The End Crowns All: A bestselling sapphic romance and reimagining of the Fall of Troy myth

A retelling of a millennia old myth. Bea Fitzgerald has taken liberties, and a lot of it, in retelling and reshaping the story of the abduction of Helen and the ensuing war that followed. Not to say that I don't like it since if anyone who has ever read the Iliad before will know that it's all doom and gloom mostly, with egoistic macho men hacking at each other. Here the focus is on the women of Troy with Cassandra and Helen rhe central figures. The early part was focused mostly on Cassandra, the priestess of Apolo gifted the gift of prophecy, and the wheelings and dealings between god and priestess. It's a very slow burn love story as they try to avoid it but are ultimately drawn towards each other while surrounded by vengeful gods and warring armies. The path towards the ending was a truly nail biting affair. It was tense and suspenseful wrought with anxious uncertainties. Only a few things I didn't quite like. Firstly the language used was a little too 21st century-ish. I think it would have been better if some form of regency speak was used. And secondly I felt the author slipped up a little; like using the word platonic when Plato wasn't even born yet during the Trojan War and the phrase "the face that launched a thousand ships" is a 17th century quote from some long forgotten poet. But I suppose those are there for the dramatics. All in all, I really did quite enjoy it, especially the sufferings of Cassandra and Helen at the hands of vengeful and scheming gods and humans. How this pulled them together and a beautiful love blossomed that is strong enough to change the prophecies. The ending was a reasonably happy one, though I wouldn't say it's an ending but rather, of new beginnings.