A review by cclift1114
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m a sucker for anything Greek Mythology related, especially for things surrounding the Trojan War, and then Haynes does a retelling from the perspective of the women in the war? You bet I was all in. Haynes does a great job of jumping from one woman or group of women to the next, while still weaving a coherent and flowing tapestry of their stories. While the majority of the tales are centered around the immediate aftermath of the war, you still get perspectives from before, during and well after the war. Haynes also does not limit herself to mortal women, but also includes the goddesses, and her chapters from their perspectives do even better at highlighting their childishness than the original myths. Haynes shows in this book that while often the focus in mythology, in particular around the Trojan War, is the heroism of the men, the women demonstrate just as much bravery and strength. 
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