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Reviewed by Shrabastee Chakraborty for Readers' Favorite
Despite her mother’s insistence, Penthesilea refused to believe that she and her elder sister, Hippolyta, were daughters of the war god. Growing up on a lush island with an all-women populace, the differences in the sisters’ life choices were evident from childhood. After decades of unforeseen tragedies, Penthesilea now approaches Ilium to lend old King Priam her support. Along with her Amazon warriors, she plans to defeat Achilles, the Greek hero who not only killed Hector but also seemed intent on desecrating his body. While the Trojan soldiers mock the female warriors, Penthesilea is determined to avenge Hector. But how can she succeed when the ghosts from her past keep haunting her? Find out in Katie Frendreis’ Mourned by Men.
I was amazed at how Katie Frendreis could evoke multiple emotions with only a few well-chosen words. She tore open the façade of the mighty heroes and let us glimpse their true personas. Frendreis made our hearts ache for Penthesilea and Achilles, who were not impervious to grief and regrets despite being the strongest heroes. She deftly portrayed a male-dominated world where the warrior women, the Amazons, failed to conform to the set notions of healing, nurturing women. They were thus subjects to ridicule and outright assaults yet carried on with fierce resilience. Frendreis portrayed Penthesilea’s crippling self-doubts and regrets in such a touching way that we could not help but root for her. As each of the alternating storylines climaxed, the saga of Penthesilea ended, filling our hearts with a penetrating sadness. Yet, the ending was also a new beginning, sowing a seed of hope. I recommend Mourned by Men to anyone interested in Greek mythology or retellings of mythical stories.
