The dazzling witty bookclub retelling of a new feminist icon for 2026, the most loved goddess and heroine of Mount Olympus and Greek mythology

From the author of Herc, a Waterstones Best Book of the Year

'Particularly skilled in evoking the strangeness and contradictoriness of Greek myths' Sunday Times

'A joyful exploration of one woman's quest for home, power, identity and ultimately, freedom from fate. A genuine pleasure to read!' Clare North, author of Ithaca

From the author of Herc, Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award 2024 and Waterstones Best book of the Year 2023, comes the story of Aphrodite, the goddess of lies. ''A remarkable feat of storytelling'' Rosie Hewlett on Herc *************************************************** I''m a liar, to begin with. Well, if I''m being exceedingly honest with you, I was nothing at all to begin with. Then I was my father''s testicles. Then the weaver of Fate itself, which is when the lying started. After that, it all got a bit complicated. Weaving herself a web of lies and careful deceptions, Aphrodite convinces everyone she''s the goddess of love whose rightful place is among the Olympians. But being a goddess isn''t quite like she thought. Those who oppose Zeus tend to disappear, or worse. And one day, Aphrodite decides she''s had enough... From the award-winning author of Herc, this is the riveting tale of how a nobody became a goddess, and then planned to take down the most powerful god of them all. *************************************************** Praise for Phoenicia Rogerson: ''Wickedly fun and devilishly dark'' Cari Thomas, author of Threadneedle ''Rogerson''s writing is powerful and nuanced, giving a fresh perspective on a classic tale and turning it into something completely unforgettable'' Reader review ''A captivating retelling with a very definite, personal voice, and a sharp, fresh perspective'' Genevieve Cogman, author of Scarlet ''I liked that it was told in a modern tone and from the various perspectives. Made me laugh, made me cry, made me look up various Greek figures - all the best signs of a book'' Reader review ''A rollicking ride through Greek mythology'' Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros ...

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Phoenicia Rogerson

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From the author of Herc, a Waterstones Best Book of the Year

'Particularly skilled in evoking the strangeness and contradictoriness of Greek myths' Sunday Times

'A joyful exploration of one woman's quest for home, power, identity and ultimately, freedom from fate. A genuine pleasure to read!' Clare North, author of Ithaca

'I'm a liar, to begin with.'

I wasn't always a goddess, you see. My only real power was my beauty - you'll have heard. It's legendary. But that was never going to be enough for me.

It took a web of lies to convince the gods of Olympus I was one of them. But I did. I was that good. Zeus gave me a title and riches and loved me. And all he wanted in return was for me to love him back.

But of course, Zeus was a tyrant. (Not entirely surprising when you're ninety per cent insecurities and ten per cent raw power.) I couldn't live at someone's mercy. Really, I had no choice. I had to take on the mightiest Olympian of all. And this bit's not a lie... I intended to win.

A wonderful tale set in Ancient Greece where a being with no power rises to the very top by outwitting other gods all while maintaining a sense of exactly who she is - a goddess who intends to always do it her way.

Perfect for fans of Ferdia Lennon, Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint

Authors and readers ADORE Aphrodite:

'Sparkles with wicked humour and boundless imagination' Kate Heartfield, Sunday Times bestselling author

'Welcome the Real Housewives of Olympus. Stunning, brilliant, witty, so delicious it could only be divine' Reader review

'Wit and verve, contrasting laugh-out-loud humour with moments of surprising tenderness' Luna McNamara, author of Pysche and Eros

'With sharp dialogue and dynamic scenes, it plays like a divine reality show' Woman&Home

'I can't emphasise enough how much I adored this version of Aphrodite - wickedly funny, caustic, fierce, playful and cheeky yet with a soft centre' Reader review

'Aphrodite gives a human voice to the inhuman goddess that you can't help but love' Lizzy Tiffin, author of Bad Girls of Ancient Greece

'If you've ever wondered what Tina Fey retelling your favorite myths would be like, Phoenicia Rogerson has the answer' Ian Doescher, author of the William Shakespeare's Star Wars series

'Greek Mythology has never been so engaging, witty and clever as now!' Reader review