A Spartan's Sorrow

The first chapter pulled me in! I know a bit about the story because of Troy (the movie) but don’t know most of it. Slower paced compared to Lynn’s other books and my least favorite of hers so far. I will say I did enjoy getting to know the characters and marked a lot of memorable passages! I also was glad to finally learn the rest of the story surrounding Clytemnestra and Orestes.

I didn’t love how much Clytemnestra talked down about other women, especially Helen, her own sister. She seems to think she’s the only woman stuck in a horrible marriage and suffered loss?! The amount of times whore is used, and Clytemnestra victim blames while acting like a holier than thou martyr, made me set the book aside for 3 days to calm down.

Oh, and the way she treats Electra, her youngest daughter? Listen, she was annoying and arrogant, but she’s a child, and she can clearly tell that her mother has favorites, and she’s not one of them-of course she’s going to act out and hate you?!

Lastly, this is me being Nit-picky, but twice she mentions Penelope and her suitors when the suitors did not arrive to Ithaca yet! This book takes place mostly during the war in Troy, but the suitors don’t show up until after the war has ended and Odysseus is on his (long journey) home. Just made me irritated that such a glaring mistake was mentioned not once but twice. Also, Athens did not have an acropolis nor democracy at this time for another 500+ years! Sooo many inaccuracies that are easy to research.