Mourned by Men

by Katie Frendreis

Her mother told them they were daughters of a god. But can the children of gods hurt? Can they die and fail like any other mortal?
Penthesilea knew her life was different. Growing up on the lush island of the Amazons, she and her sister lived on the cusp of two worlds—the warlike one of men and the soft and mothering one of women. But Amazonian girls learn to fight, to defend their home, to battle their enemies. They are neither soft nor cold, neither fully female nor male in their traditions. However, the outside world breaks their peace, and Pen finds her sister drawn to the men outside in a way she herself cannot understand. When tragedy befalls the sisters, Pen and her warrior women journey to Troy, the site of the legendary war between friend and foe, where the Amazon queen must decide between tradition and a new sort of life that only she can define.
The Trojan War made famous Hector, Achilles, and Aeneas, but there are also Penthesilea and her Amazons and a host of legendary characters, their stories stripped of magic and deus ex machina, bared to the world as simple men and women, struggling against the often-deadly fates foretold in myth.

Genres: Mythology, Greek Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction, Retellings, Historical Fiction

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2023

Reviews

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

am i entering my greek myth retelling era? 👀
my favorite thing about this was that Pen stayed not wanting kids until the very end. we neeeed more books where women don't change their mind!

[Rowan🍉 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not stop reading once I started! Despite its short length, the pacing of this book was perfect. I love dual timelines, greek mythology, and feminism and that’s really all you need to know, but I’m going to keep going.
Penthesilea is both a respectable and relatable character, who is both physically and emotionally capable, and probably one of my favorites of all time. I loved the exploration of her closest relationships; the fact that we know Hippolyta is dead from the very beginning makes Pen’s past memories that much more emotional. This book was an easy 5 stars and I can’t wait for it to be published so I can recommend it to my friends!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read any mythology novels in my past. I started this book however, with the hopes of gaining some knowledge of Greek mythology and expanding my reading base. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the words flowed to keep me engaged in the, new-to-me, characters and places. Yes, I have heard of most of the names used in this book, but not Penthesilea, the book's main character. This was a well written story to keep the pages turning. And the perfect length. Kudos to author, Katie Frendreis on a great book for my introduction to Greek mythology and my ability to support a new local author.

[Can Dragons Read? · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the short length this had a great impact. I loved the message about feminism and the retelling of a forgotten woman in mythology. I thought Penthilesea was a strong, relatable character, I enjoyed the dual timelines, and I loved how certain things were slightly changed from the original stories, but they helped this version and made it that more enjoyable. I also thought Penthilesea's memories of her deceased friend were incredibly emotional and moving and it did make me shed a tear.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mourned by Men is one of several retellings of Greek mythology from a (forgotten) woman’s perspective, in this case the Amazonian queen Penthesilea. Despite being a very short read, it had a gripping story and characters, featuring a strong female protagonist and the Trojan War.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fernanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

Penthesilea is the youngest daughter of Otrera, the Queen of the Amazons. She grows in a society were women's opinions and suggestions are not only just accepted but implemented, they have value and learn to respect and be respected. Penthesilea and her sister Hippolyta, along a group of young women learn to fight and become warriors, as strong and fast as the men that constantly try to diminish them. This is the story of a princess and a future Queen who is in a constant fight with not only men, but also struggles with herself, as a woman.

What I loved: How the author describes not only the character's growth and adventures, but also shows us the changes and developments of the Amazon society. I'm not gonna lie, at first I was extremely confused because, even tho I'm not an expert on the mythology and history of the Amazon women, I do know a little and I had certain expectations for what to find and what to read about it, so it surprised me (and didn't sit well at first, to be honest) to find that it wasn't the way I expected it to be. I'm so glad I didn't stop reading and decided to open my mind to the book, since it is, after all, a retelling. I got to see those changes at the hand of Penthesilea, and for that, I'm immensely grateful.

What I liked: Penthesilea's growth and the initial relationship with her mother and her sister. It's heart warming to read their interactions.

What I disliked: The author's narration. I know, this is a retelling. Still, it didn't sit well with me that I'm reading a retelling, expecting a certain use of language, at least for the character dialogs, and instead of feeling like I'm reading Penthesilea's pov or story in The Iliad, I'm reading an american novel.

If you like The Song of Achilles, this book might be for you.

Thank you, Booksprout and World Castle Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book so I could give it my honest review.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mourned by Men is a retelling of Penthesilea and end of the Trojan War which she fought in. I loved the decision to have her train in Troy as a young woman as it really explained why she so desperately wanted to help the Trojans (rather than just really hating Achilles like in the original myth). Her friendship with Hector was such a sweet surprise that I enjoyed immensely. Frendreis writes relationships so well in this book. Pen's relationship with her mother and sister was a real standout, and I loved the depth that was put into them.

Frendreis clearly did her research for this book, and her classical knowledge shines through. As someone with a classics degree myself, I could feel the tone of the Iliad shining through without. While she has made a few changes to the original myths she is modifying, they are well within the confines for 'acceptable' in mythology retellings.

There's not much I wished was different about this book. My one complaint is that I wanted more! It is a very approachable 190 pages but I would have gladly plodded through another 100 pages for more time to have been spent on Hippolyta (spin off book please?). All in all, this book is a wonderful, if short, dash through the Amazons and their queens.

[Stephanie Rhamstine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penthesilea, raised as the daughter of a god on an Amazonian island, lives in a world where tradition meets the brutal realities of life. 🏹 This novel brilliantly weaves the warlike world of men with the nurturing world of women, capturing the essence of Amazonian traditions.

💔 The story takes a dramatic turn when the outside world disrupts their peace, leading Pen and her sister on a journey that tests their beliefs and strength. As tragedy strikes, they find themselves in the midst of the legendary Trojan War, where Pen must make critical decisions that challenge her understanding of tradition and identity.

🛡️ Katie Frendries masterfully retells the Trojan War, focusing on lesser-known characters like Penthesilea and the Amazons. She strips away the magic and deus ex machina, presenting these legendary figures as real men and women battling fate.

🌊 I absolutely LOVED this book! Being obsessed with Greek mythology, I was thrilled to dive into this novel, and it didn't disappoint. It's a captivating blend of myth and human struggle, creating a rich and immersive experience. 🤣 My only complaint? It had to end!

📖 A must-read for anyone fascinated by Greek mythology and powerful storytelling. It's a fresh take on classic tales, filled with depth, emotion, and breathtaking narrative.

[Taylor Hathcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book because I’ve been on a mythology retelling kick. I’ve loved the ones that have taken mythological stories and shifted them to focus on the woman in the narrative. And I have to say that while this one was good, it didn’t quite live up to my hopes. I struggled to stay interested in this one to be honest.

The writing style took a minute to adjust to and then I struggled because the character seemed to repeat herself in different ways a lot of the time. The novel has like two timelines… we have the Trojan War timeline after Hector has been killed. The Amazons have come to assist in defeating Achilles. And then we have a flashback to the relationship between Pen and her sister. We know early on that Pen is dealing with some trauma surrounding her sister and we slowly learn about it.

I was disappointed that the book didn’t have more happening to be honest. It mostly just felt like a story of I’m a warrior and I hate it because I don’t see the point in the present. In the past it was me and my sister are so different and I don’t understand what’s wrong with me. I just was missing something crucial in this one to truly enjoy it. However, it is an interesting story with a cool take on the Amazon warriors and the Trojan War.

[Robin.Bookish.Escape · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

We follow the Amazonian Queen Penthesilea as she reflects on her time as a child with her sister Hippolyta and the women in her village that through a sequence of events learn the hard way that they will need to train and defend themselves, become skilled warriors just as quick and agile as the men. Pentesilea proves that she is resilient and strong. Following some events, she is thrusts into assisting the Trojans in their war that seems to not have an end in sight.

The two timelines allows the story to showcase how certain events throughout the characters’ lives shaped not only their own paths but the society in which they lived in. This Author doesn’t shy away from the realities that women faced during the time that these events occurred.

Well known characters that didn’t seem like a regurgitation of other retellings of troy. Although this is a relatively quick read, the Author took her time in making sure you were wrapped up in the highs and lows that each character felt, made them human and not just some story out there with no meaning.

As a lover of Greek Mythology and Greek Mythology retellings, I could not put this down. Highly recommend.

[Tkeyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Greek mythology. Feminism. That’s all you need to know before it is on your TBR.

But no seriously, this book was a quick read for me. I read it in a day and loved every minute of it. The pace was perfect. This story was told from an Amazonian queen named Penthesilea’s perspective.

I loved Penthesilea because she was strong, resilient and basically a badass.

I love the writing and how there are dual timelines and memories throughout the book. It just makes it so much more emotional to me.

I really enjoyed this because I am already a huge fan of Greek mythology retellings so it did not take long for me to be completely sucked into the story.

If you love Greek mythology, if you love WOMEN this is a great read and I highly recommend it!

Thank you Shannon from R&R book tours and Katie for this amazing opportunity!

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book as it isn't something I would normally read. This is a Greek mythology retelling book. The main characters are Penthesilea. Penthesilea is an Amazonian woman. Amazons were masculine and feminine at the same time. I liked that about this book overall as the author shows that women(and men) can be both in real life. This was a important message throughout the book, not just feminism, but balance for both. I think the author did really well on her first book with this message. I would be interested in reading more of her work. And the characters were written well and I enjoyed reading the Amazonian interactions between themselves.

It also seems like the author did quite a bit of research in this story. I do not know that much about the Amazons in Greek mythology but I found the read quite interesting overall. The writing was well written. I highly recommend this one to fans of mythology!

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Perhaps we are not meant to forgive ourselves. Perhaps we will never earn forgiveness…”

“Mourned by Men” by Katie Frendreis was really good. I wished it was longer because it was a super short read but so worth it. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the time jumps because I got a little confused about when each thing was happening. I liked the Trojan war through the eyes of a woman, and it makes this book a standout from the rest as unique. I was surprised I liked Hecktor in this book because most things I’ve read about the Trojan war I really don’t like too many of the male characters, but he was sweet. I enjoyed that the main character was obsessed with men and romance, and she was more interested in her family the entire book and that didn’t change even when there were good male characters like Hecktor around. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

-Greek Mythology
-Amazon Women
-Trojan War

[George Tackes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly fantastic. Unexpected because Katie Frendreis was an unknown author to me. New or unknown authors give me pause because the story could go either way. This tale is a fantastic read.
When I met Katie, she said this was a retelling of Greek Mythology. She misrepresented it.
This is a fresh perspective of Greek mythological tales.
It describes the Trojan War and other myths from an Amazon point of view. I've never heard of Greek Mythology from an Amazonian frame of reference before. I don't know why no one ever did it this way before.
Katie writes action and adventure in a riveting style. Her characters draw you into the story. The ending was as delight.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penthisileia has a sister Hippolyta. While fighting in the Troian War after the death of Hector, Pentisileia looks back on her childhood. She reflects on how she came to be as a person and what she has been through. After a briefly meeting with Achilles in the camp of the Argonauts, Pen thinks about what she really wants in life, although her past actions/incidents are haunting her. I found the story not that gripping and it took me a bit of effort to force myself to read it. It's a quick-read with some mythological aspects. Pen is a strong woman with a strong will. A true badass.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chizu · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My mother told us our father was a god, but I think he was a man”

5/5 stars

A gorgeous, gorgeous story. I was already gripped by the summary alone, as a huge fan of Greek mythology I was excited to pick up a book featuring forgotten characters like Penthesilea. But Mourned by Men blew me out of the water. The prose was so rich and I found myself constantly highlighting passages due to how beautiful I found some of these words.

As I mentioned, I adored the selection of Pen as the novel’s main protagonist— she is such a nuanced character, I loved reading about her complex relationship with femininity and girlhood. I never tire of strong and empowering female leads. The relationships between Hippolyta and Pen, as well as Pen and Hector, were high points for me as I continued to read Mourned by Men. The love Penthesilea shows for both of them is so touching and I enjoyed the character dynamics between them.

Mourned by Men is a story told in two timelines, one that explores the past and the other that explores the present. It was so interesting to see how both timelines coalesced with one another, especially as each chapter greeted you with a new facet of Pen’s character. Watching the tale, especially during the last five chapters, was thrilling.

Such an excellent take on Greek mythology, I could not recommend this book enough!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J.A Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! Let me just say this book has me HOOKED!! I really loved Greek mythology, and that is what got me into reading this book. This takes place during the Trojan War, BUT from a women's perspective. Which most of these stories are read from a man's perspective, so it's nice to get a fellow strong female. But the world setting, dialogue, structure, characters, and everything about this book is amazing. I couldn't put it down!

[Breanna Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writer does a fantastic job establishing a story worth of the gods. I enjoy the subject of Greek mythos retelling.
Strong women, love the Amazonians. This story is unique in a familiar way, without copying other retellings of Troy. If you enjoy the tales of Olympus, this will meet your expectations, and draw you in.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penthesilea is a strong willed character and well written. The plot and story shows that the author has an amazing imagination. A story that can stand tall amongst other mythological stories.

Disclaimer: I received this review copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic novella about the Queen Penthesilea, a character i've always wanted a lot more about. I so liked this one!!!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hanna Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful story with its reinterpretation of Greek mythology that I highly enjoyed. Very well done!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[readingcactuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mythology retellings written by women so I knew I was going to love this. I was not wrong. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. The characters are so human, their struggles written beautifully.

Thank you Book Sprout and Katie Frendreid for this ARC.

[Mik Wasiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun mythology book With good female protagonist the historical/magic fiction was very interesting and fun story that’s not too long

[Claire Stoltenow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I

[Kourtney]

I really loved reading this one the book was very well written and extremely hard to put down. I definitely recommend.

[Alex Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is a big Greek mythology buff when I found out that Katie was writing a novel about Penthesilia I was excited as I find the Amazons to be quite fascinating and when I finished the book... I honestly didn't know hoe to feel afterward. Lets start with what I liked, I like how the Katie portrayed Penthesilias initial burning hatred for Achilles as she (like many of the Trojans) views him as a barbaric monster for having killed their beloved Hector and the dragging his body around the walls of Troy being the extra salt in the wound for Penthesilia as she knew hector when they where younger only to then meet Achilles and learn that... He isn't the horrible monster she thinks he is and that its more complicated than that, and how similar the two really are. I also liked how Katie humanized Hector and showed that he also isn't a bad person despite the fact that he killed Patroclus. Next... Lets start with what I didnt like about this book: the early years of the Amazons. I would like to have known WHY Otrera came to Themiscyra (since its suggested that they were initially a nomadic group made up of mostly socially rejected women that came to the island) but still I would liked to have understood WHY Otrera came to the island herself, as well as learn what her connection to Priam is. Next: Penthesilias and Hippolytas parentage. It is "canon" that their father is Ares the god of war, and Katie implying that he was just some mortal man that got killed on some adventure or whatever is probably one of my BIGGEST gripes with this book. I would have loved to see Ares meet Penthesilia and it was SO disappointing that that never happened. And finally: the ending. It just fell... So flat, it felt so lukwarm. Im aware that in some accounts Penthesilia is killed by Pyrrhus (Achilles son), and as depressing as that sounds I think that that would have a much better ending than the ending in the book. Final verdict: kind of a lost potential.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dina Honour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Greek myths and stories retold through the eyes of its women and appreciated a new perspective from the p.o.v. of Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons. The author balanced a dual timeline nicely, switching between the Trojan War and her childhood and past, though I found myself preferring the timeline in the past more than the Illium chapters.

What I most enjoy about feminist mythological retellings is the view from a female perspective, whether it is war or a p.o.v change from the accepted version (e.g., Medusa's story told from her point of view rather than Jason's). Because Penthesilea herself is a warrior on the field of battle, at times I felt cut off from the female perspective. The descriptions of battle and wounds and even training were familiar to me from other stories, so while I appreciate the perspective--women can be warriors too--I found myself wanting just a little bit more. How is Penthesilea different *because* she is a woman warrior? What makes her different to Achilles or Ajax or Hector or any other male warrior? To me, that is where the meat of feminist retellings lay and I wish there had been a little more of that. I missed the perspective of Hecuba over Priam or more Helen and less Paris.

Overall, Mourned by Men is a well-written novel by an author whose passion for mythology shines through. I look forward to reading more of Katie's work.

[eiei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty solid mythological retelling. The story is gripping and the characters are well-developed, which kept me hooked from start to finish. The only reason I'm not giving it a full 5 stars is that there were a few slow parts in the middle. But overall, it's a great read and definitely worth checking out if you're into mythology and emotional stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful tale.

Mourned by men is as mentioned above an extremely powerful novel perfect for fans of greek mythology and strong fmcs. The main character is written perfectly, and I gotta applaud the author for the unique choice of choosing such a forgotten character as Penthesilia to be the MC.

A tale of female strength that I'd recommend to everyone.