Hand of Fire: A Novel of Briseis and the Trojan War (Trojan Threads) by Judith Starkston

A legendary war, an invincible warrior, a woman forced to defend her family and realm—and her independent spirit. Will she become the captive or the captor? Briseis fights to protect her city, an ally of Troy, from marauding Greeks and her husband’s arrogant violence. She finds strength in visions of a handsome warrior god until he appears before her in flesh and blood. When Briseis raises a sword against the mighty Achilles, she ignites a passion that threatens to betray everyone she holds dear. Hand of Fire, a Greek myth retelling, portrays the Trojan War through a woman’s experiences of both trauma and resilience. Immerse yourself in this richly depicted Bronze Age world where Greek gods walk the earth, epic heroes fight with sword and heart, and a woman dares to determine her own destiny. A stand-alone novel in the Trojan Threads Series. Briseis steps out from the handful of lines she gets in Homer's epic, and fearlessly tells her own story as healer, war prize, and partner to the famous Achilles—here a godlike hero who manages to be all too human. Recommended! –Kate Quinn, NYT Times Bestselling author of Read more