After studying the Iliad in graduate school and reading it for the fifth time in my life again just last month I felt more and more certain there had to be more details about the women in this Epic story. I have long been mesmerized by the character of Hector and over time I became more and more interested in his wife Andromache and his mother Hekabe... I was thrilled to find that in fact there is an in depth book about Andromache - when I found Kristina O' Donnelly's book I ordered it right away! I read it quickly the first time because I became completely absorbed into it. I have not been this lost in a book since I read the Mists Of Avalon years ago! It seems that O'Donnelly has insight!
This book is timeless. I could relate to Andromache's agony in being married to a military/warrior man. Many military wives have tread Andromache's path - O'Donnelly grabs her reader with her ability to bring us right into Andromache's heart. I cried as I read this book many times and I also rejoiced as I felt triumph with Andromache's through her life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Classics and especially to those who value hearing a new perspective, and of course, a woman's point of view.

This is not a bad read. The author's dedication to detail is really quite commendable, her interpretation of the characters (especially Hector and Pyrrhos) very engaging. She gives her Andromache a strength and charisma that is only surpassed by David Gemmel's Andromache in his three-part Troy series.

However, this is a saga - an epic saga as the book's cover reads, at that. Sagas tend to be by nature long-winded and sag in the center. I found that the bulk of the book was very strong and it was only the beginning (which is weak) and the end (which just goes on and on, taking far too long to wind down) were the parts which lacked that engaging quality which makes a great book.

I would not read any other books in the author's series, but I would still recommend this novel to other readers interested in Bronze Age literature.

This novel recreates the life of Andromakhe of Greek legend. It covers her marriage to Hector, her life in Troy, and what happened to her after the city's fall. Showing the strength of one woman in a male dominated society, it goes into detail about her doomed relationship with Hector and brutal the death of their son. It is action packed and a fascinating portrait of Andromakhe and the life she might have led. If you are familiar with Greek legend you will recognize many of the characters.

Although the book does not claim to be fact, there is a lot of historical research woven into the plot. The story is beautifully written and it is a creative story of strength and love. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel.

...(I absolutely adore "Andromakhe"!) I had a little trouble with the names right at first, as they were all foreign to me .. but little by little I was able to put them in their places. It's hard for me to comprehend the detailed research that went into this novel .... I've always been fascinated with mythology and now I know why.... I found myself living in that land and going through the war with Andromakhe... such a beautiful lady....not only in body but also spirit...I could picture each of the characters and her pain on losing Hektor...Just a fantastic story. O'Donnelly has done a wonderful job and I've thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Betty Sullivan La Pierre
Mystery/Suspense Author

O'Donnelly's "Andromakhe" gives the old legend a new face, new meaning. In this emotional and literal odyssey, Andromakhe rises high, is loved not only by Hector, Prince of Troy, but also by Helenos, brother of Hector, she is coveted by Achilles, and later by the legendary King Memnon. But it's her destiny to be tested again and again by the Goddess in whom she has an unshakable faith, and she is slammed with the unendurable loss of ALL her loved ones and her country.
Somehow, she manages to endure the unendurable, and fights to make a difference in the overall scheme of things.
Andromache's love for Hector is as strong as in the familiar legend, but she is a fleshed out, independent-minded woman interested in the world she lives in, and its mysteries. She understands her inescapable role in the convoluted games kings play as they battle to extend their dominions. She feels empathy for Helen of Troy, and well, has a talking cat (though she is the only one who can converse with him).
I am not sure if for some readers this is a turn-off, but O'Donnelly narrates the story in 1st person (Andromache's), therefore the battle scenes are viewed from the walls, you are not down in the field, shoulder-to-shoulder with Hector. But the painful sense of helplessness while watching one's beloved husband face up to death and dismemberment day after day, is realistic. The aftermath of Troy's fall as Andromakhe is hurled into slavery (we tour Greece and Illyria, their social and military customs, how the belief in the same Goddess is interpreted there, and learn more about Achilles's son, the equally successful but fully human warrior, Neoptolemus). Aspects such as magic and reincarnation are subtly employed, and in my opinion, add to the spice.
I've read two others books by Kristina O'Donnelly, The Horseman and Trojan Enchantment (which is a 21st Century, companion novel of Andromakhe), and I've been wondering about when, at long last, O'Donnelly will leave the Aegean region and write a novel about Ireland!