A Thousand Ships Review

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes  

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I know what you are thinking. Another Greek mythology fiction book centering around the Trojan War? Really? We all know the tales of the war between the Trojans and the Greeks, and we all know the names Odysseus, Achilles, and Hector. I read this particular book because A Thousand Ships tells the story of the women in the Trojan War.

Greek mythology has never been kind to women, and there were some miserable endings for some of these women, such as Creusa and Iphigenia. However, some stories seemed to end horribly, but somehow the women found their victory or contentment in their ending. I love that Natalie Haynes tells the stories that need to be told. Brough a voice to women who were merely side characters in the famous stories of the Trojan War.

Also, I love how Penelope’s chapters get more and more sarcastic and bitter towards her husband, Odysseus. I also loved that the story centers mostly around what happened after the Greeks won the war. The author does offer some flashbacks, such as why the Trojan War even began. No, it wasn’t because of Helen and Paris, and it all had to do with Gaia and the scheming of the gods.

I enjoyed A Thousand Ships, and now I’m looking to read more books about the women’s perspective of Greek tales and tragedies.