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Keymaker #1
Keymaker's Daughter
The Gods of ancient Greece are among us. Hades, the king of the underworld hatches a heinous plan to crown himself the Supreme God—The God of Gods—He will kill billions of humans, packing his kingdom with their souls.
Aurora Port is just an ordinary human, or so she thinks. Her life is flipped upside down when her estranged father, and owner of a large conglomerate disappears, feared kidnapped.
A stunning adventure awaits. She has eight days to decipher her father’s messages, find a mystical key and stop Hades from destroying mankind.
Aurora, with the help of Zeus, Hercules, and Iris must race against time to save the world and its inhabitants. Can she succeed? Is she ready for the secret her father kept from her?
You will not be able to put down this thrilling, modern day, fantasy story intertwined with Greek mythology, suspense, and fast paced action.
Aurora Port is just an ordinary human, or so she thinks. Her life is flipped upside down when her estranged father, and owner of a large conglomerate disappears, feared kidnapped.
A stunning adventure awaits. She has eight days to decipher her father’s messages, find a mystical key and stop Hades from destroying mankind.
Aurora, with the help of Zeus, Hercules, and Iris must race against time to save the world and its inhabitants. Can she succeed? Is she ready for the secret her father kept from her?
You will not be able to put down this thrilling, modern day, fantasy story intertwined with Greek mythology, suspense, and fast paced action.
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2020
7 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 10, 2022
Aurora Port leads a relatively normal life, though she is estranged from her father. When she receives a visit from an old friend informing her that her father is missing, she finds herself trapped in the middle of impending doom. She learns that there’s more truth to the mythology surrounding the Greek pantheon than most people realize, and that someone is attempting to release the Titans to destroy humanity. Can Aurora keep humanity safe? And can she decipher the secrets her father kept from her?
This was an interesting work of magical realism and a fresh retelling of Greek mythology. The plot was enjoyable and created many opportunities for twists that took me by surprise. The author did an amazing job at including modern interpretations of the gods’ personalities. For example, one of them was portrayed as a washed-up rockstar while another was an online dating guru. Details like this created a unique and modern take on the Greek gods that was refreshing and fun.
The book would have been more enjoyable if the romance had not been included. There was no chemistry between the two characters, and it was yet again another instant-love romance. It felt like between the turn of a page the male love interest went from being annoyed by her to telling himself he was in love. This detracted from the book for me, and their romance didn’t add to the story.
I listened to the audiobook version of this work. The narrator did an excellent job overall with the production My one complaint related to the narration was that one of the character’s had a southern accent and it was a little painful to listen to, but otherwise I enjoyed the narrator.
This was a fun and easy read. I recommend this work to readers interested in modern retellings of Greek mythology, urban fantasy, and romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This was an interesting work of magical realism and a fresh retelling of Greek mythology. The plot was enjoyable and created many opportunities for twists that took me by surprise. The author did an amazing job at including modern interpretations of the gods’ personalities. For example, one of them was portrayed as a washed-up rockstar while another was an online dating guru. Details like this created a unique and modern take on the Greek gods that was refreshing and fun.
The book would have been more enjoyable if the romance had not been included. There was no chemistry between the two characters, and it was yet again another instant-love romance. It felt like between the turn of a page the male love interest went from being annoyed by her to telling himself he was in love. This detracted from the book for me, and their romance didn’t add to the story.
I listened to the audiobook version of this work. The narrator did an excellent job overall with the production My one complaint related to the narration was that one of the character’s had a southern accent and it was a little painful to listen to, but otherwise I enjoyed the narrator.
This was a fun and easy read. I recommend this work to readers interested in modern retellings of Greek mythology, urban fantasy, and romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
May 23, 2022
I loved this fantasy book, which is about the Gods of ancient Greece helping humanity. Aurora's father disappears, and she has to help in his company in his absence. Many people swarm around her, some protecting her, and some trying to harm her. We are taken on a marvellous adventure, which is really amazing. Aurora has 8 days to work out the messages from her father, to stop mankind being destroyed.
I loved the narrator of the story, who really did a great job in bringing the magic alive, and helping the story to stay fast paced and interesting throughout.
This is one of my favourite books of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommend it!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the narrator of the story, who really did a great job in bringing the magic alive, and helping the story to stay fast paced and interesting throughout.
This is one of my favourite books of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommend it!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 24, 2020
A rare alignment of five planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury will occur in nine days which will enable Hades and his allies to release the Titans so the old gods can make a dramatic comeback. Only one person can stop them, a young girl named Aurora Port who has no idea who and what she is or even who she can trust.
Several years ago, her father, Portus, the keymaker appeared to hate her after the death of her mother and drove Aurora away and in order to protect her he had a spell placed on her that hid any abilities she might have. Now Portus has been murdered and Aurora is the only one that can stop the release of the Titans if she has inherited her father’s abilities. She must learn what her powers are and how to wield them while avoiding those who will stop at nothing to stop her. There are few she can trust and those that she does trust may not be what they seem.
This is an exciting new book in a new urban fantasy series based on the Greek gods of old. The story was a different take on many of the deities that we know from legend; the characters are well drawn and the story moves quickly. While there is a sense of urgency there is no tension, but the reader is still swept up into the story. I look forward to reading more in this series.
4/5 STARS: I received a free digital ARC received from the author, Anya Stassly in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. I sincerely the for giving me this opportunity.**
Several years ago, her father, Portus, the keymaker appeared to hate her after the death of her mother and drove Aurora away and in order to protect her he had a spell placed on her that hid any abilities she might have. Now Portus has been murdered and Aurora is the only one that can stop the release of the Titans if she has inherited her father’s abilities. She must learn what her powers are and how to wield them while avoiding those who will stop at nothing to stop her. There are few she can trust and those that she does trust may not be what they seem.
This is an exciting new book in a new urban fantasy series based on the Greek gods of old. The story was a different take on many of the deities that we know from legend; the characters are well drawn and the story moves quickly. While there is a sense of urgency there is no tension, but the reader is still swept up into the story. I look forward to reading more in this series.
4/5 STARS: I received a free digital ARC received from the author, Anya Stassly in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. I sincerely the for giving me this opportunity.**
April 8, 2022
This is a difficult review to write. I wanted to love this book so much, I’m a Greek mythology fan. There were parts that were surprising, there was character who betrayed them that I didn’t see until it was revealed. The plot had really good potential, the Titans are going to be released and end the world. Greek gods live among us with diminished powers. A young woman discovers she is a Demi-god and has to work with the other gods to save humanity. Add to that a love affair with Hercules. Sounds great right?
Unfortunately, the story fell a little flat for me. It felt rushed, there was no chemistry between the two main characters, and they fell in love in what seemed like a minute. The book is under 300 pages (according to my audio book) and I feel if it was actually longer, with time to develop the characters more, add some tension between the two lovers it would’ve been a slam dunk. So, 3 stars ⭐️ for me.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Keymaker’sDaughter for a copy of this book for an honest review.
Unfortunately, the story fell a little flat for me. It felt rushed, there was no chemistry between the two main characters, and they fell in love in what seemed like a minute. The book is under 300 pages (according to my audio book) and I feel if it was actually longer, with time to develop the characters more, add some tension between the two lovers it would’ve been a slam dunk. So, 3 stars ⭐️ for me.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Keymaker’sDaughter for a copy of this book for an honest review.
April 23, 2022
The events in “Keymaker’s Daughter” take place during a rare alignment of five planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury). For the casual observer, this is just a once-in-a-lifetime event that will take place in nine days, but for the Greek Gods, this means that Hades will have the possibility to release the Titans and wreak havoc on Earth and Olympus. In order to avoid this tragedy, the Keymaker needs to be convinced to avoid this tragedy, but when he goes missing, the Gods turn to his daughter, Aurora.
Having listened to the story in audio format, I can say that it was well narrated and the constant changing of voices between the characters was a real advantage. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the story, which seems pieced together from multiple tropes / memorable moments from other book series.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology and fantastic stories, it’s worth putting it on your TBR list, but if you’re looking for an original story, there might be some hope in the next volume of the series.
Special thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #KeymakersDaughter #NetGalley
Having listened to the story in audio format, I can say that it was well narrated and the constant changing of voices between the characters was a real advantage. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the story, which seems pieced together from multiple tropes / memorable moments from other book series.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology and fantastic stories, it’s worth putting it on your TBR list, but if you’re looking for an original story, there might be some hope in the next volume of the series.
Special thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, Recorded Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #KeymakersDaughter #NetGalley
December 15, 2020
If you love mythology, then this updated version of the gods of Olympus is for you. Their names have changed, they have integrated into the world of man, at least most have. There are those that wish to send us back into a world where a man needed the gods to protect them.
I thoroughly enjoyed Keymakers Daughter by Anya Stassiy. She creates a modern world, our world, but with bigger than life characters, Gods, that walk amongst us without our knowledge. We meet Aurora, Whose estranged father has disappeared. She is reluctant to come back and fill his shoes until he is found. Unbeknownst to her, he is the god of locks, keys, and secrets. One secret, in particular, could set the Titans of old loose on the world, and they have been locked up for a long time. They are not happy.
Follow Aurora as she realizes she is more than a simple mortal. As she meets other gods and tries to navigate the slippery slope of godly politics, desires, betrayals, and secrets. See old gods in a new light and see them grow and change. For even they know there is a higher power that guides them but leaves the choice to follow a given path, to those that walk it.
A great read that keeps you guessing the whole time and would look good on any fantasy or Urban Fantasy lovers bookshelf.
I thoroughly enjoyed Keymakers Daughter by Anya Stassiy. She creates a modern world, our world, but with bigger than life characters, Gods, that walk amongst us without our knowledge. We meet Aurora, Whose estranged father has disappeared. She is reluctant to come back and fill his shoes until he is found. Unbeknownst to her, he is the god of locks, keys, and secrets. One secret, in particular, could set the Titans of old loose on the world, and they have been locked up for a long time. They are not happy.
Follow Aurora as she realizes she is more than a simple mortal. As she meets other gods and tries to navigate the slippery slope of godly politics, desires, betrayals, and secrets. See old gods in a new light and see them grow and change. For even they know there is a higher power that guides them but leaves the choice to follow a given path, to those that walk it.
A great read that keeps you guessing the whole time and would look good on any fantasy or Urban Fantasy lovers bookshelf.
May 30, 2021
Aurora thought she was a normal human girl but she isn’t. She’s a demigod and she is about to be thrust into a war to save humanity from Hades’ clutches. Hades wants to rule over the humans, by killing them all and bringing them to the underworld. Aurora thinks the world is nothing special until she finds out that the gods are real and she is the one destined to save everyone. Aurora’s father has left her clues to a magical key that can stop Hades but she is running out of time. She teams up with Zeus, Hercules and Iris to save the world. As a childhood fan of Percy Jackson, I will always pick up books with Greek mythology entwined into the plot. The start was a little slow but once we got to the action it was a fun read. There’s a touch of romance and heartbreak and would be a great YA for high schoolers who liked Percy Jackson growing up.
August 16, 2022
Absolutely loved this book.
A totally modern take on the Greek gods that is totally believable.
Great story line and the main character is likable in every way.
I did find that some of the dialogue at the beginning didn't really seem to flow but it did get better.
I'm just about to start the second book and am really looking forward to it.
A totally modern take on the Greek gods that is totally believable.
Great story line and the main character is likable in every way.
I did find that some of the dialogue at the beginning didn't really seem to flow but it did get better.
I'm just about to start the second book and am really looking forward to it.
May 22, 2022
Aurora has always thought her dad didn't care about her after dismissing her when her mother died. However with her father missing she has to return home to take care of their company and can't help wondering if there is something more. When her father secretly reaches out to her she gets there in time for his death where he passes a strange ball of light to her, searing something into her hand. Upon waking she discovers everything she has known has been a lie, her father was a god called the keymaker, and as his daughter she is a goddess and all those that surround her are the ancient gods of legend. She doesn't have long to adjust before.being dragged into a power struggle where Hades is believed to be planning to release the Titans from Tartarus. Will she figure out who to trust and gain control of her powers in time to stop the old gods' release or will the world end as she knows it?
I really enjoyed this book. It was filled with action and lots of twists and turns. It included lots of mythology of the ancient Greek gods but added some bits here and there to include Aurora and fit the characters and situation to the plot a little better. It was interesting to see the author's modern take on the gods of old. They seem to have a wisdom, not the typical over the top type gods that are self centered and destructive.
One dislike was the slow start but the pace definitely builds. Additionally I kinda feel like the main character misses the signs and figures out the obvious just a little too late. However without her being clued in a little quicker, of course this is a personal preference others may feel differently. I guess readers will have to make their own judgments on this one. There is a love interest in the book. However it felt forced with no real chemistry between the characters. Finally I felt like the transitions between scenes could have been handled better; it just didn't feel smooth and natural, more like jumpy and forced.
Natalie Bamford does an excellent job at narration. A bit slow at times but her pace is fairly consistent. I find her choice of accents and tones for the various character to be interesting and entertaining. You definitely won't get confused not knowing which character is talking. Overall she has done an excellent job bringing the story to life through spoken word.
I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Overall it's an excellent story. However given the slow start and the issues I had with the main characters blissful ignorance along with unnatural transitions I just couldn't justify higher. It took a while to get through and not because it's a long book I just lost interest. To be honest if the book had a been a bit longer to create a better flow it would have been excellent since the plot is incredible.
I would recommend this book for lovers of fantasy that enjoy action and a little romance. For those that enjoy stories that include gods and goddesses then this will be a perfect read.
I really enjoyed this book. It was filled with action and lots of twists and turns. It included lots of mythology of the ancient Greek gods but added some bits here and there to include Aurora and fit the characters and situation to the plot a little better. It was interesting to see the author's modern take on the gods of old. They seem to have a wisdom, not the typical over the top type gods that are self centered and destructive.
One dislike was the slow start but the pace definitely builds. Additionally I kinda feel like the main character misses the signs and figures out the obvious just a little too late. However without her being clued in a little quicker, of course this is a personal preference others may feel differently. I guess readers will have to make their own judgments on this one. There is a love interest in the book. However it felt forced with no real chemistry between the characters. Finally I felt like the transitions between scenes could have been handled better; it just didn't feel smooth and natural, more like jumpy and forced.
Natalie Bamford does an excellent job at narration. A bit slow at times but her pace is fairly consistent. I find her choice of accents and tones for the various character to be interesting and entertaining. You definitely won't get confused not knowing which character is talking. Overall she has done an excellent job bringing the story to life through spoken word.
I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Overall it's an excellent story. However given the slow start and the issues I had with the main characters blissful ignorance along with unnatural transitions I just couldn't justify higher. It took a while to get through and not because it's a long book I just lost interest. To be honest if the book had a been a bit longer to create a better flow it would have been excellent since the plot is incredible.
I would recommend this book for lovers of fantasy that enjoy action and a little romance. For those that enjoy stories that include gods and goddesses then this will be a perfect read.
March 20, 2022
Overall this book was okay, I most likely won’t continue with the rest of the series. I had some issues with the way the characters are because I didn’t feel attached to any of them, it more of an annoyance when they were over dramatized. When Iris died I wasn’t sad it just kind of happened. I think things moved a bit too quickly for the way the story progresses/attraction between main characters. When Aurora and Iraklis finally got together at Poseidon’s it was very out of the blue and very rushed, it felt kind of strange because there wasn’t much emotion and attachment from my end. I would’ve liked more things to be up to interpretation, meaning everything was said and told. Essentially “less is more “ in this case could’ve been more beneficial. This is just getting picky on my part and I’m sure others don’t care as much but I didn’t understand why some of the words/sentence were fully written out while some of the words are contractions (couldn’t/wouldn’t/shouldn’t). Whenever I came across that I paused for a bit because it flip flops.
After learning from Iraklis pov who the traitor is (Poseidon) I would’ve liked Aurora to be kept in the dark a little more. It was suspicious how fast she assumed Poseidon might be helping Enzo even though their was no signs previously for her to know. That part could’ve been drawn out a little more before getting the idea from others (Charon).
What I enjoyed:
I liked Zeus’s character, it’s a lot different than most versions are of him given in mythology he sleeps with everyone and has no disregard for humans/mortals lives. In this case it seems he’s put the sleeping around behind him and instead gave his powers to Iraklis because it’s time a new hero helps the mortals. Zeus mentions it’s the gods and goddesses that need humans, he recognizes his own faults as well as the higher beings in general. I also like the whole mythology aspect of the book. The author did a good job of explaining whose who with her own twist.
-I thought the scene when Iraklis was in the Underworld was nice, I liked how he got closure seeing his wife and two sons happy, it was a nice touch. I got more out of the relationship between these two than Iraklis and Aurora.
-it makes so much sense but I didn’t see Hades becoming one of the bad guys, good twist.
I’d say the last 80% of the book is when it got a lot better.
ARC provided by Netgalley
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2022
*contains spoiler’s*
Overall this book was okay, I most likely won’t continue with the rest of the series. I had some issues with the way the characters are because I didn’t feel attached to any of them, it more of an annoyance when they were over dramatized. When Iris died I wasn’t sad it just kind of happened. I think things moved a bit too quickly for the way the story progresses/attraction between main characters. When Aurora and Iraklis finally got together at Poseidon’s it was very out of the blue and very rushed, it felt kind of strange because there wasn’t much emotion and attachment from my end. I would’ve liked more things to be up to interpretation, meaning everything was said and told. Essentially “less is more “ in this case could’ve been more beneficial. This is just getting picky on my part and I’m sure others don’t care as much but I didn’t understand why some of the words/sentence were fully written out while some of the words are contractions (couldn’t/wouldn’t/shouldn’t). Whenever I came across that I paused for a bit because it flip flops.
After learning from Iraklis pov who the traitor is (Poseidon) I would’ve liked Aurora to be kept in the dark a little more. It was suspicious how fast she assumed Poseidon might be helping Enzo even though their was no signs previously for her to know. That part could’ve been drawn out a little more before getting the idea from others (Charon).
What I enjoyed:
I liked Zeus’s character, it’s a lot different than most versions are of him given in mythology he sleeps with everyone and has no disregard for humans/mortals lives. In this case it seems he’s put the sleeping around behind him and instead gave his powers to Iraklis because it’s time a new hero helps the mortals. Zeus mentions it’s the gods and goddesses that need humans, he recognizes his own faults as well as the higher beings in general. I also like the whole mythology aspect of the book. The author did a good job of explaining whose who with her own twist.
-I thought the scene when Iraklis was in the Underworld was nice, I liked how he got closure seeing his wife and two sons happy, it was a nice touch. I got more out of the relationship between these two than Iraklis and Aurora.
-it makes so much sense but I didn’t see Hades becoming one of the bad guys, good twist.
I’d say the last 80% of the book is when it got a lot better.
Overall this book was okay, I most likely won’t continue with the rest of the series. I had some issues with the way the characters are because I didn’t feel attached to any of them, it more of an annoyance when they were over dramatized. When Iris died I wasn’t sad it just kind of happened. I think things moved a bit too quickly for the way the story progresses/attraction between main characters. When Aurora and Iraklis finally got together at Poseidon’s it was very out of the blue and very rushed, it felt kind of strange because there wasn’t much emotion and attachment from my end. I would’ve liked more things to be up to interpretation, meaning everything was said and told. Essentially “less is more “ in this case could’ve been more beneficial. This is just getting picky on my part and I’m sure others don’t care as much but I didn’t understand why some of the words/sentence were fully written out while some of the words are contractions (couldn’t/wouldn’t/shouldn’t). Whenever I came across that I paused for a bit because it flip flops.
After learning from Iraklis pov who the traitor is (Poseidon) I would’ve liked Aurora to be kept in the dark a little more. It was suspicious how fast she assumed Poseidon might be helping Enzo even though their was no signs previously for her to know. That part could’ve been drawn out a little more before getting the idea from others (Charon).
What I enjoyed:
I liked Zeus’s character, it’s a lot different than most versions are of him given in mythology he sleeps with everyone and has no disregard for humans/mortals lives. In this case it seems he’s put the sleeping around behind him and instead gave his powers to Iraklis because it’s time a new hero helps the mortals. Zeus mentions it’s the gods and goddesses that need humans, he recognizes his own faults as well as the higher beings in general. I also like the whole mythology aspect of the book. The author did a good job of explaining whose who with her own twist.
-I thought the scene when Iraklis was in the Underworld was nice, I liked how he got closure seeing his wife and two sons happy, it was a nice touch. I got more out of the relationship between these two than Iraklis and Aurora.
-it makes so much sense but I didn’t see Hades becoming one of the bad guys, good twist.
I’d say the last 80% of the book is when it got a lot better.
April 18, 2022
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Aurora Port is (she thinks) a regular girl, trying to figure her life out. She became estranged from her wealthy father after her mother's death and no longer is sure what her future holds. As the book enfolds, we discover that not only is Aurora not a regular girl, but she's a demi-god and not all is well on Olympus. The gods are no longer worshipped, trying to figure out their way in the world - and at least one god isn't sure they want things to stay that way.
I really enjoyed the twists and the turns of this book - we got adventure, we got jet-setting, we got Greek mythology, we got a (slightly predicated and somewhat forced) romance. I liked that as a reader I felt like the author did a good job of keeping me wondering what would happen next and who was really behind it all. The relationship between Aurora and her father felt really genuine and was one of my favorite threads throughout the book.
The romance, at least in the audiobook, felt a little forced to me. I think that it would have felt more natural perhaps if I were reading it as a book, but I felt like oh sure of course they're getting together and have a secret connection built on...being near each other I guess. Again, it made sense, but I don't know if I bought the actual relationship. There was a lot of the characters professing a deep interest in each other, but it felt a lot more tell than show.
It sounds like this might be a series which I'm pretty excited about - I thought the author did a good job of adapting Greek mythology to modern day and putting a fresh twist on stories we're super familiar with.
It took me a little while to warm up to the audiobook narrator - at first I had some trouble keeping track of which POV we were in. I feel like her voices got more distinct as the book went on, and I also became more invested in the story which I think helped. Also, Aurora comes off fairly whiny - which is fair, she has a lot going on - but in audio form it definitely comes across more than I think it would have if I were reading. Reminded me so much of Bella from Twilight.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I really enjoyed the twists and the turns of this book - we got adventure, we got jet-setting, we got Greek mythology, we got a (slightly predicated and somewhat forced) romance. I liked that as a reader I felt like the author did a good job of keeping me wondering what would happen next and who was really behind it all. The relationship between Aurora and her father felt really genuine and was one of my favorite threads throughout the book.
The romance, at least in the audiobook, felt a little forced to me. I think that it would have felt more natural perhaps if I were reading it as a book, but I felt like oh sure of course they're getting together and have a secret connection built on...being near each other I guess. Again, it made sense, but I don't know if I bought the actual relationship. There was a lot of the characters professing a deep interest in each other, but it felt a lot more tell than show.
It sounds like this might be a series which I'm pretty excited about - I thought the author did a good job of adapting Greek mythology to modern day and putting a fresh twist on stories we're super familiar with.
It took me a little while to warm up to the audiobook narrator - at first I had some trouble keeping track of which POV we were in. I feel like her voices got more distinct as the book went on, and I also became more invested in the story which I think helped. Also, Aurora comes off fairly whiny - which is fair, she has a lot going on - but in audio form it definitely comes across more than I think it would have if I were reading. Reminded me so much of Bella from Twilight.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
March 23, 2022
Anya Stassiy’s book, Keymaker’s Daughter, brings a tale of a less popular god to the forefront. The book is about the Greek God of Keys, Portus’ daughter Aurora, as she is involved in messy godly world affairs without knowing her role in it.
The Greek myths’ retellings have always shown the Gods to be uncaring towards humans and their lives beyond their worships and fear. Keymaker’s daughter shifts the world to the modern-day, where maximum gods are living amongst the humans, giving them free will.
The book was told from Aurora and Iraklis’ perspectives. The story was adventurous and had many plot points that were surprising for me and I have read quite a few mythological retellings. Everything has been so skillfully modernized that the visualization of the book is very easy.
There was also much misdirection for the readers, all done concerning the storytelling. This book focuses on the greed and deceptive nature of beings, Gods included. It also focused on the sacrifices made by some friends and the support they continued to give even after departing the physical world.
The book was a slow-burn romance in the modern world. The author made the relationship development a very natural flow of events. Aurora and Iraklis’ tale was a romance by chance book and it was beautiful.
They behaved like adults and were not suddenly taken in by situations of miscommunication. I loved it for this. The book is going to be part of a series bringing more Greek mythology-inspired modern tales and I’ll be on the lookout for them. Happy Reading!
The Greek myths’ retellings have always shown the Gods to be uncaring towards humans and their lives beyond their worships and fear. Keymaker’s daughter shifts the world to the modern-day, where maximum gods are living amongst the humans, giving them free will.
The book was told from Aurora and Iraklis’ perspectives. The story was adventurous and had many plot points that were surprising for me and I have read quite a few mythological retellings. Everything has been so skillfully modernized that the visualization of the book is very easy.
There was also much misdirection for the readers, all done concerning the storytelling. This book focuses on the greed and deceptive nature of beings, Gods included. It also focused on the sacrifices made by some friends and the support they continued to give even after departing the physical world.
The book was a slow-burn romance in the modern world. The author made the relationship development a very natural flow of events. Aurora and Iraklis’ tale was a romance by chance book and it was beautiful.
They behaved like adults and were not suddenly taken in by situations of miscommunication. I loved it for this. The book is going to be part of a series bringing more Greek mythology-inspired modern tales and I’ll be on the lookout for them. Happy Reading!
April 14, 2022
Mysterious, intriguing, Greek mythology, close proximity romance.
This was a fun Greek mythology retelling. The story starts with Aurora finding out she’s infact a demigod and her father who’s now missing has hired non-other than Hercules to protect her from an unknown enemy wanting to free the Titans. I’m a super big fan of Greek Mythology, loved Xena as a child and I really enjoyed seeing how all the gods and creatures fit into modern society. Once the story got going it didn’t stop with interesting twists and turns. I also thought Aurora’s reactions and thought process was quite understandable as she tried to cope with all the things sent her way. I loved Hercules in this, though his story was heartbreaking his journey was just as interesting as Aurora’s.
Unfortunately with these types of high stakes short timeframe impending doom stories the romance aspect is condensed and forced to progress quickly. I think there needed to be a bit more groundwork laid between Aurora and Hercules at the beginning to bridge the gap in their affection. With that being said I still absolutely loved this book and I’m super excited for the next one.
Also, shout out to Natalie Bamford who did a fantastic job narrating a dual POV. She was able to create unique voices for the very large cast of characters. I wish there could have been 2 separate narrators because of the split POV but Bamford did a great job nonetheless.
Special thank you to #NetGalley, #AnyaStassiy and #HighpointPublishing for sharing this digital copy for my honest thoughts on #KeymakersDaughter
Also, a thank you to narrator #NatalieBamford
This was a fun Greek mythology retelling. The story starts with Aurora finding out she’s infact a demigod and her father who’s now missing has hired non-other than Hercules to protect her from an unknown enemy wanting to free the Titans. I’m a super big fan of Greek Mythology, loved Xena as a child and I really enjoyed seeing how all the gods and creatures fit into modern society. Once the story got going it didn’t stop with interesting twists and turns. I also thought Aurora’s reactions and thought process was quite understandable as she tried to cope with all the things sent her way. I loved Hercules in this, though his story was heartbreaking his journey was just as interesting as Aurora’s.
Unfortunately with these types of high stakes short timeframe impending doom stories the romance aspect is condensed and forced to progress quickly. I think there needed to be a bit more groundwork laid between Aurora and Hercules at the beginning to bridge the gap in their affection. With that being said I still absolutely loved this book and I’m super excited for the next one.
Also, shout out to Natalie Bamford who did a fantastic job narrating a dual POV. She was able to create unique voices for the very large cast of characters. I wish there could have been 2 separate narrators because of the split POV but Bamford did a great job nonetheless.
Special thank you to #NetGalley, #AnyaStassiy and #HighpointPublishing for sharing this digital copy for my honest thoughts on #KeymakersDaughter
Also, a thank you to narrator #NatalieBamford
April 16, 2022
I really wanted to love this because mythology but I just couldn’t find myself getting into this.
I did enjoy the modern twist on mythology and the modern personas given to the gods. I also found a few twists quite surprising and didn’t see everything coming, however I found my attention wandering and was seriously debating DNFing at 50%. This was apparently 215 pages, but it felt so much longer than that.
At the same time, the book felt rushed and there was a definite case of insta-love going on with the 2 main characters. Honestly, I didn’t see the chemistry between them and had little to no interest in the romance. I also found it quite hard to connect with Aurora and ultimately found myself unable to be invested in what was going on for the most part.
The premise really was brilliant and I was so excited for it but I just think it wasn’t executed in the best way and it ultimately fell flat for me.
In audiobook terms, I found the audio quality to be not the best. There was a tinny quality to it compared to other audiobooks I’ve listened to recently, and I thought I heard some strange sound in the background at one point. The narrator was pretty good, I just wasn’t a fan of some of the accents.
I did enjoy the modern twist on mythology and the modern personas given to the gods. I also found a few twists quite surprising and didn’t see everything coming, however I found my attention wandering and was seriously debating DNFing at 50%. This was apparently 215 pages, but it felt so much longer than that.
At the same time, the book felt rushed and there was a definite case of insta-love going on with the 2 main characters. Honestly, I didn’t see the chemistry between them and had little to no interest in the romance. I also found it quite hard to connect with Aurora and ultimately found myself unable to be invested in what was going on for the most part.
The premise really was brilliant and I was so excited for it but I just think it wasn’t executed in the best way and it ultimately fell flat for me.
In audiobook terms, I found the audio quality to be not the best. There was a tinny quality to it compared to other audiobooks I’ve listened to recently, and I thought I heard some strange sound in the background at one point. The narrator was pretty good, I just wasn’t a fan of some of the accents.
April 12, 2022
Well...
A few pages in we are literally told that Aurora isn't like other girls (yes, using those words), because she
a. doesn't wear makeup
b. is good at and likes math
and c. doesn't have a boyfriend.
Right off the bat you can tell that this book is full of casual, internalized misogyny. Not a great first impression. Another thing that apparently makes Aurora different from other women is that she actually eats when she's hungry. What a novel concept! I never thought of that one myself...
So yeah, her personality is that of a whiny, pick-me and not much else. The whole good at math thing is relevant for like one chapter, so, the only part of her character that had the potential to make her interesting was abandoned before being relevant.
Without Aurora and Iraklis (also very whiny which gets old very quickly), the plot was actually pretty interesting (or at least had the potential to be), though very predictable. You can easily guess what the key is before the 15% mark, so, there's a lot of filler. This book could easily have been reduced into a novella is all the pointless stuff was cut out.
A few pages in we are literally told that Aurora isn't like other girls (yes, using those words), because she
a. doesn't wear makeup
b. is good at and likes math
and c. doesn't have a boyfriend.
Right off the bat you can tell that this book is full of casual, internalized misogyny. Not a great first impression. Another thing that apparently makes Aurora different from other women is that she actually eats when she's hungry. What a novel concept! I never thought of that one myself...
So yeah, her personality is that of a whiny, pick-me and not much else. The whole good at math thing is relevant for like one chapter, so, the only part of her character that had the potential to make her interesting was abandoned before being relevant.
Without Aurora and Iraklis (also very whiny which gets old very quickly), the plot was actually pretty interesting (or at least had the potential to be), though very predictable. You can easily guess what the key is before the 15% mark, so, there's a lot of filler. This book could easily have been reduced into a novella is all the pointless stuff was cut out.
February 10, 2022
Keymaker's daughter by Anya Stassiy.
The Gods of ancient Greece are among us. Hades, the king of the underworld hatches a heinous plan to crown himself the Supreme God—The God of Gods—He will kill billions of humans, packing his kingdom with their souls.
Aurora Port is just an ordinary human, or so she thinks. Her life is flipped upside down when her estranged father, and owner of a large conglomerate disappears, feared kidnapped.
A stunning adventure awaits. She has eight days to decipher her father’s messages, find a mystical key and stop Hades from destroying mankind.
Aurora, with the help of Zeus, Hercules, and Iris must race against time to save the world and its inhabitants. Can she succeed? Is she ready for the secret her father kept from her?
You will not be able to put down this thrilling, modern day, fantasy story intertwined with Greek mythology, suspense, and fast paced action.
A very good read with good characters. I really liked the story. I'm looking forward to the next book. 4*.
The Gods of ancient Greece are among us. Hades, the king of the underworld hatches a heinous plan to crown himself the Supreme God—The God of Gods—He will kill billions of humans, packing his kingdom with their souls.
Aurora Port is just an ordinary human, or so she thinks. Her life is flipped upside down when her estranged father, and owner of a large conglomerate disappears, feared kidnapped.
A stunning adventure awaits. She has eight days to decipher her father’s messages, find a mystical key and stop Hades from destroying mankind.
Aurora, with the help of Zeus, Hercules, and Iris must race against time to save the world and its inhabitants. Can she succeed? Is she ready for the secret her father kept from her?
You will not be able to put down this thrilling, modern day, fantasy story intertwined with Greek mythology, suspense, and fast paced action.
A very good read with good characters. I really liked the story. I'm looking forward to the next book. 4*.
February 10, 2022
Keymaker's daughter by Anya Stassiy.
The Gods of ancient Greece are among us. Hades, the king of the underworld hatches a heinous plan to crown himself the Supreme God—The God of Gods—He will kill billions of humans, packing his kingdom with their souls.
Aurora Port is just an ordinary human, or so she thinks. Her life is flipped upside down when her estranged father, and owner of a large conglomerate disappears, feared kidnapped.
A stunning adventure awaits. She has eight days to decipher her father’s messages, find a mystical key and stop Hades from destroying mankind.
Aurora, with the help of Zeus, Hercules, and Iris must race against time to save the world and its inhabitants. Can she succeed? Is she ready for the secret her father kept from her?
You will not be able to put down this thrilling, modern day, fantasy story intertwined with Greek mythology, suspense, and fast paced action.
A very good read with good characters. I really liked the story. I'm looking forward to the next book. 4*.
The Gods of ancient Greece are among us. Hades, the king of the underworld hatches a heinous plan to crown himself the Supreme God—The God of Gods—He will kill billions of humans, packing his kingdom with their souls.
Aurora Port is just an ordinary human, or so she thinks. Her life is flipped upside down when her estranged father, and owner of a large conglomerate disappears, feared kidnapped.
A stunning adventure awaits. She has eight days to decipher her father’s messages, find a mystical key and stop Hades from destroying mankind.
Aurora, with the help of Zeus, Hercules, and Iris must race against time to save the world and its inhabitants. Can she succeed? Is she ready for the secret her father kept from her?
You will not be able to put down this thrilling, modern day, fantasy story intertwined with Greek mythology, suspense, and fast paced action.
A very good read with good characters. I really liked the story. I'm looking forward to the next book. 4*.
December 2, 2020
I will always reach for and read books about Greek/Roman mythology any day of the week. This book overall I was very pleased with. The beginning was a little bit dry and flat with characters not really fleshing out gaining depth until close to a quarter of the way in. It was also where a lot of the world building took place. Easy to see why some things felt stiff. After that the book settled into a good pace that was easy to follow making it an easy read. I am looking forward to the next book. The plot was interesting by bringing in elements of the classic myths along with some of the author's original ideas. It felt like a part of the real world but as their own pocket part of the universe. I honestly can't wait for the next one with such a creative spins the author puts on the classics.
I was lucky enough to snag an early copy.of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was lucky enough to snag an early copy.of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2022
Aurora thought she was a normal human girl but she isn’t. She’s a demigod and she is about to be thrust into a war to save humanity from Hades’ clutches. Hades wants to rule over the humans, by killing them all and bringing them to the underworld. Aurora thinks the world is nothing special until she finds out that the gods are real and she is the one destined to save everyone. Aurora’s father has left her clues to a magical key that can stop Hades but she is running out of time. She teams up with Zeus, Hercules and Iris to save the world. As a childhood fan of Percy Jackson, I will always pick up books with Greek mythology entwined into the plot. The start was a little slow but once we got to the action it was a fun read. There’s a touch of romance and heartbreak and would be a great YA for high schoolers who liked Percy Jackson growing up.
March 23, 2022
Anya Stassiy’s book, Keymaker’s Daughter, brings a tale of a less popular god to the forefront. The book is about the Greek God of Keys, Portus’ daughter Aurora, as she is involved in messy godly world affairs without knowing her role in it.
The Greek myths’ retellings have always shown the Gods to be uncaring towards humans and their lives beyond their worships and fear. Keymaker’s daughter shifts the world to the modern-day, where maximum gods are living amongst the humans, giving them free will.
The book was told from Aurora and Iraklis’ perspectives. The story was adventurous and had many plot points that were surprising for me and I have read quite a few mythological retellings. Everything has been so skillfully modernized that the visualization of the book is very easy.
There was also much misdirection for the readers, all done concerning the storytelling. This book focuses on the greed and deceptive nature of beings, Gods included. It also focused on the sacrifices made by some friends and the support they continued to give even after departing the physical world.
The book was a slow-burn romance in the modern world. The author made the relationship development a very natural flow of events. Aurora and Iraklis’ tale was a romance by chance book and it was beautiful.
They behaved like adults and were not suddenly taken in by situations of miscommunication. I loved it for this. The book is going to be part of a series bringing more Greek mythology-inspired modern tales and I’ll be on the lookout for them. Happy Reading!
https://crumpledbookshelf.wordpress.c...
The Greek myths’ retellings have always shown the Gods to be uncaring towards humans and their lives beyond their worships and fear. Keymaker’s daughter shifts the world to the modern-day, where maximum gods are living amongst the humans, giving them free will.
The book was told from Aurora and Iraklis’ perspectives. The story was adventurous and had many plot points that were surprising for me and I have read quite a few mythological retellings. Everything has been so skillfully modernized that the visualization of the book is very easy.
There was also much misdirection for the readers, all done concerning the storytelling. This book focuses on the greed and deceptive nature of beings, Gods included. It also focused on the sacrifices made by some friends and the support they continued to give even after departing the physical world.
The book was a slow-burn romance in the modern world. The author made the relationship development a very natural flow of events. Aurora and Iraklis’ tale was a romance by chance book and it was beautiful.
They behaved like adults and were not suddenly taken in by situations of miscommunication. I loved it for this. The book is going to be part of a series bringing more Greek mythology-inspired modern tales and I’ll be on the lookout for them. Happy Reading!
https://crumpledbookshelf.wordpress.c...
April 20, 2022
I received an audiobook via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What would the Greek gods be like in the modern world? What would happen if the titans were released from their prison?
What I liked:
The Greek gods in modern society. How they’ve matured, how some haven’t, and how they use their powers.
The main character’s growth throughout the novel.
The power struggle and plot.
What I didn’t love:
The main character’s love interest. There was potential but it felt a little forced and conflict was thrown in that was immediately overcome.
The narrator-while very emotive, they spoke very slowly and I had to speed it up to keep my attention.
Overall: I’m looking forward to the sequel. I think there are a lot of great things to build upon. I love the way the Greek mythology is updated for a modern era. I want to see what happens next to Aurora.
What would the Greek gods be like in the modern world? What would happen if the titans were released from their prison?
What I liked:
The Greek gods in modern society. How they’ve matured, how some haven’t, and how they use their powers.
The main character’s growth throughout the novel.
The power struggle and plot.
What I didn’t love:
The main character’s love interest. There was potential but it felt a little forced and conflict was thrown in that was immediately overcome.
The narrator-while very emotive, they spoke very slowly and I had to speed it up to keep my attention.
Overall: I’m looking forward to the sequel. I think there are a lot of great things to build upon. I love the way the Greek mythology is updated for a modern era. I want to see what happens next to Aurora.
May 31, 2022
So the Greek gods and demi gods live amongst us, Pegasus owns planes, Poseidon owns ships and Cupid owns dating apps. Some are reality stars or social media influencers, but all have found a way to inhabit a modern world. Portunus has become a security consultand and someone who locks away deep secrets. And who also locked away the Tritons, which is the premise for this story.
I liked the plot but felt that, considering the rich myths that the author had to work with, the characters were rather thin, as were the descriptions and action sequences. It was a tad 'and with one leap they were free'. They used sending Aurora to sleep at crucial parts of the plot, far too often, even it meant that it enabled a quick leap to the next day or sequence.
This book had an opportunity it missed. So not 5 stars but 4 for the concept and ideas.
I liked the plot but felt that, considering the rich myths that the author had to work with, the characters were rather thin, as were the descriptions and action sequences. It was a tad 'and with one leap they were free'. They used sending Aurora to sleep at crucial parts of the plot, far too often, even it meant that it enabled a quick leap to the next day or sequence.
This book had an opportunity it missed. So not 5 stars but 4 for the concept and ideas.
April 1, 2023
If you enjoy a modern retelling with Greek Mythology, you may enjoy this book. Aurora is a normal human living her life....or so she believes. Aurora finds out that she is a Demigod and God's and Goddesses live among us with diminished powers when her estranged father goes missing. The plot to this story has great potential but I never really connected with the characters. The love story was a bit rushed, one minute they hated each other and next minute they are deeply in love. Overall I did enjoy the book but felt with a little more details and time to know the characters it would have been a "nonstop read".
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
December 4, 2020
This was a fun twist on the Greek Mythology. Not exactly a retelling but using the legends to explain events happening in the present. There were two POV which I thought added more to the story that just all through Aurora's eyes. It was packed full of adventure and a quick read for me. But not only was it an adventure, it had some romance and thriller moments as well, and I loved both. I would have liked a little more backstory on the Keymaker and some of the mythology but that might come in the books to follow. Overall a fun read and I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the next book.
Thank you Anya for the gifted copy!
Thank you Anya for the gifted copy!
April 21, 2022
Greek mythology set in modern days - fantastic idea.
First half of the book is vary entertaining. You want to read/listen because you have to know where the story will go. The intrigue is well thought out, characters are unique and the plot is interesting.
In my opinion, romans is the main thing that destroyed this story for me. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. For a long time you have nothing and suddenly you go from 0 to 1000 on a romance scale. There was no build up and it sucks.
Nevertheless I will continue with the series. I am kind of interested in what happens next and that is a good sign!
First half of the book is vary entertaining. You want to read/listen because you have to know where the story will go. The intrigue is well thought out, characters are unique and the plot is interesting.
In my opinion, romans is the main thing that destroyed this story for me. I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. For a long time you have nothing and suddenly you go from 0 to 1000 on a romance scale. There was no build up and it sucks.
Nevertheless I will continue with the series. I am kind of interested in what happens next and that is a good sign!
March 4, 2022
I liked this book. It is very much Greek mythology meets urban fantasy and I think it is done well. I'm not in to giving a synopsis (the blurb is pretty good), but I do want to say that some of the characters and their traits surprised me and I liked that. I have read quite a few books that try to marry mythology with fantasy and fall short of creating dynamic characters; this book did not fall short. Even the side characters have been fleshed out and present as whole people with interesting quirks.
March 6, 2022
I received this as an ARC.
While the premise of this book is exciting, I found I couldn't finish it. The author drops the reader in the middle of the world assuming they know enough about Greek and Roman mythology. I love mythology but there are so many versions of it, I can never quite remember who had babies with whom, what special powers they had, etc. I think a little more world building would have been beneficial.
The dialog also fell flat for me. It's clear these characters and this story are packed with potential and I hope the author keeps writing!
While the premise of this book is exciting, I found I couldn't finish it. The author drops the reader in the middle of the world assuming they know enough about Greek and Roman mythology. I love mythology but there are so many versions of it, I can never quite remember who had babies with whom, what special powers they had, etc. I think a little more world building would have been beneficial.
The dialog also fell flat for me. It's clear these characters and this story are packed with potential and I hope the author keeps writing!
April 7, 2022
I think it's obvious by now that all it takes is a mention of Hades for me to pick up a book. Granted, this was a lot different than the usual Hades books I usually read, but it was still great!
I didn't really feel any connection with the characters, so it was a bit harder to get into. They were well written, don't get me wrong, I just didn't connect with them. I did enjoy the author's writing style, and I'll absolutely read more by her.
Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't really feel any connection with the characters, so it was a bit harder to get into. They were well written, don't get me wrong, I just didn't connect with them. I did enjoy the author's writing style, and I'll absolutely read more by her.
Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2023
Greek Gods, the modern world, and a seemingly ordinary girl turned kick-ass heroine? Yes please! Stassiy did such an amazing job of bringing the characters in this book to life, and Aurora is someone I'd love to meet irl. I love the way the gods fit into the modern world, not hidden in the shadows but just strolling among humans pretending to be one of them. There are enough twists thrown in to keep you turning pages, wondering what's going to happen next. Highly recommend if you enjoy myth retellings brought to the modern world!
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