A review by sunselenite
Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I definitely need to refresh my memory of the story of the Trojan War, but despite that I thought this was such a beautiful and compelling retelling. The character developments and perspectives of Helen and Klytemnestra in this are presented in ways that are so viscerally real and heart-wrenching, but just so important to delve into. The writing style does at times seem more obviously contemporary than what a story in this historic setting would usually call for, but I found I wasn’t actually bothered by it so much because the writing is genuinely so moving. I loved this book much more than I expected I would, and as emotionally devastating as it is, I’d love to reread it in the near future.