Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this book.

Pat Barker takes us to Troy, or at least the beach outside Troy. The Greeks have won, but they're stuck, waiting for the wind to change. For the Trojan women who are now slaves it's a grief filled, frightening, dangerous time. Briseis is pregnant with Achilles' child, married and no longer a slave, but still needs to support and protect the Trojan women around her.

The Greek army is frustrated, and getting harder to control.

Barker puts so much flesh on the bones of the old stories that we vaguely know. She gives us a living army; real, desperate women; real jeopardy. She's very much at home in army camps.

Briseis is a survivor. She doesn't always like herself for what she does, she questions and reflects, but she's such a strong character, and her predicament is meticulously depicted.

I was a fan of Barker's before, am an even bigger fan now. I loved this book, and its predecessor.

Real rating: 3.5 stars

The Women of Troy is a haunting and emotional tale, and it begins with the famed wooden horse that leads to the downfall of Troy, five months after the events of The Silence of the Girls.

Briseis, now married to Alcimus, is a free woman, respected as a wife - and bearer of Achille’s son. Although she is not the detached, frightened girl she once was, Briseis feels a sense of responsibility towards the other women now that's she's not a slave anymore. Although it begins due to some sort of survivor's guilt, she finds a sense of camaraderie and perhaps even purpose with them.

One of this book's biggest flaws, as it was with the prequel as well, is that despite supposedly being the story told from the women's perspective, it also lets us see some scenes from the men's perspective. In the prequel, Achilles. Now, Pyrrhus and even Calchas once or twice.

With that being said, I actually enjoyed Pyrrhus chapters quite a lot. To the women, he's a monster, a butcher like his father. In his own head, we can see that Pyrrhus wishes he wasn't there at all, he's never had a choice but to walk in his father's shoes, and what a pointless attempt it is to try and be anything like the great Achilles? He is drowning in expectations, detached from reality, spiraling... There are always two sides to a story and that is essentially the purpose of this retelling.

Once again Pat Barker's writing style is beautifully evocative; it paints such a clear picture of what is happening, with a bit of a lyrical quality to it as well.

Plotwise, there's not much to remark upon as this is a retelling, and therefore fairly predictable. Still, it was a bit slow, I was expecting a bit more towards the end. Plus, it ended was rather abruptly and it was too nonchalant.

Overall, The Women of Troy is an engrossing, interesting read and I enjoyed it. I recommend it to all fans of Greek mythology.

This is a sequel to The Silence of the Girls, but it did not grip me quite as much. It starts strongly with the soldiers stifled inside the Trojan horse, and continues the story of Briseis who is married to Alcimus after Achilles died and who is carrying his child. She tries to help and advise the other women in the camp as they wait for a wind to take them home. Many names from Greek legend are brought to life in this story - Cassandra, Helen, Hecuba etc.

I really struggled to get on with this book. I love Pat Barker and usually really enjoy her diverse range of modern and historial fiction, but this one wasn't for me.

Having done a classics degree and now working not in classics, I read anything classical I can get my hands on! I really enjoyed this book, it really did feel like a female retelling of the Iliad and beyond. The mood was sombre and heavy enough to reflect the weight of the war, but I felt like i got to know Briseis like a friend. I enjoyed reading this and enjoyed the opportunity to read an ARC!

This was an absorbing historical fiction story, about the female survivors of the sacking of Troy. Very well written, giving a clear picture of the plight of the women, following the war. They were the victims in more ways than one..

Following Bresis after the war, her story continues, I could not wait for this book, the sequel to The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. A gripping and exciting read for all.

This novel is a lyrical story defined by aftermath.
The war is over, but the story is not.

Barker is one of the only authors writing that could successfully bring the ancient world and the squalor of the army camps to life. Her writing is atmospheric, yet the pace is subdued to allow you to linger in each moment with the characters. I feel that the liminal space the characters occupy now the battle is over is the perfect setting for a sequel to The Silence of the Girls. They are trapped, unable to return home due to the actions of men, so they are surrounded by echoes of war.

We follow the living, as they remember the women of Troy lost to war and those taken since. The quiet rebellion of these women that private the novel is painfully real. These women are selfish, emotional, violent, relying on their wits alone to survive. The male characters are equally well developed. And while the novel does open with a glimpse into the mind of Pyrrhus, the narrative of the women is never overshadowed.

As we follow Briseis through the encampment that houses the women of Troy, Baker details the danger of womanhood in wartime, and the weaponry -almost security of pregnancy. Briseis is no longer a slave, still, she is powerless compared to the men around her.

While I will always be a fan of any novel detailing Greek mythology, I loved this novel. Briseis is the ideal protagonist, her story is the story of Troy and as she visits other women like Helen, Cassandra and Hecuba we get a glimpse into the wider world Baker is building.

I would recommend this novel to anyone that’s liked Bakers' previous works, and those looking for a more mature version of Madeline Miller'ss Retellings of Greek Myths and Legends.

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚.

With thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

What a gift. From the Regeneration and Life Class trilogies, to her stand alone novels, it never ceases to amaze me at just how adept a story crafter Barker is.
Moving but accessible.
Though not quite as compelling or viscerally emotive as Silence of the Girls, Women of Troy is another masterclass in methods by which a narrative can envelop and detain its reader. I can't necessarily even comment on a stand out characterisation methodology put in place to woo and wow the reader when considering the women of Troy; nor can I place my finger on a set of particular 'stand out' moments that really tugged the narrative into an elevated state of contemporary fiction. What I can say though, is that this is a novel which consistently provides for its reader. The provision of a group of women truthfully, pragmatically and fiercely fighting for their place in a world that they have no belonging to. It is that deep seated fierceness which Barker tethers from Silence of the Girls, to the Women of Troy, that at times makes this new offering breathtaking. Believable, three dimensional, ensemble characters are the lifeblood here. And with a depth nuanced with respect for their collective womanhood, a feminist streak that flashes forcefully through each chapter told and brilliant moments of wit that soften even the harshest of blows these women encounter.

Barker once again seeps a story of a time dissimilar from anything her reader may recognise in a realness that means we connect and fully invest in the journey of the women of Troy. Perhaps it lacks the comparative rawness Silence of the Girls, or Regeneration build from, making them a class apart, but this is great in its own way. From beginning to end it is real, honest and just a blimmin' great read.

#TheWomenofTroy #NetGalley #PatBarker

What an amazing read - well paced, exciting, thoughtful writing - perfect Pat Barker. I thoroughly enjoyed this .

This book is not entirely what I expected, but it is good. It follows the story and experience of Briseis some years after the fall of Troy. The characters are well rounded, and much like other books in the new feminist classical retelling genre, it focuses on the experience of all female characters. However, I feel the male character are well incorporated and played off of. It’s a good read for sure.

Pat Barker's follow-up novel about the Trojan War – the defeated women. Very good

Following The Silence of the Girls, this novel deals with the aftermath of the Greeks winning the Trojan War and the fate of the women that they capture. Told through the eyes of Briseis, now married to Achilles's friend and pregnant with Achilles's child, this story relates how the Trojan women are treated and how they react. All the main characters from the Iliad feature here, not always in a positive light. The story is nicely put together and engaging while the characters are fully developed in many cases. It's worth reading the Silence of the Girls first but this works as stand-alone as well. Very enjoyable – and I feel that there may well be a third book to come. I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I did not like Women Of Troy as much as I loved The Silence Of The Girls, but that is not to say it wasn’t enjoyable to read. I simply feel that it did not hold the power that The Silence Of The Girls held.

Women Of Troy picks up where The Silence Of The Girls left off, with the Greeks victorious, and the men of Troy dead. Briseis remains our main narrator, leading us through the tensions, conflicts, and alliances of the camp, and through her story, we see the violence that the women of Troy endure.

Pat Barker’s writing is always impressive, however there was a noticeable change in style, which I found less enjoyable - there was far more grotesque language than I was expecting, and I found a level of disconnect with all of the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed reading, and would recommend, but Women Of Troy is not on the same level as The Silence Of The Girls.

Like many, I was enthralled by The Silence of the Girls and so I was very excited to hear Pat Barker was returning with a sequel. Opening with the soldiers waiting within the Trojan Horse ready to invade, the story throws us straight into the war. Pyrrhus, feeling the pressure of Achilles’ legacy, leads the narrative as he battles soldiers and later King Priam. In their victory, the Greeks divvy up the treasure, the weapons, and the women.

The Women of Troy then continues the story of Briseis back at the camp. Now carrying the child of Achilles, she is a woman of status which pulls her further away from the other enslaved women. Still trying to do the best she can to look after them and connect them, she brings out the emotional and physical strength of the women doing their best to endure and to survive. Amongst the rape and brutality, the women supported each other with kindness, even Helen who was hated the most.

Personally, I didn’t enjoy this as much as The Silence of the Girls as I didn’t think the storyline was quite as strong, feeling a bit slow and futile. However, the characterisation was terrific. I particularly loved Amina and her defiance. No one could stop her from doing what she thought was right, and although arguably naive, it was great to see her stand her ground despite all consequences. Still seeming relevant in today’s society, this book was just as powerful, and, if there if is a third book in this series, I will look forward to reading it.

Thank you Penguin for my NetGalley copy!

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

The stench,claustrophobia,fear, just some of the thoughts and sensations that might have gone through the minds of those Greek soldiers inside the Wooden Horse,waiting to be unleashed on Troy. This sets the scene for a main feature of this book; atmosphere.
This is a second book which follows on from The Silence of the Girls, now detailing the aftermath of the destruction of Troy, during which inclement weather prevents the triumphant Greeks from returning home. Greek life, the food, the feasting, the wine and the Games both physical and psychological. The immediacy of the story is enhanced by the vivid description of the place and the use of modern,visceral language. The realism and believability comes from the voices of the Women of the title, who elevate the story from male dominated legend, to include the resultant consequences for those present at the time.

I felt a challenge, having not read the previous book first;rather like a Shakespeare play, trying to remember who is who. That aside,I am left almost feeling that I was on that beach,sheltering from the battering wind, soaked and waiting to go home.

I adore Pat Barker, having first come across her writing with the Regeneration series. She has delivered another incredible novel, that will appeal to anyone who loves Greek mythological retellings. Lyrical, captivating and unputdownable.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of The Women of Troy in exchange for an honest review.

If possible I thought this was better than the first novel in the series. It picks up after the horse went into Troy, and we pick up with Breiseis following what happened to her after Achilles’s death.

Much better pacing than the silence of the girls, and also there was more of a female perspective as I found the first one to focus too much on Achilles.

Really enjoyable

It was a pleasant surprise finding out that Pat Barker had written a sequel to her story following Briseis, prize of Achilles. Needless to say I accepted a copy immediately and I'm happy that I did. Though to my knowledge there is no hinting at a third child from that fabled hero it makes sense that this may have come to pass so I was intrigued right from the outset. Of course it is the women here that take the stage and in most cases steal the show too.
The author uses her narrator only once to tell us the fate of these familiar characters (in that case it is the King of Troy's widow, Hecuba) but I loved how cleverly the seeds were sown anyway to put them on their legendary paths- Cassandra boarding a ship to meet doomed Agamemnon's wife, Helenus being welcomed into the tent of Pyrrus and of course at the heart of it all the wind that finally raises to send Odysseus back to his Penelope.

Well what happened after the Horse 🐎got into Troy, after the battle. Well the women were held in a hut can't think of a nicer way to put it, if they weren't married they were slaves even former Queens. So if you were married and had Achilles baby in your womb then you were in a good place as a woman. But that isn't by modern standards obviously far from it plus no NHS or health care plan just herbs and hope a scary time to live whatever your gender but feel the men had it a lot easier apart from the battle fields that could go either way.

This is a tale of survival and strength, trapped by the wind the Greeks can't get home after their incredible victory and things are beginning to turn, the joy of victory being replaced with frustration and all that goes with it. The ladies are in a worse state not really knowing what the future holds having to stick together or risk everything.

The characters are so believable for the time in my limited knowledge and the battle of the ladies is still played out today just now they have more rights. The mind games are rich and plenty among the women and ladies (all ladies really just some titled others not) also their having to juggle the mens appetites their lives are not envious in anyway. The Story moves at a good pace and there is a lot to get your teeth into the ending is sharp but works really well 😀as does the whole book in my view.

It's definitely worth reading and I hope you enjoy it as I did and I feel its definitely worthy of its 5 stars I'm happy to give it.

While I must admit I preferred 'The Silence of the Girls', this book is still a fantastic, feminist subversion of Greek myth. It is powerful, engrossing, and a rich illustration of a lost world and eternal characters. Its encapsulation of the fragility of masculinity is scathing and word-perfect. And, in true Pat Barker style, this book's portrayal of the brutality, futility and devastation of war is searing.