Description

*** THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ***

‘A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos’ JENNIFER SAINT, author of Ariadne

‘An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book’ CLAIRE NORTH, author of Ithaca

‘Urgent and furious’ ROSIE ANDREWS, author of The Leviathan
___________________

In Athens, crowds flock to witness the most shocking trial of the ancient world. The royal family is mired in scandal. Phaedra, young bride of King Theseus, has accused her stepson, Hippolytus of rape.

He’s a prince, a talented horseman, a promising noble with his whole life ahead of him. She’s a young and neglected wife, the youngest in a long line of Cretan women with less than savoury reputations.

The men of Athens must determine the truth. Who is guilty, and who is innocent?

But the women know truth is a slippery thing. After all, this is the age of heroes and the age of monsters. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has gone unheard.

Until now.

Publisher Review

The Heroines is a powerful reimagining of Greek tragedy, skilfully interweaving the voices of women to haunting effect, creating echoes that resonate in modern society. A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos — JENNIFER SAINT, author of ARIADNE A compelling and skilfully woven story, The Heroines challenges the silencing of female voices with an urgent and furious reimagining of a number of unlikely Classical tales. — ROSIE ANDREWS, author of THE LEVIATHAN A feminist retelling that subverts the most enduring myth of them all – that women are to blame for the violence exacted upon them and are the cause of their own suffering. Laura Shepperson does not flinch in her reimagining of Phaedra’s story. Wholly original, The Heroines eschews romance, and does not seek to mollify the male reader. Instead, the author holds steadfast in her unpicking of the age-old misogynistic narrative that women are weak, conniving and duplicitous. Chapter after chapter she posits: This is how it is, can you deny it? A welcome reimagining that left me all at once satisfied and furious — JOANNE BURN, author of THE HEMLOCK CURE A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters — CARI THOMAS, author of THREADNEEDLE An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book — CLAIRE NORTH, author of ITAHCA An audacious and spirited refiguring of Greek myth in which human rather than divine action is the driving force — SARAH BURTON, author of THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H Thrilling, menacing, heartbreaking. An ancient story for modern times. So gripping the pages almost turn themselves! — EMMA CARROLL, author of LETTERS FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE Urgent, resonant and timely * WOMAN’S OWN * The Heroines is beautifully told, and utterly gripping – a must for any fans of Greek myth retellings. I was immediately enthralled by the variety of voices and viewpoints telling the story, and each character was so well drawn and distinctive. The tension builds to an explosive, heart rending finale, and I couldn’t put the book down. Shepperson draws from the original myths, and compellingly asks us to consider how our understanding is influenced by who is telling the story – and why. — CAILEAN STEED, author of HOME A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read. — CARLY REAGON, author of THE TOLL HOUSE If you love Greek mythology, you’ll love The Heroines * COSMOPOLITAN * Compelling and immersive storytelling. A sparkling debut — JULIE OWEN MOYLAN, author of THAT GREEN EYED GIRL The Heroines is a vivid retelling of Phaedra’s story that gives voice to the women involved, and feels starkly relevant to the world we live in today. A mesmerising read — ELIZABETH LEE, author of CUNNING WOMEN I was gripped throughout. A relevant and original retelling, giving voice and agency to women whose stories have been a subplot in myth or have remained unheard for so long. A fiercely compelling novel — CAROLINE LEA, author of THE GLASS WOMAN Shepperson shines in her debut . . . This inspired feminist retelling will captivate readers * Publisher’s Weekly * A pointed examination of the plight of women in ancient Greece, this powerful and compulsively readable tale should appeal to fans of Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne and Madeline Miller’s Circe * Booklist Starred Review * This tale was always going to be a tragedy, but telling it almost entirely from the women’s points of view makes it both more modern and more eternal, the system of men protecting men never changing. A breath of fresh air from an ancient tale. * Kirkus * An edgy, accessible feminist reworking of the tricky story of Phaedra * Australian Woman’s Weekly * A creative and absorbing take * Heat, Book of the Week * Shepperson’s love of classics is plain to see in this retelling… The Heroines is a strong, learned addition to the growing canon of contemporary reimaginings of ancient myths * CAMBRIDGE EDITION * The Heroines is a stunner of a debut. Shepperson holds her own in the Greek myth re-telling genre, weaving an epic tale centred around Phaedra. I couldn’t put it down. — AMITA PARIKH, author of THE CIRCUS TRAIN