Richards bridges the gap between dense academic history and accessible, engaging literature.

For readers searching for , you are about to discover a novel that has been described as “Gladiator meets The Expanse.” This article unpacks everything you need to know about the novel, its themes, its connection to classical literature, and why it is generating serious buzz in the sci-fi community.

Xanthos represents the soldier who loses his faith. He watched Priam make terrible choices; he watched Achilles commit atrocities. His betrayal of his surviving countrymen to save his sister creates a constant, uncomfortable tension. Is he a hero or a collaborator? Richards refuses to answer, leaving the reader to judge.

Fans of , Madeline Miller’s Circe , and Steven Pressfield’s Gates of Fire . Readers who enjoy gritty, character-driven historical fiction with moral complexity and emotional weight.

After the fall of Troy, the royal women—including Queen Hecuba and Andromache—were famously enslaved by the Greek victors like Odysseus and Neoptolemus. Modern Adaptations:

Most classical retellings focus on the glory of figures like Achilles, Hector, or Agamemnon. Richards takes a radically different and refreshing approach: