Horses of Fire

Horses of Fire

A.D. Rhine

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

"One of those singular books that pulls readers into a completely immersive world with a dazzling story and characters so deftly drawn that you can't help but ache for them."-New York Times bestselling author Lisa Maxwell I know the stories they will tell. I've heard the echoes of their songs--songs that will outlive us all. But this song is not theirs. It is mine. Behind the timeless tale you know is the captivating story you never heard: a sweeping epic in which Troy's strong, yet misunderstood women take center stage in the most famous war in history. Andromache is cast as the doting wife of Prince Hector, yet her Amazon warrior name means "battler of men." The only one with the cunning to outwit the invading Greeks, she must gather a band of outcasts and become the military commander she was born to be before the life she and Hector have built is reduced to ashes. Rhea is a war refugee and a horse whisperer who finally earns a place and sense of belonging in Hector's stables. To save her new home, she must become an unlikely spy and face down a forbidden love that will test all her loyalties. Helen is blamed by all for starting the Trojan War, but no one knows her real story. To escape her tormentor and foil a plot to undermine Hector, Helen must risk everything by revealing her true face to the one who despises her most. Set in the wider landscape of the late Bronze Age collapse, this realistic and immersive Troy is a perilous battleground for warriors and politicians alike, not a playground where the fate of men and women make sport for gods and goddesses. It's a harrowing novel of palace intrigue, the transcendent bond of female friendship, and the everyday bravery of invisible heroes in times of war. The women of Troy are threads spinning on a single loom. Can they reweave the tapestry of fate?


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  • EmmsBookshelf
    Mar 12, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    Horses of Fire is a Trojan War retelling from the perspective of three of the women in the city; Andromache, Helen and Rhea.  

    I accessed this story in audiobook format and the performance was flawless.  Each point of view had its own narrator who narrated the story in such a powerful and passionate manner.  Their voices were able to convey so much about each character, like Andromaches strength and resolve, Helen’s exasperation and Rhea’s innocence and hero worship of Andromache and Hector.

    I think that listening to this book, knowing full well what happens to most of the characters raises the stakes even more.  Each of the characters are written in a manner that illicit emotion from the audience; they are well rounded, complex women who all fill different roles.  Andromaches inner turmoil between being a dutiful wife and the warrior she was raised to be was so authentic.  Rhea’s innocence even after traumatic experiences and her connection with horses was beautiful.  This iteration of Helen was unlike any I had read before, her devotion as a healer and a mother was at the forefront of her characterisation and there was none of the vanity and anarchy in her that I have read in other versions of her.  What it had in common with other fictional retellings was that Hector is the only redeemable male character and Paris is trash.  Utter.  Trash.

    While I am quite familiar with the source material, I do not know it backwards and forwards.  As a result, any changes that were made to allow for the flow of the story weren’t overly obvious or grating to me.  The sense of immersion into the ancient world was strong, with rich description on the layout of the city, the food, clothing, weapons and homes painting a clear picture of Troy.  I really liked how the story looked at the geographic location of Troy and the connections to Hittite culture and background, it was something that I have rarely come across in fictional retellings.

    I loved this book and I can’t wait for more! Perfect for fans of Ancient History, Greek Mythology and stories about women’s experiences.

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