I loved this - a gorgeous representation of mythology. The storytelling was thorough and complete and I was taken away by the story.

4.5 stars. This second in a duology works well as a standalone, but was so intriguing that I will now be going back to read the first in the small series. A somewhat reimagined/enhanced telling of the siege of Troy, this historical fiction is written fully from the female perspective of the war between the Achaeans and the Trojans. The chapters are a cycle of 4 POVs that are interwoven quite well and give a wide expanse telling of the events with emotional acuity. More than just a historical telling, this is a piece that delves into the humanity of the situation, including the thoughts of mothers, slaves, and warriors. Extremely well-written and full of tension. It can be a bit confusing due to all the moving pieces and some familiarity with the historical characters will absolutely be helpful, but the story still stood quite well on its own and had me highly invested even if I already knew how the (historically told) ending would play out. There are some liberties taken on the interpretation, which is covered very well in the author's note and that I honestly think were well thought out approaches to telling the story. I'm no historian, but it all seemed believable to me. It rises above the fantastical of mythology and sticks fairly well to a historical tale, but there are some bits that definitely verge into fantasy (it's hard to portray Cassandra without this detour). Highly recommend for historical fiction buffs, especially those who love tales of Ancient Greece and Turkey.

Daughters of Bronze was an amazing read, and my only regret is not reading the first installment of this series. Set against the backdrop of Homer’s Troy, it beautifully reimagines the lives of the women involved in the myth, offering a fresh and poignant perspective on their stories.

As someone who loves Greek retellings, this book was right up my alley. Rhine brings these women to life, exploring their relationships, struggles, and triumphs with depth and care. The emotional complexity and bond between the characters made for a compelling and immersive read.

Overall, Daughters of Bronze is a beautifully written story about love, loss, and the power of women in myth. I can't wait to go back and read the first book in the series, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next.

Yassssss!!!!! If you love Greek mythology with a twist, Daughters of Bronze is for you! A.D. Rhine reimagines the Trojan War through the eyes of the women who lived it, giving them the spotlight they deserve.

The writing is gorgeous and full of emotion, bringing to life a world of gods, heroes, and mortals. The women in this story are fierce, flawed, and unforgettable—they steal the show in the best way possible.

The middle dragged a little with all the perspective shifts, but the ending made up for it. Fans of Circe or Ariadne will feel right at home with this powerful, fresh take on an old legend. Definitely worth picking up!

Thanks to Dutton for gifted access to this book via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

I love a historical fiction retelling that features well knownancient Greek / Trojan characters with a new twist. This story reminded me a lot of The Silence of the Girls and A Thousand Ships which were both 5 star reads for me. Telling the story of the women of the time and their sufferings as well as their influence is a real win for me. But, I wasn't sure if a third story in this vein could keep me engaged or provide me with anything new. I can report that is not the case.

This story alternates POVs of Rhea, Helen, Cassandra and Andromache telling us each of their roles in the battle for Troy. We all know how things are going to end from Homer and Virgil's epic stories. I liked that this gave us both Odysseus and Aeneas. Our senior project as 5th year Latin students was translating the Aeneid which gets a lot less attention than the Oydessey. So having both characters and knowing this story was giving us the events that led to their epic journeys was great.

I am another of the silly reviewers who did not realize this was a #2. I read a good portion of it, but could not get into the story. Now I realize why. The characters are well defined and Rhine is very good at creating atmosphere.

Horses of Fire by A.D. Rhine did not receive the highest ratings from me, though as I read it a year ago, I could not begin to tell you why. Based off how long it took me to read it, I suspect I just…couldn’t get into it, for some reason or another. Now that I have consumed Daughters of Bronze by A.D. Rhine, I will probably revisit its prequel because I think my initial review was wrong. Daughters of Bronze, in the words of Mr. Darcy in the Pride & Prejudice screenplay, bewitched me, body and soul. Easily one of my favorite books that I read in 2024.

I have never read anything about Troy or its mythology. I know The Iliad, but I have not read it. We all know the Trojan horse, of course, but Daughters of Bronze demonstrated there is so much more, offered from the viewpoints of characters often neglected in historical accounts: women. Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra. All brave women with divergent backgrounds, yet their fates are intertwined as invasion threatens Troy. A.D. Rhine’s newest novel continues the story from Horses of Fire (which I wish I had reread prior to reading Daughters of Bronze), with beautiful, heart-shattering depictions of Troy’s fate. Will the city survive? Will its people survive? Or is everyone doomed to fail, doomed to death?

A.D. Rhine created characters I adored. Andromache, a leader—and finally a mother, who is determined to stand by her husband’s side. Rhea, her servant and spy, who has fallen in love with an opposing warrior. Helen, a healer, who must set aside her grief to save lives. And Cassandra…what to say about Cassandra. People disregard her, underestimate her, because she is occasionally not of her right mind. But she has seen Troy’s fate, if only others will listen to her.

Daughters of Bronze by A.D. Rhine is outstanding. It will tear at your heartstrings with its dynamic, lyrical prose. Rhine offers a beautiful, fresh reimagining of the Trojan War, and I loved every word of it. But please read Horses of Fire before diving into Daughters of Bronze. Can you read it as a standalone? Maybe, but you will not understand the relationships or other context without experiencing Horses of Fire.

Alright—I'd like to preface this review by saying I somehow *missed* the fact that this was the second in A.D. Rhine's duology. I made it through the entire novel, went to add my initial review, and then saw the #2. So please, take that with a grain of salt as you read this review.

That being said—I was genuinely blown away by Daughters of Bronze and plan on going back and reading the first novel and then rereading this. The prose was the perfect mixture of lyrical the way you'd want an Homeric Epic to be but still modern enough to do what the authors set out to do. Sometimes, when you have chapters split between multiple characters, their voices become muddled and it all reads very similar. But, in Daughters of Bronze, A.D. Rhine does a great job of keeping Rhea, Helen, Cassandra, and Andromache's styles distinct. When reading, I never doubted or had to check which woman was narrating.

Regardless of me missing an entire book, I do feel like the beginning was a bit slow. It took me a while to get into the novel—and I'd say I have a pretty firm grasp of the Iliad/Trojan War so even without that first novel, I still expected to be able to jump in a little more. Perhaps I'll feel different when I go back and read it again after the first but—as it stands—that was my biggest struggle with the novel.

There are other attributes that I planned on mentioning but upon learning this was the second...they became moot and I assume if I read the first, I would not have this critiques.

Overall, the fact that A.D. Rhine was able to create a beautiful, fresh approach to these women that I was still able to enjoy—even without reading the first—is a feat. I cried during the last several chapters at not only the plot (that has obviously been written for hundreds of years) but the actual prose. It hit a very real place and captured the complicated, painful, and oft looked over emotions of the war. I truly enjoyed Daughters of Bronze and look forward to getting more of the authors' take on these women and their starts in this series.

Daughters of Bronze is a historical reimagining of the final days of the Trojan War from myth. Full of well-known characters from Homer's Iliad, the story follows four women with the power to, they hope, save Troy from disaster. And if you know story (even if just from the movie Troy), they do not succeed -- but they do not wholly fail, either. Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra are wonderfully developed characters and through them we get to see the many hidden sides of the conflict. Each woman's narrative voice felt unique, and there was plenty of intrigue and suspense in this take on a time-worn tale.

Daughter of Bronze by A.D. Rhine reimagines the Trojan War, trying to see it as it may have been rather than as a myth. The story is told from the different perspectives of four of the women of Troy. The characters are well-developed, and I enjoyed the female perspective. I wanted to love this book and enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite love for me. I believe one of the main issues stems from not knowing this is part of a duology. There were times when I felt like I should have known the backstory between characters, especially the backstory of the horse of fire, and those moments left me disoriented.

Since the novel separates itself from the myth, it may disappoint those who expect a more traditional retelling of the myth, but it might be a better fit for fans of historical fiction. Daughters of Bronze is for readers who enjoy strong female characters, a bit of mystery, and complex relationships. I can easily see why this book has so many five-star reviews. In the future, I plan on reading the duology chronologically to hopefully enjoy it as much as other reviewers.

Unfortunately I did not see that this book was a sequel and so I did not understand everything that was going on in the story. I ended up dnfing at 20%

Unfortunately I did not realize this was a sequel, so I found it hard to follow at the beginning as I only had the most basic knowledge of Greek mythology. Once I got further into the story and sorted out the characters, I really enjoyed it. It is a retelling of the mythological tale of Troy, but told from the point of view of the women. In spite of being a darkly violent and tragic tale, the strength of the women and their sisterhood made for a great read. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. 4/5 stars

I appreciated the fact that someone actually took time to include Anatolian themes into this book because Trojans were Anatolians. This wasn’t a Greek story only. I loved that words and traditions were included.

The other thing I really liked about this book was the alternative storylines. Having Helen not as villain but a mother through and through, and having Paris as a traitor I always believed he was.

This was the alternative version of Iliad where women took the center stage not because they were the reason to start the war or they could be captured, traded, and discarded. There is not much to say about the story, so I focused more on the style and storytelling.

Honestly, the only thing that I’m mad about with this books is that it was not advertised more clearly as being the second installment in a duology. THAT BEING SAID, this was a brilliant read as a standalone. I will 1000% be going back to read the first book because I loved the characters, the drama, and the writing. This book had everything I needed and more: powerful, smart, and brave women, gorgeous prose, dynamic female friendships, the crushing weight and tension of war, and hot muscle-y men who respect, honor, and highly regard the women in their lives. I laughed, I gasped, I angered, I cried, I mourned. I felt every emotion because the characters were developed so deeply and profoundly. What a wonderful human experience. I will be recommending this to anyone and everyone. TTYL, gotta go read Horses of Fire expeditiously!

A beautiful retelling of the story of Troy. The war scenes were excellent and some of my favorite. Heart wrenching, engaging, and beautiful!! Deserves to be up there with the great Greek Mythology stories@

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC of this book.

Everyone who was a fan of Song of Achilles NEEDS to read this duology (this is book 2). I am on my knees absolutely begging.
Beautifully written, Daughters of Bronze is book two in a sweeping retelling of the Trojan war through the eyes of four women: Andromache, Cassandra, Helen and Rhea. If you’re familiar with The Iliad, you know the fates that befall Andromache, Cassandra and Helen already (Rhea is the only character created by the authors of this book), but A.D. Rhine (writing duo) breathe so much life into these female characters that you do not get in the original text.

I adore women-centric stories, and this book pays tribute to mothers and women who will do everything they can to save those they love in a time where they have little voice and agency to do anything. This book is both horrifying, tender; brutal, soft; intimate and sweeping.

This book is a tragedy in a way that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. You’re rooting so hard for these women and, if you’re like me, hoping the inevitable end doesn’t come to pass. While the authors take some liberties with the story, I have to say this retelling stayed remarkably close to the original text and characters. As long as you’re ok with that, then I say pick it up! 5 stars. No notes. An incredible story.

Note: I read this book in its entirety before reading book 1. I honestly didn’t know it was book 2 when I requested it. While some things were a little confusing, it could be read as a standalone if you truly want to. I requested book 1 from my local library and I am so, so excited to dig in.

The fall of Troy told by the women most impacted: Andromache, Helen, Cassandra, and Rhea.

Intense! And I was completely unaware this was also part 2 of a duology! I was familiar enough with Troy to know the general set up, so I didn’t really feel lost jumping in the middle. And this was so great! The historical aspects were really well done.

Everyone’s stories balanced nicely, & there was an element of hope evident throughout, even as you know the awful tragedy that is coming. I do any to go back and read the first one, and then reread the second one, because I know there is a depth to the story that I am missing out on.

Also, I always love a Greek retelling that validates my Paris sucks belief.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this arc.

Daughters of Bronze picks up where Horses of Fire left off, in the midst of the Trojan War. As someone who loves Greek mythology and Homer’s writing, I will always be drawn to mythology retellings! I absolutely loved this duology and think AD Rhine is a duo to watch.

Daughters of Bronze tugged at my heart even more than book one did, and I thought the authors did an excellent job balancing the plot and keeping the story moving while also telling a story that was very emotional at times.

I loved that some of the main characters are familiar but some are unique to this duology. Rhea is a POV that is centric to the duology and not featured in the original mythology or other retellings, and I thought her character added so much to the book. I thought the choice of multiple female POVs was excellent, and I really appreciated getting to see Helen as more than just the woman who is “to blame” for the Trojan War.

I am so glad that I have this book on my shelf, and I will absolutely be re-reading this duology when I am craving a well-written reimagining of Greek mythology.

Both this book and the duology as a whole get an easy five stars from me, and I highly recommend them!

Thank you to Dutton Books and Uplit Reads for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a masterpiece.

I really enjoyed Horses of Fire but Daughters of Bronze just gave me so much more than I was expecting. The writing is beautiful and expansive. The characters are multi-dimensional and so alive. I could feel the fear, the injustice, the love, and the many other emotions that authors wove into the book. I really loved the author’s interpretation of the stories of Helen, Andromache, Rhea, and Cassandra and other events of the Trojan War.

I finished this a few weeks ago and I am still thinking about it. This duology is firmly placed among my favorite Greek retellings.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book via NetGalley, and while I had already pre-ordered a physical copy, I was excited to dive in. Overall, I had mixed feelings. The story builds from the foundation of the Iliad, but there are significant changes to characters and plot points—some that work and others that don’t. For instance, the side romance felt unnecessary and out of place, and I wasn’t a fan of Paris’s characterization, though I understand the context of Helen’s story making her more sympathetic.

That said, I absolutely loved the bond between the Weaver, the Spindle, the Hawk, and the Mouse, and the ending moved me to tears. The authors did an incredible job of conveying what the siege of Troy would have been like, even though some poignant details, like Polyxena’s sacrifice, were left out. I also appreciated the nuanced inclusion of Luwian customs and how they depicted Troy as a cultural melting pot.

In the end, despite some critiques, I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated the optimistic conclusion. It’s a solid A for me, and I’ll definitely be returning to this and its predecessor in the future.