The book was amazing. It the second book in a duology and this was better then the first. Wrapped everything up very nicely..

Daughters of Bronze is a retelling of Homer's epic but through the voices of the women of Troy. Through the perspectives of Helen, Cassandra, Rhea, and Andromache, we are given a new perspective on the battle in Troy. It's an interesting new perspective of this classic epic.

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for the DRC of Daughters of Bronze. All opinions in this review are my own.

DNF at 10%

There are too many characters introduced too early on so it makes it difficult to understand what is happening. I know there are three storylines in this book, but I feel like I needed a very strong understanding of Greek mythology to figure out who everyone is and what is happening.

Daughters of Bronze is a beautifully written and emotionally charged retelling of the Trojan War, centering on the voices of Rhea, Helen, Cassandra, and Andromache. A.D. Rhine brings so much depth to these characters, especially Helen, who is given more agency. The novel captures both the brutality of war and the resilience of sisterhood. While some themes, like the ones centered around motherhood, may not resonate with all readers. However, its intricate storytelling and haunting atmosphere make it a powerful addition to the mythological retelling genre of books. This is a must-read if you're a fan of The Song of Achilles and A Thousand Ships.

I’m not a huge fan of mythology retellings so this book didn’t really fit my interests or vibes personally however I would still recommend it to readers who do really enjoy mythology retellings and stories.

This book is as tender as it is fierce. It is a powerhouse of a story about the side affects of greed, honor, agony, choice, revenge, enduring love and SO much more. The authors did such a wonderful job of not skating over the monstrosities of war, while still giving the reader enough hope,

Sigh i'm not sure what didn't work for me with this book it could be that this is a sequal to a book that i haven't read so maybe i'll read the first book and take a second look at this book in the furture but for now this is a two star i just found it long a boring i didn't care about what was going on in the book at all and was just wanting the book to end if it wasn't an arc i would of probably dnf it for now but with this review already being past the release date i kept at it but it just wasn't my cup of tea but i can see how someone would love this book

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. I loved Horses of Fire. It was an excellent debut. I was so excited to receive this arc and continue the story. The writing and world building were excellent the characters are unique. It's a time in history that not a lot of historical fiction books cover, so that was intriguing. I am a newfound fan of A. D. Rhine and can't wait to see what is next.

In this powerful and fascinating novel of the Trojan War, AD Rhine brings Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra to life in alternating perspectives that explore how war and violence impacts women. Andromache has proven herself to be a capable leader, but a divided Troy seeks to bring her down and threatens her son, while Rhea, a Trojan spy, did not expect to fall in love with a Greek soldier and must choose between her loyalty and her happy ending. Helen, no longer the same broken woman exploited by Paris, must use her healing gifts, not her grief, to help her allies, and Cassandra, the only person who knows Troy’s fate, must do what she can to save her family even if no one believes her. With so many complex and fascinating female characters working to save the city, readers will discover the complex politics and agendas conspiring against these four protagonists in Troy’s darkest hours, and the incredible detail and different conflicts faced by each character really bring this novel and its conflicts to life. Incredibly written and totally immersive, this amazing and powerful conclusion to Rhine’s duology is a must-read for fans of female-centric Greek mythology retellings looking for powerful female leads.

Wow, this truly blew me away. I went into this having not read the first book, Horses of Fire, and I’m happy to say this works well as a standalone (and now I’m dying to read the first book). This is quite possibly the best retelling of the fate of Troy that I’ve ever read.

A.D. Rhine masterfully tells the story of the Trojan War from the women’s perspective. This book is all about girl power, and I’m here for it! The multiple POVs worked fantastically. I was invested in every character, and I never found myself wanting to speed through one character’s POV to get to another.

Most of us know the story of the Trojan War, and I was worried I would find this book dull because I knew the ending. Welp, that never happened! Even knowing what happens, I couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend it to everyone!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the gifted eARC!

I loved this - a gorgeous representation of mythology. The storytelling was thorough and complete and I was taken away by the story.

4.5 stars. This second in a duology works well as a standalone, but was so intriguing that I will now be going back to read the first in the small series. A somewhat reimagined/enhanced telling of the siege of Troy, this historical fiction is written fully from the female perspective of the war between the Achaeans and the Trojans. The chapters are a cycle of 4 POVs that are interwoven quite well and give a wide expanse telling of the events with emotional acuity. More than just a historical telling, this is a piece that delves into the humanity of the situation, including the thoughts of mothers, slaves, and warriors. Extremely well-written and full of tension. It can be a bit confusing due to all the moving pieces and some familiarity with the historical characters will absolutely be helpful, but the story still stood quite well on its own and had me highly invested even if I already knew how the (historically told) ending would play out. There are some liberties taken on the interpretation, which is covered very well in the author's note and that I honestly think were well thought out approaches to telling the story. I'm no historian, but it all seemed believable to me. It rises above the fantastical of mythology and sticks fairly well to a historical tale, but there are some bits that definitely verge into fantasy (it's hard to portray Cassandra without this detour). Highly recommend for historical fiction buffs, especially those who love tales of Ancient Greece and Turkey.

Daughters of Bronze was an amazing read, and my only regret is not reading the first installment of this series. Set against the backdrop of Homer’s Troy, it beautifully reimagines the lives of the women involved in the myth, offering a fresh and poignant perspective on their stories.

As someone who loves Greek retellings, this book was right up my alley. Rhine brings these women to life, exploring their relationships, struggles, and triumphs with depth and care. The emotional complexity and bond between the characters made for a compelling and immersive read.

Overall, Daughters of Bronze is a beautifully written story about love, loss, and the power of women in myth. I can't wait to go back and read the first book in the series, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next.

Yassssss!!!!! If you love Greek mythology with a twist, Daughters of Bronze is for you! A.D. Rhine reimagines the Trojan War through the eyes of the women who lived it, giving them the spotlight they deserve.

The writing is gorgeous and full of emotion, bringing to life a world of gods, heroes, and mortals. The women in this story are fierce, flawed, and unforgettable—they steal the show in the best way possible.

The middle dragged a little with all the perspective shifts, but the ending made up for it. Fans of Circe or Ariadne will feel right at home with this powerful, fresh take on an old legend. Definitely worth picking up!

Thanks to Dutton for gifted access to this book via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

I love a historical fiction retelling that features well knownancient Greek / Trojan characters with a new twist. This story reminded me a lot of The Silence of the Girls and A Thousand Ships which were both 5 star reads for me. Telling the story of the women of the time and their sufferings as well as their influence is a real win for me. But, I wasn't sure if a third story in this vein could keep me engaged or provide me with anything new. I can report that is not the case.

This story alternates POVs of Rhea, Helen, Cassandra and Andromache telling us each of their roles in the battle for Troy. We all know how things are going to end from Homer and Virgil's epic stories. I liked that this gave us both Odysseus and Aeneas. Our senior project as 5th year Latin students was translating the Aeneid which gets a lot less attention than the Oydessey. So having both characters and knowing this story was giving us the events that led to their epic journeys was great.

I am another of the silly reviewers who did not realize this was a #2. I read a good portion of it, but could not get into the story. Now I realize why. The characters are well defined and Rhine is very good at creating atmosphere.

Horses of Fire by A.D. Rhine did not receive the highest ratings from me, though as I read it a year ago, I could not begin to tell you why. Based off how long it took me to read it, I suspect I just…couldn’t get into it, for some reason or another. Now that I have consumed Daughters of Bronze by A.D. Rhine, I will probably revisit its prequel because I think my initial review was wrong. Daughters of Bronze, in the words of Mr. Darcy in the Pride & Prejudice screenplay, bewitched me, body and soul. Easily one of my favorite books that I read in 2024.

I have never read anything about Troy or its mythology. I know The Iliad, but I have not read it. We all know the Trojan horse, of course, but Daughters of Bronze demonstrated there is so much more, offered from the viewpoints of characters often neglected in historical accounts: women. Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra. All brave women with divergent backgrounds, yet their fates are intertwined as invasion threatens Troy. A.D. Rhine’s newest novel continues the story from Horses of Fire (which I wish I had reread prior to reading Daughters of Bronze), with beautiful, heart-shattering depictions of Troy’s fate. Will the city survive? Will its people survive? Or is everyone doomed to fail, doomed to death?

A.D. Rhine created characters I adored. Andromache, a leader—and finally a mother, who is determined to stand by her husband’s side. Rhea, her servant and spy, who has fallen in love with an opposing warrior. Helen, a healer, who must set aside her grief to save lives. And Cassandra…what to say about Cassandra. People disregard her, underestimate her, because she is occasionally not of her right mind. But she has seen Troy’s fate, if only others will listen to her.

Daughters of Bronze by A.D. Rhine is outstanding. It will tear at your heartstrings with its dynamic, lyrical prose. Rhine offers a beautiful, fresh reimagining of the Trojan War, and I loved every word of it. But please read Horses of Fire before diving into Daughters of Bronze. Can you read it as a standalone? Maybe, but you will not understand the relationships or other context without experiencing Horses of Fire.

Alright—I'd like to preface this review by saying I somehow *missed* the fact that this was the second in A.D. Rhine's duology. I made it through the entire novel, went to add my initial review, and then saw the #2. So please, take that with a grain of salt as you read this review.

That being said—I was genuinely blown away by Daughters of Bronze and plan on going back and reading the first novel and then rereading this. The prose was the perfect mixture of lyrical the way you'd want an Homeric Epic to be but still modern enough to do what the authors set out to do. Sometimes, when you have chapters split between multiple characters, their voices become muddled and it all reads very similar. But, in Daughters of Bronze, A.D. Rhine does a great job of keeping Rhea, Helen, Cassandra, and Andromache's styles distinct. When reading, I never doubted or had to check which woman was narrating.

Regardless of me missing an entire book, I do feel like the beginning was a bit slow. It took me a while to get into the novel—and I'd say I have a pretty firm grasp of the Iliad/Trojan War so even without that first novel, I still expected to be able to jump in a little more. Perhaps I'll feel different when I go back and read it again after the first but—as it stands—that was my biggest struggle with the novel.

There are other attributes that I planned on mentioning but upon learning this was the second...they became moot and I assume if I read the first, I would not have this critiques.

Overall, the fact that A.D. Rhine was able to create a beautiful, fresh approach to these women that I was still able to enjoy—even without reading the first—is a feat. I cried during the last several chapters at not only the plot (that has obviously been written for hundreds of years) but the actual prose. It hit a very real place and captured the complicated, painful, and oft looked over emotions of the war. I truly enjoyed Daughters of Bronze and look forward to getting more of the authors' take on these women and their starts in this series.

Daughters of Bronze is a historical reimagining of the final days of the Trojan War from myth. Full of well-known characters from Homer's Iliad, the story follows four women with the power to, they hope, save Troy from disaster. And if you know story (even if just from the movie Troy), they do not succeed -- but they do not wholly fail, either. Andromache, Rhea, Helen, and Cassandra are wonderfully developed characters and through them we get to see the many hidden sides of the conflict. Each woman's narrative voice felt unique, and there was plenty of intrigue and suspense in this take on a time-worn tale.

Daughter of Bronze by A.D. Rhine reimagines the Trojan War, trying to see it as it may have been rather than as a myth. The story is told from the different perspectives of four of the women of Troy. The characters are well-developed, and I enjoyed the female perspective. I wanted to love this book and enjoyed it, but it wasn’t quite love for me. I believe one of the main issues stems from not knowing this is part of a duology. There were times when I felt like I should have known the backstory between characters, especially the backstory of the horse of fire, and those moments left me disoriented.

Since the novel separates itself from the myth, it may disappoint those who expect a more traditional retelling of the myth, but it might be a better fit for fans of historical fiction. Daughters of Bronze is for readers who enjoy strong female characters, a bit of mystery, and complex relationships. I can easily see why this book has so many five-star reviews. In the future, I plan on reading the duology chronologically to hopefully enjoy it as much as other reviewers.