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A review by readerette
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
Reading through the experiences of so many women and goddesses attached to the Trojan War was a fascinating journey. I learned a lot about the details of the battles and the characters.
Reminiscent of Madeline Miller, but a different emotional tenor because Miller's stories hone in more on specific characters, in my experience. The many voices on both sides lend this book a sense of telling the unbiased, unvarnished truth of the war. A heavy topic, and dark themes reign, but most things of a graphic nature are only mentioned, rarely laid out in great detail.
Calliope felt like a strange inclusion since she wasn't directly affected by or involved in the war like everyone else in the book. Penelope's letters were distracting in my opinion, as often they took a meandering approach more like a train of thought than a letter.
I still enjoyed reading very much!
Reminiscent of Madeline Miller, but a different emotional tenor because Miller's stories hone in more on specific characters, in my experience. The many voices on both sides lend this book a sense of telling the unbiased, unvarnished truth of the war. A heavy topic, and dark themes reign, but most things of a graphic nature are only mentioned, rarely laid out in great detail.
Calliope felt like a strange inclusion since she wasn't directly affected by or involved in the war like everyone else in the book. Penelope's letters were distracting in my opinion, as often they took a meandering approach more like a train of thought than a letter.
I still enjoyed reading very much!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief, Slavery, Infidelity, and War
Minor: Violence, Blood, Rape, and Vomit