Following on immediately from the acclaimed 'Silence of the Girls,' comes Pat Barker's 'The Women of Troy.' In this retelling of the Greek Myth, Barker depicts the fall of Troy and the time following this that the Greek fighters, along with their plunder (women and jewels), remain stranded on the beaches, waiting for the wind to drop.

Keeping to the same format as her previous novel, Barker tells the story from Briseis, Calchas and Pyrrhus' perspectives. She makes the two dimensional hero's of the myths far more complicated motivations for their actions, and makes sure that the women's voices are heard.

Whilst I absolutely loved the 'Silence of the Girls' I was less enamoured with 'The Women of Troy.' This was partly because Barker chose to repeat many aspects of the first story as a recap for new readers, which felt very repetitive. It was also because I felt that keeping Briseis as one of the main narrators was flawed. In comparison Pyrrhus's and Calchas's sections, her narrative felt very flat, which was odd given that Barker's aim was to bring out the stories of the women much more. I was left wondering how much more stunning this novel could have been, if told from Amina, Hecuba and Cassandra's perspectives, rather through Briseis sense of their experiences.

I have to say, this is the first time I've read anything by Pat Barker, so didn't realise that this book was a sequel to The Silence of the Girls until a colleague at work told me. I didn't read the first and feel you could easily read this as a standalone.
This is a re-telling of the aftermath of the Trojan war and told from the perspective of Briseis - who was once the war prize of Achilles.
This is a well written, evocative story of the survival of the women who endured after seeing all they knew and loved destroyed, and are now kept as slaves to the Greek men.
I did enjoy this and will probably read The Silence of the Girls at some point. Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC

Following the brilliant “silence of the girls”, the author keeps the story going of the fallen city of Troy, and the women who have lost everything , while their captors wait to return home. As readers we miss the magical presence that is the dead Achilles, but his story lives on, not least in his legacy of brutal strength, but also humanity.. The Trojan women have lost their homes and their men, and no Trojan man can survive, be it man or child. The gods must be appeased if things go wrong, and threat of life is ever present for the women themselves. As a reader I was thrilled to be able to pick up this wonderful and famous mythology.

The Silence of the Girls was one of my stand out books from the last decade, a book which made me reevaluate my girlish and unthinking crush on Achilles (A level classics), a masterclass in how historical fiction can be timely and resonant, with its themes of sexual slavery, violence and survival all too pertinent today all over the world; which made me both eager for and hesitant about a sequel, not wanting the brilliance of the original to be diluted if the sequel didn't live up to expectations. Of course, this is Pat Barker and so I should have known better than to worry.

The Women of Troy (mostly) picks up the story after the fall of Troy, when the winds keep the victors prisoner on the beaches with their spoils, unable to sail home after the ten long years of war, resentments burning deep. Menelaus has taken his wife back to the disgust - and envy - of all those who gave so much to avenge her adultery, Agamemnon marries the Trojan princess, Cassandra, despite her dire predictions of the fate that awaits them both, and Achilles son, Pyrrhus, sixteen with everything still to prove, not least to himself, perpetually in his dead father's shadow, takes Andromache, Hector's widow, as his prize, her father in law and baby son's blood on his hands. her husband's on his father's.

The men of Troy are nearly all dead, a priest and a disgraced son the only exceptions. Every male child was killed, every pregnant woman slaughtered. The women, no matter their former status, are now slaves and prizes and in the Myrmidon camp, princesses and former slaves wait together in the women's hut to be taken away from their burnt city for a life of indenture in faraway lands. Watching over these new slaves and living spoils of war is Briseis, now a wife to one of Achilles generals and carrying Achilles child. She knows what it feels like to lie in the bed of the man who slaughtered your family, she knows what it means to choose to survive and she will do everything she can to help these women do the same. Meanwhile unnatural winds continue to hold the Greeks prisoner, and questions are asked. What have they done to offend the gods and what - and whose - sacrifice will allow them to sail away?

Taut, gripping, wearing its scholarship lightly, The Women of Troy once more puts the women at the heart of this story of war and revenge. Highly recommended.

This is the sequel to Pat Barker’s “The Silence of the Girls” and it picks up where its predecessor finished. For those who love these books, the good news is that, given what happens here and what doesn’t happen here, there must be more to come.

We begin in the Trojan Horse with soldiers crammed in together worrying about whether they will be discovered and massacred or will remain hidden and successfully open the city gates to allow the army in. We know what will happen.

What follows is Pat Barker’s re-imagining of the story of the Greek army stranded on the beach unable to return home. As with the preceding novel, the main narrator is Briseis, but we also spend time with Pyrrhus (Achilles’ son) and Calchas, the priest. The whole novel, especially the first half, is filled with a sense of waiting - this is almost a dead time in the ancient story when nothing can happen: Troy has fallen but the army is stranded by a supernatural wind. What this means is that Barker can focus on the politics, the games that people in power play, the fight for survival for those less fortunate (especially the women). It’s a quieter book than its predecessor, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In The Silence of the Girls, I wasn’t sure about the occasional chapters that skipped away from Briseis as narrator and moved to one of the men. In reality, this was the only way Barker could tell the story because there are parts of it that Briseis simply could not have known about. Here, the mix of narrative viewpoints feels a lot more balanced. The focus is still Briseis and the story of the women, but the inclusion of Calchas and Pyrrhus feels more natural to me.

I am by no means an expert on these stories. In fact, I barely really know the basic details other than what I have pieced together from the many re-tellings that have been published over the last few years. However, even to me, it is clear that Barker is not opting for a simple re-telling. I’m pretty sure the story of Antigone gets re-told here, for example, with different characters. And a key plot point is taken from Priam’s visit to Achilles as related in some detail in The Silence of the Girls. Here, I did go back and re-read that section of the first book and Barker has clearly thought about these two books (and the one to follow) together and laid the foundations in the first.

In the first half of this book, I found myself struggling to get engaged properly. I wasn’t sure if it was due to my lack of knowledge of the original or just that the book takes a while to get going. But the second half of this book is, for me, a lot stronger. It’s not simply that there is more drama/action in the second half, but more that it felt to me as though the book found its purpose.

As the book draws to a close, it is clear that the story is not done. To me, it feels like there has to be a third book. And it also feels like the best approach would be to read all three together as one long book. This book could be read standalone, I think, especially if the reader had a working knowledge of the original story. But I think it works far better read in conjunction with its predecessor.

My thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley.

I loved The Silence of the Girls and this continues the story. Although it’s not an entirely female point of view, the reader is shown the world the women live in and how little they count for, no matter how big their actions are. As always from Barker, fantastic lyrical writing.

Follow up to The Silence of the Girls.

Barker takes up where she left off with the Greeks getting into Troy under cover of the Trojan horse. Vivid descriptions of the violence surrounding the fall of Troy then lead into the aftermath of the Greek victory, told from the viewpoint of Briseis, the heroine of The Silence of the Girls. Briseis, now Achilles' widow and pregnant with his child, is married to Alcimus, one of Achilles' closest friends.

The Greeks are stuck in their beach encampment as the wind refuses to turn in a direction that will allow them to sail away from Troy. Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, is struggling to maintain any authority over the Greek fighters and the women captured from Troy, while tortured by his part in the victory.

A great retelling of the story from a woman's viewpoint. Loved it.

Pat Barkers’ remarkable followup to her bestselling ‘The Silence of The Girls’ is truly a masterfully written and powerfully poignant look at the aftermath of war from the POV of the unrecognised,historically silenced (and primarily female) victims.

Troy has fallen, the Greeks have won their decades long war. Finally being able to return home with their spoils (in gold and in women), wind in their sails—except the wind doesn’t arrive, for the Gods are offended. The former King Priam’s remains still lies unburied, desecrated.

Restlessness starts take hold, as the victors—unable to return home, are trapped in the haunting ruins of city they destroyed. Hierarchies and alliances start to unravel and old feuds (and new) begin to fester.

Briseis, left (rather unnoticed )in the Greek Camp, has begun to make alliances of her own, with naive Amina, defiant Trojan Queen Hecuba and disgraced Priest Calchus in the hopes to secure vengeance on their captors. But safety isn’t guaranteed just yet, for peacetime can be just as dangerous as War.

An exceptionally riveting sequel, I really enjoyed it and dare I say more than it’s predecessor, it’s told in first person by Briseis as was the case in The Silence of The Girls, but we also get a (third person) glimpse into the lives of the men, through Calchus and Pyrrhus (son of Achilles)

I did feel there was less action here than in Barkers’ previous book, though the narrative is still firmly focused on the women and the grief of their loss (not just their freedom but also the lives of their families). I was absolutely captivated by the heart-breaking, humanness of it all.

Briseis was an incredibly well written character and her strength was particularly empowering,seeing her try to comfort these women in the face of their grief was incredibly moving. But I’d say the echoes of war and the ghosts of the dead play a huge role in the narrative, especially for Pyrrhus living in the shadows of his dead father and Agamemnon, whose fear of Achilles still haunts him.

I’d also thought I’d say though there is violence in this,there’s not nearly as much violence as In The Silence of the Girls and I enjoyed this one more for it. I’d definitely Recommend to fans of Madeline Miller and Jennifer Saint, Greek mythology or historical retellings.

Also a huge thank you to Penguin/Hamish Hamilton and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Another brilliant book following on from The Silence of the Girls. The research is excellent and the reader feels immersed in the aftermath of the Trojan War. The beginning is captivating as we creep secretly into Troy!
It is easy to identify with the main characters and the situation described on the beach beyond Troy is believably dreadful. The reader is drawn into the brutal life of the Greeks and the atrocities during and following the war feel very real, including the lot of women, even those of high rank, at this time.
I loved it.

I loved the continuation of the characters from Barker's previous novel The Silence of the Girls, and how this allows her to get further inside the thoughts and behaviours of the people we have previously met and seen in action.

The book explores the period of time after the Trojan War was won but before the victors could return home due to strong and supernatural winds that keep them on the island. This really interesting as not much can happen in a time of suspension, but this leaves so much room to explore motivations, reactions and character that makes the book a pleasure to read.

Seeing the story again from Briseis' view allows us to explore the forgotten and the ignored in the women whose families had been murdered who were expected to serve new masters, but it also explores some of the men - Calchas the out-of-favour priest, Pyrrhus the boy who feels he can never live up to his dead father's expectations, and the graciousness and wisdom of some of the older men.

This is a really involving read and one of the best bits is when Briseis seems to say that she lived into her 50s to see so much more - let's hope we get to hear about her next adventures very soon.

Thanks to Hamish Hamilton & Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

When beginning to read The Women Of Troy I had high expectations, sadly my expectations were not lived up to. The book was interesting enough that I was able to get through it without it becoming a DNF, but only just so. Maybe it's because I haven't read silence of the girls but I believe the authors writing & retelling style just was not for me. If you are intrigued by the book read it, I think the book just wasn't for me.

The writing was wonderful and intriguing, but I couldn't fall into this the same way I did with The Silence of the Girls! I think I'll give it another go another time, but something just wasn't clicking with the characters for me. I have no doubt when I give it another go later, I'll love it.

I'm finding this book very difficult to review. I loved Pat Barkers Regeneration trilogy and have enjoyed several of her later books as well. I haven't read Silence of The Girls of which I believe this is the sequel and I also like reading English translations of ancient Greek books like The Iliad.
Unfortunately I found the stylised writing of The Women of Troy rather unnatural and irritating and the dialogue unconvincing. I've seen some of the 4 star reviews and come to the conclusion that the fault must be mine rather than the novel's. Maybe I should have read Silence of the Girls first.

Really good read and from the women of Troy s viewpoint. It’s usually the story of the war and the men that we hear about, but this was a different take on it and throughly enjoyed it. Says it all when you complete a book in 3 days. Thanks for giving me the chance to read this.

I loved Pat Barkers First book on Troy, The Silence of the Girls, so I couldn’t wait to read this. It continues to follow Briseis after the destruction of Troy, as she tries to help the women of Troy who have been captured, including Hecuba (the wife of King Priam), up until they eventually leave once the wind has settled. I really hope there is a further follow up once Briseis has given birth to Achilles child.

4/5 stars.
I'm quite torn on what my thoughts are on this one. I absolutely LOVED Silence of the Girls and thought it was absolutely brilliant.
This sequel is still good but it didn't quite feel like it lived up to that first book. I don't know if that is because I read the first book so long ago and have built it up to an impossible standard in my head or if it's because I've read a lot of retellings about this age since reading Silence of the Girls and they were also excellent or maybe it's because the story line that this novel covers although interesting wasn't as exciting. Or maybe it just wasn't as good? But I did still think the writing was excellent and I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt that maybe if the circumstances were different and I had ONLY read this book and not many others on this topic (including the first one) I would think it was brilliant.

I enjoyed this book. It's not often that you get to see the aftermath of the War on Troy and even more the aftermath of the women which made this book a very interesting read. It wasn't a book i feel like most would read in a sitting or two and i had to read it spread out over the course of a few weeks. I've always been interested in Breseis so i enjoyed the book being through her pov.

The highly anticipated sequel to The Silence of the Girls is here! What can I say... I read it. I loved it. I might buy a hard copy when it comes out.

This follows Briseis after the death of Achilles and the fall of Troy, as she combats her status as the wife of a Greek lord whilst trying to held her Trojan counterparts adjust to their new life. If the you enjoyed The Silence of the Girls, you’ll enjoy this. And if you haven’t read the previous book... read it!

I raved about how much I loved The Silence of the Girls and I devoured The Women of Troy - the absolutely perfect follow up. These women, who are no more than war prizes and possessions even once married and are entirely defined by the men who own them, are not to be underestimated.

The gods have been offended and the vast armies are stranded on the beaches of Troy, unable to return home, and someone needs to pay for this. In the confines of the restless Greek encampment following the fall of Troy, alliances are formed by these ignored and overlooked women: theirs is far from an easy life, and they'll need to each other to survive.

Barker writes their relationships with each other so beautifully, and without fanfare. A haunting tale and not one to be missed this summer.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc! I’m so honoured to be able to read it early!

AMAZING!! I cannot recommend Pat Barker’s work enough. Please give this a go!!!