Daughters of Sparta: A Novel
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Daughters of Sparta: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Claire Heywood (Author), Mira Dovreni (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,092 ratings
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For millennia, men have told the legend of the woman whose face launched a thousand ships - but now it's time to hear her side of the story. Daughters of Sparta is a tale of secrets, love, and tragedy from the women behind mythology's most devastating war, the infamous Helen and her sister, Klytemnestra.

As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivaled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece. But such privilege comes at a cost. While still only girls, the sisters are separated and married to foreign kings of their father's choosing - Helen remains in Sparta to be betrothed to Menelaos, and Klytemnestra is sent alone to an unfamiliar land to become the wife of the powerful Agamemnon. Yet even as queens, each is only expected to do two things: birth an heir and embody the meek, demure nature that is expected of women.

But when the weight of their husbands' neglect, cruelty, and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, Helen and Klytemnestra must push against the constraints of their society to carve new lives for themselves, and in doing so, make waves that will ripple throughout the next 3,000 years.

Daughters of Sparta is a vivid and illuminating reimagining of the Siege of Troy, told through the perspectives of two women whose voices have been ignored for far too long.

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  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 39 minutes
  2. Author
    Claire Heywood
  3. Narrator
    Mira Dovreni
  4. Audible release date
    June 22, 2021
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B08MWTSB5T
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 39 minutes
Author Claire Heywood
Narrator Mira Dovreni
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date June 22, 2021
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B08MWTSB5T
Best Sellers Rank #121,995 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#140 in Ancient History Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#578 in Ancient History Fiction (Books)
#682 in Fairy Tale Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,092 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024
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I loved the way we are lead through to the events that started everything. We see the progression and how things were able to get so far and the way men could blame women just to blame them. It was so tragic but deep and understandable at the same time.
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4.0 out of 5 stars accurate and frustrating historic view of women in the bronze age
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2021
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Daughters of Sparta is a view into the lives of Bronze age women of stature. It emphasizes the roles women were expected to play in a male dominated world and in that context I found my self frustrated by the bonds that kept them from fulfilling their potential. Kytemnesta is a strong and independent woman subjugated by her husband only finding freedom during war but the cost of that freedom was too great. Helen is portrayed as trapped by her beauty only too late realizing that she has always been a pawn and a prize to be exploited. If Heywood meant for the reader to be angry and frustrated at how these women were treated by their times, she has succeeded and in that I applaud her. The historical accuracy is fascinating and maddening. Modern women have no idea how emancipated we are, and yet still subjugated.
18 people found this helpful
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A. Grant
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally well written
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022
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What if the gods had very little to do with the Trojan war? What if it was started, not with goddesses fighting over a golden apple, but with an unhappy marriage and a vain spoiled Prince. Claire Heywood takes a classic Greek myth and tells the story in a simple way that's not driven by the will of the gods, but by simple human emotions, weaknesses, and greed.
4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Pass.
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2022
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Unfortunately, this was not a very enjoyable read. The author has moments of great storytelling, but she misses out on the strength and intellect that Homer imbues into his Helen.

On the other hand . . . and isn't there always an other hand . . . she captures Clytemnestra quite well. The author explains as well as anyone why she murders her husband.
9 people found this helpful
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Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed this
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2022
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This was a fun read. The author makes up a good story to fill in the blanks in the Greek tale. It’s hard to take some of it seriously, but it’s entertaining.
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Nataša MV
5.0 out of 5 stars Greek mythology told from women perspective
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2022
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The beginning of the book did not impress me. It reminded me more of a fairy tale. But the more the story unfolded, the more I was attracted to the book. In the end, I discovered the deep message that this book carries. It is precisely this collapse of Troy and the high price paid by Troy women that makes one think. The history is such that the memory of the heroes is preserved, and the victims who paid the high price of the fighting are somehow forgotten. All these raped and murdered women of Troy, all their murdered children. Who even remembers them?
4 people found this helpful
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Chelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2022
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An absolutely perfect story navigating the lives of both Helen and Clytemnestra from both of their POVs.
If you like any sort of Greek mythology this is an absolute myst have read for your shelves.
3 people found this helpful
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R. Shah
4.0 out of 5 stars Mixed writing. Good story
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2021
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Has me interested in reading mythology again and reading. I would read more by the author to see consistency in writing.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Sho
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in Mexico on September 14, 2021
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I love Trojan War stories and this one didn't disappoint. I also liked that the book revolved around Helen and Clytemnestra as the narrators since there aren't many books from Greek mythology told from women perspective. I think my only complaint is that Hector's death happened so fast and there was no mention of him killing Patroclus... But overall it was a very interesting book.
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Mandy
5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, emotional read about womanhood
Reviewed in France on March 4, 2024
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This was really good, I loved the themes of womanhood that were consistent during the entirety of the story. This is a book about what it means to be a woman in a way I find oddly refreshing compared to the myriad of other retellings I've seen.
I am VERY hard to please with greek mythology, I enjoy modern retellings but prefer faithful ones, but I can't stand when faithfulness becomes more important than character development (I'm looking at you Jennifer Saint), and I was on the fence for about 20% of this book, then I was unable to put it down and devoured it in less than two days.
Highly recommend.
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Circe
5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling re-telling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2023
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I loved this novel. I’m often wary of classicists who write fiction, but Heywood’s writing was superb. Her portrayal of Helen and Klytemnestra was skilfully nuanced. I strongly think it would be wrong to re-tell the story of these women in a way that makes them appear dominant, powerful and feisty (a feminist strategy employed by some writers). That just wasn’t how most women were in ancient times. And pretending they were would just be a daft fantasy. Instead, a story that shows the utter powerlessness and vulnerability of the women is more powerful, realistic and ultimately believable. And this is the approach Heywood adopts. She skilfully shows us how the two women are conditioned and brought up to accept their fates. I loved the way she explored Helen’s fear of giving birth as a reason for her to grow distant from Menalaos. I also thought Heywood perfectly conveyed Nestra’s helplessness and hopelessness in preventing Iphigenia from being sacrificed. I’m not ashamed to say I cried when I read this harrowing scene.

I’m glad Heywood doesn’t use the first person point of view - her focalisation of each character is excellent and successfully conveys their feelings and thoughts just as effectively.

It’s one of the best Greek legend/myth re-tellings. I enjoyed it as much as Miller’s Circe. Read it!!
One person found this helpful
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Lisa Müller
5.0 out of 5 stars Herausragend
Reviewed in Germany on March 24, 2023
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Als klassische Archäologin und Liebhaberin von antiken Mythen, muss ich sagen, dass dieses Buch ausgezeichnet gelungen ist. Die Gefühle und kleine Welt von antiken Frauen in den Mittelpunkt gerückt, zeigt dieses Buch sehr deutlich, die Rolle der griechischen Frau.
Sehr zu empfehlen
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Chiara
5.0 out of 5 stars Bellissimo
Reviewed in Italy on February 27, 2022
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Preso come regalo per mia figlia,bellissimo libro lo consiglio
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