Even though I spend so much of my time using many words in endless sentences to pitch my favourite books to people, it’s quite easy to catch my interest when pitching me a story. For instance, as soon as someone tells me that something is inspired by Greek myth in any way, shape or form, my curiosity is instantly piqued. I wish I could say that I need to know at least a little something else about it, but it truly is that easy (and always has been).
When I was child, it took only a mention of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson attending a summer camp for demi-gods and stumbling upon some of the most famous figures in mythology — I immediately went out and used my pocket money to purchase the first novel in the series. More recently, I joined the army of passionate Madeline Miller and Pat Barker fans, and will recommend Circe and The Silence Of The Girls to anyone and everyone I meet.
In turn, countless people have been recommending me Natalie Haynes’s A Thousand Ships, describing it as perfect combination of those two novels. Yet it took me a very long time to pick it up even though (or maybe because?) it sounded like the perfect book for me. Now that I am finally reading it, I must admit that everyone was right. A modern, ruthless, visceral feminist take on Greek myth told in a poetic writing style, A Thousand Ships gives voice to the women on the periphery of Homer’s well known epics. From the women of Troy, to muses, to Amazons & goddesses, each and every story in this book promises to strike a chord with readers.