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brokebookadict's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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πΈβππ πππππ πππ ππππππ ππ πππππ πππππβπππππ ππππ π πππ πππππππ ππ πππ.
π±ππ ππππ ππππ ππ πππ ππππππ.
πΈπ ππ ππππ.β
πΊπΊπΊπΊπΊ / 5
πΆοΈ / 5
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Review:
I am a self proclaimed Greek Mythology addict so when Ashlee and Danielle reached out and asked me if I wanted to review HoF I squealed really loudly and completely distracted the stockies at work and I deafened my friend Angie who I was on break withπ
but omg this book was incredible!!
Every page was like peeling another layer off the onion, and even 500 odd pages later at the end, the onion is only half peeled! Every character brings a complex situation and story to life, in a heartaching, gut wrenching kind of way. No matter how much I wanted to hate some of them, I couldnβt help but slowly fall in love with all of them.
Told through the perspectives of 3 women of 3 different social backgrounds and classes, who have been pitted against and made to hate each other by the men around them, Horses of Fire shows the sheer strength and determination it takes to be a woman dictating change.
Itβs impossible for me to pick a favourite out of our 3 leading ladies, I adore them all for different reasons. Rhea is the young naive servant girl who watched her family burn, her love for horses is the only thing she has left; sheβs full of doubt, but can see and hear anything unnoticed. Sheβs mocked and ridiculed for being a βhorse whispererβ in a battle that needs horses. Rhea stops embodying the βlittle mouseβ sheβs always been compared to and I hope she starts embracing the lion sheβs gunna become, because I want to see it! Also I ship her with 3 different men, but also by herself and I honestly canβt decide who I ship her with the most.
Andromache is fierce and bold, strong and independent; is a warrior through and through, yet is treated as if sheβs useless as sheβs unable and unwilling to have a child. She literally embodies the frustration of saying something but no one listens as sheβs a woman, but as soon as a man repeats exactly what she says, everyone agrees. Her character growth was truly incredible to read and I canβt wait to see how much further she grows and how her relationship with Hector changes in dynamic as well.
Helen is written in a way I havenβt ever read before, every word broke my heart just a little more and every page made me thankful Iβll never have to shoulder that sort of responsibility. Because imagine being told youβre the reason for a whole ass war, thatβs so much pressure, thousands of people dying over her. Yet itβs not really over her! Itβs just a pissing match between men, and like usual they blame it on a woman; whoβs trying to mind her own business; so they can βget awayβ with it.
I could go on about this book for hours, but Iβm incredibly excited to see what happens in book 2, because we all know the battle for Troy doesnβt end well for the city and her people. Iβm interested to see where Ashlee and Danielle take the story.
There are several content warnings including mentions of sexual assault and death. Please check all the trigger warnings before you read.
There are several content warnings including mentions of sexual assault and death. Please check all the trigger warnings before you read.
For lovers of:
- Greek Mythology Retellings
- Greek retellings told by woman
- Feminist literature, more downplayed feminism
- Plots and ploys
- Paris getting absolutely roasted (he a dick we donβt like him)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Addiction
Moderate: Death and War
Minor: Sexual assault
actual_hobbit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy!
This book is a must-read for any mythology lover. I was a bit daunted by the length at first, but it is truly worth every page.
The two authors give us a glimpse behind the walls of Troy - right in the middle of the Trojan War - and create extraordinary portraits of three underestimated women who will do anything to save their city.
A.D. Rhone's portrayals of Andromache and Helen are more nuanced than any I've ever seen before. Both characters are complicated, and they don't always making the right choices, but you can't help but root for both on every page. I already loved the character of Hector going into this, but after reading this book, I'm an Andromache-and-Hector girl forever.
I didn't realize Rhea, the other main character, was an original creation at first, but to me, this was a bold, smart choice. Through Rhea's eyes, we see legendary characters as real humans, full of emotion and turmoil, struggling to reconcile their dreams with the unfair positions fate has put them in. And we see the harsh realities of war: slavery, massacres, and the treatment of refugees. (And you can't help but cheer her on too!)
For anyone picking up this book, go into it knowing that you won't get an ending with full closure. The authors end this book in the middle of war, and as much as I would have read more, I'm grateful that they spared us from seeing these characters go theough the sacking of Troy. I think it was a compassionate, smart choice. My heart would have been broken to a million pieces if I had to read that after falling in love with these characters.
Listen to the full review on Books Are Magical Podcast: https://linktr.ee/booksaremagical?fbclid=PAAaYj50y6-loQnMQ1GX56l2bC039o9NgiEqCbf7nwODzzj8NBxNJaZ0vcHwg
This book is a must-read for any mythology lover. I was a bit daunted by the length at first, but it is truly worth every page.
The two authors give us a glimpse behind the walls of Troy - right in the middle of the Trojan War - and create extraordinary portraits of three underestimated women who will do anything to save their city.
A.D. Rhone's portrayals of Andromache and Helen are more nuanced than any I've ever seen before. Both characters are complicated, and they don't always making the right choices, but you can't help but root for both on every page. I already loved the character of Hector going into this, but after reading this book, I'm an Andromache-and-Hector girl forever.
I didn't realize Rhea, the other main character, was an original creation at first, but to me, this was a bold, smart choice. Through Rhea's eyes, we see legendary characters as real humans, full of emotion and turmoil, struggling to reconcile their dreams with the unfair positions fate has put them in. And we see the harsh realities of war: slavery, massacres, and the treatment of refugees. (And you can't help but cheer her on too!)
For anyone picking up this book, go into it knowing that you won't get an ending with full closure. The authors end this book in the middle of war, and as much as I would have read more, I'm grateful that they spared us from seeing these characters go theough the sacking of Troy. I think it was a compassionate, smart choice. My heart would have been broken to a million pieces if I had to read that after falling in love with these characters.
Listen to the full review on Books Are Magical Podcast: https://linktr.ee/booksaremagical?fbclid=PAAaYj50y6-loQnMQ1GX56l2bC039o9NgiEqCbf7nwODzzj8NBxNJaZ0vcHwg
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Slavery, and Domestic abuse
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