Fantasy

The Women of Troy

The Women of Troy

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  • Create Date：2021-07-28 07:51:08
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Pat Barker
  • ISBN：024142724X
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Summary

Following her bestselling， critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls， Pat Barker continues her extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest myths。

'Taut， masterly， wholly absorbing。 Still one of the greatest stories ever written。 A book that will be read in generations to come' Daily Telegraph on The Silence of the Girls

Troy has fallen。 The Greeks have won their bitter war。 They can return home as victors - all they need is a good wind to lift their sails。 But the wind has vanished， the seas becalmed by vengeful gods， and so the warriors remain in limbo - camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed， kept company by the women they stole from it。

The women of Troy。

Helen - poor Helen。 All that beauty， all that grace - and she was just a mouldy old bone for feral dogs to fight over。

Cassandra， who has learned not to be too attached to her own prophecies。 They have only ever been believed when she can get a man to deliver them。

Stubborn Amina， with her gaze still fixed on the ruined towers of Troy， determined to avenge the slaughter of her king。

Hecuba， howling and clawing her cheeks on the silent shore， as if she could make her cries heard in the gloomy halls of Hades。 As if she could wake the dead。

And Briseis， carrying her future in her womb: the unborn child of the dead hero Achilles。 Once again caught up in the disputes of violent men。 Once again faced with the chance to shape history。

Masterful and enduringly resonant， ambitious and intimate， The Women of Troy continues Pat Barker's extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest classical myths， following on from the critically acclaimed The Silence of the Girls。

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Reviews

Bex ，

I really enjoyed Pat Barker's initial book in this series， The Silence of the Girls， so was really excited to see there would be a story following the events after Achilles has fallen。 Even more exciting than that was the prospect of being provided with a sort of behind-the-scenes look at the women who struggled throughout the fallout the days after， because that probably was the only thing missing from the previous book。The Women of Troy falls very short， however。 It absolutely centres on the w I really enjoyed Pat Barker's initial book in this series， The Silence of the Girls， so was really excited to see there would be a story following the events after Achilles has fallen。 Even more exciting than that was the prospect of being provided with a sort of behind-the-scenes look at the women who struggled throughout the fallout the days after， because that probably was the only thing missing from the previous book。The Women of Troy falls very short， however。 It absolutely centres on the women， which is great because it's not typical to have opportunities to imagine what might have happened to them。 But it is also incredibly boring， and a total non-event。 There are two distinct failings with this book for me: the narrative voice and the pacing。 Pat Barker sadly falls into a bit of a habit of using language or sentence construction （in which she misses words out as per the Yorkshire dialect） which gives away her Yorkshire roots。 I wouldn't mind this at all in another story， but a story set in Troy？ With Yorkshire prose used by the Trojans？ I don't think that works， and it completely pulled me out of the story and reminded me that it was just a story。 The pacing was hugely problematic。 By 50% I can confidently say that absolutely nothing happened。 Whilst Barker does a brilliant job of capturing the callous treatment of women， and their unfortunately invisible nature during this time （presumably！）， she fails to weave this into a compelling story。 It needed a plot which propelled the narrative whilst showcasing these things， rather than purely showcasing the role of women and having no plot whatsoever。A really disappointing sequel for me， from a much beloved first book。 ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Helen Childs ，

*I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review*This is Pat Barker’s second instalment in her retelling of the Iliad。 The story begins where The Silence of the Girls ended - our narrator， the brave and wonderful Briseis。 She finds herself married to Alcimus， no longer a slave， but carrying her dead lover， the legendary Achilles’ son。 We meet Achilles brutal son， Pyrrhus， who defies the Gods through his treatment of Priam， which will hold great consequence。 We are also remi *I received a Kindle ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review*This is Pat Barker’s second instalment in her retelling of the Iliad。 The story begins where The Silence of the Girls ended - our narrator， the brave and wonderful Briseis。 She finds herself married to Alcimus， no longer a slave， but carrying her dead lover， the legendary Achilles’ son。 We meet Achilles brutal son， Pyrrhus， who defies the Gods through his treatment of Priam， which will hold great consequence。 We are also reminded of the ‘Trojan Women’ - Hecuba， Andromache， Cassandra and of course， Helen herself and their different roles in their respective camps。I loved this retelling and it’s personal narrative voice， considering the will to survive and the difficulties faced during times of peace as well as war。 Just wonderful！ 。。。more

Karen ，

A story beginning at the very end of the siege of Troy， this book deals with the aftermath of 10 years of battle as the victorious Greek leaders wait for the wind to change so they can sail home。Meanwhile， the captive women of Troy are enduring their own storms。 Forced to witness the brutal slaying of their beloved fathers， brothers， lovers， husbands and even infant sons， once proud women like Hecuba， Cassandra and Andromache have been parcelled out as spoils of war among brave but brutal men li A story beginning at the very end of the siege of Troy， this book deals with the aftermath of 10 years of battle as the victorious Greek leaders wait for the wind to change so they can sail home。Meanwhile， the captive women of Troy are enduring their own storms。 Forced to witness the brutal slaying of their beloved fathers， brothers， lovers， husbands and even infant sons， once proud women like Hecuba， Cassandra and Andromache have been parcelled out as spoils of war among brave but brutal men like Odysseus， Agamemnon and Pyrrhus， son of the great Achilles。Told through the eyes of Briseis， the late Achilles' concubine-slave， this story explores the women's resilience amid their struggle to survive the trials they've endured， including the loss of their freedom。 But though their lives and bodies are broken， their spirits remain whole as they adapt to a very different life。Homer's once heroic leaders have their own demons， too。 They're as much slaves as the women， captive to their own fears and self-doubt。I was utterly engrossed by this retelling of just one aspect of the Trojan war。 With rich descriptive writing， the author captures the atmosphere of classical times， with its battles among men， gods and demi-gods， yet makes them accessible to the modern reader through the portrayal of men and women no different to ourselves in their hopes， fears and dreams of escaping the shadows of Troy's black and broken towers。 。。。more

Sabrina Burton ，

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for sending me the arc of this amazing sequel to The Silence of the Girls。Trigger Warning*Rape， Slavery， AbuseTroy has fallen。 The Greeks have won their bitter war。 They can return home victors， loaded with their spoils: their stolen gold， stolen weapons， stolen women。 All they need is a good wind to lift their sails。 However， the Gods are offended and the wind does not come。 Priam's body is desecrated and Cassandra， Apollo's Priestess has been raped in Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for sending me the arc of this amazing sequel to The Silence of the Girls。Trigger Warning*Rape， Slavery， AbuseTroy has fallen。 The Greeks have won their bitter war。 They can return home victors， loaded with their spoils: their stolen gold， stolen weapons， stolen women。 All they need is a good wind to lift their sails。 However， the Gods are offended and the wind does not come。 Priam's body is desecrated and Cassandra， Apollo's Priestess has been raped in the temple of Athena。 Briseis is trying to remain alive， pregnant with Achilles child and married to Alcimus she makes alliances with the other Trojans left and tries to protect herself and the others around her。This book continues to showcase the lives of the women who become slaves after the fall of Troy。 Hecuba， wife of Priam， Andromache， wife of Hector and Cassandra as well as other women who's lives are just as important but are not acknowledges in The Iliad and new characters such as Almina。 You also learn about Achilles son Pyrrhus who whilst violent is not seen as equal to his father and seems to struggle with this。 The combinations of different perspectives， Briseis， Pyrrhus and Calchus， Apollo's Priest is beautifully done and I enjoyed all perspectives as they complimented each other and I never just wanted to get to the perspective I cared about because I cared about them all。The feeling of the book is intensely claustrophobic the feeling of violence just under the surface that the men will start but the women will suffer for。 Pat Barker again gives an incredible story about the lives of the women that the Iliad neglects even after the fall of troy。 This book has also made me keen to read The Women of Troy by Euripides。 A gripping read that again I finished in around 24 hours and loved every second of！ 。。。more

Holly ，

（I received this as an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。）The Women of Troy， the sequel to The Silence of the Girls， continues the story of Briseis， a Trojan women taken from her home and forced to become the slave and concubine of Achilles。 I read The Silence of the Girls a few years ago， and while I did enjoy it， I happened to read it very soon after reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller， which follows the same series of events。 As such， I think my experience of T （I received this as an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。）The Women of Troy， the sequel to The Silence of the Girls， continues the story of Briseis， a Trojan women taken from her home and forced to become the slave and concubine of Achilles。 I read The Silence of the Girls a few years ago， and while I did enjoy it， I happened to read it very soon after reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller， which follows the same series of events。 As such， I think my experience of The Silence of the Girls was impacted negatively as I was constantly comparing the two， and I ended up rating it 3 stars。 In contrast， I was absolutely enthralled with The Women of Troy。 Barker’s writing is brutal and blunt， which suited the story well， and there were many lines and paragraphs that impacted me emotionally。 I also loved the cast of characters， and appreciated how Barker illustrated the different ways women could react to certain situations， such as war。 However， there were some things I wasn’t a huge fan of。 Firstly， like in The Silence of the Girls， there were some sections that focused on the men， which I felt didn’t add anything to the story。 Additionally， I didn’t like the use of the ‘r’ slur and fatphobic comments， although it is worth noting that I read an early copy and these may have been removed。Ultimately， I thought this was a fantastic follow-up to The Silence of the Girls， and if you enjoyed the first book， I would definitely recommend picking this one up。Content Warnings: （view spoiler）[ death， death of a loved one， death of a child， animal death， dead bodies and desecration of a corpse， violence， domestic abuse， strangulation， stabbing， rape， pregnancy as a result of rape， war， slavery， suicide， claustrophobia， insects， vomiting， excessive drinking， repeated use of r slur， fatphobia， childbirth （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Harri ，

The story picks up from where The Silence of the Girls left off and follows Briseis。 However saying that it definitely would work as a stand-alone book as many of the references are explained in this book。 I enjoyed this more than the Silence of the Girls， I think that’s because I was more familiar with the characters， but both books were an easy 5 stars for me。 I also felt it was a bit more gripping， with a few more twists and turns and actions。I love the strong female characters and sisterhood The story picks up from where The Silence of the Girls left off and follows Briseis。 However saying that it definitely would work as a stand-alone book as many of the references are explained in this book。 I enjoyed this more than the Silence of the Girls， I think that’s because I was more familiar with the characters， but both books were an easy 5 stars for me。 I also felt it was a bit more gripping， with a few more twists and turns and actions。I love the strong female characters and sisterhood in this book and Briseis really seems to come into her own。Really well paced and well written。 If you are a fan of Greek mythology and similar books， I can’t recommend this enough。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book to review。 。。。more

Cam ，

In this retelling of Greek mythology， we’re dropped straight into the action with Pyrrhus， Achilles’ son， sitting inside the Trojan horse with the other Greek soldiers， about to enter Troy and bring about the end of the war。 The masculine world of action is then contrasted with the women in the camp， as we return to Briseis point of view， picking up where The Silence of the Girls left off。 Briseis is pregnant with Achilles’ child and now married to Alcimus – no longer a slave but still powerless In this retelling of Greek mythology， we’re dropped straight into the action with Pyrrhus， Achilles’ son， sitting inside the Trojan horse with the other Greek soldiers， about to enter Troy and bring about the end of the war。 The masculine world of action is then contrasted with the women in the camp， as we return to Briseis point of view， picking up where The Silence of the Girls left off。 Briseis is pregnant with Achilles’ child and now married to Alcimus – no longer a slave but still powerless。 The plight of the women and slaves in the Greek camp， the women who have accepted their fate and the ones quietly resisting， is subtle and fascinating。Atmospheric and full of detail， Barker’s writing really brings the ancient world and the squalor of the army camps to life。 。。。more

Antonia ，

Review coming soon :）

Lucy ，

Following on from 'The Silence of the Girls'， Briseis' story continues as she forges ahead carrying Achille's child， following the fall of Troy。 This is a masterful retelling of a great classical story， brought back to life in all its glory by a wonderful story teller。I had been so excited to receive this book， having loved 'The Silence of the Girls' and it certainly doesn't disappoint。 A wonderful story of women's strength and resilience， and when brought together in the midst of men's destruct Following on from 'The Silence of the Girls'， Briseis' story continues as she forges ahead carrying Achille's child， following the fall of Troy。 This is a masterful retelling of a great classical story， brought back to life in all its glory by a wonderful story teller。I had been so excited to receive this book， having loved 'The Silence of the Girls' and it certainly doesn't disappoint。 A wonderful story of women's strength and resilience， and when brought together in the midst of men's destruction， will always prevail。 。。。more

Katy Wheatley ，

The long anticipated sequel to The Silence Of The Girls and worth the wait。 I absolutely ate this up。 I don't know what it is about this re-telling that hooks me in so well but it does。 Barker's prose is spare and elegant。 It lays bare the brutal reality beneath the heady， purple poetry of Homer's epics and roots it in the dirt and the sand。 It strips away all pretence of what it means to be noble and shows and the every day drudgery of what it's like to be an unwilling part of a community only The long anticipated sequel to The Silence Of The Girls and worth the wait。 I absolutely ate this up。 I don't know what it is about this re-telling that hooks me in so well but it does。 Barker's prose is spare and elegant。 It lays bare the brutal reality beneath the heady， purple poetry of Homer's epics and roots it in the dirt and the sand。 It strips away all pretence of what it means to be noble and shows and the every day drudgery of what it's like to be an unwilling part of a community only connected by violence and war。 Briseis is such a compelling narrator。 You empathise with her predicament and there is such tension in the tightrope she walks between all the warring factions in the camp。 This is stunning。 I really hope this is a trilogy because I want to know what happens next。 。。。more

Grace ，

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the opportunity to preview this book。When I read that there was a sequel to Pat Barker's The Silence of the girls， I jumped at the opportunity to obtain an advance copy。 It did not disappoint me。 Yet again I was drawn into the narrative of Breseis as she weaves through the Greek camp getting to know the ins and outs of the captive Trojan women's lives following the fall of Troy。 The camp is atmospherically brought to life through descriptions of the incleme Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the opportunity to preview this book。When I read that there was a sequel to Pat Barker's The Silence of the girls， I jumped at the opportunity to obtain an advance copy。 It did not disappoint me。 Yet again I was drawn into the narrative of Breseis as she weaves through the Greek camp getting to know the ins and outs of the captive Trojan women's lives following the fall of Troy。 The camp is atmospherically brought to life through descriptions of the inclement weather preventing the Greeks from returning home in the months following their success in overcoming the Trojans and murdering every male there。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to readers。 。。。more

Erin ，

I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher， courtesy of NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。 It is no secret that Pat Barker is a master storyteller。 Her way of weaving words into vivid imagery and immersive world-building is second to none。 After loving The Silence of the Girls I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into The Women of Troy but my biggest issue with this book was the lack of scale。 Both books are pitched as an introspective examination of the women behind the anc I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher， courtesy of NetGalley， in exchange for an honest review。 It is no secret that Pat Barker is a master storyteller。 Her way of weaving words into vivid imagery and immersive world-building is second to none。 After loving The Silence of the Girls I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into The Women of Troy but my biggest issue with this book was the lack of scale。 Both books are pitched as an introspective examination of the women behind the ancient Greek myths and admittedly they both do that but are paired with POV sections from the male figures， in The Silence of the Girls it is Achilles we read from and in The Women of Troy it is Pyrrhus。 My question is: why not keep these books as a unique and bold take on Greek myth solely from the female viewpoint？ If scope was something Barker wanted to portray I would have preferred the other POVs to be from women in the camp not from the men as I would argue they've had their time- for centuries。 Unfortunately， since The Women of Troy is a direct continuation of the story from the first book it felt too similar in terms of plot and setting so much so that the story was repetitive and plotless。 I was expecting to see more of Briseis' journey beyond the war encampment and her new life as a 'free' woman。 Perhaps another book is to come which would explain why this book feels lacking and has fallen prey to the disappointing 'second-book syndrome'。 Although the bones of the book are a bit of a letdown Barker still has a fantastic way with words and is capable of crafting an excellent picture of the brutality and horror of Ancient Greece。 。。。more

Hannah Brunsden ，

This is the second instalment of Pat Barker's retelling of the trojan war。 I was already a big fan of this author's work from her first book 'the silence of the girls' which I found to be a refreshing narrative on a very male-dominated world and this book did not disappoint either。We still follow Bresis who is a narrator I love， she has a very resilient， refreshing and strong outlook on life and her situation， her quiet resilience is really enjoyable to read and I love how feminist themes are ex This is the second instalment of Pat Barker's retelling of the trojan war。 I was already a big fan of this author's work from her first book 'the silence of the girls' which I found to be a refreshing narrative on a very male-dominated world and this book did not disappoint either。We still follow Bresis who is a narrator I love， she has a very resilient， refreshing and strong outlook on life and her situation， her quiet resilience is really enjoyable to read and I love how feminist themes are explored in this series and by the author。 This book takes place almost immediately after the ending of the first book， something which I enjoyed and explored the time after the trojan war where the greek fighters we confined to the beaches unable to leave。 Honestly， I am just a big lover of greek mythology so this book was always going to be a hit with me， I love the characters and exploring their survival， both the women and the men， and really hope to see more of if this author decided to extend the series。the authors writing style is perfect in my opinion， it's easy to understand and race through while still being very thorough in telling the story of this myth and its characters。 I cannot recommend it enough to lovers of mythology as Pat Baker is really a leader in the genre， especially for a feminist approach！ 。。。more

Samantha Pope ，

Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。The Women of Troy picks up from where The Silence of the Girls left off， with Achilles dead and Briseis pregnant with his child - given in marriage to Achilles' trusted friend and ally Alcimus and， finally， a 'free' woman - if any women in the Greek compound can be called that。 She uses her independence to help the lives of the women around her， particularly those who have been taken from Troy immediately after the Greeks sacked it。 She kno Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。The Women of Troy picks up from where The Silence of the Girls left off， with Achilles dead and Briseis pregnant with his child - given in marriage to Achilles' trusted friend and ally Alcimus and， finally， a 'free' woman - if any women in the Greek compound can be called that。 She uses her independence to help the lives of the women around her， particularly those who have been taken from Troy immediately after the Greeks sacked it。 She knows the emotional pain they are experiencing and tries to ameliorate their daily lives as much as she can - or at least keep them as safe as possible。 However， there are some rebellious women in the ranks - ones who will defy their male captors and refuse to bow to their new slave status。 Just as Briseis should be feeling safer in her role as future-mother of Achilles' son， she finds herself trying to keep restive Trojan women away from danger。The novel opens tensely， from a male point of view - Pyrrhus， son of Achilles， is waiting inside the wooden horse， ready to wreak murder on the Trojans。 Barker's language reflects the brutality of the imminent slaughter， and her prose deftly mimics whichever character's viewpoint we are experiencing the story from at any given time。 Mostly this is Briseis， but occasionally we receive an insight into Pyrrhus， who is both blessed and cursed by being Achilles' son - blessed because he commands respect and admiration， cursed because Achilles' sandals are too big to fill。 Unlike his father， he doesn't understand some of the unwritten rules of war and acts more impetuously， cruelly and savagely。 This book is almost also about him learning to become a better man。I very much enjoyed the follow-up to The Silence of the Girls。 Both look at the effect of war on the innocent victims - the women and children， rendering the nature of the stories less epic and more a study of brutal pointlessness。 Women are seen merely in terms of being servants - either to pour the wine and for sexual purposes - or as breeders。 They are not given any credit for intelligence or skill by most of the men - though there are a couple who seem to shine through with their considerateness and courtesy。 The storytelling is rich and the scene-setting clever and engaging - though I sort of wanted a map of the camp to understand where everything was so I could picture it better - and I am normally not a big fan of those！ My only small remark would be that there were a few cases where the language seemed to jar。 I know that Pat Barker is not aiming for a modern-day Homer retelling， but there were a couple of sentences starting with 'I mean' - used as a sort of inflection rather than a definition （hard to explain - just as a throwaway comment as is found nowadays in modern speak） and a few 'We-ell' and 'Ye-es' which just felt out of place。I love Barker's portrayal of Briseis。 She is clever and resourceful and courageous in a quiet way - and seems to command a certain degree of respect not just by the women but also by the men。 Barker portrays her mainly as a source of calm in an otherwise fidgety and restless environment - how she manages this， I do not know！ However， this series of books is very much her 'war' or at least her survival of it and is quickly becoming， and deservedly， an epic of its own。 。。。more

Lydia Laskowska ，

Just as brilliant as ‘The Silence of the Girls’， this book was thoughtful， tragic， real， and beautifully written。 I loved it！

Amba Kumar ，

Loved this and can't wait for the next instalment。 After the Silence of the Girls we meet Briseis and the captured women of Troy back on the sands of the invading Greek camp in the aftermath of the Trojan war。 It's another captivating and heartrending story of how these utterly helpless women find small ways to keep their dignity and fight back to keep what is important to them safe and alive。 You sit with them all through the story， horrified and desperate for them， hoping they find some way ou Loved this and can't wait for the next instalment。 After the Silence of the Girls we meet Briseis and the captured women of Troy back on the sands of the invading Greek camp in the aftermath of the Trojan war。 It's another captivating and heartrending story of how these utterly helpless women find small ways to keep their dignity and fight back to keep what is important to them safe and alive。 You sit with them all through the story， horrified and desperate for them， hoping they find some way out of their misery and knowing all the time that fate has a different ending in store for them。 Beautifully written。 。。。more

Safiya ，

This is the first of Pat Barker’s books that I’ve read， although not my first reading of Greek Mythology， nor my first modern retelling; despite how familiar I am with these stories， it still felt fresh and immersive。 In her retellings， Barker gives so much depth and nuance to these women， many of whom wouldn’t have even been named in the original stories。 I highly recommend this！I received an advance copy of The Women of Troy from the publisher via NetGalley。

Sarah Connor ，

Thank you， NetGalley， for letting me read this book。 Pat Barker takes us to Troy， or at least the beach outside Troy。 The Greeks have won， but they're stuck， waiting for the wind to change。 For the Trojan women who are now slaves it's a grief filled， frightening， dangerous time。 Briseis is pregnant with Achilles' child， married and no longer a slave， but still needs to support and protect the Trojan women around her。 The Greek army is frustrated， and getting harder to control。 Barker puts so muc Thank you， NetGalley， for letting me read this book。 Pat Barker takes us to Troy， or at least the beach outside Troy。 The Greeks have won， but they're stuck， waiting for the wind to change。 For the Trojan women who are now slaves it's a grief filled， frightening， dangerous time。 Briseis is pregnant with Achilles' child， married and no longer a slave， but still needs to support and protect the Trojan women around her。 The Greek army is frustrated， and getting harder to control。 Barker puts so much flesh on the bones of the old stories that we vaguely know。 She gives us a living army; real， desperate women; real jeopardy。 She's very much at home in army camps。 Briseis is a survivor。 She doesn't always like herself for what she does， she questions and reflects， but she's such a strong character， and her predicament is meticulously depicted。 I was a fan of Barker's before， am an even bigger fan now。 I loved this book， and its predecessor。 。。。more

Rafaela （dragonsandpaperbacks） ，

Real rating: 3。5 starsThe Women of Troy is a haunting and emotional tale， and it begins with the famed wooden horse that leads to the downfall of Troy， five months after the events of The Silence of the Girls。Briseis， now married to Alcimus， is a free woman， respected as a wife - and bearer of Achille’s son。 Although she is not the detached， frightened girl she once was， Briseis feels a sense of responsibility towards the other women now that's she's not a slave anymore。 Although it begins due t Real rating: 3。5 starsThe Women of Troy is a haunting and emotional tale， and it begins with the famed wooden horse that leads to the downfall of Troy， five months after the events of The Silence of the Girls。Briseis， now married to Alcimus， is a free woman， respected as a wife - and bearer of Achille’s son。 Although she is not the detached， frightened girl she once was， Briseis feels a sense of responsibility towards the other women now that's she's not a slave anymore。 Although it begins due to some sort of survivor's guilt， she finds a sense of camaraderie and perhaps even purpose with them。 One of this book's biggest flaws， as it was with the prequel as well， is that despite supposedly being the story told from the women's perspective， it also lets us see some scenes from the men's perspective。 In the prequel， Achilles。 Now， Pyrrhus and even Calchas once or twice。 With that being said， I actually enjoyed Pyrrhus chapters quite a lot。 To the women， he's a monster， a butcher like his father。 In his own head， we can see that Pyrrhus wishes he wasn't there at all， he's never had a choice but to walk in his father's shoes， and what a pointless attempt it is to try and be anything like the great Achilles？ He is drowning in expectations， detached from reality， spiraling。。。 There are always two sides to a story and that is essentially the purpose of this retelling。 The secondary characters leave nothing to be desire either， though I think it seemed like there was something going on with some of them that didn't really add up to anything。Once again Pat Barker's writing style is beautifully evocative; it paints such a clear picture of what is happening， with a bit of a lyrical quality to it as well。Plotwise， there's not much to remark upon as this is a retelling， and therefore fairly predictable。 Still， it was a bit slow， I was expecting a bit more towards the end。 Plus， it ended was rather abruptly and it was too nonchalant。 Overall， The Women of Troy is an engrossing， interesting read and I enjoyed it。 I recommend it to all fans of Greek mythology。 。。。more

Karen Kennan ，

This book is the sequel to The Silence of The Girls。 It takes up at the end of the Trojan War， as the Greeks present the Horse to Troy， with elite warriors secreted inside。 It's a modern-day telling of part of the ancient myth The Ilian written by Homer。 The story is told mainly through the eyes of Pyrrhus， son of Achilles， trying in vain to live up to the reputation of his now-dead father， and Briseis， widow of Achilles and now wife of Alcimus。 It revolves around Pyrrhus' slaughter of the king This book is the sequel to The Silence of The Girls。 It takes up at the end of the Trojan War， as the Greeks present the Horse to Troy， with elite warriors secreted inside。 It's a modern-day telling of part of the ancient myth The Ilian written by Homer。 The story is told mainly through the eyes of Pyrrhus， son of Achilles， trying in vain to live up to the reputation of his now-dead father， and Briseis， widow of Achilles and now wife of Alcimus。 It revolves around Pyrrhus' slaughter of the king of Troy， Priam， and the disrespect shown to his body， exploring themes of reciprocity in the classical world。 Enslaved Trojan girl sees it as her duty to bury his remains incurring the rage of Pyrrhus， who has is a violent， unstable young man。 The greeks are stuck in Troy。 Since Priam's murder， the wind has howled around the city meaning the ships have been unable to leave。 Questions arise around the end of the war - have their actions displeased the Gods？ I really enjoyed this book。 Although I have a copy of the previous book， I haven't read it yet， but found that I got into this one no problem， if you have a bit of knowledge of Greek myth。 The language is very accessible and easy to read。 I would like to see Pat Barker explore other episodes of the Iiad。 I'm really enjoying these retellings of history and myth from a female angle， as we know that the vast majority of both are written through a male lens。 。。。more

Patricia Moren ，

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

Lucy Goodfellow ，

This novel is a lyrical story defined by aftermath。The war is over， but the story is not。Barker is one of the only authors writing that could successfully bring the ancient world and the squalor of the army camps to life。 Her writing is atmospheric， yet the pace is subdued to allow you to linger in each moment with the characters。 I feel that the liminal space the characters occupy now the battle is over is the perfect setting for a sequel to The Silence of the Girls。 They are trapped， unable to This novel is a lyrical story defined by aftermath。The war is over， but the story is not。Barker is one of the only authors writing that could successfully bring the ancient world and the squalor of the army camps to life。 Her writing is atmospheric， yet the pace is subdued to allow you to linger in each moment with the characters。 I feel that the liminal space the characters occupy now the battle is over is the perfect setting for a sequel to The Silence of the Girls。 They are trapped， unable to return home due to the actions of men， so they are surrounded by echoes of war。We follow the living， as they remember the women of Troy lost to war and those taken since。 The quiet rebellion of these women that private the novel is painfully real。 These women are selfish， emotional， violent， relying on their wits alone to survive。 The male characters are equally well developed。 And while the novel does open with a glimpse into the mind of Pyrrhus， the narrative of the women is never overshadowed。As we follow Briseis through the encampment that houses the women of Troy， Baker details the danger of womanhood in wartime， and the weaponry -almost security of pregnancy。 Briseis is no longer a slave， still， she is powerless compared to the men around her。While I will always be a fan of any novel detailing Greek mythology， I loved this novel。 Briseis is the ideal protagonist， her story is the story of Troy and as she visits other women like Helen， Cassandra and Hecuba we get a glimpse into the wider world Baker is building。I would recommend this novel to anyone that’s liked Bakers' previous works， and those looking for a more mature version of Madeline Miller Retellings of Greek Myths and Legends。I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley。 I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚。 。。。more

Rach Roberts ，

With thanks to #NetGalley and #HamishHamilton #PenguinUK for the advanced copy。What a gift。 From the Regeneration and Life Class trilogies， to her stand alone novels， it never ceases to amaze me at just how adept a story crafter Barker is。 Moving but accessible。Though not quite as compelling or viscerally emotive as Silence of the Girls， Women of Troy is another masterclass in methods by which a narrative can envelop and detain its reader。 I can't necessarily even comment on a stand out characte With thanks to #NetGalley and #HamishHamilton #PenguinUK for the advanced copy。What a gift。 From the Regeneration and Life Class trilogies， to her stand alone novels， it never ceases to amaze me at just how adept a story crafter Barker is。 Moving but accessible。Though not quite as compelling or viscerally emotive as Silence of the Girls， Women of Troy is another masterclass in methods by which a narrative can envelop and detain its reader。 I can't necessarily even comment on a stand out characterisation methodology put in place to woo and wow the reader when considering the women of Troy; nor can I place my finger on a set of particular 'stand out' moments that really tugged the narrative into an elevated state of contemporary fiction。 What I can say though， is that this is a novel which consistently provides for its reader。 The provision of a group of women truthfully， pragmatically and fiercely fighting for their place in a world that they have no belonging to。 It is that deep seated fierceness which Barker tethers from Silence of the Girls， to the Women of Troy， that at times makes this new offering breathtaking。 Believable， three dimensional， ensemble characters are the lifeblood here。 And with a depth nuanced with respect for their collective womanhood， a feminist streak that flashes forcefully through each chapter told and brilliant moments of wit that soften even the harshest of blows these women encounter。 Barker once again seeps a story of a time dissimilar from anything her reader may recognise in a realness that means we connect and fully invest in the journey of the women of Troy。 Perhaps it lacks the comparative rawness Silence of the Girls， or Regeneration build from， making them a class apart， but this is great in its own way。 From beginning to end it is real， honest and just a blimmin' great read。 #TheWomenofTroy #NetGalley #PatBarker 。。。more

Claire O'Sullivan ，

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

Jim Ritchie ，

Aftter many centuries of neglect， the Women of Troy have emerged into the light and thankfully will remain there。 The path was set， in some ways by Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles which brought to life the relationship with Achilles and Patroclus as well as with Achilles’ ‘prize’ Breisis。 Natalie Haynes also made a terrific contribution in A thousand Ships， in bringing back the voices of the women of fallen Troy。Pat Barker sets out her version of the story of Troy。 Written as a sequel to Aftter many centuries of neglect， the Women of Troy have emerged into the light and thankfully will remain there。 The path was set， in some ways by Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles which brought to life the relationship with Achilles and Patroclus as well as with Achilles’ ‘prize’ Breisis。 Natalie Haynes also made a terrific contribution in A thousand Ships， in bringing back the voices of the women of fallen Troy。Pat Barker sets out her version of the story of Troy。 Written as a sequel to The Silence of the Girls。 The Women of Troy opens with the Greek Warriors hidden inside the Horse。 She narrates the story from the point of view of Pyrrhus， Achilles’ son， （trying hard to live and justify himself in the shadow of his famous father）， Breisis （Achille’s ‘prize’ and the cause of Achilles and Agamemnon’s infamous falling out） and the priest Calchas （who has fallen out of favour with Agamemnon and waits to be recalled）。 Through their narrative Helen， Cassandra， and Breisis amongst many others are brought back to life and given a voice。 These are women， not simply the passive victims to be passed from one victorious man to the next， and in The Women of Troy， they voice they find is， sometimes spoken and， sometimes sung， but gloriously alive in the face of tragedy 。 The story of the fall of Troy and the war around the ‘ownership’ of Helen has launched a thousand retellings （or so it appears to me！）。 These tend to be stories from the point of view of the male protagonists， whilst the female characters are mainly victor prizes to be conquered by the male victors。 Even in Stephen Fry’s。 masterful Troy， Breisis speaks only once and that is to mourn Patroclus and to speak of his kindness。 So it is wonderful to see a reimagining of what the women may have said， had the Homeric tradition thought them worthy of recording。One thing I noticed was that whilst there are references to the Gods in the Women of Troy， they don’t actually appear。 Indeed doubt is cast on whether it is the God’s who are speaking via the priests or if it is the will of the Kings being expressed through priestly interpretation。 I won’t say why but it seems to me to be an interesting deviation from the standard retelling of the story。I thoroughly enjoyed the read and highly recommend it， along with the others I have mentioned。 Based on an ARC copy supplied by NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Paul Allard ，

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

Angela Groves ，

A stunning continuation of the story first started in silence of the girls。 Wonderfully written， again from the point of view of Briseis， as she helps the women of the newly sacked Troy come to terms with their new existence。

Sarah W 🍂🍁🌧🌬 ，

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of The Women of Troy in exchange for an honest review。 If possible I thought this was better than the first novel in the series。 It picks up after the horse went into Troy， and we pick up with Breiseis following what happened to her after Achilles’s death。 Much better pacing than the silence of the girls， and also there was more of a female perspective as I found the first one to focus too much on Achilles。 Really enjoyable

CC ，

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

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Women of Troy

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Women of Troy&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

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