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lesemaus2303's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Child death, Misogyny, Slavery, War, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Grief, Rape, Violence, Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
bushbabybookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Mediocre in every way.
The writing didn’t pull me in. The characters were flat & I just couldn’t care about them.
The story still had the dark and rough parts (cause mythology) but the writing & characters did not make it worth it.
Still, I’m glad I read it. I love Greek mythology & this had been on my TBR for years…
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Medical trauma, Rape, and War
Minor: Grief, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse
aylabell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault
Minor: Child death
annemoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Child death, Physical abuse, Grief, Death, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Rape
shan_lou's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, War, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Grief, Death, Rape, Suicide, Sexual violence, Child death, Violence, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
abhss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Infidelity, War, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent and Rape
hilly_em's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Pregnancy, Abortion, Sexual harassment, and Violence
alexiasophii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Infidelity, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, and War
nevdite284's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Murder, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, War, Pedophilia, Misogyny, and Abortion
Moderate: Misogyny, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Kidnapping
withlivjones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My one gripe with this book is that the pacing is rather inconsistent. The start is somewhat slow, and I am grateful for the time skips to ensure that the narrative doesn’t get boring. However, Helen’s “abduction” occurs over halfway through the book and the actual war doesn’t start until three quarters of the way through. From there, the pacing is almost breakneck as the author attempts to fit the nine-year Trojan war, as well as its aftermath, into under one hundred pages. I appreciate that retellings of the Trojan War, especially the events covered in the Iliad, have been done to death in other adaptations, but I feel that Helen’s perspective of more parts of the war, or even Klytemnestra’s reception of the news of certain events, could have enhanced the story. I was half expecting Kalchas to somehow make a return, either during the plague (which isn’t mentioned) or when the Trojan Horse arrives (which is alluded to in a single sentence), since he plays a significant role in the first half of the novel and then completely disappears after Iphigenia’s death. The book barely touches on the events of the Iliad and the Agamemnon and doesn’t even cover the Libation Bearers (leaving both Klytemnestra’s and Elektra’s arcs feeling somewhat unfinished), and I think that the author really could have taken advantage of the opportunity to discuss the motivations of Helen and Klytemnestra in these stories where their actions are so significant.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, War, Genocide, and Grief
Period-typical attitudes towards women