I enjoyed the second book in this duology about the women of Troy. Andromache, fighter of men, becomes a mother in this book and her priorities now include protecting her son as well as her city. Cassandra, disregarded prophetess, leaves her tower, asserts herself over some of the personalities that she has developed to protect herself, and becomes more of an influence over the other women. Helen uses her gentle and compassionate strength to support her friends and leave Paris's shadow. Finally, Rhea (the only character not in the Iliad as far as I know), continues her dangerous spy work in the Greek camps and further develops her relationship with Ajax.

All of these women are very different characters- this was done extremely well. I think that each woman had sort of a tragic blind spot that led them into a bad decision or two. The book felt comfortable to come back to after reading the first book in the series. I found myself dreading the end of this book because I knew how it turned out for most of these women- none of them had a happy ending.

There were some difficulties too. Emotion was at such a fever pitch through the whole book that it sometimes felt exhausting. Every decision and action was so important and affected so many. Every dramatic emotion was earned but it was sort of like shouting all the time. On the other hand, being in a city more or less besieged would indeed feel that way.

There was a plot about getting Scamandrius out of the city and then back in that felt like a lot of wheel-spinning to me. It led to some character development but I felt like a lot of time was wasted on a decision that was immediately rescinded. The end of the war wasn't dwelled upon, which was rather merciful to the reader, but shorted the end of these womens' striving and stories.

I did very much admire this book. The authors have written the best ancient Greek story retelling that I've read since The Song of Achilles. There are a lot of myth retellings out there but I've found most of them wanting. I'd love to see if these authors collaborate together again.

This is, hands down, one of the best Trojan War retellings out there (and I consider myself an expert source, because I'm almost positive I've read all of them and always do thorough research before/during/after my reading). I know that some people are concerned that the market has been oversaturated with mythological retellings, but if you're giving up on the genre, read this duology first.

To bring this all together, this is my review for Horses of Fire:
"I have been dying for an Andromache book and this one delivered!! It took me a second to really become invested, but once the story picked up, I couldn't put it down. I almost wish that I didn't know what's bound to happen in the second book, though, because I'm already depressed about it 🙃"

And boy, this delivered. The second installment held back no punches, and perfectly encapsulated how women can fight wars using skills men can't utilize. There was never a POV that wasn't relevant or captivating (which is always a risk with multi-POV books), but Andromache's and Rhea's were especially incredible. I loved their stories, and even though I knew of Hector's and Ajax's fates, I found myself still dying to read what happened next. I thought their stories were beautiful, and even though they were filled with grief that I could feel tangibly, the hope and strength they were able to find was incredibly impactful.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC. I'm so, so happy to have read this duology.

I am still in a state of emotion turmoil after finishing this book earlier today. I sobbed a billion times while reading, bawled my eyes out when I finished the book, and am currently a little misty eyed thinking about the book right now trying to write this.

The historical accuracy is on point, the characters feel so honest and true to life. I felt every single thing that happened to these women as they were going through it. The writing is exceptional and some of those lines about the ferocity of love mixed with anguish.....*chef's kiss* I am totally willing to be destroyed by this book again, but not any time soon.

This was a masterpiece. A beautiful story of womanhood, sisterhood and friendship. This was a beautifully woven retelling and reminded me of Madeline Miller, Natalie Hayes and Jennifer Saint

I finished this book a few days ago and had to sit with my feelings for a bit before I could put them into words. This series is so special and different from many other Trojan War retellings I’ve read over the years. It adds humanity to this story and these characters in a way I haven’t felt since I read Song of Achilles.

In this book, Helen becomes more than the woman who takes the blame for the war and takes her destiny into her own hands. Andromache grows into a warrior and mother who balances softness and strength in heartbreaking and inspiring ways. Had Troy not fallen, she would have been a queen for the ages. Cassandra is finally (finally!) believed, even when the outcome is devastating. And Rhea, who I think is a character wholly unique to this series, plays such a pivotal role that nothing in this book would have happened without her. Her character broke me a bit, especially with her relationship with Ajax and the women slaves who helped her. I also loved the context the authors gave to Hector’s fight with Achilles at the end. I can’t say much without spoiling the ending, but what they did adds so much depth to his character and takes a somewhat confusing moment in the myth and turns it into a moment of love and sacrifice.

The thing about mythology retellings is that these stories are thousands of years old. You know how the story ends before you even start the book. But the authors wrote an ending that remains true to The Iliad while still surprising me. It’s such a beautifully heartbreaking ending, and I appreciated the author’s note where they give context to the changes they made. I loved every second of this book! These women have my heart, and I will revisit this series in the future.

Another historical/mythological retelling, with the focus once again on the women of the conflict. This is a well-written and intriguing book, with much of the historical accuracy unknown as so few historical sources survive, and those that do are often blended with myth.

I love mythology retellings and stories, and this book did not disappoint. I love this book so much. I love when mythology stories and retellings give voices to women who have been silenced in a lot of mythological stories

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I was very excited to read this as I have been on quite the mythology/history retelling kick and specifically one related to these stories- about Helen, Cassandra, etc, having read books like Jennifer Saint’s Elektra and Claire North’s Ithaca recently. None of those works managed to make me care much for Helen, so I was pretty astounded when this author did! It was definitely a fresh take on an old tale and I appreciated that.

A.D. Rhine is the queen of ancient mythological fiction - and this one is her best yet! Here we finally - (in my opinion) - have a likeable Helen, who finds her inner strength. We have Andromache and Cassandra, two women whom fate dealt a cruel blow, and whose stories are finally told the way they were meant to be. And we have Rhea, an interesting character in her own right. All these women are given a voice in what was once a man's story. I loved every second of it and am so grateful I was granted an ARC. Anyone who loves historical fiction, women's fiction, mythology, or just plain good storytelling will find something to love in this book. I highly recommend it, but be forewarned - once you read it you will want to read everything else Ms. Rhine has ever written. Ten stars for this one!!!