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caelfind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was an exquisite story of the complexities of war, freedom, and womanhood, set amidst the immediate aftermath of the Fall of Troy. Barker crafts a harrowing, raw tale, never flinching from the realities of ancient warfare, and offering us fresh, nuanced depictions of well-known characters. Her characterisation is the shining star of this book; the characters’ deeply complex, and sometimes contradictory, personalities perfectly mirror the horrific war they grapple with. The Greeks must find a way to return home and face the violence they wrought, while the women wait to meet their uncertain futures. And all the while, the countless dead seem to hover in the corner of every hut, watching with judgemental eyes. This was a truly masterful work and I can’t wait to pick up the third book.
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Murder, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, and War
Minor: Child death
mblanke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Child death, Sexual content, Violence, Torture, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Sexism, Slavery, Death of parent, Infidelity, Grief, Rape, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and War
Minor: Animal death
theothergrl's review against another edition
- 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
I didn't enjoy it as much as the 1st, and I felt there was fatphobia that wasn't just through the 'eyes of the men' as it claims. So I give it a 4.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Trafficking, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Medical content, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Torture
reclusivebookslug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal cruelty
Triggers are all similar to that of the first book.gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Slavery, Sexual assault, Suicide, and War
sarah_speaks'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
4.25
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, War, Animal death, Child death, Pregnancy, Rape, and Death
Moderate: Torture
secre'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? It's complicated
3.0
Our narrator is Briseis, wife of the late Achilles and now married to Alcimus whilst carrying Achilles child. It's a clever choice of narrator as her position allows her a view into both the male and the female spheres, even if she is mostly with the women. It's slow, and offers glimpses into the lives of the women taken from Troy, those with far less freedom than Briseis herself. Where I think it lets itself down is that despite being the 'women of Troy', it still largely centres itself on the men. Part of this is undeniably necessary; it is the men making all the decisions in camp and their behaviour has a direct impact on the women. However, the switch into the men being the narrators felt unnecessary and detracted from the story I think Barker was trying to tell.
Because this should have been the story of the powerless, the enslaved, the crushed. The women whose children had been taken and killed. Those who had lost husbands, fathers, sons and unborn child. Those taken into slavery and given no choice as to where their lives would inevitably lead. Yet I felt those voices were often muted, with more time being given to the enslavers, the rapists, the killers. It would have been a more powerful novel if those muted by time and historical retelling were given that voice. I felt Natalie Haynes managed it better in A Thousand Ships, which is a book that has stayed with me since I read it.
I'm still interested in reading the first in the series, but I'll go into it with a little more hesitation now. Because this was certainly well written. Parts of it were poignant and moving. But it didn't really do what I thought it was going to do.
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and Child death
mylou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Slavery, Misogyny, Rape, Death of parent, Confinement, Sexual violence, Child death, and War
Moderate: Suicide and Fatphobia
matthiasreads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Rape, Murder, Child death, Slavery, and Suicide
catherinedsharp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Slavery, Grief, Murder, War, Child death, Alcohol, Blood, Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, and Rape