History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Masquerade  Author: O. O. Sangoyomi Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Forge Books Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 343 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Set in a wonderfully reimagined 15th century West Africa, Masquerade is a dazzling, lyrical tale exploring the true cost of one woman’s fight for freedom and self-discovery, and the lengths she’ll go to secure her future.         Òdòdó’s hometown of Timbuktu has been conquered by the warrior king of Yorùbáland, and living conditions for the women in her blacksmith guild, who were already shunned as social pariahs, grow even worse.          Then Òdòdó is abducted. She is whisked across the Sahara to the capital city of Ṣàngótẹ̀, where she is shocked to discover that her kidnapper is none other than the vagrant who had visited her guild just days prior. But now that he is swathed in riches rather than rags, Òd...

Clytemnestra’s Bind (The House of Atreus #1) Author: Susan C. Wilson  Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy  Publisher: Neem Tree Books Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 288 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review  Synopsis: Clytemnestra’s Bind is a bold and brutal first-person retelling that redefines her story, unveiling the untold depths of her soul and the legacy she forged as a mother, wife, and queen.      Queen Clytemnestra's world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to him. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.      From one of Greek mythology's most reviled chara...

Helen of Troy Author: Margaret George Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Berkley Release Date: 2006 Pages: 636 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: Acclaimed author Margaret George tells the story of the legendary Greek woman whose face "launched a thousand ships" in this New York Times bestseller.      The Trojan War, fought nearly twelve hundred years before the birth of Christ, and recounted in Homer's Iliad , continues to haunt us because of its origins: one woman's beauty, a visiting prince's passion, and a love that ended in tragedy.      Laden with doom, yet surprising in its moments of innocence and beauty, Helen of Troy is an exquisite page-turner with a cast of irresistible, legendary characters—Odysseus, Hector, Achilles, Menelaus, Priam, Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, as well as Helen and Paris themselves. With a wealth of material that reproduces the Age of Bronze in all its glory, it brings to life a war that we ha...

Kassandra: A Tale of Love, War, and One Woman’s Destiny: A Novel of Ancient Greece Author: Alison Blasdell Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Alison Blasdell Release Date: 2023 Pages: 369 Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: She was born Athenian and raised an Amazon warrior. But betrayal and heartbreak will force her to choose who she is.      This is the tale of Kassandra, born in Athens, Greece, in the 4th century BC, and her transition from a frightened but determined girl into a formidable warrior—a path of trust and betrayal, love and loss, joy and heartbreak—the story of a woman who challenges the very gods of Greece to find happiness.      Kassandra was just ten years old when her mother spirited her away in the middle of the night to avoid an arranged marriage, traveling until they reached the mountains the Greeks believed belonged to Zeus. There, her mother left...

Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ancestors of Avalon: A Novel of Atlantis and The Ancient British Isles (Avalon #5) Author: Diana L. Paxson Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Viking Penguin Release Date: 2004 Pages: 360 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Marion Zimmer Bradley’s beloved Avalon saga continues the dramatic story of the ancestors of Avalon from their life on the doomed island of Atlantis to their escape to the mist-shrouded isle of Britain.       My Review : Ancestors of Avalon is the direct sequel to The Fall of Atlantis . It is also a prequel to The Mists of Avalon . Tiriki and her husband, Micail are both the high priestess and high priest of Atlantis. They are also part of the royal family of Atlantis. Yet, their comfortable life is shattered when they feel earthquakes and know that their beloved island is about to fall into the sea. They also learn that they are to found a new temple in a distant land. When Atlantis falls, Tiriki and...

The Fall of Atlantis Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Baen Release Date: 1987 Pages: 512 Source: Personal Collection  Synopsis: A wounded Atlantean prince...a deadly battle between Dark and Light...and the sisters Deoris and Domaris, whose lives are changed utterly by the magic involving them. These are the elements of The Fall of Atlantis , Marion Zimmer Bradley's epic fantasy about that ancient and legendary realm.      On one side stand the Priests of the White Robe, guardians of powerful natural forces which could threaten the world if misused. Ranged against them are the Black Robes, sorcerers who secretly practice their arts in the labyrinthine caves beneath the very Temple of Light. Caught between are Domaris and Deoris, daughters of the arch-priest Talkannon, trapped in a web of deadly sorcery--the same forbidden sorcery that could bring about the fall of Atlantis.        My Re...

Clytemnestra Author: Constanza Casati Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Release Date: May 2, 2023 Pages: 448 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: For fans of Madeline Miller, a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious villainess of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.     As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best…     You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.     But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a ...

Clytemnestra: The Mother's Blade Author: Victoria Grossack, Alice Underwood Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: CreateSpace Release Date: 2017 Pages: 351 Source: Kindle Unlimited Synopsis: Raised a princess in Sparta, Clytemnestra understands that leaders make many sacrifices. But she is shocked when she is forced to marry the murderer of her husband and firstborn child.      Though she wields great power as High Queen of Mycenae, and adores her younger children, being Agamemnon’s wife is difficult – and becomes harder after her sister Helen’s departure for Troy ignites the greatest war the world has ever seen.      Clytemnestra remains determined to protect her children and her city. But then a long absent prince – her husband’s hated rival – begins to claim her heart…   My Review: Clytemnestra has a tarnished reputation in Greek mythology. She is known to be an unfaithful wife and a murderer. However, this novel gi...