Full disclosure: I was given a free eARC copy of this book by Dutton Marketing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Since I published my review of "The Shadow of Perseus" by Claire Heywood, I’ve read plenty of retellings of Greek mythology. I have always enjoyed that subject ever since I took a mythology class in high school. One of the things that we did was read parts of "The Iliad" by Homer – the epic story about the Trojan War. It was quite enlightening. A tale like that deserves plenty of retellings, including today’s subject "Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy" by A.D. Rhine (the pseudonym of authors Ashlee Cowles and Danielle Stinson). It’s a wonderful feminist take on the classic epic with its theatricality, understanding of Greek mythology, and the female characters that are brought to the forefront.

"Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy" follows four women in the midst of the Trojan War. Andromache the Amazon has proven herself to be a capable leader, but can she maintain that status now that she’s the mother to the city’s long-awaited heir? She must bring together a divided city in time to make a final stand. Rhea is a Trojan spy, but she never expected to find love behind enemy lines. When the final battle lines are drawn, she must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she’s willing to lose. Helen is no longer the broken woman Paris took to Troy. She must cast off her shroud of grief and use her healing gifts to save Troy’s greatest hope. Cassandra has seen Troy’s fate. However, she knows that the truth is only as valuable as the person who tells it, and only a few in Troy value her. All that is about to change. One hero will rise, and another will fall, and Cassandra will have her say. All four shed unexpected light on the legend of Troy.

This novel is actually the second book in the duology that began with 'Horses of Fire." I didn’t realize this while reading it, but one can still read it as a stand alone.

One of the things that stood out to me was its theatricality. It’s rightfully dramatic because the story is based on one of the most famous legends of all time. The stakes are high since it takes place during a war; therefore, the reactions and emotions are going to be heightened. For example, much of "The Iliad" and "Daughters of Bronze" lead up to the fight between Hector – Andromache’s husband – and Achilles. For those who have read both, Andromache has a perfectly reasonable reaction to Hector’s fate. It also paid tribute to the spirit of ancient Greek theatre not only with the heightened emotions, but also with the intent. The purpose of theatre in ancient Greek times was to show both sides of an issue. For instance, when Hector is looking to go and fight Achilles, Andromache tries to dissuade him since she has just as much of a say in what happens in Troy as much as the heir to the Trojan throne. He counteracts this with his own reasons.

Moreover, Cowles and Stinson have a great understanding of Greek mythology. They clearly did a lot of research while making this and "Horses of Fire" that they were able to infuse it naturally in the story. For example, there were moments, in which Cassandra was sitting in a bathtub while the characters were strategizing, and I immediately thought, “That’s not foreshadowing her demise. NO! Not all!”

Furthermore, the authors use their knowledge to explore certain underlying elements. Even though the gods don’t play a major role in the novel, many of the characters invoke them in a general sense since the Achaens believed in how they controlled fate. At the same time, many, especially Cassandra, are also aware that they have a say in their destinies.

And of course, I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t mention the characters in this book. The Iliad featured moments of character development from various women so much so that scholars have postulated that Homer was a woman. This carries over to Daughters of Bronze since the women are fantastically developed. Each has their own motivations. Andromache wants to prove her leadership now that she’s a mother. Rhea desires a sense of belonging while with Ajax. Helen strives to make it known that she has more strength than people realize, and Cassandra wants people to believe her visions. In addition, I love how they work with each other and how their relationships change during the course of the novel. While these characters were great, my favorite was Cassandra. She has a gift for seeing into the future, yet rarely anybody believes her. Luckily, our protagonists do even if it means death and destruction for Troy. Cassandra even provokes Andromache’s ire when she puts her son in danger.

"Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy" by A.D. Rhine is a wonderful retelling of The Iliad from a feminist perspective. I love how dramatic it is given the source material and how the authors understood Greek mythology. Most importantly, Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra are fantastically fleshed out characters, and I enjoyed seeing them interact with each other. It’s no surprise that it’s been getting rave reviews from various readers. I would recommend it for those who love Greek mythology, feminist versions of famous tales, and reading about the Trojan War and the legend of Troy. "Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy" will be out Tuesday, November 26, so go grab it wherever you get your books.

This is a female-focused retelling of the last year of the Trojan War. It’s told in four different POVs of women who had a direct effect on the battle. Andromache, the Amazon warrior wife to Hector, Helen, Paris’ wife/prisoner, Cassandra, Paris and Hector's sister, who has visions, and Rhea, a girl who lives with Hector and Andromache. I love the feminism that is woven into the story and how all the women look out for each other.

The character I connected with most is Andromache. The scene of her giving birth is so powerful. If you have ever given birth, that scene will resonate with you. Rhea is so great at being an informant for Andromache until she falls in love with the enemy. Her relationship with Ajax is very interesting. Cassandra’s POV confused me the most just because of her visions. I wasn’t a fan of her chapters. Helen is a unique character and her healer skills are amazing. In this retelling, she is portrayed as a victim and prisoner to Paris.

There were points in the story where I was confused, but that is because I am not super familiar with the Battle of Troy and all the warriors involved in it. The beginning seemed slower to me, but I sped through the end of the book. Wish I would have known this was a sequel to another book. However, it can be read as a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this eARC to review. All opinions are my own. This is available on November 26, 2024.

Read if you like:
👧 Strong female characters
🎭 Greek mythology and history
💔 Heavy emotions and heartbreak

A stunningly emotive and heart-wrenching retelling of the Trojan Wars, and a brilliant continuation of Rhines’ previous book. This book left me reeling in its wake, and is easily one of the most effective and touching retellings of the Trojan war I’ve come across. The focus on the women central to the story (that is, the women who have always been central to the story but cast aside) and Rhines’ dedication to telling the story with care, returning to these women the power owed to them, was nothing short of masterful.

Even those familiar with the Iliad will find something new within the pages of this book, more, perhaps, than they were looking for. I highly recommend, though be prepared to have your heart absolutely broken.

Daughters of Bronze by AD Rhine is a very good Trojan War retelling. Yes, this is another Greek mythology retelling and I've lost track of how many I've read this year - definitely more than ten! I really enjoy the ones that are done well and this one is! This is a multi-pov story, and that is sometimes problematic, but not here. I loved all the POVs and felt they were all relevant to the story. I loved Andromache and Rhea's stories. Even though, ultimately, you know how this story ends - I felt compelled to keep reading to find out the rest of the story.

Thank you to #netgalley and Penguin Group for my e-arc. This book releases Tuesday, November 26, 2024.

It’s been a while since we’ve taken on a retelling of the Trojan War in the review section of this blog, and for good reason: a handful of entries in that subgenre do little to transformatively retell Homer’s famous tale. Put simply, I’ve been disappointed. When Daughters of Bronze rolled into my purview, my expectations had been sufficiently suppressed to allow a good novel to surprise me.

The synopsis pitches the plot in a way that makes an effort to expand upon the set plot of the Iliad in a creative manner: the women of Troy seek to end the war through an intricate web of female informants working as healers and handmaidens throughout the Achaean camp. This is done outside the purview of the Trojan leadership, which often leads to tension and fear of being found out. Not only is the male-dominated society portrayed as stuck-in-their-ways about the “rules” of combat, but each individual leader thirsts for blood. The various proposed duels between the chosen champions of each side are presented as peaceable and diplomatic approaches in modern scholarship, but A. D. Rhine interprets them as spectacles. Though I don’t necessarily agree with the assessment, it’s certainly interesting to think about how leaders have portrayed war as a necessary evil but then would turn around and make it into a sporting event.

I don’t often look too deeply into the biographies of authors I cover on this website, but the two women using this pseudonym have tied their personal experiences into the plot in such a way that merits additional comment. Most of the writers who have tackled the mythological retelling have done so from the perspective of their appreciation of either history or mythology, but this pair draws on their shared upbringing in the world of military “brats,” as they put it. The parts of the novel that take place inside Troy focus on the lived experiences of those who have to watch their fathers, brothers, and husbands go out to fight without being able to have an impact on whether they will come home at night. What help they do provide must either be done in secret through the aforementioned web of espionage or through emotional support. It’s a perspective of war that has become more valuable to historians in recent years because of how few accounts have survived throughout the ages. Tracing particular female spies back to Greco-Roman times is difficult, but there are a handful of well-known cases from the American Civil War. It’s a lesser-discussed struggle that may be fabulized here but is real elsewhere.

In a way, this novel represents the familial, auxiliary life in a military community in an analogous way to what Daniel Mendelsohn’s perspective on paternal relations did for An Odyssey, but in a fictitious, parable-like format. The closest equivalent that comes to mind is Lisa Peterson’s “An Iliad” stage play, but even that was written in response to the Iraq War and not as a firsthand experience of the effects of combat on those in its periphery. Both authors utilize this shared experience, as well as their backgrounds in classical literature, to extract the most on an emotional level from this concept.

Because of the new system I have been using to source upcoming projects, I’ve found myself blindsided by a handful of novels that were secretly sequels, and I hadn’t done enough due diligence prior to receiving them to figure that out. Bad on me. To tell the truth, though, it hasn’t really backfired all that horribly except in this case. I was never truly lost while reading, but I struggled to understand the precise time book-wise this story took place in the Iliad in certain places. By the birth of Astyanax I felt I had a definitive anchor on the timeline. Still, I’d recommend reading the first book in the series, Horses of Fire, before continuing on to this sequel.

The one major complaint about this book I have is the constant switching back and forth between narrators. I’ve read books that change perspective before, but they all tend to have longer chapters and less than four narrators. Iain Pears’ An Instance of the Fingerpost, which I read last year and reviewed in my wrap-up, effectively wrote four novellas about the same set of circumstances but they were presented back-to-back rather than intertwined. Some of the chapters in Daughters of Bronze happen at the same time as others, while others happen consecutively, and I found myself flipping back to the chapter headings a handful of times to confirm that I was reading an account of the narrator I expected to. It was only a small nuisance, but enough to put a damper on the whole experience. All in all, this was a solid 1 star book, and I hope to see more from this author in the future.

I am not quite finished with this book, but Rhine’s writing really brings you into the story and you feel like you’re there in her pages. When I started reading by this book I didn’t realise that it was a sequel, while it did say you could read as a standalone, I had a hard time getting into the pages. I may go back and read the first book and then come back to re-read this novel. Thank you for giving me a chance to read in advance!

As an avid Greek history fan, I really enjoyed this novel! I didn't realize until the author's note that this was the second book in a duology, so now I want to go back and read Horses of Fire, too! Well-woven narrative with strong female emphasis, and I enjoyed the fresh takes on the Trojan mythologies throughout.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Daughters of Bronze by A. D. Rhine is a first person multi-POV historical retelling of the last year of the Trojan War. Rhea, a young woman taken in by Hector and Andromache, has been spying on the enemy camp and formed a relationship with Ajax the Greater in order to gain information. Andromache has given birth to her son and Cassandra makes it clear that they are all in danger. Meanwhile, Helen’s life is far from ideal but she has little option but to stay in Troy as Paris’ obsession with gaining power keeps them all on a path to destruction.

Daughters of Bronze treats the Trojan War as if it had actually happened, a source of contention, and rearranges bits and pieces as needed to match what we know of these cultures and peoples. The Greek pantheon exists as an idea among the Greeks but none of them are mentioned and they are not actual deities within the text. Everything that was the gods’ doing in the Iliad and the Odyssey is given an explanation that is a direct result of human activity, several of which are tied to the relationship between Ajax and Rhea.

The relationship between Helen and Paris was the one that shocked me the most because it’s not one made of love or even affection. It’s heavily implied that Paris kidnapped Helen to make her his wife but that he has neither been loyal nor kind to her. It’s never made totally clear why Helen doesn’t ask to go back home, but it’s most likely because she has grown close to his family, even assisting in the birth of Ancromache’s child, and she would be punished if she returned to her husband. Helen is trapped by her lack of agency despite being a queen and can only miss her daughter growing up as the Trojan War continues on.

My favorite POV character was Helen followed by Cassandra, ironically the two characters that got the least amount of page time. The story is more Rhea and Andromache’s, but I couldn’t help but feel drawn to these different iterations of the more well-known figures. Helen’s lack of love for Paris was really interesting while Cassandra’s planning took a turn I wasn’t expecting, as she’s actually believed at times but she’s still often dismissed. It was a very different take on Cassandra’s story than I’ve seen before and I probably would have read an entire book from her POV.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault and depictions of childbirth

I would recommend this to fans of Greek myth retellings that are more historical than fantastical and readers looking for a female-centered historical epic set in the Trojan War

📖: Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy- part of a Duology

✍️ By: A.D. Rhine-new to me author, I didn't read Horse of Fire, but was able to follow along fine

📃 Page Count: 504 eBook

🗓️ Publication Date: 11-26-24 | Read 11-22-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and A.D. Rhine for this ARC 🏹! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌎Setting: Troy

Genre: Women's Fic, Historical Fic, Romance

Tropes: Greek mythology retelling (The Iliad), female friendship, forbidden romance, friends to lovers, found family, palace intrigue, secret identity, slow burn romance

☝🏾POV: multiple, 1st person

⚠️TW: domestic abuse, threat of SA, war, murder, death of newborn

💭Summary: Four women navigate the fall of Troy. Andromache is a warrior and expectant mother married to Hector. Their servant Rhea spies on the enemy -The Achaeans- but falls in love. Helen is presumed dead but has a part to play, so she becomes a force of her own. Cassandra is a prophet, but no one heeds her visions until it's too late.


🚺Heroine: Andromache-a warrior and leader of men, counsels Hector on war

🚺Heroine: Rhea- a Trojan spy in the enemy camp. She falls for the enemy and must choose between loyalty and love

🚺Heroine: Helen was brought to Troy as a captive, beaten and hated, but she becomes a healer.

🚺Heroine: Cassandra has visions of the future that can keep her family alive

🎭Side cast:

• Hector-Andromache's husband, Prince of Troy

• Ajax-an Achaean warrior, befriends Rhea

• King Priam-Hector and Paris' father

•Queen Hecuba-Hector, Paris, and Cassandra's mother

• Paris -Hector's brother, Helen's husband

• Cyrrian-loyal to Hector and Rhea

🤔My Thoughts: I loved this female focused Greek mythology retelling. The scene that got me was Andromache giving birth. I felt like I was there and just wanted her suffering to end. I felt the agony when Andromache saw Hector after his demise, and the misery Cassandra's sister Creusa experienced. The" invisible women" Ven, Briseis, Bodecca, and Isola (to name a few) guide the women through motherhood, illness, and espionage. It was a trauma filled ending, but the women controlled their fate.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 0/5
😭: Emotion 5/5
❤️: Couple 5/5
⭐️: Rating 5/5

Goodness gracious. WHAT A RIDE. Daughters of Bronze is a heartbreakingly beautiful ending to Horses of Fire and I just wanna give all the girlies a hug. This story showed every thing magical about being a woman. The pain, the ferocity, the beauty, the perseverance in a cruel world. Helen, Andromache, and Rhea were complex, strong, and glorious.

I gobbled up Horses of Fire so I was scared that Daughters of Bronze wouldn’t hold up…but man did it EVER!!

If you love…

🏛️Strong female characters
🏛️Greek retellings
🏛️Multiple POVs
🏛️War-focused plot
🏛️Yelling “RAHHHH”
🏛️Badass women doing badass things

THIS DUOLOGY IS FOR YOU!!!

I need physical copies STAT!!!

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book in this series, but I decided to give this one a shot anyways. While I do usually enjoy feminist retellings of Greek myths, this one fell flat. I feel as though it was a bit too long in some areas and dense in others. However, I loved Cassandra's chapters, but I might be biased because Cassandra is my favorite woman in the Trojan War saga.

Daughters of Bronze is the second book in A.D. Rhine's Novels of Troy duology, which follows four women - Andromache, Helen, Rhea, and Cassandra - through the conclusion of the Trojan War.

Rhine takes a number of well-known mythological characters (as well as some new faces) and crafts such a beautiful story about love, loyalty, and doing whatever it takes to survive. While she doesn't change the outcome of this beloved tale, she does alter some of the details to offer alternate points of view and makes the reader question whether the original telling was entirely true. After all - history is written by the victor.

One of my favorite parts of the second book was seeing Rhea blossom into her own person as she continues to spend time as a spy in the Trojan camp. Her arc carries her through some difficult decisions, including having to choose between her loyalty to Hector, Andromache, and Troy versus the feelings she develops for a certain notorious Trojan soldier.

If you love a good mythology retelling with strong female characters, this duology is definitely for you.

Read if you like:
Greek mythology
Duology
Multi-POV
Strong FMCs
Forbidden love

I DNF this book. It has everything to do with me and nothing to do with this beautifully written book. I read about 30% of Daughter of Bronze but I’ve been struggling to keep going. My plan is to listen to the audiobook (hopefully) or try again later.

This was a stunning well written epic! This read so well and so captivating. Hooked from the moment it opens to the moment it ended. Stunning.

Let just start with this: Daughters of Bronze was everything I want in a Trojan War retelling. It definitely reminded me why I love retellings as a genre.

This book doubles down on the grit, tragedy, and resilience of women caught up in a brutal war. It really nails how these women wielded power in their own ways that fit with their characters.

Adding Cassandra’s perspective was absolutley a good idea. I always love to read books with her as a character or an inspo—she's layered, tragic, and powerful in her own quiet way. Her backstory, especially dealing with trauma and silence, I think hits close to home for a lot of women. And then there’s Helen, who’s usually typecast as “the beautiful one". I was really glad to see her written as so much more in this one and the first one. Her compassion and inner strength really stood out, and by the end, I was fully on Team Helen.

Andromache’s growth into motherhood without losing herself was also so refreshing. She’s still the strong, proud woman we met in Horses of Fire, but with a new layer of compassion and understanding. Her relationship with Hector was also super well done, and when their inevitable showdown with Achilles arrived....

And Rhea! Her softening toward the Achaeans, especially with Ajax, added this surprising tenderness to the story. I'm not gonna spoil the ending but.... it was rough. In a good way.

While the ending did feel a bit rushed, it didn’t take away from the story’s impact. Rhine does an incredible job bringing us into the lives of these iconic women, showing that even amid the grief and destruction, there’s resilience, love, and strength. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves mythological retellings or historical fiction that puts women’s stories front and center. Highly recommend!

I would just like to say that even though I will not be finishing this book at this time, I do think it is wonderfully written and descriptive for the women of the Trojan War. As someone who studied Latin and ancient history/mythology, the details in this book were incredible. It made me feel like I was reading The Song of Achilles or A Thousand Ships, which are two of my favorite books. It is in no way related to the author or the writing that I will not be able to finish this book at this time, but because I have vasovagal syncope and this book has been triggering for me. I do plan on taking it in slowly and hope to finish it one day, it just won't be by the publication date. I do appreciate Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.5 stars

Daughters of Bronze continues the story of Andromache, Helen, Cassandra and Rhea, from the first book, Horses of Fire. We continue to see these women struggle, sacrifice, fight and love as the story of the Trojan War continues.

Each of these women must face their own fears, and at the same time learn how to work and stand together to protect those they love and themselves. Andromache grows as a character in this book, as she becomes a mother. She fights to keep Hector and Andrius safe, but also knows when she needs to adapt and accept when she needs to take a different path, even though it is so hard for her to bear. Helen comes into her own, as she gets out from under the thumb of Paris and becomes a trusted friend to Andromache and healer to the people of Troy. Rhea’s love story with Ajax was heart-breaking, because as their love for one another grows, you know that the two cannot have a future together. Cassandra is finally able to face her abuser and stand on her own, without the protection of the Child, the Crone and the Wraith.

Even though the book’s main focus is on these four women, the writing really keeps you invested in other characters in the story, such as the other women working in the Achaean camps and the young boys from Troy who went out to fight one final time with Hector. Rhine’s writing is powerful in showing how this long drawn-out war destroyed the lives of so many, and the toll it took on men and women, old and young, and peasants and royals.

I felt like the story also gave us justice for the traitors working against Troy, as Paris’ plot is finally revealed and we find out who he has been working with all along. The plotting of these men leads to so much tragedy, and the way Rhine brings their characters to an end was satisfying to the storyline.

If you are looking for a book with strong female characters, historical fiction, and an epic mythological retelling, then I would definitely recommend both books in this duology, Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze.

This book takes a unique angle on the Trojan War by focusing on the women of Troy, but it’s not the easiest read. If you don’t already know your Greek mythology or realize it’s the second book in a series, it’s easy to feel lost. The pacing is slow, but it’s meant to dig deep into the story and characters. Cassandra’s chapters were a highlight, but overall, it’s probably best for mythology buffs or readers who’ve read the first book.

This book is a story of the Trojan war that is told from the perspective of the women of Troy who were keeping things running and acting as a sort of spy ring, while the war was being fought.

This book made me feel like I overestimated my knowledge of Greek myth given I usually really enjoy retellings. I do feel like the pacing was slower than I typically like, but likely necessary to give the full depth/breadth of information given.

I did really enjoy Cassandra's chapters, which isn't surprising because I felt I knew her story the best of all the women depicted in this retelling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Dutton for the eARC of this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for Daughters of Bronze by A.D. Rhine!

The first book was good, but this was even better! I've read a LOT of books surrounding the Trojan War but this felt so new to me. I was starting to get to the point where a lot of the retellings blend together. But, the addition of Rhea's character added a new element. I loved the focus on the horses and how they brought Hector and Rhea together. I loved that Rhea started as Hector's but ended as a crucial part of their family, almost a daughter.

I actually loved this portrayal of Paris because it's more in line with how I always assumed he would have been. The dichotomy between the brothers was striking. I liked that there was original the same kind of stark difference between Andromache and Helen, but they ended up being more similar than they thought.

This book was absolutely brutal. I actively tried not to get too attached to the characters because I know the direction the war goes. But, I couldn't escape it. Andromache, Hector, and Rhea draw you in. And then eventually you start to fall for Helen and Cassandra and Ajax. Even the less prominent characters (Larion, Bodeca, the master of keys, Salama, Ven, Andromache's generals) were so well-written. There was not a single forgettable character between book 1 and book 2.

I did originally hate when they brought Ajax in as a character. I saw where it was going and it felt like a betrayal to Rhea's character and devotion at first. As the plot progressed, I started to see the importance of it and grew to really like them. The way Ajax showed up for Rhea at the end made me ugly cry.

I also think this was my favorite ending to a trojan war retelling. As I got closer to the end, I was just waiting to have the floor fall out beneath me. But, it never happened. The authors left enough open to interpretation, but it still felt complete. Their scheming didn't work 100% but it accomplished at least one crucial thing. And there was enough hope in the last few chapters that you didn't leave feeling heartbroken for every character. I gave this 5 stars and I will read anything by A.D. Rhine! Definitely top 3 greek mythology retellings for me (maybe higher)!