This book felt so unnecessary. The Women of Troy isn’t really about the women of Troy, but about Briseis’ life now that she’s freed through marriage.

I said this in my review for the first one, but I do feel as if a book centred on ‘women’ should be voiced by them. Instead, it kicks off with a male narrator. And returns towel narrators throughout. If the novel didn’t claim to give voice to women, then I’d be able to rate it so much higher. But it certainly fails in that respect.

If you thought Briseis was dull in book one then prepare to find her even duller. In my opinion she just lacks character. She wants the captured women who are now enslaved to see her as one of them, but hates being a slave. She rejects her place of power through her husband but wants to have her position of power back. She loves other children but already feels no love for her own child. She achieves nothing.

And the plot? Well. It seemed to just rehash the end of Silence of the Girls; simply adding a little more detail and stretching it out. It lacked a key plot point to give the story momentum. It’s a slow, stagnant story about a group of people trapped after war.

What I wanted to see was Briseis attempting to stand up for and protect the other slaves, to attempt to make change. I wanted to see her as a mother. I wanted her to find her strength and use her husbands power to her advantage. Instead, like Hamlet, she spent the novel fretting and wishing people liked her.

Worst of all, was the way Briseis treated other women. A larger sized lady was locked repeatedly, called ‘lumpy’ and ‘ugly’. Briseis wondered why she’d even been chosen as a slave and when she was pregnant she commented how it’s hard to tell since she’s so fat. This disgusting treatment of someone who is not conventionally beautiful made me hate the book even more. Briseis is supposed to be different, she’s supposed to be the one giving women a voice and she uses it to shame others.

Once again Barker missed the mark here. Other books do this better and I’m not sure why people seem to think this is such an amazing representation. Fat shaming is never okay and it’s a repeated theme throughout. One that has no need to be included and had no bearing on the plot. For that reason alone, I would not recommend this book.

Witches Steeped in Gold takes us to a Jamaican-inspired world filled with magic. Two witches, divided by their order, unite to take down a common enemy. They’re both royalty and both willing to do whatever it takes to protect their land.

It sounds amazing, but it didn’t quite deliver. And I couldn’t quite tell you why. The magic world was very complex and I still don’t quite understand how everything worked or who everyone was. This made it difficult to fully sink my teeth into the story.

Plot twists are fantastic, when done properly, but the ending of Witches Steeped in Gold took it too far. It was twist after twist after twist. There were so much bluffing that I still don’t know who is on whose side. It just got confusing and far-fetched.

I loved the politics side of it. It was really fleshed out and helped provide insight into why they wanted to overthrow their current ruler. Seeing Jazmyne grow from a quiet and unsure girl into a cunning and confident woman was brilliant.

This was a good read - I’d definitely recommend it. I’d just advise to read very carefully and really take your time with it so that you can take in the details I missed. A beautiful book inside and out, this was a fun (albeit long) read.

In Thursday Murder Club we meet a group of pensioners at a care facility for the elderly who use their spare time to investigate cold cases. But when a murder occurs in their small village they decide to take matters into their own hands.

Richard Osman has created a host of intriguing and lovable characters. I laughed and cried along with them and rooted for them every step of the way. My favourite had to be Ibrahim - he can be a little sassy and is insanely smart, but I love how observant and caring he is. Osman puts together characters you wouldn’t expect to be friends but shows you why they should be.

In terms of a murder mystery I thought it was exquisitely crafted. There are plenty of red herrings for you to pick up on and think you’re smart - but trust me you won’t see the ending coming! There are plenty of plot twists throughout this book but they don’t feel forced or unnecessary.

I definitely recommend this for mystery lovers! It’s funny, endearing and brilliantly crafted. The concept is so original which is hard to do in the saturated market of crime thrillers! I cannot wait to read book 2 which is already preordered.

THIS BOOK. ‘With Teeth’ is, at its core, the story of motherhood. Focusing on queer parents Sammie and Monika raising their son Samson. But it’s so much more than just a story of motherhood, it examines queerness in everyday life, it explores memory and perception. It is dark at times, intense and foreboding, but light and hilarious at others.

You spend much of this novel unsure who to trust. Told through a 3rd person narrator, but focalised through Sammie we are encouraged to believe her. We understand her thoughts and her difficulty connecting with her son. But we also get glimpses of first person narration from characters Sammie encounters along the way. Some reinforce Sammie’s version of events and others disagree entirely. This creates a strange uncertainty whilst you read that works perfectly.

As a queer woman who has thought (and fretted) about the thought of having children, this book explored so much of what terrifies me. Sammie and Monika have such different relationships with Samson and massively different parenting styles.

I loved this book. It’s a fantastically realistic representation of queer parenthood. Through Sammie and Monika’s parenthood journey, all parents can empathise with their experiences and emotions. I definitely recommend this one!

‘Once upon a time, on the coldest night of midwinter, in the darkest heart of the forest, Death and Fortune came to a crossroads.’

Sometimes you finish a book and are immediately hungry for more - Little Thieves is one of those books. Vanya is a thief. Her otherworldly mother’s demand payment for their care, and Vanya decides to steal her future back. By stealing Princess Gisele’s life.

Vanya is hilarious. Sassy and strong, she’s everything you want in a female lead. Throughout the book we learn a lot about her character and why she is the way she is. We watch her grow and change. And maybe we cry a little with her or scream at the pages because she is missing what’s right in front of her.

The romance is everything. Kind of enemies-to-lovers, except they’re the type of enemies that from the BEGINNING have sass with ✨spicy✨undertones. The way their relationship evolves is so realistic.

The LGBTQ+ diversity is on point. We have a mentioned gay couple, a prominent sapphic couple and a genderfluid character. All of these representations are so wonderfully dropped in - they’re not plot points or made into big discussions, just a simple my husband and I. The genderfluid rep was my fave, though only small, I loved how the characters dealt with it.

I adored this book! This is definitely one of my favourites this month - it’s a beautifully crafted book. Despite being over 500 pages I devoured this in two days because I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend for fans of fantasy, heists, magic and enemies to lovers