4.5 ⭐ actually

The book wraps up the duology started with Horses of Fire. And what an amazing conclusion!

I was getting tired of the so called "mythological retellings" that don't add any spin to the story, but this one delivers. I loved how all of the women we are being told about are different yet strong in their unique ways.

The world A. D. Rhine managed to create is very believable, the characters are nuanced, with their own thoughts, hopes and motivations.

Cassandra's story is the one that hit me the most personally, but you quickly find yourself rooting for all the women, even if we all know the outcome...

And the ending absolutely devastated me! (I love when that happens)

🏺📚 BOOK REVIEW! 📚🏺

Thank you to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the advanced e-copy of this book. The review is strictly my own!

Daughters of Bronze by: A.D. Rhine
Genre: Historical Fiction (greek mythology sub-category)
Length: 512 pages
POV: Multiple (4 women)
Pub date: November 26, 2024

Synopsis:
This is the second in a duology that retells the epic story of The Trojan War, known from Homer's Iliad. It can be read as a standalone novel.

The story is told from the perspective of 4 Trojan women, who each had a very important role to play in the war between the Trojans and the Achaeans (Greeks).

Cassandra: Princess of Troy, seer of visions, often dismissed by her own family as crazy, but actually extremely wise and visionary!

Andromache: wife of Hector, heir of King Priam of Troy. Depicted with Anatolian and warrior Amazonian roots, she is excellent as a strategist, yet also a devoted wife and mother to the future King, Astyanax/Scamandrius. Strong doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of her will and love for her family and close friends.

Helen: kidnapped from the greeks and then marriedbby Paris (Hector & Cassandra's somewhat insolent and selfish brother). Her beauty is known throughout the land and she is known to be the spark plug that ignited the Trojan War.

Rhea: A spy for the Trojans who is able to go back and forth between greek war camps and Troy with vital pieces of information. During her mission, she falls in love with one of the enemy... who will she choose?

Opinion:
I wish I had read Horses of Fire first, but only because I enjoyed this book so much! It takes a bit to keep all of the characters straight and also their motives, as many are 'double agents'. This story brings to light how women were such a vital role in this epic story and what parts each of them played while trying to maintain their expected female roles in society. Excellent story! I also loved how the book mentioned the village of Tenedos, which is where part of my family comes from! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is hands down the most emotionally engaging book I have read in a year. Daughters of Bronze was a fresh take that truly enhanced the telling of Troy, in my opinion. This book expertly wove the traditional, well-known story of the Iliad with creative, original plot lines. All of the characters were dynamic with strong, unique voices.
The general sense of foreboding is so poignant as the story progresses, it makes for a very powerful read. From start to end, each character has defining moments of growth that speak to different stages and aspects of womanhood- Rhea's first love, Andromache's first child, Helen's healing others, and Cassandra's bravery in confronting her trauma.
I did find myself counting down the pages until I would get to Rhea's next chapter, hoping for more interactions between her and her love interest.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time! I can't wait to share it with the women in my life. Thank you so much for the opportunity to experience this masterpiece!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to this ARC!

Rating: 3.5/5

This telling of the Trojan War through the eyes of Andromache, Rhea, and Helen was heart wrenching and gave a new perspective. The writing was excellent, both lyrical and poetic. The characters were written to be morally grey and each with respective 'good' and 'bad' traits.

I do have a few critiques of the book;
- the intensity of this book did not let up throughout its entirety. I found this to be tiring and scenes that held weight to the plot fell flat.
- I found this novel to be confusing to follow at points. I have a general knowledge of the Trojan War and it's key players but I felt lost trying to unscramble who everyone was as there was no introduction or context given to many characters.
- the movement of the storyline dragged for me. There were parts where I questioned if what I was reading was relevant to the main plot.

While I was initially a little hesitant to read more of this genre (love them, but there are sooooo many) I really enjoyed this! Beautifully written, and very cool that the two authors were able to work together to develop such a cohesive writing style with a singular message. Please read this book!

I will come back to write a full review once I stop sobbing, okay??

*Update*

This is my first ever actual review, and also my first ever review of an arc (thank you netgalley and a.d. rhine for the opportunity), so please forgive me for the rough quality. I honestly have no idea how to speak on technical aspects like pacing, symbolism, etc., so I’m going to stick with simpler elements.

For a simple, spoiler free review: it broke my heart - 10/10.

!Past this point contains spoilers!

This book did start a little rough for me. I felt like the writing was a little stilted, and fell a little flat, but then it seemed like the writers hit their groove and it smoothed out.

I went into this just having seen “novel of Troy” and did not know anything further. And, for some reason, it did not occur to me that I would be reliving the death of Patroclus again. As a huge lover of The Song of Achilles, that hurt immensely. But I absolutely loved the fact that in this book, we were looking at the same events from Troy’s side. Whereas Hector was a huge point of dread in The Song of Achilles, in Daughters of Bronze we get to see him as he was viewed by Troy - a beloved prince, a strong and just man, a fair leader, and a doting father and husband. I was in love with him, Andromache, Rhea, and Cassandra irrevocably. The relationship between Rhea and Ajax left me in tears several times. I was rooting for them to have a happily ever after, but alas, tragedy is the name of the game for both sides of the Trojan War.

And my girl, Cassandra? I would sell my soul to have a novel centered around her tale in the same way as Clytemnestra, Atalanta, or Hera.

I will 100% be picking up a physical copy of Daughters of Bronze, and also the previous book because I did not realize this was a duology when I requested this arc either (though, it is not required to read the first book prior, from what I’ve read it does add more background and depth to the characters).

I sadly could not finish this novel. I am not one for the fantasy genre but have always enjoyed books set in ancient Greece/Roman and the mythology that surrounds it. This was just a but too out of my comfort zone for me to enjoy, and I couldn't manage to get very far. My star rating reflects my view on the prose/writing.

The stories of the Trojan War always focus on the stories of the men involved in battles, but what about the women that stood beside them and suffered, at times, worse fates than the men? Daughters of Bronze focuses on four main women, but the story is full of strong and brave characters both men and women alike and most importantly the human connections they all share even on opposite sides of the battle.

The four characters this story focuses on most are Andromache, Rhea, Helen and Cassandra. Andromache is the wife of one of Troy's princes and future king, Rhea is a Trojan spy, Helen is of course Helen of Troy- a healer, and Cassandra (Andromache's sister in law)- a seer.

This book is beautifully written and I find it impressive that two people worked on writing this story, but it came out with a singular voice, and a beautiful voice at that. A. D. Rhine is able to capture the struggles of women today, and then, in a way that every woman and person can relate to. I appreciated that even when discussing SA she didn't go into graphic detail and much of this books more graphic details were left for your mind to fill in. The focus of this stories themes seemed to occur between the relationships that existed within it, but included forbidden love, injustice, true love, sacrifice, humanity, power, duty and family.

I haven't read a tale about Troy since high school, but this seems masterfully retold. I know I enjoyed this much more than Homer. I did not read Horses of Fire and I did feel lost in the beginning. There were many names and referenced events that I just didn't know about but once I was about 25% of the way through the book the characters in this story stood alone and I did just fine. Having a background on the Trojan War would have probably helped me, but alas, I still felt plenty of things reading this story. I now need to go back and read Horses of Fire. I need more of these women.

Im shocked that I read the second book in a series before the first and liked it this much.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this arc.

Publication Date: November 26th!

Jumped into this book right after reading Clytemnestra and it did not disappoint! Firstly i must say that this novel is a sequel (I did not read book 1) fortunately for me it can be read has a standalone.

Be prepared to jump into multiple POV (4 main characters) this might sound frightening but A.D Rhine does it exceptionally well for the flow of the story.

Overall the characters are strong female lead with each their own development to the story line. I did wish to see more of what happened to Ajax, rhea and all the others at the end. The ending just left me hanging.

This is the best retelling of the Iliad I have ever read. I read a lot because the Iliad is one of my favorite books.

This continues right where book 1 left off.
I love reading this not only from the Trojans POV, but the perspective of the women. It gives good depth into just how involved women are even if history only tells about the men. Andromache is my favorite. Well, maybe. Ajax the Great is the soft giant we can all fall in love with. I'm obsessed. Oh, and whiny villain Paris?! He was perfect. All my imaginations came true.

I knew what was going to happen and my heart was still torn out. You come to love these characters and the relationships and I was crying. I was so worried about the ending, but it was still a happy ish one. I mean, the men who die in the Iliad still do, but this isn't a tragedy and I appreciated that.

I loved this more than book 1. This is my new favorite retelling.

This review is coming from someone who did not know this was a second book in the series. It was slightly hard to follow at the beginning but I was quickly ripped into the story and the characters. I really enjoyed the character development and how this read like historical fiction. The drama and the fighting and love connections were amazing. It was hard to put down once fully immersed in it.

I do plan on read in the first book now to see what the backstory is on everyone but I really enjoyed this second book’.

I've mentioned before that I'm a sucker for a good Greek retelling since that's one of my focuses in school. The Trojan war I think is really interesting because there's a lot of back and forth about if it actually happened or not. I liked reading about the different takes of the character involved

Marvelous. Simply Marvelous. This novel is power, passion, anguish, tears, and a beautiful retelling of the downfall of Troy. There was so much heart displayed by the female character fighting for their place in the war. Andromache is a commanding presence that shows equal parts savvy and leadership. Rhea mixes compassion and loyalty, with love and determination. Cassandra is complex and broken, but not beaten. And Helen is a voice of reason and justice. They are the backbone of the city, and hold the line as the men of Troy fight desperately to keep the Achaeans from laying siege to their beloved home.

The author’s prose is magical and captivating-leaving you clinging to every word and story woven into this narrative. It’s gripping, tense, and leaves the reader itching to turn the page and uncover more secrets and plots. The many twists and turn in this epic war gives questions as fast as it provides answers, and keeps you guessing how the chips will fall.

I was engrossed in this novel from start to finish. It was so good, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Daughters of Bronze was the story of the end of the Trojan war told from the perspective of 4 women of Troy: Reah, Helen, Cassandra, and Andromache. As we know, the story of Troy was a sad one but reading these perspectives adds depth and hope to an otherwise devastating tale. These women are complicated and their choices have consequences for better or worse but their intentions and love for each other and their city is special to read about. It’s a long book but worth the read for lovers of books like Song of Achilles. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

Emotional pieces like this beg to tug at your heartstrings. A. D. Rhine takes a story we might know gives it the feminist spin we needed.
The pining btwn Ajax & Rhea.
The love btwn Andromache & Hector.
The injustice for Helen.
The frustration for Cassandra.
It’s all woven together so nicely.

It’s been a minute since I read, book 1, Horses of Fire* and I was nervous it would be a rough transition into book 2, but A. D Rhine did a lovely job easing us back into this world.

I started reading more of mythology because of Stephen Fry. Mythos feels is like a college course giving a massive overview into this category. Daughters of Bronze feels much more like a theatrical performance.

Because I’ve read many fair share in the category- there was a middle act where the pacing dragged, but it was worth it for that ending. 🤌👩‍🍳💋 Overall this is a solid retelling.

*Horses of Fire was a great debut- I listened to it & also gave it 4⭐️

This one had taken me a bit longer to read than the first.
I liked it. The details. The impact. It just fell a little flat for me.

I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley. Daughter of Bronze is a retelling of the story of Trojan War and the second book in a duology by A.D. Rhine. I did not read the first book and felt that the second could be read as a stand-alone.

This retelling focuses on the main women involved in the Trojan War and how they may have shaped the outcome. Despite knowing how the story ends, you can't help but root for the characters.

I do think that the pacing could have been a little more consistent in the book (the ending felt very fast) but overall I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys retellings. This one is unique and beautifully written with interesting and complex characters.

Marvelous! As to be expected, Daughters of Bronze is just a great as Horses of Fire! They are both beautifully written and filled with strong emotion.

Daughters of Bronze continues the retelling of the Trojan war through the eyes of its main female characters. I really like the author’s’ interpretation of events. I won’t elaborate due to potential spoilers. We all know the story but this version felt very real.

I loved the development of the relationships between the women and how they worked together. They each sacrificed their own safety to protect each other. I liked the way Helen was portrayed in this retelling. It made me understand her choices better. Andromache is ever the valiant warrior filled with a raging love. Rhea was my favorite character in first book but Andromache became my favorite in this one. Lots of tears were shed at the ending!

The war scenes were some of my favorite parts of the book. They are so well written that I could envision them in my mind as if on a movie screen!

Highly recommended!

TW: allusion to rape, physical abuse, killing, death and graphic violence.

Many thanks to A.D. Rhine and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC via NetGalley!!!

good book. This book was well written but didn’t really keep my interest. I do enjoy mythology but for some reason lost interest.

I absolutely love stories involving Greek mythology, I think it is such a fascinating genre but also a hard one to make your own. Many people know the legends of the more well known figures such as Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, Ajax and so on. A common theme with these stories is that the women are often hidden in the shadows.

This retelling of the Trojan war is from the perspectives of four women fighting to save their families and beloved city of Troy: Rhea, Andromache, Cassandra, and Helen. When dealing with multiple POV’s it sometimes is hard to enjoy each one you are given. However with this novel I was pleasantly surprised with enjoying each POV once I really got into this story.

It did take me a few chapters to really be invested in this story, and I found myself struggling with the pacing of this book at times. Once I was really intrigued by the character’s stories and the pacing evened itself out I was completely captivated by these four women. One other thing that kind of stood out to me was in a few places in the novel some of the descriptive language had a very masculine tone to it. Which struck me as odd since the authors are both female and writing about female characters.

In this novel you follow four women. Rhea is a young spy for the Trojans that slips between the Achaean army and the walls of Troy pretty much unnoticed by any passersby. Andromache is married to Prince Hector of Troy and is days away from giving birth at the beginning of the novel. She is a fierce Amazon warrior, who is also incredibly intelligent and cares deeply about those closest to her and the fate of all the citizens of Troy. Cassandra is a prophetess and Princess of Troy. She is overlooked by most due to being labeled as a “mad woman.” She uses the voices she hears to help her develop the courage to speak even when no one is listening, and to carry out the dangerous deeds she must in order to protect those she loves. Her inner strength was one of the many qualities I truly admired about this character. Helen, she was once the bane of Troy, the reason for their misery. Now she uses her healing gifts to help the people of Troy during this seemingly endless war. Her quick thinking and gentle demeanor are traits that can get overlooked despite how essential they are and useful they prove to be in this novel.

Overall I think the main message of this story is about our choices. We have the power to alter our stories. No matter how big or small a decision is, it can change the course of our lives. Nothing is set in stone. Sometimes when the going gets tough you have to rely on yourself, or take risks that you hope will work out in your favor.

I truly did enjoy this novel, I loved the authors’ interpretations of these legends. This story had me feeling a rollercoaster of emotions, it is full of heartache, strength, and hope. I was in awe of these amazing women, and thought this story was beautifully told.

Thank you NetGallery and Penguin Group Dutton Books for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy! Publication Date 11/26/2024
Genres: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Greek Mythology