Title: Aphrodite in PiecesAuthor: Lauren J.A. Bear
Pages: 384
Publication Date: April 21, 2026
Publisher: Ace
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy
Synopsis:
Two hundred years before the common era, Aphrodite surprises an itinerant sculptor with a shocking Hear my story, see me for who I truly am, and carve it into stone. Never before has the goddess posed for her likeness, and as the artist works, she shares pieces of herself.
Her greatest triumphs and most grievous mistakes. The truth behind the tales of her beneficence and vengeance. And the one epic romance that slips through her perfect fingers, time and time again.
Part memoir, part fantasy, and all heart, Aphrodite in Pieces begs the eternal, essential what do love and beauty truly mean? And can they last?
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Wow. What a powerful and thought-provoking read! I’m so thankful to Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. I love mythological retellings, but I haven’t read any that focus on Aphrodite, so I was really intrigued by this one. Reading well-known mythological stories from her perspective changed my perspective on her and other characters.
First, I have to comment on the author’s writing style. It’s so beautiful and insightful, and it immediately pulled me into Aphrodite’s story with its elegant prose. I can’t tell you how many poignant lines I highlighted and sat with for a while before continuing with the story. I loved the writing so much that I’m doing another post next week that spotlights all my favorite quotes from the book.
The entire story takes place over one day as Aphrodite tells her life story to a talented artist named Alexandros so that he can create a statue of her that shows who she truly is. Stylistically, this was an interesting premise, and Aphrodite’s conversations with Alexandros changed both of them. I love how they formed this deep bond and affection for each other in such a short time.
Aphrodite has never been a favorite of mine, mainly because she’s often presented as a vain woman. However, her character becomes fully realized in this story, and she is so much more than her beautiful facade. She has many layers, and her struggle for autonomy and independence in a world that never really gave her choice makes her easy to sympathize with.
Being a beautiful woman in a grossly patriarchal world with a cruel and vindictive ruler causes so much suffering, pain, and humiliation for Aphrodite. She faces lies, betrayal, and many horrible situations that are completely out of her control. Though I didn’t always understand why she did certain things, I love how she constantly fought against the forces working against her. I also like how the story explored the various relationships she had, some fleeting, some toxic, and others ever-changing and lovely. There’s so much I didn’t know about this goddess, but this story captured the complex, vulnerable, fiery, determined, and flawed female so exquisitely that I feel like I understand Aphrodite on a much deeper level now.
This was such an engrossing read, and I love the fresh perspective it put on classic Greek myths, relationships, and characters, especially Aphrodite. It’s definitely the kind of story that stays with you long after you finish it, and I loved it so much that I fully intend to go find other books by this author.
“He’s just a man. And you are everything.”
“Honesty is the greatest intimacy,”
Metaphors are for the comparable, and Ares and I were beyond that. Sometimes, even now, my heart is a fist. Other times it is the sun or a bloody star. So, too, can love be many things. A bridge, a weight, a balm. But if love is a song, then Ares is its refrain, the best part, the one I come back to over and over again.
Author of MEDUSA’S SISTERS, MOTHER OF ROME, & APHRODITE IN PIECES (’26)
Reader. Educator. Mama Bear. Trouble maker. Lyrical gangster.
Based in Seattle.
