Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy Book Review

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.

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