Claire Heywood

For millennia, men have told the legend of the woman whose face launched a thousand ships--but now it's time to hear her side of the story. Daughters of Sparta is a tale of secrets, love, and tragedy from the women behind mythology's most devastating war, the infamous Helen and her sister Klytemnestra. As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivaled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece. But such privilege comes at a cost. While still only girls, the sisters are separated and married to foreign kings of their father's choosing--the powerful Agamemnon, and his brother Menelaos. Yet even as Queens, each is only expected to do two things: birth an heir and embody the meek, demure nature that is expected of women. But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty, and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, Helen and Klytemnestra must push against the constraints of their society to carve new lives for themselves, and in doing so, make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years. Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating reimagining of the Siege of Troy, told through the perspectives of two women whose voices have been ignored for far too long.

Daughters of Sparta

Amira BEN

No. She was just a girl. Just another girl swept along by the world. With parents and a home and her own spirit, once. And that had hurt more than anything. That punching realisation that even her sweet, loving Aigisthos, even he did not understand.

He spoke so plainly, without apology, as if his infidelity were nothing. And what pained Helen was knowing that it was true. No one condemned him for it. No blood had been shed for his unfaithfulness. No widows cursed his name.

No matter how well she ruled, no matter how much respect she gained, she was only queen because Agamemnon was king. Without a man, a woman was nothing. Those smiling faces that served her now would scorn a woman who dared to rule alone.

'Why do you look so miserable ?' Paris had turned to face her, his hair satisfactorily arranged. 'You look much prettier when you smile.'

Her whole life, since she had moved to Mycenae, had been directed by what 

wanted. The wife he wanted her to be, the children he wanted her to have. All she had ever wanted was a family, and she had earned it, hadn't she ? With her dutifulness, her obedience, her suffocating meekness. All those hours of spinning wool and bowing her head, of shutting her mouth and opening her legs.

But as she learnt to interpret those mysterious shapes she discovered a whole world that had been hidden from her before. Who knew what her husband, her father, her brothers had read there, how much they had shared with her, and how much they had left silent in the clay ? It made her feel powerful, to access that secret world of words without voices.

It had long held an air of mystery for Klytemnestra, not least because she had never had cause to go there. It wasn't that it was forbidden to her - not as such - but she knew that her husband would have disapproved. It was not a place to concern ladies, he would have said with a derisive laugh or a scornful wave of the hand.

This cramped, musty room was were the palace scribes did their work.

Klytemnestra was dumbfounded by the man's torrent of words. His concern was so heartfelt, his distress so sincere. Perhaps she had been too long in Mycenae, but she could not remember seeing a man show such care for the happiness of a girl.

Perhaps the biggest difference of all was the absence of her husband. Up here there was no king, only a queen. Up here she answered to no one but herself and the gods. Up here, she had power.

As her husband's breathing slowed and turned to snores, she wondered why she had been so desperate to become a woman. How stupid she had been. Womanhood was strange and painful and humiliating. And there was no going back.

. The sight of it made her feel ill. It made her think of her first 'woman's blood', as Thekla had called it. This was not the first, nor would it be the last of her blood taken in payment for womanhood.

And as he came around to examine her flanks, the line of her back, she was glad he could not see her grit her teeth- or perhaps he would like to check them, too ?

Yes, she would be the best bride she could be. Beautiful and obedient. The best wife, the best mother, the best woman. That was the path before her now- it all began here. So much lay beyond her control but this, 

There were times she felt frustrated to have been born a girl. She wanted freedom. She wanted authority. She wanted to do something other than work wool all day. To ride and hunt and travel and debate, as she saw her brothers do. To compete and win prizes, to compose songs and not just dance to them, to speak and really be heard.

She'd been so stupid today, though. Why had she been so desperate for Theseus to like her ? He was just a stupid boy.

Two sisters parted. Two women blamed. Two stories reclaimed. 'Required reading for fans of Circe . . . a remarkable, thrilling debut' - Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue For millennia, two women have been blamed for the fall of a mighty civilisation - but now it's time to hear their side of the story . . . As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivalled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece. Such privilege comes at a high price, though, and their destinies are not theirs to command. While still only girls they are separated and married off to legendary foreign kings Agamemnon and Menelaos, never to meet again. Their duty is now to give birth to the heirs society demands and be the meek, submissive queens their men expect. But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, they must push against the constraints of their sex to carve new lives for themselves - and in doing so make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years. Perfect for readers of Circe and Ariadne, Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating retelling of the Siege of Troy that tells the story of mythology's most vilified women from their own mouths at long last. Helen of Troy and her sister Klytemnestra are reimagined in this gorgeous retelling of the classic Greek myth - not as women defined by their husbands and lovers but as battle-weary survivors of a patriarchal society who take control of their own destiny. Absolutely riveting!' - Alka Joshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist

A tale of secrets, betrayal and revenge from mythology's most vilified women

Riley

“She wanted love and passion, such as she had heard about in all those stories Nestra had told her when they were little. She wanted a connection. She wanted to share every peak and trough of her life with her husband. But sometimes she felt as though she were married to a stone wall.”

The prologue hits you immediately with this great line 

“How had it come to this? How did any evil come to be? Was it the work of the gods? A punishment for some other evil? Or did they sit above, impassive, watching as one stone hit another, and another? Blank faces blinking in the dust of the landslide”.

A Tale of Secrets, Betrayal and Revenge from Mythology's Most Vilified Women

Julie Rubens

I love Greek mythology retellings so much, they are always so interesting and fun to read! Very well-written book, I liked the storyline and the constant switch in perspective. Although I couldn't really sympathize with Helen a lot, I loved Klytemnestra and I thought she was such an interesting character.

I think the author portrayed Klytemnestra and Helen in an interesting way. How they made choices that lead to greater events in the mythology.

Honestly, Helen was really frustrating to follow and there were very few moments where I felt some sympathy for her. She was very simple and lacked complexity but I think it was made on purpose

However, Nestra was different most of my highlights are from her POV.

The misogyny in this book ! It was the point and I like the discussions around it.

All to say, it is very character driven story and no real plot whatsoever, don’t expect some tremendous details from the source this book comes from. The focus is mainly on these two women, and how they live in a world made for men.

4.5 ⭐️
I think the author portrayed Klytemnestra and Helen in an interesting way. How they made choices that lead to greater events in the mythology.
Honestly, Helen was really frustrating to follow and there were very few moments where I felt some sympathy for her. She was very simple and lacked complexity but I think it was made on purpose
However, Nestra was different most of my highlights are from her POV.
The misogyny in this book ! It was the point and I like the discussions around it.
All to say, it is very character driven story and no real plot whatsoever, don’t expect some tremendous details from the source this book comes from. The focus is mainly on these two women, and how they live in a world made for men.

grace richards

there was a point in time where i thought i wouldn’t finish this book and i would have to create a DNF list, but i dragged myself through it. i was hoping there would be more female empowerment but instead i found both helen and nestra incredibly annoying

Caroll-Ann

I give this 4,5/5 stars

Honestly the whole story is heartbreaking. Personally I heard about the trojan war but never knew any specifics. The whole story from start to finish is heartbreaking and absolutely infuriating at points too. The fact that women had to live like that, it’s insane. Anyway, let’s talk about the writing here. I absolutly enjoyed the author’s writing style and how she tells the story. Obviously the dual POV is necessary to heat about Sparta and Mykene otherwise you would only hear one side of the story. This is a story that will stay with me for quite some time, it just makes you think about so much. I’m a little overwhelmed with the story itself, tbh.

Faith

its literally the song of achilles told from helens POV.

Caitlyn Baldwin

4.25 ⭐

Another retelling of events involving the Trojan War. I thought it was interesting to see things from the perspective of Helen and Clytemnestra, who usually serve as flat, secondary characters in most narratives.

Suzy Dean

I’ve always had a soft sport for Klytemnestra and Helen and I’m grateful for this POV that Heywood provided. The book moved at a consistent pace and kept its focus on the women and their independent stories. While I found myself missing important parts of the war story, I knew that the focus on the independent lives of the sisters was important. The end bye

Taylor

This was a pretty underwhelming read tbh

TWs: sexual assault, death (including of a parent and a child), miscarriage, slavery, violence, war themes, infidelity

For millennia, men have told the legend of the woman whose face launched a thousand ships--but now it's time to hear her side of the story. Daughters of Sparta is a tale of secrets, love, and tragedy from the women behind mythology's most devastating war, the infamous Helen and her sister Klytemnestra. As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivaled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece. But such privilege comes at a cost. While still only girls, the sisters are separated and married to foreign kings of their father's choosing-- Helen remains in Sparta to be betrothed to Menelaos, and Klytemnestra is sent alone to an unfamiliar land to become the wife of the powerful Agamemnon. Yet even as Queens, each is only expected to do two things: birth an heir and embody the meek, demure nature that is expected of women. But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty, and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, Helen and Klytemnestra must push against the constraints of their society to carve new lives for themselves, and in doing so, make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years. Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating reimagining of the Siege of Troy, told through the perspectives of two women whose voices have been ignored for far too long.

A Novel

Alli King

Thank you NetGalley for an eArc of this book! 
Daughters of Sparta is a beautifully written tale of sisters Klytemnestra and Helen, both princesses of Sparta. The book, alternating points of view, begins in their childhood, and continues through the conclusion of the Trojan War. While gods are mentioned, it's more of the historical belief rather than any mythology coming to play. 

I give this book 3.5 stars. It is extremely well written, and the descriptions of the clothing in particular stand out. At different times I really felt for Nestra and Helen, although the emotional connection wasn't consistent. I think having to do the whole '__ years later' multiple times made it harder to get to a 'can't put it down!' point. I really do appreciate having this women's perspective of what has always been presented as a male-centered series of events.

Amanda

I love reading mythological retellings, especially those like "Circe"' that give voice to female characters. So, I was excited for "Daughters of Sparta," which tells the story of Spartan sisters Helen and Klytemnestra from their POVs. But as I was reading, I couldn't help but compare, at least Helen's chapters, to the wonderful "Helen of Troy" novel by Margaret George. What did this story have to offer that other retellings and stories of Helen don't? The answer: very little.   

With the exception of Klytemnestra's POV, this book would be utterly forgettable. It was bland. It was passive. Why are supposedly feminist retellings getting to be so increasingly passive? I will say, it shows us Helen's increasing unhappiness in a new perspective (no connection to her husband or child; fear of having another painful birth), but this little glimpse of a fresh perspective wasn't enough.   

This book upset me because Helen just so easily accepts the war is her fault. I thought the point of the book was to show that isn't the case, that there was more going on than Helen leaving Sparta for Troy. I thought it would get into the fact that the men in her and her sister's lives are just to blame. I am TIRED of the 'let's blame Helen for everything' trope and was disappointed that Helen had a serious lack of characterization. 

Heather Harrington

With their beauty and royal status as princesses of Sparta, Klytemnestra and Helen are the envy of all Greece. But their status comes at a price. Both girls are separated and married off to foreign kings when they were young-- the intimidating Agamemnon and his brother Menelaos. Despite their reservations, the sisters know what their duty is: be an obedient wife and provide heirs for her husband. For a while, both Klytenmestra and Helen play their parts, but before long both start to rebel against their husbands' neglect and cruelty. The choices they make will cause a ripple effect that will be felt all over Greece and last for centuries to come. 

I've read a lot of Trojan war retellings, but never one from the sole perspectives of Klytemnestra and Helen. It was so fascinating watching the events unfold from their points of view. Heywood does a beautiful job of immersing you in their lives. I enjoyed watching them go from childhood to trying to navigate such rocky marriages. They each had their little ways to make their voices heard in a time where women weren't allowed to have many opinions. They make sacrifices for their families, and their choices have consequences that they weren't prepared for but still persevere. I do think Heywood could've made their personalities a little more dynamic so they popped even more, but it still worked. Other than that, I thought this was a lovely depiction of familial bonds, and even though this is a sad story, it still felt hopeful, and I can't wait to see what Heywood comes out with next.

Csenge 

leah

Quinnie

Madison Bey 

Alex Hixson

Two sisters parted. Two women blamed. Two stories reclaimed.'Required reading for fans of Circe . . . a remarkable, thrilling debut' - Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth AvenueFor millennia, two women have been blamed for the fall of a mighty civilisation - but now it's time to hear their side of the story . . .As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivalled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece.Such privilege comes at a high price, though, and their destinies are not theirs to command. While still only girls they are separated and married off to legendary foreign kings Agamemnon and Menelaus, never to meet again. Their duty is now to give birth to the heirs society demands and be the meek, submissive queens their men expect.But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, they must push against the constraints of their sex to carve new lives for themselves - and in doing so make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years.Perfect for readers of Circe and Ariadne, Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating retelling of the Siege of Troy that tells the story of mythology's most vilified women from their own mouths at long last.Helen of Troy and her sister Klytemnestra are reimagined in this gorgeous retelling of the classic Greek myth - not as women defined by their husbands and lovers but as battle-weary survivors of a patriarchal society who take control of their own destiny. Absolutely riveting!' - Alka Joshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Henna Artist

A Tale of Secrets, Passion and Revenge from Mythology's Most Vilified Women

sharkie

Delaney LaFalce

For millennia, men have told the legend of the woman whose face launched a thousand ships—but now it's time to hear her side of the story. Daughters of Sparta is a tale of secrets, love, and tragedy from the women behind mythology's most devastating war, the infamous Helen and her sister Klytemnestra. As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivaled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece. But such privilege comes at a cost. While still only girls, the sisters are separated and married to foreign kings of their father's choosing— Helen remains in Sparta to be betrothed to Menelaos, and Klytemnestra is sent alone to an unfamiliar land to become the wife of the powerful Agamemnon. Yet even as Queens, each is only expected to do two things: birth an heir and embody the meek, demure nature that is expected of women. But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty, and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, Helen and Klytemnestra must push against the constraints of their society to carve new lives for themselves, and in doing so, make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years. Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating reimagining of the Siege of Troy, told through the perspectives of two women whose voices have been ignored for far too long.

Daughters of Sparta

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