If you are a fan of Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint, Claire North or Natalie Haynes you almost certainly will love this one and you should absolutely read this one ASAP!

There's nothing I love more than a good Greek Myth retelling and this one is no exception. A.D. Rhine manages to take the tale of the Trojan War, one that we all know how it ends, and develop these classic characters and tell a story that keeps you engaged and wanting to read nonstop. The story is from the point of view of some of the most iconic women in all of Greek Myth, Helen, Cassandra, Andromache, and Rhea the spy for Troy, and despite the whole time how you expect the story to end the authors do a fantastic job of making you root for these characters and hoping that the story will end differently. (*SPOILER*, it kind of does in a way that again, gives you hope for these characters that you have come to love)

The actual writing is fantastic and beautiful and makes you feel like you're reading a piece of classic literature similar to the source material that the story pulls from. The multiple POVs give you insight into the characters and their thoughts and feeling and all the schemes that they plan and execute as they fight for their future in the war, and the future of their city.

Outside of our main female narrators we also get a glimpse of some other iconic characters of the Iliad and getting to see them brought to life and see more of them outside of the battlefield was endearing and made them more relatable as people and made you love (and in some cases, hate) them even more than you do in the original myth.

Again, if you loved The Song of Achilles, Circe, Elektra, A Thousand Ships, or any other Greek Myth retelling, add this one to your list because you will love it!

This duology is more of a reimagining than a retelling as a very large swath takes place before the known story of The Illiad, so the authors added in several fanciful elements that, per their acknowledgements, are fruit of imagining things like the rites inside of Troy that aren't detailed in the myths as some other aspects of the war are.

The second part of the duology, "Daughters of Bronze", is more propulsive in plot as it nears the events of those last days of the Trojan War, lending it a quicker pace than the first "Horses of Fire." The second installment also benefits, to my view, from the added fourth voice of Cassandra that wasn't part of most of "Horses of Fire", as she's less naive than the Rhea character so readers will have more of a variety when being inside the four characters' heads.

I did find myself wishing some of the action had a bit clearer writing (sometimes following the comings and goings of Rhea through a swamp that at a moments notice is also kind of a river and also maybe a plain is honestly unclear even with the map, for example), especially since both books in the series are admittedly long. But I think the mix of voices will appeal to those who liked similar fare such as Pat Barker's "Silence of the Girls" (focused on Briseis, who also makes an appearance here).

3.5/5
thanks to the author(s) and publisher for the netgalley!

I would give it a 4.25. well written. I greatly enjoyed seeing these stories from a different pov even if I didn't agree with the authors interpretation of everything. That being said, it is a tribute to the writing that I still really enjoyed the book. If you are looking for a different, more slighted and relegated to back pov for the events depicted, this is the book I would recommend. Imagining the role these powerful women could have played was well done and thought provoking.

Daughters of Bronze is a four point of view tale of the trojan war. The four point of view are female and each one is telling a unique tale. Like Cassandra, for example. Womens forced by male protagonists to keep quiet, fake their death and live imprisoned by them -- as much as a metaphor than as the simple truth. Men, who thinks they are so much more superior than the servant girl who washes the stained blood clothes. The same servant girl who is listening intently to each little details of every conversation, silent or not, and then report to another woman who then report to another until it reaches it's "queen" a spinning web who is detrimental in the face of the war. Little girls made to be forgotten who are the true "heroes". Women we wanted to silent because men were afraid of their powers, of what they could do and become.
Daughters of Bronze is an important retelling of the trojan war in this aspect. Their role is detrimental and yet they have been forgotten. Put aside to make more space to men whose ideas came from the same silenced women. In the four POV, we are subject to roughly four archetypes: the servant, the espion, the soon-to-be-queen, the sorceress. They have many names but always one purpose: to instruct us, to show us the force they are to be reckoned.
I'm losing myself in trying to share my thoughts on Daughters of Bronze ans it's exactly what I felt when reading it.
The writing style is easy to read and to lose yourself in the story, you are immediately submerged in the historical period.
Overall, it's a piece of literature I think we could all benefit to read, even if only for the "vibe" of women in war.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Daughters of Bronze.

I really liked this book. It exceeded my expectations and carried on the story from Book 1 really well. I loved all the characters and all the plays on history. As a history nerd, I loved seeing where the authors pulled things from, and the stereotypes they tossed out the window to create a fresh story. The tension was definitely there in this book, and it had me hooked till the end.

Daughters of Bronze was an extremely satisfying and well-thought-out sequel to Horses of Fire and I heartily enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I got 1/3 of the way through this book before I decided not to finish it. It constantly jumped from various characters and didn’t keep my attention.

As you can probably tell, I am a huge fan of greek mythology retellings that focus on the women who are often left out. This is no exception. The voice these women get are great, and hearing how their stories are impacted is just. So good. I will need to get a physical copy when this book releases.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! 4.5 easy.

I loved this take on the trojan war, from a view point of the women who play vital parts to the war. I do think reading Horses of Fire first helps but its easy enough to follow understand without it if you have a vague understanding of the Trojan War.

We follow Helen of Troy, Cassandra, Andromache and Reah throughout the story and get to see how they help or have negative impact based on their choices and reaction to events happening around them. I couldn't get enough of Reah and her story line.

I feel this story really is a reflection and strength of women coming together to support and be "unsung" heroes in a time of Epic men. If you love retellings of Greek Mythology, especially taking a new view point and reimagining some of the devasting parts of the tales, you will love this one. The writing flows so well.

For readers who enjoyed Circe and Hera, Daughters of Bronze shows us the complex and hidden lives of the women in Homer’s epic tales.

I did not realize this was book 2 of a duology going into it, though I have prior knowledge of Greek mythology and literature. Reading book 1 would have helped, but I was still able to read this as a standalone.

I have a soft spot in my heart for stories that depict the rarely heard, if not u heard, women of classic literature. These women played an important role in the plot of the men’s story, yet their own stories go unheard.

Daughters of Bronze felt a bit heavy in a few parts; the story pacing began to drag, and my interest waned. The beauty of Daughters of Bronze is the depiction of the relationships the women have with one another and the family they built. It’s a great feminist novel for anyone who enjoys retelling and mythology.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel. The views expressed are my own.
Social Media reviews will post closer to publication.

A retelling of the Trojan War through the eyes of three different women. I did not realize this was the second book in a duology. Although it can be read as a stand alone, it would have helped me to have read the other book first. I found the pacing a bit slow and some chapters hard to get into. I particularly liked Rhea's storyline.

Daughters of Bronze, a book by two authors (and friends) who clearly are committed to telling the story of a sisterhood with clarity, sympathy, and empathy, focuses on the interactions and friendships among Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra. Although the men of the Iliad are also a seminal part of this tale, the strength of the book is the relationships of the four women and how they ended up in Troy. Occasionally, the cohesiveness of the writing is challenged by the point of view of having two authors, and yet, the reader is taken in by the strength of the women's connections.

Throughout the book, there are births, deaths, sanguinary battles, and deliberate killings of the aristocracy and royalty that target Patrocles. Achilles, Hector, Paris, and ultimately, Ajax. The dealing of women into the arms of these famous men, often as slaves for the rest of their lives, are not easy to comprehend. On the other hand, the romance of some of the women and the men they adore, even if, as in the case of Rhea and Ajax, they are from opposite sides of the warring factions, are strong and lovely.

The strongest, most emotional, and most compelling part of the book are how the women support each other. The four women commit to their sisterhood in order to save each other and their children and babies and relatives.

The men, on the other hand, fight with each other to death and extend this ugly war in order to show who is the best soldier and the most adamantine and driven fighter. The juxtaposition of women's solidarity and the men's more violent interactions are blatantly drawn and often frightening. At the same time, the interior and sensory descriptions of living quarters, including the kitchen, the privies, the laundry, and the nursery, in particular, of Scamandrius, are carefully drawn and add depth to the women's stories.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

"Anguish and Joy
Two strands spun so tightly they can never be undone"

Daughters of Bronze is the follow up novel to Horses of Fire, and continues the stories of the women behind the battle of Troy. We follow Andromache, wife of Prince Hector, Helen of Troy who was brought to Troy by Paris, sister of Hector and Paris, Cassandra and fictional character Rhea who acts as a spy for Troy. We see the battle for Troy through their eyes and all the joy, sorrow, grief and loss that only women can feel amongst each other. While the men fought on the battlefield, the women fought on the other side of the wall, making sure that their children would have a city once the war was over. This is a story of the power and bonds women form, even in the worst of times and how they persevere even when the possibility of losing everything stares them in the face.

I enjoyed following the stories of each woman, however at times I wished that it broken up into separate parts so that we could read each through for awhile. Changing narrative every chapter took me out of the story at times just as I was getting invested in a particular moment in time. The writing was beautiful and lush, but I struggled with pacing at times. I think that some parts were overly descriptive and I would find myself scanning the page until we moved on. I don't know that this book was served well by being over 500 pages.

Ultimately I enjoyed my time in Troy and felt all the sorrow, rage, and protectiveness that the characters felt. Helen and Adromache were my favorite POVs. I give this book 3.75/5

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publishers for the opportunity to review this eARC of Daughers of Bronze!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

To start, I haven’t read the first of this duology, but if you have any knowledge of Greek mythology, that shouldn’t stop you from understanding and appreciating this retelling! I liked the elements, and characters, that were added and felt that each woman portrayed was incredibly realistic and refreshing. Below are some of my thoughts:

The good stuff:

I appreciated that you could feel the difference in each POV shift. I feel oftentimes authors struggle with this, but I could usually tell who was talking if I missed the chapter title or put the book down for a bit and picked it back up. Helen’s POV was by far my favorite and I loved how real she felt. Andromache is also very good, a difficult character to get right for sure. I liked her and Hector’s relationship.

The language is beautiful. There were quite a few phrases that I tucked away and highlighted because I enjoyed them so much. The authors craft a beautiful world that’s easy to visualize.

Some critiques:

This is probably because I didn’t read the first book, but I had a hard time keeping track of many of the side characters. There weren’t a ton of descriptions given for each one so they got cross-eyed for me at times.

The plot is slow-moving at times. Some chapters took awhile to get through.

I wasn’t a fan of this portrayal of Cassandra, but that could be personal preference.

All-in-all, I am very thankful to have been given a chance to read this! I gave it 4 stars and would very much like to go back to read the first one.

I liked this book a lot. It reminded me of books like Circe. I would recommend this to others who like that type of book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great retelling! I really enjoyed Rhine’s storytelling style and I loved the characters that Rhine chose to focus on for this story. This retelling was exciting and engaging and I can’t wait to read more stories from Rhine.

I always find myself starting reviews about the Trojan war and mythology the same...gimme more and I'm biased as I love them 99% of the time.

I'm loving the new era of retelling stories we have all heard but from the feminine voices that haven't been highlighted well all this time.

If we have strong women now, there had to have been strong women then. Supporting their households and families and husband's while dealing with this never ending war. I love how this was told. Even knowing what I know of Troy, you want Andromache to win with all of her dealings behind the scenes. I love that this gave women more of a helping hand, it was just the heroes on either side and the gods who chose their kin or favorites...it was about the women who aided the war in their own ways using their own talents and intellect. Always going to be here for it.


That said 4 stars because I hadn't read the first book and even while reading this knowing I was missing info, nothing told me this was a 2nd book. If it can be read as a standalone I think filling in some back story instead of just referring to the things that happened in the first would've been helpful.


Because I was mad at first reading this and reading Helen was dead.

Wow. WOW WOW WOW. I was sent early access to this without having heard of it, and was a little hesitant because 1) I hadn’t read the first in the series and 2) I’ve read A LOT of these feminist-skewed Greek myth retellings, and lately they haven’t been packing the punch I craved. But THISSSSSS. I have so many thoughts, it really blew all of my expectations out of the water!

Did I plan to finish this in one sitting and be writing this review at 3am? No I did not. But I could NOT STOP. I have mixed feelings because I will admit that I didn’t enjoy Helen or Cassandra’s chapters much, and they were largely skimmed. But Andromache and Rhea’s chapters might be some of my favorite mythological retelling chapters I’ve ever read??? If I was rating this on those chapters alone, it’d be 5 stars. And honestly, with how happy I am with the book overall, I’m already DYING to reread and read EVERYTHING because now that I’m not anxious to know how it will all end, I think I’ll definitely enjoy the other two POVs more, and I can easily see myself changing my overall rating to a 5.

I’ve definitely read books with POVs from all of these women before, but none of them have given me insight behind Trojan lines like this one. Hector and Andromache are my FAMILY now oh my GOD. I’ve never connected with them as much as I did in this and I am IN LOVE w them. I was constantly sobbing over them. Just absolutely loved everything to do with them and it was sooo interesting and refreshing to see them captured in this way! Rhea’s chapters were also so so great, I LOVED her relationship with Hector and Andromache; and Ajax???? I don’t think I’ve read a story where he’s featured this heavily but I LOOOOVED them!! I loved how she was our insight into the Greek camp and her storyline was so satisfying.

I absolutely loved the ways the authors adapted from the more popular version of the myths and they really made this story their own! I’m very much looking forward to rereading this (will def be getting a physical copy) and also going back to read the first one too!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
The biggest reason for DNFing this title is that I found out it is the second book in a duology, even though it is not marketed as such. I believe it may not be marketed as such due to the possibility that this book could be read as a standalone, however, I found that it was hard to get into the story at all without having the background information.

First off, I only read the first two POVs, Rhea and Andromache, so I cannot speak on the characters in the story as well. But having four main POVs all in first person point of view can become very hard to track and differentiate between them.

Secondly, the first 50 pages referenced many many events that seemingly happened in book one, without explaining them very well, and ended up making me feel more confused by the setting and the history of the characters. If this book is not marketed as a second book, and has the option of reading it as a standalone, I would expect the author to give reader's more insight into past events, or only reference them if it is helping the reader understand.

Third is the accessibility of the story, which stems directly from point number two. I am not well versed in the history of Troy and the people that lived there. And therefore, without much help from the author in terms of past events, I felt like I did not belong. The writing style leant itself to nice description and did help me somewhat, but the plot was so heavy from the beginning I felt like I was diving right into a history textbook with no context. And perhaps that is the point, however, without much prior knowledge I felt like I was drowning in information with no way to process it.

Last is the amount of characters we were introduced to in the first 50 pages. I could not keep up with the people, and who they were.

All in all, I could not see myself being able to settle into the story without enough context to keep myself interested, and would have preferred as a reader to know there is a first part to this story already published that could help.

•Daughters of Bronze• The battle for Troy rages on in this sequel to Horse on Fire by A.D. Rhine. Andromache, Helen, Rhea, and Cassandra refuse to give up on the city, even when betrayal and treachery threaten everything they’ve worked towards. But as the story comes to an end and the daughters of Troy run out of options, they must choose which future to fight for.

The true tragedy on this book is knowing how it will end. Troy will fall. Heroes will die. Women will be ripped from their children, families will be separated. Hector and Andromache break my heart. But even knowing that end, you still read to see the lives of these characters unfold as they cling to hope and a future. To see the determination of Andromache, the conflict with Rhea, the hope in Helen, and the truth from Cassandra. Each brings a piece of the story, all working together: the Spindle, the Weaver, the Mouse, and the Hawk.

As with the first book, I loved the little twists on the classic myth of Troy: Paris as a villain rather than a star crossed lover. Cassandra as a traumatized seer rather than cursed by a Greek god. The fight between Achilles and Hector. The death of Achilles. The Trojan horse. In truth, this story is almost like the myth without the gods. Just humans making choices, good and terrible, no divine intervention.

Honestly, there was so much in this I loved. But there were moments that felt vague where I just wanted a little more. The appearance of the Amazons was a paragraph that I wish had been a longer; a true interaction with Andromache rather than a recounting. And the Achaeans’ infiltrating Troy simply happens, and more on this iteration of the “Trojan horse” would have added to the story. And this is a little thing, but they start calling Andromache’s son “Andrius” before Hector explains why he’s calling him Andrius instead of his full name.

This was a 4.5★ read for me (rounded up)! Lovers of Greek mythology, historical fiction, and tragic stories, this book is for you. Definitely read Horse of Fire before this one comes out in November!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

This was a nice revision of the Troy tale, I liked the writing and would like to read more by Rhine. I do wish I had known it was a sequel, I enjoy reading series in order and I also feel the setup wasn’t fully there at the start of this book due to being in the prior. Fortunately I am familiar enough with the origin story that I was able to get going.