REVIEW: A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

I love the concept of this book – which is exactly why I picked it up in the first place. We all know the story of Troy. The battle fought and the lives lost. The famous men who fought bravely before perishing and the scandalous woman who inspired so much death.

This concept of ‘the aftermath’ is so alluring. Not just what happened to the city after the war ended but, more specifically, what happened to the women? We know what happened to most of the men. They died. But what of the women of Troy? The women of Greece? The goddess watching from afar?

Natalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships is a heavy read, but it is also a beautiful one. Somehow Haynes managed to make reading about the death, depression, and devastation of all these women a poetic experience.

Pick up this book and you will be sure to find a refreshing all-female perspective. We see the men’s actions but we feel the women’s emotions for what they are: raw, powerful and absolute. This is a book which is unquestionably needed. The subdued women of this story have a voice, thanks to Natalie Haynes!

This book is undeniable. It will open your eyes to the aftermath of this legendary war, shedding light on all the fallout, horror and torment that has been shrouded behind the shadow of a wooden horse.

A Thousand Ships

by Natalie Haynes

In the early hours of the morning, Creusa wakes to find her beloved Troy engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of brutal conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over, and Troy has fallen. Over the next few hours, the only life she has ever known will turn to ash...

The devastating consequences of the fall of Troy stretch from Mount Olympus to Mount Ida, from the citadel of Troy to the distant Greek islands, and across the oceans and sky in between. Arising from this are the individual tales of the women embroiled in the lead-up to and the aftermath of that legendary war, as well as the feud and the fatal decisions that started it all...

Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, A Thousand Ships gives voices to the women, girls, and goddesses who, for so long, were kept silent.

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About the Contributor

Bronwyn Eley

Before entering the exciting world of books, Bronwyn served in the Royal Australian Air Force, travelled extensively and worked (still does!) as a barista on the weekends. Books are her true passion. Bronwyn's debut fantasy novel Relic is coming out in 2019 with indie publishing house Talem Press. They are to publish her entire trilogy called The Relic Trilogy. In her spare time, Bronwyn writes, reads and enjoys keeping fit (which she undoes by eating loads of chocolate) with Martial Arts and personal training. She can't answer what her favourite book is but she has a soft spot for Peter Pan (J.M Barrie), Outlander (Diana Gabaldon), Stardust (Neil Gaiman), The Illuminae Files (Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman) and Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo). Fantasy, sci-fi and YA make up the majority of her bookshelves.

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