Historical

Hijas de Esparta

Hijas de Esparta

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  • Create Date：2021-07-02 10:15:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-24
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Claire Heywood
  • ISBN：8408244795
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Summary

Durante milenios， los hombres han explicado la historia de Helena de Troya， la mujer que originó una guerra y dividió al mundo。 Ahora ha llegado el momento de escuchar su propia versión de la historia。

Como princesas de Esparta， Helena y su hermana mayor， Clitemnestra， no han conocido más que lujo y abundancia。 Sin embargo， todo privilegio tiene un precio， a veces demasiado caro。 Siendo niñas serán separadas y casadas con reyes extranjeros para no volver a verse nunca más。 Ambas deberán luchar contra las limitaciones de su sexo para forjarse una nueva vida， provocando una transformación del mundo que durará tres mil años。

La historia de la guerra de Troya como nunca te lo han contado。

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Reviews

Nicole Needles ，

Loved reading this in conjunction with The Odyssey and Song of Achilles。 Highly recommend :）

Stacie Lauren ，

I wish this book focused on just Clytemnestra instead of her and Helen。 Helen is just not a likable character。

Booktastically Amazing ，

If you’re looking for a book with strong likable characters， no to mention， strong women with courage as skin-Maybe don’t read this story。I just finished and I still am waiting for the chance to be available for me to punch every character。 So yeah， that’s a nice pro if I need one。

Annette ，

Klytemnestra and Helen are daughters of Lord Tyndareos， King of Sparta。 Klytemnestra as the oldest daughter is the heiress， and so is supposed to be the Queen of Sparta and stay with her family。 But her father betroths her to Agamemnon， King of Mycenae， which means she needs to live in his kingdom。 All this results in a feeling of betrayal， and fear she will likely never see her family again， since a married woman does not travel， and is the steward of her husbands’ household。Helen， legendary fo Klytemnestra and Helen are daughters of Lord Tyndareos， King of Sparta。 Klytemnestra as the oldest daughter is the heiress， and so is supposed to be the Queen of Sparta and stay with her family。 But her father betroths her to Agamemnon， King of Mycenae， which means she needs to live in his kingdom。 All this results in a feeling of betrayal， and fear she will likely never see her family again， since a married woman does not travel， and is the steward of her husbands’ household。Helen， legendary for her beauty， gets betrothed to Menelaos， who is Agamemnon’s brother。 As much as she appreciates her husband’s gentleness， she is frustrated with him not expressing his feelings。 Without much conversation between them， she feels as she hardly knows her husband， but now that she is pregnant， he shows a lot of tenderness and she hopes it’s a new beginning for them。When Menelaos welcomes friendship between two kingdoms， his and the one of Troy， it changes everything。 Helen is enchanted by the handsome Prince Paris of Troy。 His flattery makes her alive again， and she finds herself liking the attention。 Meanwhile， Menelaos is forced to leave his kingdom and leave Helen to entertain the guests。 Upon returning home from his grandfather’s funeral， he finds his palace ransacked and his wife gone。 He just doesn’t know if she went willingly or forcefully。 Now， all Greece unites in an effort to fight the rich and powerful Troy。As the story alternates between two sisters， we get to know their thoughts and feelings well。 This story is wonderful in exploring those aspects， giving voice to women who didn’t have any voice and any choice in decision making。 Readers can certainly feel their frustration， disappointment， and joy。 It touches you when Helen’s eyes are opened to the fate of the female slaves as she was too naïve to see what was going around her。 Both women defy their husbands in their own way in secret。 One dreams of more than just spinning wool， she dreams of weaving words， something meant for men only。This is a straightforward and enjoyable read。 This story is character-driven， and the plot is not filled with details of Greek mythology。 The ending is touching; in a sense a war had to be fought in order for two people to open up to each other。 It brings a human touch to this legendary mythology。Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense。com 。。。more

Katharine Tucker ，

Following in the footsteps of recent novels like Circe， Daughter's of Sparta， retells a Greek legend from a female perspective。 The book follows the lives of two sisters and princesses - Helen and Klytemnestra - over the course of around twenty years。 We meet the two when they're just girls， and follow them as they're married off to produce heirs for the kings （and brothers） Agamemnon and Menelaos。 But neither has the married life they dreamed of， and when beautiful Paris arrives in Menelaos' co Following in the footsteps of recent novels like Circe， Daughter's of Sparta， retells a Greek legend from a female perspective。 The book follows the lives of two sisters and princesses - Helen and Klytemnestra - over the course of around twenty years。 We meet the two when they're just girls， and follow them as they're married off to produce heirs for the kings （and brothers） Agamemnon and Menelaos。 But neither has the married life they dreamed of， and when beautiful Paris arrives in Menelaos' court， Helen is swept away。。。Overall I enjoyed the read。 I love retellings and this one certainly didn't disappoint。 I really enjoyed how the emphasis was wholly on the women's lives - the ins and outs of the famous war were glossed over， barely even a side show to the emotional turmoil both Klytemnestra and Helen face as they try to carve out their own paths in a world that prefers their women in the background。I understand where the comparisons with Circe come from， but I didn't feel the book quite matched up to the magical prose and the powerful story that has stayed with me for years。 The author does a great job of painting both sisters as human - showing off all their faults as well as their strengths。 However， I felt for the most part Helen just seems to go along with events， as opposed to change them， unlike her sister。 Although I really related to a lot of her story and the author does a great job of showing her guilt， this lack of action just made me indifferent to her plight and at times just straight up made me annoyed。 Klytemnestra， on the other hand， was very different - she is pulled along by events but even in the parts of the story where she plays the meek wife， there is still an edge where she tries to sway things her way。Overall， I would totally recommend this book if you love retellings and want a different view of the Trojan War， or， indeed， the life of women in Ancient Greece。 。。。more

Elisabeth ，

It was nice to see Klytemnestra have a featured role in the story since she is often sidelined or left out of many retellings around the Trojan War。Overall it was good。 There are many other Greek mythology related books out there that are better or that I enjoyed more but this one is still worth a read。The pacing was alright。 A few characters fell flat， but when many of them are so well known in mythology and other stories， it's hard to live up to the image of them that is known。While I didn't a It was nice to see Klytemnestra have a featured role in the story since she is often sidelined or left out of many retellings around the Trojan War。Overall it was good。 There are many other Greek mythology related books out there that are better or that I enjoyed more but this one is still worth a read。The pacing was alright。 A few characters fell flat， but when many of them are so well known in mythology and other stories， it's hard to live up to the image of them that is known。While I didn't absolutely love it， I still recommend it to anyone who loves Greek Mythology and the Iliad。 It doesn't cut corners on the story， keeping many of the gritty details central to the story。 。。。more

Tracy ，

I’ve been enjoying Greek mythology retellings lately and this was no exception。 Told from the viewpoints of Princesses Helen & Klytemenestra of Sparta it touches on their childhood and then moves through their lives as Queens to 2 Kings of Greece Agamemnon and Menelaos。 I knew nothing of Klytemenestra so it was interesting to hear of her life。 Everyone knows Helen of Troy of course。 But it was interesting to imagine what it was like for her， why she turned to Paris & left her life as Queen and w I’ve been enjoying Greek mythology retellings lately and this was no exception。 Told from the viewpoints of Princesses Helen & Klytemenestra of Sparta it touches on their childhood and then moves through their lives as Queens to 2 Kings of Greece Agamemnon and Menelaos。 I knew nothing of Klytemenestra so it was interesting to hear of her life。 Everyone knows Helen of Troy of course。 But it was interesting to imagine what it was like for her， why she turned to Paris & left her life as Queen and what it was like through all the years of war partly because of her。 It was a fast & fun read and I definitely enjoyed it。 。。。more

Linda Amos ，

Told from the perspective of Helen and her sister Klytemnestra， we see them growing up in their childhood home of Sparta， marriages and new lives with their husbands。 I was rooting for them both。 It's great to see a different spin on a well-known story; the usually silent women are the focus rather than the better known heroes。Written by a Classical historian， her passion for the subject shines through。 She doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of women’s lives - it does get bloody when it nee Told from the perspective of Helen and her sister Klytemnestra， we see them growing up in their childhood home of Sparta， marriages and new lives with their husbands。 I was rooting for them both。 It's great to see a different spin on a well-known story; the usually silent women are the focus rather than the better known heroes。Written by a Classical historian， her passion for the subject shines through。 She doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of women’s lives - it does get bloody when it needs to be but it's not that often。 The descriptions of places， people， the hierarchies within families and the state， and the separation of women show an attention to detail which only adds to the story。 From my personal perspective it would have been nice to have an endnote about what happened to the sisters instead of leaving us hanging and hoping that they were happy at the end。My thanks to Bookends for a free proof copy。 。。。more

Erini Allen ，

Daughters of Sparta—thank you to NetGalley for the review copy—purports to tell the stories of Helen and Klytemnestra， daughters of king Tyndareos and queen Leda of Sparta。 Dual alternating third person narrators follow the sisters chronologically from childhood through the end of the Trojan war， including their marriages， experiences with childbirth and motherhood， and war years。Heywood leaves the gods out of the story， other than as vague powers to whom characters refer， in this sense taking a Daughters of Sparta—thank you to NetGalley for the review copy—purports to tell the stories of Helen and Klytemnestra， daughters of king Tyndareos and queen Leda of Sparta。 Dual alternating third person narrators follow the sisters chronologically from childhood through the end of the Trojan war， including their marriages， experiences with childbirth and motherhood， and war years。Heywood leaves the gods out of the story， other than as vague powers to whom characters refer， in this sense taking a quasi-historical/materialist/psychoanalytic rather than fantasy approach to the Trojan war myth。 The choices she makes to achieve this approach toward the characters and their experiences are interesting to think about， and her prose is engaging。 I believe this novel will find an enthusiastic audience among readers who enjoy modern women’s narratives dressed in ancient Greek costumes。The book focuses exclusively on Helen and Klytemnestra’s points of view。 Because this focus meant the majority of the story was internal monologue of the women’s thoughts and feelings about their experiences， the third person narrative felt jarring， as compared to the intimacy of first person。 I wondered if the intention was to bestow a sense of universality on these two women’s experiences。 If so， it didn’t quite work。 Heywood’s tendency to project modern worldviews and resentments into the past amplified the disconnect between narrative style and characters。 It also felt reductive， as it stripped the myths and the various ways they were told across antiquity of their complexities， paradoxes， and ambivalent meanings。This novel and I got off on the wrong foot with the epigraph， before the story even had a chance to properly begin。 Heywood includes a quote from the Odyssey: “For there is nothing in this world so cruel and so shameless as a woman when she has fallen into such guilt as hers was […]/[…] her abominable crime has brought disgrace on herself and all women who shall come after—even on the good ones。”As it is the presented， the quote seems to express the view of “Homer” in “the Odyssey。” But the quote is so decontextualized and chopped up as to be denuded of its meaning。 If you’ve read the Odyssey， you might recall that the above words appear in book eleven as part of a speech by Agamemnon delivered post-mortem， from Hades， as he explains to Odysseus how he died。Here is Agamemnon’s full reply （Richmond Lattimore’s translation， underlines are mine to correspond with what Heywood extracts from， if I’m not mistaken， Emily Wilson’s translation）:“Son of Laertes and seed of Zeus， resourceful Odysseus，/not in the ships， nor did Poseidon， rousing a storm blast/of battering winds that none would wish for， prove my destruction，/nor on dry land did enemy men destroy me in battle;/Aigisthos， working out my death and destruction， invited me to his house， and feasted me， and killed me there，/with the help of my sluttish wife， as one cuts down an ox at his manger。/So I died a most pitiful death， and my other companions/were killed around me without mercy， like pigs with shining/tusks， in the house of a man rich and very powerful，/for a wedding， or a festival， or a communal dinner。/You have been present in your time at the slaughter of many men， killed singly， or in the strong encounters of battle;/but beyond all others you would have been sorry at heart/for this scene， how we lay sprawled by the mixing bowl and the loaded/tables， all over the palace， and the whole floor was steaming/with blood; and most pitiful was the voice I heard of Priam’s/daughter Kassandra， killed by treacherous Klytaimestra/over me; but I lifted my hands and with them beat on the ground as I died upon the sword， but the sluttish woman/turned away from me and was so hard that her hands would not/press shut my eyes and mouth though I was going to Hades’。/So there is nothing more deadly or vile than a woman/who stores her mind with acts that are of such sort， as this this one/did when she thought of this act of dishonor， and plotted/the murder of her lawful husband。 See， I had been thinking/that I would be welcome to my children and the thrills of my household/when I came home， but she with thoughts surpassingly grisly/splashed the shame on herself and the rest of her sex， on women/still to come， even on the one whose acts are virtuous。” Book 11。405-434Odysseus replies， “Shame it is， how most terrible Zeus of the wide brows/from the beginning has been hateful to the seed of Atreus/through the schemes of women。 Many of us died for the sake of Helen，/and when you were far， Klyaimestra plotted treason against you。” Lines 436-439There is more going on in this （comparatively） brief quote than I can account for here， but a few noteworthy points as they relate to Daughters of Sparta are as follows。 First， obviously， the translations themselves are quite different: Through both the translation and Heywood’s extraction of it from its context， much of the nuance has been stripped out of the source text that has come down to us from antiquity， as evident in “good ones” （meaning women） vs。 women “whose acts are virtuous。” It may not seem important， but the latter differentiates between women sum total being bad and bad acts that some women may perform。 One thing this may reflect is the recognition of coexisting dualities， especially in Homer but also evident across ancient Greek thought。 A particular quality， cunning for example， could be deployed for good or bad ends。 Cunning itself is not necessarily inherently either good or bad but can become so through its application。 Alternately， rather than morally neutral qualities， the modern Western mind especially （though not exclusively） tends to bifurcate， creating discrete categories for good and bad and then assigning qualities accordingly （honesty and cunning respectively， for example）。Aside from translation， within the Homeric world， Agamemnon has a reputation for hoarding all the rewards and honors for himself and attributing all of his bad behavior to the gods’ will。 Further， as those who know Trojan war myth （including， presumably， the earliest hearers of the Odyssey） are aware， Odysseus will himself slaughter a dining hall full of Penelope’s suitors。 These complicate Agamemnon’s words。 Unlike Agamemnon， Odysseus will not stride confidently home expecting honors but sneak back into the palace in humble disguise。 Odysseus will not be the dead man sprawled on the floor of the banquet hall。 He will be the killer not the killed。 He will survive because he will not make the same mistakes as Agamemnon。All this is to say， Agamemnon’s claims about women in the speech Heywood pulls from are not coming from a reliable narrator。 Odysseus’ response to Agamemnon is revelatory。 He notes that the “schemes of women” are vehicles through which Zeus’ will is accomplished。 If Agamemnon is not to blame for his bad acts because they were willed by the gods （as he claims in the Iliad）， then why should he blame Klytemnestra for her bad acts？ Would not they， too， be the will of the gods？ Again， those who know Trojan war myth will know that the Trojan and Theban wars were， according to Hesiod， how Zeus chose to bring the Age of Heroes to an end。 In this context， could Agamemnon blaming not only Klytemnestra but all women be seen as somewhat impious， a denial of how the gods work their will through humans？ Agamemnon has also been known to compare himself to Zeus （Iliad 19。95）， and his ancestors’ impiety has caused the entire family line to be cursed （as alluded by Odysseus）。This brings up one of my main issues with Daughters of Sparta: By removing the gods from the story entirely as agents， Heywood removes a prime mover within the Homeric narrativer。 This accords with some modern views， but it denies an important feature （among others） of the myths， which is that they existed to explain the human condition， and central to this condition was a dynamic between immortal power and mortal bodies。 What differentiates gods from humans in the mythical world is that the gods are more powerful and eternal。 Thus humans， being weaker and mortal， can become instruments through which gods achieve their ends。 A powerful wind can change a navy’s plans， for example， putting it on a disastrous course。 The cycles of nature dictate farming and harvesting。 And so on。 In the Iliad， Helen gets pushed around and threatened by Aphrodite， who wishes Paris to be rewarded for having chosen her as the “most beautiful” and engineers events accordingly。 Klytemnestra becomes the instrument through which Agamemnon is punished by the gods， for various offenses。 Heywood tells us these two women were blamed， but ancient sources are far more nuanced。 In the Iliad， Helen blames herself， but the Trojans do not。 Not so in Heywood。 Her Trojans despise Helen for having brought destruction to their gates。Without the gods， Heywood relies on modern psychoanalysis to explain characters’ behaviors and feelings in ways that can feel not only reductive but at times a bit silly。 One cringe-worthy scene involves Helen spitting on and kicking a rock in the cave of the goddess of Eilithyia， where Menelaos has brought her in hopes of having another child。 But Helen does not want more children because of her disastrous experiencing giving birth to her daughter Hermione。 Does it make sense that Helen would spit at and kick the sacred rock of the goddess of childbirth if she were afraid of giving birth？ The cringe continues with Helen feeling more and more powerful as her birth control trumps this absent god。 While this kind of female empowerment through control of the fertility process may inspire delight in modern readers， it rings false in this setting， if for no other reason than control of the fertility process is not a modern invention。 It already existed in the ancient world。 Why would Helen not see it as a gift from Eilithyia in answer to her prayers？Heywood’s Agamemnon obsesses about winning “glory，” which is accurate broadly speaking。 But without the interplay between mortality and immortality that exists in epic， the concept of kleos—what Homeric heroes fight for—loses its meaning and the heroes their motivation。 What these heroes were trying to win was not some vague， undifferentiated “glory” but immortality through song （the aforementioned kleos）。 They want to be remembered and， through memory， to achieve a kind of immortality。 Heywood chooses not to engage with the desire to be remembered as a genuine concern of humans。 Her Agamemnon gloats that he was able to rally “all of Greece” by giving them “a cause”: “let them tell themselves they’re fighting for Greece， or liberty， or…whatever， and they’ll jump at the chance for some action。” Men just want to run around killing and dying in violent conflicts， apparently。 For what reason？Similarly， the East/West divide that Heywood seems to take for granted appears to have been murkier than she seems to assume。 The ancient Greek-speaking world was not just on the European landmass， meaning I don’t know that all Greek speakers would have seen themselves or been seen as “western” （as is still true today of some Greeks）。 The highly fractured and antagonistic city-states within the ancient Greek-speaking world did not always side with each other in conflicts with non-Greek-speaking empires。 Rivalries and antagonism surely existed， among Greek speakers and between Greek and non-Greek speakers， but ancient people did not have the same beliefs and biases as do modern nations， though they would surely have had their own。In the interest of keeping this review shorter than the book， I will mention one last disconnect of significance: the pervasiveness of individualistic thinking that feels out of step with the ancient Greek world。 Helen， who Heywood seems to have chosen to represent women who do not want to have children， mopes that she wishes for a husband who “might want her for herself alone， and not for the children she could give him。” This statement reflects an “individual in/vs。 society” kind of thinking that feels more Western European post-Enlightenment than ancient Greek。 It’s hard to imagine ancient people thinking of themselves in such individualistic terms。 Male heirs had a practical purpose that Heywood seems aware of via Klytemnestra’s narrative: to project strength to potential enemies pondering violence against a community。 This is not to say that ancient women might not want something other than to be wives and mothers or that every woman would want to have children， but to think of themselves as distinct from the communities they belonged to and exempt from implicit threats…this feels very modern。 Helen wanting a different role within her community or wanting more roles for women to exist within the community would have made more sense than for her to be thinking about her individual relationship with her husband separate from its consequences on her community。Similarly， at one point， the third person narrator asks， “What did men ever sacrifice for the sake of a woman？” If Heywood feels this way about men and/or this has been her experience of them， I am genuinely saddened， but I cannot say this is my understanding of men， that they act always and only for their own sakes。 Again， this feels like a very modern expression of gender-based competition and/or antagonism。 My experience as a Greek woman and of Greek women is that men and women have， historically， seen themselves as belonging to and being responsible for each other and have fought for each other in whatever ways they could to preserve， when possible， their families and communities。 I do not believe it is fair or helpful to claim otherwise， nor do I believe that acknowledging this means we cannot also acknowledge the existence of gender discrimination and violence。The cover of Daughters of Sparta advertises: “Two sisters parted。 Two women blamed。 Two stories reclaimed。” It’s probably fairly obvious at this point how I feel about the trope of contemporary women declaring that they are “reclaiming” ancient Greek women’s stories。 Obviously， fiction writers can retell myths any way they choose。 Personally， I wish they would not promote these retellings as some sort of reclamation project。 I wish we would stop erasing ancient women so that we can claim to have discovered them。 The reason we know about their stories is because they were told in antiquity， sometimes in more sensitive and nuanced ways than they are told today。I would love to hear your thoughts on this book or these issues with retellings in the comments。 Respectful debate and/or suggested readings are also welcome！ 。。。more

Nancy ，

A Mild Retelling of the Heroines of the Trojan WarSisters Helen and Klytemnestra， daughters of Lord Tyndaroes， King of Sparta， are famous in Greek mythology and tragedy for their roles in the Trojan War。 Klytemnestra， married to Agamemnon， King of Mycenae， was wed first。 Helen， supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world， was married to his brother Menelaos。 In the book Helen thinks this will be a wonderful idea because as sister-in-laws she and Klymnestra may be able to see each other。 As A Mild Retelling of the Heroines of the Trojan WarSisters Helen and Klytemnestra， daughters of Lord Tyndaroes， King of Sparta， are famous in Greek mythology and tragedy for their roles in the Trojan War。 Klytemnestra， married to Agamemnon， King of Mycenae， was wed first。 Helen， supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world， was married to his brother Menelaos。 In the book Helen thinks this will be a wonderful idea because as sister-in-laws she and Klymnestra may be able to see each other。 As the narrative unfolds this turns out to be a vain hope。 The girls were raised in luxury， but little was expected of them aside from spinning， weaving and giving birth to an heir。 This was a boring existence and Helen eventually escaped with Paris to a hopefully more fulfilling life。 It led to the tragedy of the Torjan War。The plot of the book is well known。 The portrayal of the characters is at the core of this book。 The author tries to make them examples of Bronze Age women。 They come across as placid and accepting of the fate they have been dealt。 This was not the way myth portrayed the sisters。 Helen was a temptress and Klyemnestra was the raging mother set on revenging the death of her daughter Ipigenia， sacrificed by Agamemnon。 The book was well written and not difficult to read， but I was disappointed by the characters。 Both sisters came across as so mild as to be non-existent， not at all they way they are portrayed in tragedy。 The moving back and forth between the sisters giving their thoughts on whatever was happening was tedious。 I had high hopes for this book， but they weren’t fulfilled。 I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review。 。。。more

Nerdy Werewolf ，

"And as the sky of her mind cleared， another thought slowly surfaced。 She did not have to be Helen the unwanted。 Not anymore。"Thoughts are dangerous if you're a woman。 That's a lot of that theme in this book， which is unsurprising given the setting。 I found myself identifying with both heroines throughout their struggles。 Obviously， there were choices they made that I wouldn't have made。。。or is that true？ The fact that I'm asking that question makes the story succeed。It's not overly-prose-y， but "And as the sky of her mind cleared， another thought slowly surfaced。 She did not have to be Helen the unwanted。 Not anymore。"Thoughts are dangerous if you're a woman。 That's a lot of that theme in this book， which is unsurprising given the setting。 I found myself identifying with both heroines throughout their struggles。 Obviously， there were choices they made that I wouldn't have made。。。or is that true？ The fact that I'm asking that question makes the story succeed。It's not overly-prose-y， but it is beautifully written。 It's easy to follow and understand， more so if you're familiar with the myths。 It's not a specifically happy book， but it's not a true tragedy， either。 I would categorize it as hopeful， I think。 When you read a story like this， it's meant to sit with you and I think this one does。The characters were vibrant and passionate。 They mention the Gods and sacrifices and prayers， but we never interact with these bigger-than-life deities。 They are prevalent in the story， though。 It's really a tale about searching for personal happiness when your decisions may not be entirely your own。I'd honestly read a follow-up by this author。 She put time and effort and thought into what these figures could have been thinking and feeling and if that was the goal: success！ 。。。more

Emily ，

I am of two minds on this book。 I have been enjoying retellings of Greek myths in recent years。 This book read a little lighter than previous titles of this genre。 Both Helen and her sister Klytemnestra struggle with their roles as princesses and queens， as mothers and daughters and wives。 The projection of modern values on these women struck me as odd。 The passage of time was clunky。But…It was a fun read and fast。 I enjoyed Klytemnestras， story more than Helens。 She seemed to have more depth an I am of two minds on this book。 I have been enjoying retellings of Greek myths in recent years。 This book read a little lighter than previous titles of this genre。 Both Helen and her sister Klytemnestra struggle with their roles as princesses and queens， as mothers and daughters and wives。 The projection of modern values on these women struck me as odd。 The passage of time was clunky。But…It was a fun read and fast。 I enjoyed Klytemnestras， story more than Helens。 She seemed to have more depth and didn’t behave so childishly。 。。。more

Tammy ，

Thank you Dutton books and goodreads for the free copy of this book。 This greek tragedy is told by Klytemnestra and Helen。 Though I have already heard the story in various forms， I found that I didn't want it to end。 It was told of the women's feelings though it wasn't descriptive of people or places。 Most lovers of historical fiction especially told from a woman's point of view should enjoy this novel。 Thank you Dutton books and goodreads for the free copy of this book。 This greek tragedy is told by Klytemnestra and Helen。 Though I have already heard the story in various forms， I found that I didn't want it to end。 It was told of the women's feelings though it wasn't descriptive of people or places。 Most lovers of historical fiction especially told from a woman's point of view should enjoy this novel。 。。。more

Zoey Perrigo ，

**I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley。As someone who thoroughly loves Greek mythology， I went into this book knowing quite a bit about both Helen and Klytemnestra。 However， reading through their perspectives was intriguing。 Being a women in Ancient Greece is not something that I wish for， but I did like to read it。 However there are a few things that kept me from completely enjoying the book。 I felt more that I was reading a historical recount w **I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley。As someone who thoroughly loves Greek mythology， I went into this book knowing quite a bit about both Helen and Klytemnestra。 However， reading through their perspectives was intriguing。 Being a women in Ancient Greece is not something that I wish for， but I did like to read it。 However there are a few things that kept me from completely enjoying the book。 I felt more that I was reading a historical recount without the feel of the characters。 It was an easy book to read and I felt that the writing was great， but the sisters felt so similar even though they went through different processes of being wives， mothers， and women in their own right。 However， I did enjoy reading more about how they were raised， their relationships with their family members， and their children later on。I would recommend this book to those who enjoy Greek mythology， historical recounts， and personalization of past stories。 。。。more

Jacqie ，

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review。I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology and also by women's history。 This book was a natural for me。 This is pure historical fiction- gods and magic are not active in this book。The book opens with Klytemnestra and Helen as children growing up in the Spartan palace。 Quite a few historical fiction books seem to need to set the stage by having the reader first encounter the main characters as children and then have the reader w Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review。I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology and also by women's history。 This book was a natural for me。 This is pure historical fiction- gods and magic are not active in this book。The book opens with Klytemnestra and Helen as children growing up in the Spartan palace。 Quite a few historical fiction books seem to need to set the stage by having the reader first encounter the main characters as children and then have the reader watch them grow up。 I don't especially enjoy this technique， and in this case I thought the author had some trouble maturing her characters。 Helen， especially， seemed childish and naive for most of the book。 Part of what the author was trying to show， I think， is how noble women were kept out of the public eye and were sheltered。 However， as princesses， I would think that both girls would have some training in politics- knowing who the major players were in their neighboring lands， what is expected of a queen （for both girls go on to become queens）， diplomacy， and how to handle the men that would become their husbands。 Neither Klytemnestra nor Helen seem to have any ideas about any of this。 When Helen's father allows her to choose her husband， Helen makes her pick because Menelaus is Agamemnon's brother and she hopes to be able to see her sister after they are married （Klytemnestra has married Agamemnon at her father's behest）。 No other reason。 No one even tries to tell her that it's unlikely that her plan will work， because married women rarely travel- this comes as a surprise to Helen。 Would she really not know this？Neither girl has any friends or anyone to talk to when their husbands act in ways bewildering to these too-naive young women。 Is Agamemnon having affairs？ Klytemnestra isn't even sure most of the time。 Helen has no idea how to have any relationship at all with Menelaus， who， to be fair， is equally stymied by the prospect of actually talking to his wife。 Neither girl is at all prepared for sex with her husband。 It felt more like the 1950's，when no one was allowed to talk about sex， than an era thousands of years ago when surely sex would have been seen differently （pre-Christian values and all that？）。 Helen of Troy （and Sparta） is one of the most famous women in history。 This author chooses to portray her as a silly young girl who thinks that because she's pretty， she deserves everything。 She falls for a smoothtalking stranger because her own husband doesn't show her the appreciation she wants， and her relationship with Menelaus is dead on the vine。 Helen's end of the book felt quite unlikely to me。 Klytemnestra is a "good girl" who tries to do all the right things， but is betrayed by her husband in a truly heinous way。 In the end， she does rally to her revenge， but the mythic Klytemnestra， magnificent in her rage， and this book's Klytemnestra doggedly performing her queenly duties alone and hardly seeming to believe in her own plan for vengeance， seem far apart。 I guess I wanted more from both of these characters。 Klytemnestra needed more fire， I thought， and Helen needed to be a bit more grown-up- she gave no thought whatsoever to what it meant to be leaving with Paris。 I did like the world itself- ancient Greece society was interesting and the background to Agamemnon and Menelaus's wives was more than I'd known。 If this had been two ancient Greek women who didn't happen to be legendary， I might have liked the book more。 In humanizing these women， the author diminished them even as she strove to understand what drove them。 。。。more

Lauryn ，

After finishing A Thousand Ships back in March， I’ve found my interest in the myths and legends of Ancient Greece has remained steady – as has my wavering on whether I want to take a stab at reading The Iliad or The Odyssey。 When I saw that Claire Heywood had a new novel， Daughters of Sparta releasing soon， I jumped at the chance to preview another book looking at the Trojan War from a female perspective。 Focused on Klytemnestra and Helen， Daughters of Sparta examines the expectations placed on After finishing A Thousand Ships back in March， I’ve found my interest in the myths and legends of Ancient Greece has remained steady – as has my wavering on whether I want to take a stab at reading The Iliad or The Odyssey。 When I saw that Claire Heywood had a new novel， Daughters of Sparta releasing soon， I jumped at the chance to preview another book looking at the Trojan War from a female perspective。 Focused on Klytemnestra and Helen， Daughters of Sparta examines the expectations placed on women， how that impacted their sense of self， and how often women are blamed （and punished） for the actions of men。Klytemnestra always knew， accepted， and welcomed her role as oldest daughter。 She looked forward to the day that she would marry and become a wife， mother， and eventually Queen of Sparta。 In the meantime， she helped look after her younger sister， Helen。 While breathtakingly beautiful even as a child， Helen never quite mastered tasks like spinning and weaving and the prospect of marriage and motherhood was always daunting and elusive。 When the time comes for Klytemnestra to wed， there’s a change in plans and instead of remaining in Sparta， she must leave for Mycenae where she will be Agamemnon’s queen while Helen stays behind as Sparta’s future queen。 Though the sisters end up married to brothers， they never see one another in person again but their lives remain inextricably entwined as Helen’s struggles with her role as wife， mother and Queen of Sparta trigger repercussions that devastate Klytemnestra and challenge her own understanding of everything she thought her life and marriage would be。For the rest of my review， please visit my blog: https://wp。me/pUEx4-15U 。。。more

BookMadLibrarian ，

Two sisters parted。 Two women blamed。 Two stories reclaimed。Claire Heywood’s ‘Daughters of Sparta’ is a moving and at times， heart-wrenching story of Klytemnestra and her younger sister， the infamous Helen of Troy。 In the original stories from Greek mythology， female characters are often treated as peripheral figures， their stories overshadowed by the heroic male protagonists。 Heywood， as the book’s tagline suggests， wants to address this imbalance and successfully gives the two female character Two sisters parted。 Two women blamed。 Two stories reclaimed。Claire Heywood’s ‘Daughters of Sparta’ is a moving and at times， heart-wrenching story of Klytemnestra and her younger sister， the infamous Helen of Troy。 In the original stories from Greek mythology， female characters are often treated as peripheral figures， their stories overshadowed by the heroic male protagonists。 Heywood， as the book’s tagline suggests， wants to address this imbalance and successfully gives the two female characters the attention that they deserve。Nestra and Helen， as the daughters of the King of Sparta， live a comfortable life in their father’s palace。 From a young age， the two girls are taught how to act as the ideal woman in order to prepare them for their future roles as wives and mothers。 Nestra as the eldest daughter appears to be willing to accept her role in society and concentrates on making her father proud by being the best daughter that she can be。 Helen is presented by Heywood as a naive， innocent young girl and woman， fixated on an idealised notion of finding love and having the perfect union with her husband。 This book follows the two girls from their young lives in Sparta right through to their time as married women， mothers and queens of their respective kingdoms。Sacrifice， societal expectations for women and duty dominate this story and we get to see the women in a new light。 They endure unimaginable hardship despite the fact that they are the wives of rulers and struggle with their lives and the decisions and actions of their respective husbands。 We see how they struggle with their defined roles as wives and mothers。 Heywood’s inclusion of a retelling of the infamous Siege of Troy from a female perspective is fascinating and beautifully written; she captures the claustrophobic feel of the siege not only for the people of Troy but particularly for Helen。 She is deemed the root cause for the siege and the misery of the people in the city and struggles to survive in a place where she is hated。‘Daughters of Sparta’ is the perfect book for fans of ‘The Silence of the Girls‘， ‘Ariadne’ and ‘Circe’。 Heywood provides the female protagonists with a new voice。 They are no longer the vilified figures represented in the classical mythological stories。 We see their world from their perspective which is refreshing。 The slower pace of the novel allows the two women to reflect on their lives and the events that unfold before them。 If you like character-driven stories， ‘Daughters of Sparta’ is a great read。 A fascinating immersion into life in ancient Sparta and Troy。‘Daughters of Sparta’ will be published on 22nd of July by Hodder and Stoughton。Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review。 。。。more

M。J。 ，

Daughters of Sparta is that most wonderful of books - one that draws you in from the very first pages and won't let go of you until the end。 I read it in just over a day。 I didn't want to put it down。The storytelling is engaging， the characters of Helen and her sister， beautifully sketched while everyone around them， apart from their mother， stays very much in the background。 This is their story。At times the reader will hate either or both of the sisters， at other times， the reader will understa Daughters of Sparta is that most wonderful of books - one that draws you in from the very first pages and won't let go of you until the end。 I read it in just over a day。 I didn't want to put it down。The storytelling is engaging， the characters of Helen and her sister， beautifully sketched while everyone around them， apart from their mother， stays very much in the background。 This is their story。At times the reader will hate either or both of the sisters， at other times， the reader will understand their pain， their desire to be more than their birthright。A beautifully evocative story that speaks of the loneliness of royal marriage， of the heavy， and life-threatening expectations placed on young women to become mothers， and you will be swept along by a tale you think you know but might not。 5 stars from me。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy。 。。。more

Reading on the Rocks ，

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Daughters of Sparta in exchange for an honest review。Daughters of Sparta left me wishing for more， but not in a good way。 In the novel， author Claire Heywood imagines how Helen， the queen of Sparta who began the Trojan war， and her sister Klytemnestra， wife of Agamemnon， would have lived prior to and during the war。 The story begins with their childhood， then diverges as each sister is led further and further apart in the anci Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Daughters of Sparta in exchange for an honest review。Daughters of Sparta left me wishing for more， but not in a good way。 In the novel， author Claire Heywood imagines how Helen， the queen of Sparta who began the Trojan war， and her sister Klytemnestra， wife of Agamemnon， would have lived prior to and during the war。 The story begins with their childhood， then diverges as each sister is led further and further apart in the ancient world。 For those who are unfamiliar with classical texts like The Iliad， Heywood begins the novel with an opening epigraph to contextualize the events of Daughters of Sparta。 I really love this addition because it makes the novel more accessible without having to read through any poetry or tragedies。 Though I have read some classical texts， I think Daughters of Sparta stands on its own as a historical fiction novel rather than a retelling。 Unfortunately， I do think this is the book’s detriment， as Heywood’s assertion that Daughters of Sparta aims to fill in the blanks of Helen and Klytemnestra’s stories is undermined by the book’s structure and characterization of well-known characters。The story spans decades， relying heavily on time jumps。 While this can be done well， Heywood prioritizes telling the reader what happened during these time jumps within the text rather than writing scenes that further develop the protagonists。 For me， this caused more questions about the characters， and was only worsened by the fact neither character seemed to grow through each new experience。 Despite falling flat and lacking character growth， Helen and Klytemnesta do portray what life could have been like for Greek women。 Heywood’s depiction of the sisters’ marriages offered insight into the lives of wealthy Greek women of the period。 For example， Heywood imagines Helen struggling in her role as queen of Sparta and mother to her newborn daughter。 Considering women were expected to become mothers， Helen’s conflict within the very role she has been destined to fill since birth questions the role of the idealized wife and mother of the period。 Thematically， I had an issue with the way most characters were put into the category of good or bad without any ambiguity。 One of my favourite things about the original texts is the way they can’t necessarily be analyzed from a modern perspective with the concept of good or evil。 So to paint some characters as people who can do no wrong while others do bad things for no reason seemed to me as a disservice not only to the Greek texts， but also humans in general。 One （non-spoiler） example of this is Klytemnestra’s relationship with her daughter Elektra。 In the tragedy Elektra， Klytemnestra and her daughter have a tumultuous relationship to say the least， each spewing hatred towards the other throughout the play。 Yet in the third person Daughters of Sparta， Klytemnestra seems like the perfect mother with a moody teenage daughter， lacking any of the tension that comes from imperfect characters。 Rating 2。5/5: Though Daughters of Sparta answers some of the questions the original tragedies and epics fail to address， the novel raises more questions with its bland take on the classical world。 Overall， Daughters of Sparta lacks the strength and power of its source material。 I won’t go so far as to say it’s bad or completely unenjoyable as there are some interesting takes about women’s lives in the period， but Daughters of Sparta is dull in comparison to The Iliad， The Oresteia and The Eumenides。 Given that this is a book about classical period wars， a trigger warning must be given for sexual assault， war brutality， and slavery。My Instagram 。。。more

Sara Zaninelli ，

“So many people have left her; she felt as if there wasn’t enough of her to patch the holes they have left behind。”•Daughters of Sparta is the myth retelling I was waiting for since Circe。 The author has decided to leave the Gods outside the narration in order to make us perceive Klytemnestra and Helen as real girls， with real lives and real feelings。 Let’s start with Helen， I think there is no one who would say: Oh I like that girl。 She is considered a whore who is only able to follow her desir “So many people have left her; she felt as if there wasn’t enough of her to patch the holes they have left behind。”•Daughters of Sparta is the myth retelling I was waiting for since Circe。 The author has decided to leave the Gods outside the narration in order to make us perceive Klytemnestra and Helen as real girls， with real lives and real feelings。 Let’s start with Helen， I think there is no one who would say: Oh I like that girl。 She is considered a whore who is only able to follow her desires without thinking of consequences。 But here， in this tale， she is just a very lonely girl who doesn’t know how to speak with her husband and who is fascinated by a golden boy who promises her the world。 Of course the reality is different， but how is she supposed to know that？！ She only knows her very narrow reality and when she has the chance to be free， she just grabs it because she desperately wants to be happy and she thinks that’s the only way。 Born from a rape， she has never received the love she deserved from her mother and she feels inadequate as a mother herself。 She is afflicted by depression and the only person with whom she has ever felt a great attachment， her sister， is far away。 I must admit I have always liked Klytemnestra‘s story。 She is obliged to leave her house and go living with a man who makes her feel small and makes her think the only way to be a good mother and a good woman is to stay silent。 But when he takes the decision to kill their own daughter， how can she stay put？ The grief is just too strong， but again the author does an incredible thing here。 Klytemnestra doesn’t really kill Agamemnon because of her daughter， she understands that he must have grieved too （even if this is not an excuse）， but she kills him because she has found out there is another kind of life she can live， a life where she is respected and listened to and she does not want to give up to it。 Maybe it’s a bit extreme， but who would be able to return into a cage after experiencing freedom？I really found the two daughters of Sparta so real， with the same desires and fears all the women have and it is a great hymn to feminism。 All women shouldn’t be silent， they should express they desires and be put into the condition not to fear doing so！Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy。 。。。more

Katie Mac ，

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。3。5。 I love Greek mythology and disliked the movie Troy as much as the next person， so I was excited to read this from the POV of Helen and Klytemnestra who， as Heywood notes in her introduction， have bad reputations and are poorly fleshed out in mythology。 The writing is fine--though not to the caliber of Madeline Miller， as the marketing suggests--but the characterization was not as rich as I anticipated。 Heywood m I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。3。5。 I love Greek mythology and disliked the movie Troy as much as the next person， so I was excited to read this from the POV of Helen and Klytemnestra who， as Heywood notes in her introduction， have bad reputations and are poorly fleshed out in mythology。 The writing is fine--though not to the caliber of Madeline Miller， as the marketing suggests--but the characterization was not as rich as I anticipated。 Heywood makes Helen slightly more sympathetic in her relationship to motherhood， but she's a bit one-note in that regard。 Honestly， I would have enjoyed reading more about Klytemnestra; her tumultuous relationship with her husband and family was much more appealing to me。 。。。more

Amanda Hupe ，

Thank you， NetGalley， Claire Heywood， and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read this book。 This book will be published on June 22nd， 2021！The Iliad， The Odyssey， and The Aeneid gave us these legendary stories about legendary men killing each other for glory and battling the gods。 We see glimpses of the women behind these men。 Now we are gifted with retellings that strive to give these women a voice。 The Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood gives the perspective of Klytemnestra and Helen。 The Thank you， NetGalley， Claire Heywood， and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read this book。 This book will be published on June 22nd， 2021！The Iliad， The Odyssey， and The Aeneid gave us these legendary stories about legendary men killing each other for glory and battling the gods。 We see glimpses of the women behind these men。 Now we are gifted with retellings that strive to give these women a voice。 The Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood gives the perspective of Klytemnestra and Helen。 They are the daughters of Tyndareus and Leda of Sparta。 At a young age， they are married off and separated。 Helen is married to Menelaos。 Klytemnestra is married to Agamemnon。 They have to navigate the waters of being a wife to a King in a turbulent time。 In this case， the women sacrifice their happiness for the success of their husbands， and stepping out of line can result in disastrous circumstances。Trigger Warnings: Miscarriage， Child Loss， Murder， RapeOne thing that I absolutely loved about this book is how it navigates childhood， sisterhood， marriage， and motherhood in Ancient times。 Helen clearly has some elements of postpartum depression with the birth of Hermione。 But also， the author does go into the fact that these women weren’t “women” when they are married and get pregnant。 They are still girls。 Barely teenagers and they are forced into a world where they have to submit to the will of men。 Menelaos is not a cruel man…not like Agamemnon。 But they are still forced into situations that they would not choose for themselves。One thing that I didn’t like， is their personalities。 Helen is the face that launched a thousand ships！ She is left by her husband for the handsome， yet cowardly， Paris。 And she falls a little flat。 Paris is a giant tool—but we ALL know this， even in The Iliad， we know this。 Give Helen something。 We don’t get her side of the story， so make her LEGENDARY。 It’s the same thing with Klytemnestra。 She knows that her daughter is about to be sacrificed by her husband and she just lets it happen。 I know， she doesn’t have a lot of choice in the matter， but let’s have her do something rather than just stand by as her child’s throat gets slit to appease the gods。But overall， I was completely immersed。 The author writes with wonderful ease and I did feel like the description is on point。 I could visualize the palaces and the danger that lurks there。 I do hope Claire Heywood writes some more mythology or fairytale retellings！ She does have a knack for creating the appropriate aesthetic in the stories。 I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars！ 。。。more

Polly-Alida ，

A fascinating imagining of what the lives of the mythic Greek figures Klytemnestra and Helen of Troy might have been。 Introducing the women as young girls， taking them through marriages， childbirth， affairs， and their subservience to men in their lives。 And of course， their roles in the Trojan wars。 Simple， straightforward storytelling immerses you in the tale and the times。 Another reviewer mentions that the author has chosen to have major events turn on very human decisions and weaknesses， rat A fascinating imagining of what the lives of the mythic Greek figures Klytemnestra and Helen of Troy might have been。 Introducing the women as young girls， taking them through marriages， childbirth， affairs， and their subservience to men in their lives。 And of course， their roles in the Trojan wars。 Simple， straightforward storytelling immerses you in the tale and the times。 Another reviewer mentions that the author has chosen to have major events turn on very human decisions and weaknesses， rather than blaming/crediting the gods。 A welcome an interesting departure from the original tales。 I can’t say I particularly enjoyed ancient Greek lit as a very young student many decades ago， too many gods， too much war， too many heroic/swaggering men。 But I very much enjoyed this title and it has inspired a bit of digging back into what I’ve forgotten from my school days。 Thanks to author， publisher and NetGalley for a review copy。 。。。more

Laura Dimmett ，

This review contains spoilers。 The ARC was granted with NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 If you are looking for a version of the Trojan War from the Iliad and the Greek dramas that is in any way romanticized， this is not the version of the story for you。 Told from the points of view of Klytemnestra and Helen， sisters who were integral to the Trojan War both at Troy and home in Greece， the author portrays a time in which people believe the gods are real， but the autho This review contains spoilers。 The ARC was granted with NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 If you are looking for a version of the Trojan War from the Iliad and the Greek dramas that is in any way romanticized， this is not the version of the story for you。 Told from the points of view of Klytemnestra and Helen， sisters who were integral to the Trojan War both at Troy and home in Greece， the author portrays a time in which people believe the gods are real， but the author makes it very clear that it's really the humans in the story driving the narrative。 I don't think I've ever read a version that so successfully eliminated every divine act so successfully and attributed the character and plot development to patriarchal oppression， violence， greed， and ambition。 。 What that takes out of the story turns out to be quite significant。 Helen is not really the daughter of Zeus， come to Queen Leda in the form of a swan。 She's actually the result of an implied gang rape that her parents try to cover by letting the Zeus rumor spread。 As a result， Helen's mother hates the sight of her， and Helen's life choices end up cycling through trying to be loved by those who don't love her and withholding her love from those who could love her。 。 Paris was not given the most beautiful woman in the world because of his role in a dispute among goddesses。 He's a selfish pretty boy who saw Helen as a prize rather than a person。 In Margaret George's version of these events， the tragedy lies in knowing that Helen and Paris' once-in-a-lifetime ' love will eventually destroy Troy， and that Helen will regret his loss for the rest of her life。 This is a traditional view， but Clare Heywood sees the real tragedy in the fact that to Helen in particular， none of this was really worth it。 She eventually realizes Paris' shallowness and that the grand love was never real。 She bears the brunt of the shame and blame， a position that she grows to find almost comfortable。 Misery is almost safer than having her hopes up because any grasping of happiness has ended disastrously due to her own self-destructive behavior and the vices of others。 Klytemnestra's contribution to the narrative is to show that being the obedient good girl to your husband doesn't make life much easier。 Most versions have Agamemnon forced to sacrifice Klytemnestra's first born Iphigenia on order from the gods to receive favorable winds to Troy。 However， Heywood proposes the idea that the seer who told Agamemnon "the will of the gods" was actually seeking vengeance for a wrong Agamemnon had committed against his family years earlier。 Klytemnestra knows the gods have no blame in this except perhaps in not intervening。 She knows her daughter's murder is the result of vengeance and Agamemnon's ambition。 Her failure to forgive her husband for the loss of her child and her defiance of the "will of the gods" become much more understandable。 Her reputation as the false wife and villainess crumbles。What we are left with is one of the more historical fictionalized accounts of the Trojan War。， but it' s just as tragic， because everything that unfolds is due to character flaws in those who had potential to be， even if not great， very good。 。。。more

Christine ，

An engaging albeit frustrating novel about the lives of two iconic figures of Greek classics， Klytemnestra and Helen of Sparta。 The latter is better known as Helen of Troy。Claire Heywood's "Daughters of Sparta" focuses on the two princesses from their childhood onward， giving each their own POV chapters。 Klytemnestra， the elder of the two， is an exemplary princess for her time。 Helen， for reasons Heywood explores later on， is the black sheep of her family。 Or rather， the fair-haired sheep due to An engaging albeit frustrating novel about the lives of two iconic figures of Greek classics， Klytemnestra and Helen of Sparta。 The latter is better known as Helen of Troy。Claire Heywood's "Daughters of Sparta" focuses on the two princesses from their childhood onward， giving each their own POV chapters。 Klytemnestra， the elder of the two， is an exemplary princess for her time。 Helen， for reasons Heywood explores later on， is the black sheep of her family。 Or rather， the fair-haired sheep due to the hair color she does not share with any of her immediate family members。Marketing claims aside， there have been plenty of Trojan War retellings from Helen's point of view。 However， Heywood's stands out as one that simultaneously gives Helen a positive character arc and a hopeful ending without doing away with her active participation in her elopement。 This is a flawed， somewhat petulant Helen， but I appreciate that she comes across as more compelling than "likeable" beyond the narrow confines of what makes for a "nice" female character。 Heywood also sidesteps a common， somewhat boring aspect of most Helen-centric retellings by humanizing Helen's husband Menelaus。 In the end， they make each other better people， and I was pleasantly surprised by how their relationship evolved given the very rocky beginning。Klytemnestra's story， unfortunately， goes out of its way to scrub its heroine squeaky clean。 Gone is the powerful queen who can hold down a kingdom in her husband's absence， who feels righteous fury at her daughter's murder， who defends her decisions even when she internally feels doubt， and who keeps the flame of vengeance burning for ten years until she can exact what she believes is justice。 Nope， none of that。 Instead， we get a meek， dutiful version of Klytemnestra who holds basically no power， whom no one respects， and who frets over whether she can bring herself to go through with any of her plans。 （On a side note， both Helen and Klytemnestra lead strangely segregated lives。 They have no wealthy female companions around， no local lords' wives， only women employed and/or enslaved at the palace。 The emptiness in their social circle is puzzling。）Unlike the strong-willed Klytemnestra who occasionally vacillates in her plans， Heywood's Klytemnestra has to paint herself into a corner before she'll engage in the slightest bit of action。 She doesn't feel jealousy or hatred， she doesn't begrudge anyone， and she can barely bring herself to go through with the climactic murder of Agamemnon （and let's not even touch the death of Cassandra， which gets fobbed off onto someone else so Klytemnestra can be appropriately appalled by the murder of an innocent）。 Whether one agrees or disagrees with Klytemnestra in the original material， you can't deny that she has strong convictions。 This version of her does not。Overall， I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys retellings of ancient Greek classics。 That being said， if you've read previous Trojan War & Oresteia novelizations or are looking for someone to embroider on the rich material from Homer， Aeschylus， Sophocles， or Euripides， this adaptation may fall a bit flat。Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Lian Dolan ，

A brilliant & emotional retelling of two ancient daughters of Sparta， Helen & Klytemnestra， through the modern eyes of Classicist- turned-novelist Claire Heywood。 I'll admit that I was predisposed to love this book， as a students of Classics in college and someone who also wrote a novel about Helen of Troy after a lifelong fascination with her。 （Helen of Pasadena， a contemporary social satire） But Heywood's lovely and nuanced portrait of Helen， the great beauty of Greece and the face that launch A brilliant & emotional retelling of two ancient daughters of Sparta， Helen & Klytemnestra， through the modern eyes of Classicist- turned-novelist Claire Heywood。 I'll admit that I was predisposed to love this book， as a students of Classics in college and someone who also wrote a novel about Helen of Troy after a lifelong fascination with her。 （Helen of Pasadena， a contemporary social satire） But Heywood's lovely and nuanced portrait of Helen， the great beauty of Greece and the face that launched a thoudanss ships， and her older and doomed sister Klytemnestra surpassed my expectations with evocative language， accurate history and an authentic emotional arc for both sisters。 Fans of Madeline Miller's book will find a lot to like here。 4。5 stars 。。。more

Beth-Siobhan ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I wanted more。 I wanted a longer story after the war was over and the legacies of the women。 Given that Klymenestra’s story is that she is only known for killing her husband， though I do think this gives more reasoning as to why she did it， rather than just that she and her lover killed Agamemnon。 I felt Helen needed more characterisation， there was very little to her and I wanted to feel even a little bit sorry for her but I really didn’t。 However， I love all Greek mythology fiction and will de I wanted more。 I wanted a longer story after the war was over and the legacies of the women。 Given that Klymenestra’s story is that she is only known for killing her husband， though I do think this gives more reasoning as to why she did it， rather than just that she and her lover killed Agamemnon。 I felt Helen needed more characterisation， there was very little to her and I wanted to feel even a little bit sorry for her but I really didn’t。 However， I love all Greek mythology fiction and will devour up any more that this author writes along these lines。 。。。more

Heather Copping ，

This book is set in ancient Greece and features two sisters Helen and Klytemnestra （ Nestra）， they are daughters of the king and have high privileges。 Although Nestra seems to have many more privileges than Helen and Helen cannot work out why that is so and why her mother favours her sister more than her。 Is it her looks and her golden hair？ The two girls are also coming to an age when they must have suitors chosen by their father， especially Nestra being the eldest。 As their mother sits spinnin This book is set in ancient Greece and features two sisters Helen and Klytemnestra （ Nestra）， they are daughters of the king and have high privileges。 Although Nestra seems to have many more privileges than Helen and Helen cannot work out why that is so and why her mother favours her sister more than her。 Is it her looks and her golden hair？ The two girls are also coming to an age when they must have suitors chosen by their father， especially Nestra being the eldest。 As their mother sits spinning （as all women must do） her mother announces that their father will be going off to war shortly and the cloth she is spinning is for a cloak for him。 When their father returns from war he announces to Nestra that she is to be married to King Agamemnon， something that she is not pleased about。 Two years later and it is decided that Helen must also be married and her father made the decision that it will be Menelaos， son of Atreus， prince of Mycenae。 Another two years now has passed and Helen is expecting her first child， her husband is gaining his kingdom and Helen would finally become a queen。 This is only happening now because she was expecting and her father had agreed to step aside and hand his Kingdom over to her husband。 There is a strong sense of duty in this book， women took second place and duty was thought of as sacred， if a woman betrayed her husband that was going against her duty。 Helen had such a bad time with her first child and the thought of having more children terrifies her and she will stop at nothing to prevent it happening again。 After having a visit by Prince Paris of Troy in the middle of the night， Helen is fascinated by having this attention bestowed upon her and she enjoys this so much that she leaves when her husband is away to be with Prince Paris of Troy， also he takes with him gold and jewels。 Her husband who is Nestra husband's brother soon turns up at the royal palace and very soon war is declared on Troy。 As the troops leave Greece for Troy， Nestra has more heartbreaking news， her eleven year old first born daughter is to be married。 She is horrified by this news and declares that she will accompany her daughter。 But is this what her husband has in store for her eleven year old， horrifying times are ahead for Nestra， can she get through them？ As war rages between the two groups who will survive this to take reign of the country？ Much bloodshed and fighting follows， resulting in many deaths， but who will survive to reign？ Will the two sisters ever be reunited？ Many questions are left to be answered。 Many people like myself will have heard of the Trojan War and Helen of Troy but never really understood all the backgrounds to what went on all those years ago and this book may answer some of them。 An interesting read with plenty of historical facts， Greek mythology and drama attached to the story。 。。。more

Rachel ，

Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood is an excellent historical fiction that takes some classic， albeit underwritten， female characters within Greek mythology and creates a new narrative allowing new voices to emerge。 I really enjoyed reading the perspectives of Helen and Klytemnestra。 We get to see everything from their perspective as they grow up and the events in their lives， and the world as they see it， up until the events after the Trojan War。 This， to me， was more of a character-driven n Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood is an excellent historical fiction that takes some classic， albeit underwritten， female characters within Greek mythology and creates a new narrative allowing new voices to emerge。 I really enjoyed reading the perspectives of Helen and Klytemnestra。 We get to see everything from their perspective as they grow up and the events in their lives， and the world as they see it， up until the events after the Trojan War。 This， to me， was more of a character-driven novel and that allowed for a slower， more complex and reflective pace。 Learning their thoughts， hopes， dreams， opinions， and how society was for them in Sparta growing up， as well as thereafter， really enveloped me。 I enjoyed the new perspective that was presented through their stories。 I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author。5/5 stars Thank you NG and Hodder & Stoughton for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hijas de Esparta

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hijas de Esparta&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hijas de Esparta&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0