likable, so I didn't find I had much emotional investment in their well-being. Also, "The Game," referred to many, many times, remains even at the end of the book a somewhat confusing and nebulous concept. I do like Sara Douglass, so I'll still finish the series. ( )

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?ID=299 ( )