Review by kimberlyjgav - A Thousand Ships

kimberlyjgav 's review for:

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

3.5

adventurous emotional funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Interesting retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of the women - those captured from the conquered city, the goddesses whose squabbling started it all, the wives left at home, and the muse who helps shine a light on all of their voices.

I liked this well enough, but agree with others that it's really just a retelling of Greek myths from different POVs with little new added. It's more of a series of vignettes told out of order than a straight storyline and the characters weren't really fleshed out enough to feel much for them. Even Penelope's "letters" to Odysseus while she waits 20 long years for him to return, end up being just a retelling of the Odyssey and how annoyed she is, rather than going into any detail about what she's been doing all that time.

Entertaining and I do love the snark Natalie Haynes brings into her storytelling, especially as it relates to the gods (who have the maturity of ill-mannered toddlers), but it left me wanting for more.

Content Warnings