For millennia, men have told the legend of the woman whose face launched a thousand ships--but now it's time to hear her side of the story. Daughters of Sparta is a tale of secrets, love, and tragedy from the women behind mythology's most devastating war, the infamous Helen and her sister Klytemnestra.
As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivaled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece. But such privilege comes at a cost. While still only girls, the sisters are separated and married to foreign kings of their father's choosing--the powerful Agamemnon, and his brother Menelaos. Yet even as Queens, each is only expected to do two things: birth an heir and embody the meek, demure nature that is expected of women.
But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty, and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, Helen and Klytemnestra must push against the constraints of their society to carve new lives for themselves, and in doing so, make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years.
Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating reimagining of the Siege of Troy, told through the perspectives of two women whose voices have been ignored for far too long.
I’ve read many books, both fiction and nonfiction, about Troy. Especially once the city was found, many books have tried to tie the place to the people. Did the Greek and Trojan heroes really exist? Who knows. But in all those books, I don’t think any have made these two woman come so alive.
Considering that Helen’s thought to be the cause of the war, it seems strange that she’s usually given short shrift. Klytemnestra even more so. Not so here. Following the Greek myths, their stories are given depth, and reasons for doing what they did. The reader may not agree with those reasons, but at least there are reasons.
This book sits on the same shelf as David Gemmell’s Troy trilogy. It would seem to be difficult to bring these ancient legends to life; both authors do a splendid job of it.
Mount TBR 2022 Book Links
Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.
1.
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson2.
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig3.
The Autumn Throne (Eleanor of Aquitaine #3) by Elizabeth Chadwick4.
Grant's Final Victory: Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year by Charles Bracelen Flood5.
Doctor Sleep (The Shining #2) by Stephen King6.
The High House by Jessie Greengrass7.
Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin8.
Nightmare Country by Marlys Millhiser9.
The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde, Diane Oatley (translator)10.
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King11.
The Bear (The Grizzly King: A Romance of the Wild) by James Oliver Curwood12.
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James13.
The Wrong End of Time by John Brunner14.
The Hidden Child by Louise Fein15.
The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel16.
The Virtues of War by Stephen Pressfield17.
Our Oldest Companions: The Story of the First Dogs by Pat Shipman18.
The Man in the Moss by Phil Rickman19.
The Redemption of Wolf 302 by Rick McIntyre20.
John of Gloucester by Wendy Miall21.
Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism by Laura E. Gómez22.
The Cold Calling (The Cold Calling #1) by Phil Rickman23.
The Keep (Adversary Cycle #1) by F. Paul Wilson24.
Pines (Wayward Pines #1) by Blake Crouch25.
The Speed of Souls: A Novel for Dog Lovers by Nick Pirog26.
The Yorkists: The History of a Dynasty by Anne Crawford27.
With Face Aflame by A.E. Walnofer28.
The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks29.
Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton30.
Wardenclyffe (The Secret History of the World) by F. Paul Wilson31.
Goblin by Josh Malerman32.
The Queen Who Never Was by Maureen Peters33.
The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell's 1984 by Dorian Lynskey34.
Richard III’s Books by Anne F. Sutton & Livia Visser-Fuchs35.
Gwendy's Final Task (The Button Box #3) by Stephen King, Richard Chizmar36.
Malorie (Bird Box #2) by Josh Malerman37.
Where We Come From by Oscar Cásares38.
The Unconquered Sun by Ralph Dulin39.
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman40.
The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek41.
The X Factor by Andre Norton42.
The Last Wild Horses (Climate Quartet #3) by Maja Lunde, Diane Oatley (Translator)43.
The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner44.
Double Threat by F. Paul Wilson45.
Wayward (Wayward Pines #2) by Blake Crouch46.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman47.
Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan48.
Mean Spirit (The Cold Calling #2) by Phil Rickman49.
The Killing of Richard the Third (Henry Morane #1) by Robert Farrington50.
The Curious Case of H. P. Lovecraft by Paul Roland 51.
Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood