Top

The Heroines

On sale

9th February 2023

Select a format

Selected: Other merchandise / ISBN-13: 9781408728338
See All

Disclosure: If you buy products using the retailer buttons above, we may earn a commission from the retailers you visit.

Reviews

WOMAN'S OWN
Urgent, resonant and timely
CAMBRIDGE EDITION
Shepperson's love of classics is plain to see in this retelling... The Heroines is a strong, learned addition to the growing canon of contemporary reimaginings of ancient myths
ROSIE ANDREWS, author of THE LEVIATHAN
A compelling and skilfully woven story, The Heroines challenges the silencing of female voices with an urgent and furious reimagining of a number of unlikely Classical tales.
SARAH BURTON, author of THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H
An audacious and spirited refiguring of Greek myth in which human rather than divine action is the driving force
JULIE OWEN MOYLAN, author of THAT GREEN EYED GIRL
Compelling and immersive storytelling. A sparkling debut
CLAIRE NORTH, author of ITAHCA
An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book
Australian Woman's Weekly
An edgy, accessible feminist reworking of the tricky story of Phaedra
CAROLINE LEA, author of THE GLASS WOMAN
I was gripped throughout. A relevant and original retelling, giving voice and agency to women whose stories have been a subplot in myth or have remained unheard for so long. A fiercely compelling novel
EMMA CARROLL, author of LETTERS FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE
Thrilling, menacing, heartbreaking. An ancient story for modern times. So gripping the pages almost turn themselves!
CARI THOMAS, author of THREADNEEDLE
A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters
Kirkus
This tale was always going to be a tragedy, but telling it almost entirely from the women's points of view makes it both more modern and more eternal, the system of men protecting men never changing. A breath of fresh air from an ancient tale.
Heat, Book of the Week
A creative and absorbing take
JENNIFER SAINT, author of ARIADNE
The Heroines is a powerful reimagining of Greek tragedy, skilfully interweaving the voices of women to haunting effect, creating echoes that resonate in modern society. A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos
Publisher's Weekly
Shepperson shines in her debut . . . This inspired feminist retelling will captivate readers
Booklist Starred Review
A pointed examination of the plight of women in ancient Greece, this powerful and compulsively readable tale should appeal to fans of Jennifer Saint's Ariadne and Madeline Miller's Circe
COSMOPOLITAN
If you love Greek mythology, you'll love The Heroines
ELIZABETH LEE, author of CUNNING WOMEN
The Heroines is a vivid retelling of Phaedra's story that gives voice to the women involved, and feels starkly relevant to the world we live in today. A mesmerising read
CARLY REAGON, author of THE TOLL HOUSE
A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read.
JOANNE BURN, author of THE HEMLOCK CURE
A feminist retelling that subverts the most enduring myth of them all - that women are to blame for the violence exacted upon them and are the cause of their own suffering. Laura Shepperson does not flinch in her reimagining of Phaedra's story. Wholly original, The Heroines eschews romance, and does not seek to mollify the male reader. Instead, the author holds steadfast in her unpicking of the age-old misogynistic narrative that women are weak, conniving and duplicitous. Chapter after chapter she posits: This is how it is, can you deny it? A welcome reimagining that left me all at once satisfied and furious
CAILEAN STEED, author of HOME
The Heroines is beautifully told, and utterly gripping - a must for any fans of Greek myth retellings. I was immediately enthralled by the variety of voices and viewpoints telling the story, and each character was so well drawn and distinctive. The tension builds to an explosive, heart rending finale, and I couldn't put the book down. Shepperson draws from the original myths, and compellingly asks us to consider how our understanding is influenced by who is telling the story - and why.
AMITA PARIKH, author of THE CIRCUS TRAIN
The Heroines is a stunner of a debut. Shepperson holds her own in the Greek myth re-telling genre, weaving an epic tale centred around Phaedra. I couldn't put it down.