The Year-God's Daughter

The Year-God's Daughter by Rebecca Lochlann

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was an awesome read that I actually wanted to stretch to more than 4 stars but not quite 5. Set in ancient Greece, taking place mostly on the isle of Crete, we are drawn into this world as if we were there. Here, they worship the goddess Athene and is a matriarchal society. Every year a bull king is chosen and at the end of that year his blood sacrifice causes their prosperity to continue.

Aridela is the second daughter. She is high spirited and wishes to be queen. But as teh second daughter she is destined to be closeted in the mountains and traned as a priestess. She doesn't want to wither away within the mountains. Her sister, Iphiboe, is destined to be queen but she doesn't want to. She would rathe take Aridela's place within the mountain and spend her time in prayer. She is fearful and everyone knows she will not make a strong queen.

Menoetius, using the alias Carmanor, saves Aridela when she is a child when she collapses from injuries sustained in the bull ring. She loves him then but it is many years before their paths cross again. When she is a woman, Menotius and his brother Chrysaleon come back to Kaphtor. Chrysaleon falls in love with Aridela and enters the tournament to become bull king. In his lust for Aridella not believing he will spend his time with Iphiboe. Not to mention failing to mention his current wife. As a foreign prince from Mycenae, he belives this union will let them conquer Crete and change their ways.

Set amidst gods and goddesses, symbolism and dreams, this tale of ancient Greece is one that is hard to stop reading. Love triangles and passions enhance this story as well as the violence that this time was known for. I love the flow of the story, it changes perspective between the main characters but is in no way distracting. I would recommend this read to anyone that loves tales of ancient Greece. Loved it!



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