The story begins some 9 years into the Trojan War and each chapter is named after one of the aforementioned women and written in her voice and perspective. We learn that Rhea's father was the most respected horse trainer in all of Anatolia, although he was originally Phrygian, and he lost his life when he followed Prince Hector into war for Troy. Raiders hungry from the never-ending war sacked Rhea's home, murdering her remaining family and she was later enslaved. Her prowess with horses leads to her finding a place in the home of Prince Hector and his wife, Harsa Andromache.
Andromache and Hector have a strong and loving marriage and care deeply for the people of Troy, however Andromache is headstrong and resents being a stately Harsa (noble woman of Troy) when she was trained by Amazon women to be a warrior. She and Hector have yet to produce an heir, which gives Hector's brother Paris cause to whisper in his father's ear about him becoming the heir instead, although he has yet to produce an heir with Helen... or any of his many concubines.
Helen spends her days in drug-hazed melancholia at Paris's hands, weaving the story of the Trojan War on a huge tapestry and pining for the absence of her beloved daughter, Hermione, whose fate was spared when Helen "willingly" left her husband, child, and home for Paris and the city of Troy, rather than her 9-year-old daughter taking her place. Paris hides her beauty behind a veil and Helen keeps her mouth shut about his abuse in the hopes that Paris's spies won't kill the child and she may one day see her daughter again. Helen is a gifted healer, although her craft languishes with her stowed in a tower high above the city in the Citadel, at least for now.
The city of Troy is made up of gated rings, with the Lower City being home to the poor and, as of this war, also Troy's allies who came to defend her. The Merchant and Artisan areas fare somewhat better, but at the very highest point is the gleaming Citadel, home to King Priam and Queen Hecuba, all of their heirs and their families, and the "Old Blood," all of whom eat lavishly and want for nothing, despite the fact that the war has dragged on for so long. Needless to say, it's a very different situation in the Lower City and there is much dissent. If Troy isn't winning the war now, imagine how bad it would be if those disgruntled allies went back home.
Prince Hector leads the army and is beloved by the men serving under him, as well as the entire city. Andromache is aloof and not exactly loveable, but she is strong and smart and Hector has always listened to her counsel. However, the King's Council doesn't want to hear her opinions on the languishing war, especially when she can't even manage to produce an heir. Still, she longs to be useful and if she can't fight on the battlefield next to Hector, she'll fight for Troy in a different way.
Odysseus is one of the many Achaean kings camped around Troy, but he fights dirty and has found a way to get close to Troy's walls without being spotted. As he works to undermine Troy, Andromache devises a way to fight back, but she must do so in secret, for Hector would never allow what she suggests. While the women aren't allowed to wield weapons on the battlefield, they can use the fact that most move invisibly around men on both sides of the war, gathering information that could turn the tide for Troy.
Andromache, Helen and Rhea - these three woman start off as different as they can be, each with predetermined opinions about one another, (and in some cases, actual hate) who will grow to love and trust one another as family, working together with many other invisible women to save their beloved city.
This is just a taste of what Horses of Fire has to offer. There are plots of betrayal, burgeoning romances, nail-biting moments of terror and the most delicious and immersive story I have read in quite a while. I found myself deeply invested in characters on both sides of the fight and the stories and relationships between the strong women in this story craft a beautiful tapestry of love, loss, power, and bravery.
If you have even a passing interest in the Bronze Age and the Trojan War, you absolutely must read this book. I had a difficult time putting it down to go to sleep. Highly, highly recommended. The sequel, Daughters of Bronze releases soon! Look for my review of the remarkable conclusion to this gripping duology very soon.
