The Silence of the Girls

TW: graphic violence, gore, sexual assault, rape, slavery, child death, animal death, human sacrifice, mentions of suicide.. I'm sure I'm missing more.

I'm not even sure how to describe my feelings about this one. It's a wonderfully narrated story of the fall of Troy through the perspective of Briseis (and also Achilles in parts) and it feels like a completely different story when told through the voice of a woman who has lost everything to the war and is now a slave who doesn't know what will happen to her in the future. It's harsh, bleak and violent, but it is also a tale of survival and resilience of the many women who have lost their agency and freedom and all loved ones, but still brave an existence among their enemies and now masters. The audiobook narration also makes us feel the characters' emotions very deeply, and I think it definitely enhanced my experience of the book. I just received the arc of thee sequel of this book, and I can't wait to read it soon.