Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy

With this sequel to Horses of Fire, coauthors Ashlee Cowles and Danielle Stinson, writing as Rhine, conclude their Trojan War duology, told from the women’s point of view. As in the first book, the narrative skillfully combines politics, strong character development, and the incorporation of other Near Eastern cultures to develop Troy into a realistic setting. The authors take Helen beyond her usual role in other feminist retellings of the Iliad. Focusing on the relationship of Helen and Andromache and providing the perspective of Rhea, a servant girl, as well as expanding Cassandra’s backstory, this novel centers the experience of the women of Troy, while further developing characters usually on the sidelines, such as Aeneas and Ajax. This does relegate the familiar events of the Iliad to the background, but the result not only makes this story feel new but realistically centers the tragedy of war and its effects on its victims, particularly women.