Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

44 reviews

garnethalo's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

While I wanted to give it a 4.75, I realized I only didn't want to give it 5 because I couldn't place blame. Unlike in Stone Blind, where I could blame Athene or Perseus, I could blame no one in A Thousand Ships. And even then the book tried to place the blame, on Helen, on Paris, Aphrodite, Eris, Thetis, Zeus. But no one can take sole blame. And this books makes you face the sorrow of the women. Without a clear cut villian. It filled it's purpose beautifully and forced the reader to stare at the victims of war, with no one at fault.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Body horror, War, Child death, Cursing, Slavery, Alcohol, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Confinement, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Abortion, Gore, Vomit, Animal death, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Sexual violence

It a story about the women affected by the Trojan war. Both Greeks, Trojans, and women nearby Troy. Greek tragedy even sadder when you consider the women. You have been warned.

emiandem's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Slavery, Child death, Murder, Violence, War, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Blood, Sexual harassment, Body horror, and Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Animal death

angelofthetardis's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

The heroes of the Trojan War are legend... Achillies and Patroclus, Agamemnon, Odysseyus, Priam, Paris, Hector, Ajax... the list goes on. But aren't the women of the Trojan War just as heroic in their own way? Those that survived, only to be forced into slavery? Those that lost their husbands, brothers and sons and had to keep going regardless? This novel explores their stories and brings to life those overshadowed by 'the face that launched a thousand ships'.

First and foremost, the writing of this piece certainly is 'epic', matching the scale of the piece that was its inspiration. I love the continual shift in focus, from far removed with the Muse Calliope ranting about how the author of this epic poem doesn't want to listen to her, to the 'Greek chorus' moments of the Trojan women, sat on the shore awaiting their fates, to the stories of various women involved in the war, whether before, during or after. The stories don't come in chronological order, and yet the story ebbs and flows beautifully, with the timeline still becoming manifestly clear so you can not only discover what happens to everyone as a result of the war, but follow it back to work out exactly who put the wheels is motion to cause the war in the first place. 

If you've read even a few of the myriad of recent releases based around retelling Greek myths from the female perspective, you will probably be familiar with at least some of the characters and their stories. However, that shouldn't put you off - there are still plenty of other women in here to learn about. The book definitely fits into this bracket though; the various authors of these recent books (i.e. Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint etc) do all seem to have a similar flair and style which really helps ground you in the stories, no matter who you're reading. Hayne's writing in this case is gentle and yet emotionally charged throughout, with moments of levity, and overall is just a really enjoyable journey to go on. 

I couldn't choose which story I liked the most - the author has told all of them in a wonderfully engaging way. That being said, I loved Penelope's increasingly exasperated letters to Odysseyus, telling him what stories the bards are telling about his ridiculous journey home. Likewise, the stories of the lesser known (to me) women were fascinating, and filled in a lot of gaps for me.

I listened to the audiobook of this, which the author herself narrated. She is obviously very confident behind a microphone and about the subject matter(she also has a radio programme about Greek myth which is available on Audible and a credit has been earmarked for this!), and yet there were moments where I wasn't wholly convinced by her performance. There are a couple of small slips that could perhaps have done with a touch more editing (or another take) to smooth over, and there are a couple of places where she runs on sentences in something of a rush. Overall she does an excellent job and it's a great listen, but a tiny part of me wonders whether another performer may have added a touch more life to the narration. But that's being very nitpicky.

Would highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

hodgeonlucy's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Violence, Sexual assault, Animal death, Slavery, Grief, Child death, Rape, and Murder

margaret_k30's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Gore, Sexism, Misogyny, Death, Suicide, Slavery, Violence, War, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Vomit, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail

miss_sunshine's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, War, Blood, Animal death, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Slavery

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, and Rape

Minor: Ableism, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Mental illness

tashtasher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Child death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Alcohol and Animal death

miniingrid's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Blood, Violence, Slavery, and Murder

Moderate: Infertility

Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Child death, Animal death, and Lesbophobia

galexy_brain's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I found it incredibly realistic that the women in this novel didn't necessarily realize that some of their thoughts and belief patterns about themselves and about other women were because of the patriarchy they are under.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Death, Slavery, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, and War

Moderate: Grief, Trafficking, Blood, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Vomit, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Abortion, Cannibalism, and Infidelity

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Follows the lives of various women in or related to troy
Penelopes buts were the best
Odysseus is not like other men😏

‘Who could love a coward… someone for whom the alternative is loving a corpse.’

‘That is what it means to refuse a god. It is to be driven mad.’

‘Waiting is the cruelest thing i have ever endured.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Slavery, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, and War