*** 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 ofIthaca
'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.
Genre: Fantasy
'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 ofIthaca
'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.
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"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
"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
"An audacious and spirited refiguring of Greek myth in which human rather than divine action is the driving force." - Sarah Burton
"Thrilling, menacing, heartbreaking. An ancient story for modern times. So gripping the pages almost turn themselves!" - Emma Carroll
"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
"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
"Compelling and immersive storytelling. A sparkling debut." - Julie Owen Moylan
"An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book." - Claire North
"A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read." - Carly Reagon
"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
"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
"A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters." - Cari Thomas
"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
"An audacious and spirited refiguring of Greek myth in which human rather than divine action is the driving force." - Sarah Burton
"Thrilling, menacing, heartbreaking. An ancient story for modern times. So gripping the pages almost turn themselves!" - Emma Carroll
"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
"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
"Compelling and immersive storytelling. A sparkling debut." - Julie Owen Moylan
"An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book." - Claire North
"A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read." - Carly Reagon
"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
"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
"A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters." - Cari Thomas
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Used availability for Laura Shepperson's The Heroines