Andromache: Stealing Tomorrow: A novel of the Trojan Empire

by Jennifer South

She was born into her world a non-entity.It was the late Bronze Age, the time of the Trojan Empire, a time ruled by warlords and warriors. The daughter of a minor king was a throw away item, a bargaining chip at best. In her world, a woman only held as much power as the beauty of her face or her worth on the marriage market and Andromache had neither. She seemed destined to be forgotten.It was also the final Age of Heroes though and in it a man, or woman, of determination and steel could make their own destiny -- if they were brave enough. In the end, Andromache would have to choose. Would she let the world decide who she was? Or would she make a path of her own and become the woman of legend she was meant to be?

Genres: Historical Romance

602 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2012

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Against all odds, I finished this book somehow. One of the greatest obstacles to doing so was probably the fact that it appears to have been published without an editor. I’ve never read a book with so many typos. Not sure if it has something to do with the digital version, but it was very distracting.

The pacing is mind-boggling. I was stunned to find that halfway through the novel, Andromache had only truly interacted with Hector one time. Somehow worse, I realized I was 81% through the book (thanks kindle), and they hadn’t even kissed yet. That’s around the time I started to wonder, how is this book ever going to cover the 10-year long Trojan war and Andromache’s fate if the author spends 500 words describing a single hug? (This happens a few times, actually… Hector’s arms are basically a character in the book. For fun, I just searched it with my kindle and they are mentioned 157 times.)

The answer, of course, is that it isn’t. The book doesn’t talk about the Trojan war at all; Helen would be horrified to discover she is a scarcely mentioned side character in this book.

All that to say, this is a very… imaginative retelling. It definitely takes some mental gymnastics to craft a version of Andromache with Helen’s plot line, Medea’s childhood, and - just for fun - a vampire for a mother?

I admit I skimmed through a few times because 1) I have a low tolerance for cringe and 2) there is so much exposition; the author has a strange habit of introducing a scene and then telling us everything that’s happening within a 10-foot radius and how Andromache feels about it before beginning the scene.

I am giving 3 stars because, in its defense, the book is nearly saved by the love story between Andromache and Hector, which is so hot at times you can warm your little hands on it. Would I recommend it? No but until someone else comes along with an Andromache retelling, I suppose this is your best bet.

[Tiphaine Figeac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the love story between Andromache and Hector, Hector has a great character with flaws but lovely story.
The main problem would be the typo and grammar mistakes and also lots of repetition but nice story

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more like 3.5 stars. There are weird typos and grammar issues all over this book. I didn't really agree with South's take on Helenus and Cassandra... which would be fine, normally, since everyone has their own take on mythological characters. But they were both so petty and one note that I just kind of sighed with frustration and boredom whenever they showed up. Also something happened in the epilogue that ended this book on a sour note for me.

Now, with all that out of the way, I'm still very glad I read this. Andromache and Hector are both pitch perfect. This is sort of an origin story for Andromache (so, no, it doesn't get into the actual Trojan War at all) and this book has a hell of a lot of respect for how much work it would take to run a stronghold. Andromache also bonds easily with women, which is always nice to see. Hector is great, too; such a catch for this period in time, but he has his impetuous moments. He comes from a background of violence (actually, both he and Andromache do in different ways) and the novel doesn't shy away from that. If there's a sequel, I trust South to continue to portray Hector and Andromache as multi-dimensional characters.

So, basically, despite some serious frustrations, I'm very glad I took a chance on this book and read it.