Historic novel explores the aftermath of the fall of Troy

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

Troy has fallen. The Greeks have won their bitter war. They can return home as victors – all they need is a good wind to lift their sails. But the wind has vanished, the seas becalmed by vengeful gods, and so the warriors remain in limbo – camped in the shadow of the city they destroyed, kept company by the women they stole from it.

Barker continues her retelling of The Iliad, which began with The Silence of the Girls, putting the focus on the women who are often forbidden to a voice in this classic tale. While the first book told the story of the siege of Troy, this second book is set after the fall of the city, in the immediate aftermath of a battle which saw all Troy’s male inhabitants slaughtered and most of its female citizens captured as slaves.

The setting is undeniably fascinating. The horrific reality of life for the surviving women is vividly brought to life. With a culture of violence and tensions simmering just below the surface, the Greek camp is a tinderbox just waiting for a spark to set it all aflame. Unfortunately, this tension remains below the surface throughout the book, and very little actually happens.

Our main characters is Briseis, formerly Achilles’ prize, now pregnant with his child and married to Alcimus. She spends most of her time wandering around the camp, visiting the other women – including Helen, Hecuba and Cassandra – and having the same repetitive conversations over and over again.

While this book claims to give a voice to the women of The Iliad, there are several chapters here focusing on Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, and Calchas, a prophet. Barker did the same with The Silence of the Girls, where there were more than a few chapters from Achilles’ point of view. I can’t really understand why, as it seems to undermine the whole point of this series.

Though this book had its problems, I admittedly would probably read the next book – assuming there’s going to be another one – in the hope that there would be a bit more meat to the plot.

My Books of the Year 2021

10. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

There definitely seems to be a craze for retellings of classic Greek myths, and this is another fantastic one to add to the collection. The story focuses on Ariadne, Princess of Crete, who grows up beneath the shadow of her brother, the Minotaur, a creature that demands blood sacrifice. Although it doesn’t quite earn its ‘feminist’ label, it’s nevertheless an atmospheric and immersive read.

9. Wedlock by Wendy Moore

This non-fiction book – which tells the true story of Mary Eleanor Bowes – was a wild ride from start to finish. It’s a non-fiction history book but was so cinematic it felt like a thriller. When a charming young soldier flirts and lies his way into Mary’s life, she finds herself trapped in a cruel and violent marriage. But Mary refused to go down without a fight. This book took me on a journey through every emotion on the spectrum. I was furious at the horrific way some husbands treated their wives; I was touched by the joys the characters managed to find despite terrible circumstances; I was gripped with excitement during the cross-country chase; and I was shocked by the twists and turns of the plot.

8. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Obviously, this is not a new book, but is the first in a very well-known and popular fantasy trilogy. Set on a world in which the bad guy has won and now ash falls from a permanently darkened sky, the plot focuses on Kelsier, gifted with the powers of a Mistborn, who is determined to overthrow the Lord Ruler with the support of his criminal crew. With an incredibly unique magic system at its heart, this story nevertheless thrives on its incredibly vivid characters and the relationships between them.

7. Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

I absolutely loved Macneal’s debut novel, The Doll Factory, so I was very pleased to discover that her second was also a great read. Set in the 19^th century, it follows our protagonist, Nell, who is sold by her father and finds herself thrust into the limelight as the newest act in Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders. It’s a wonderfully colourful exploration of a time in Victorian England when freak shows were considered popular entertainment, but there’s a current of darkness running just beneath the surface.

6. Girl in the Walls by A.J. Gnuse

Elise is an orphan who has made a home for herself within the walls and secret spaces of her former family home. But when the property’s current occupants begin to realise something isn’t quite right, Elise finds herself under threat. While this book certainly had its ups and downs – particularly in terms of pacing – the writing was excellent, with some really striking descriptions and real heart-in-mouth tension.

5. Cecily by Annie Garthwaite

This astonishingly well-written debut novel tells the story of Cecily Neville, who was a key player in the Wars of the Roses. Garthwaite’s writing has a unique style, different to other, similar historical novels about famous women, with its blunt descriptions and violent machinations of power. Cecily is a fascinating character, as are the times she lives in, and though the pace slowed in the middle, the heart-pounding finale more than made up for it.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. I was reluctant to read this book after all the hype it’s garnered since its release, but I really enjoyed it. It was different than I expected, but in a good way. It’s beautifully written and Evelyn is a wonderfully flawed character, and the setting of 1930-70s Hollywood is fascinating.

3. The Haunting Season by Various Authors

When I heard this book was coming out, I was thrilled. The authors of some of my favourite books of the last few years – including Natasha Pulley, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Laura Purcell, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Bridget Collins – have come together to write a collection of spooky stories. And it didn’t disappoint. Every story was beautifully written, atmospheric and wonderfully creepy. They were tense, suspenseful and genuinely frightening at times. A particular highlight was Natasha Pulley’s story, which featured the main characters from her previous novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.

2. The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore

In 17^th century Essex, Rebecca West lives in a town gripped by puritanical fervour. When a newcomer, Matthew Hopkins, arrives and begins to ask questions about Rebecca and other women like her, dangerous rumours begin to circulate. The first thing I have to mention about this book is the writing, because it is just exquisite. Blakemore successfully creates an atmosphere in which the supernatural jostles elbows with the everyday. You never know if the darkness at your back is just a shadow, or the devil himself. Interspersed with excerpts from the real Essex Witch Trials of 1645, Blakemore not only crafts stunning literary prose, but brings to life the people who would have lived through this period, and whose voices have been lost to history.

1. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

As with Natasha Pulley’s other books, The Kingdoms is a bizarre, complicated, many-headed creature It’s an epic, time-hopping love story, taking the reader from battle scenes on the high seas to the dank cells of Newgate gaol. It follows Joe Tournier, who steps off a train into the 19^th century French colony of England with no memory of who he is or where he’s going. The only clue he has of his identity is a postcard with a picture of a lighthouse, dated a century earlier and signed with the letter M. I was devastated to turn the final page and finish this book, only because I’d enjoyed spending so much time in this world with these characters. It’s full of heart and beauty and atmosphere. It’s the kind of story that lodges in your brain and refuses to leave.