For the Most Beautiful

by Emily Hauser

Overview

Three thousand years ago a war took place where legends were born: Achilles, the greatest of the Greeks, and Hector, prince of Troy. Both men were made and destroyed by the war that shook the foundations of the ancient world.But what if there was more to the tale of these heroes than we know? How would the Trojan War have looked as seen through the eyes of its women? Krisayis, the ambitious, determined daughter of the High Priest of Troy, and Briseis, loyal and passionate princess of Pedasus, interweave their tales alongside Homer’s classic story of the rage of Achilles and the gods of Olympus. What follows is a breathtaking tale of love and revenge, destiny and the determination, as these two brave women, the heroes of the Trojan War, and the gods themselves come face to face in an epic battle that will decide the fate of Troy.A glorious debut full of passion and revenge, loyalty and betrayal, Emily Hauser breathes exhilarating new life into one of history's greatest legends.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681773681
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	01/10/2017
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Emily Hauser studied Classics at Cambridge, where she was taught by Mary Beard. She then went to Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar and now teaches at Yale, where she is completing her PhD in Classics. She has won several prizes for her academic work, including the University of Cambridge Chancellor’s Medal and the Alice Derby Lang Essay Prize at Yale. For the Most Beautiful—the first book in the Golden Apple trilogy—is her debut novel. She lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
Emily Hauser studied Classics at Cambridge, where she was taught by Mary Beard. She then went to Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar and now teaches at Yale, where she is completing her PhD in Classics. She has won several prizes for her academic work, including the University of Cambridge Chancellor's Medal and the Alice Derby Lang Essay Prize at Yale. For the Most Beautiful the first book in the Golden Apple trilogy is her debut novel. She lives in New Haven, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

11/07/2016
Instead of focusing exclusively on the kings, princes, and gods who usually take the spotlight in Greek myth and history, Hauser turns the reader’s attention to the women driving the story behind the scenes in this consuming debut novel, the first installment of the Golden Apple Trilogy. Newly married princess Briseis and reluctant priestess-to-be Krisayis are trying to navigate life and love in a society that gives them little agency when they find themselves in the midst of bloody battles, political prophesies, and treacherous gods after the onset of the Trojan War. In addition to the meddling gods who toy with their fortunes from the clouds, the formidable heroines must deal with both sides of the epic clash of kingdoms after being captured by—and eventually escaping—the Greek hero Achilles. Hauser’s diverting take on this timeless tale delivers romance, action, and intrigue, with a certain emphasis on the romance. At times the prose explodes with floral extravagance, and the descriptions go to great lengths to ensure the reader knows how beautiful all the women are. But Hauser saves the day with well-paced plotting and engrossing character arcs. Briseis and Krisayis may not be (almost) invulnerable like Achilles, or as powerful as Zeus, but their bravery is more than enough for a fun and absorbing read. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

A brilliant reimagining of the Iliad, faithful to the original yet completely accessible. A lively new take on a classic.

Terence Hawkins

A fascinating picture of life in Bronze-Age Troy, from the point of view of women at both the top and bottom of society. The author’s knowledge of, and respect for, the period shines through. Read it twice. You won’t regret it.

Historical Novels Review

Once in a while something comes along that’s so utterly right, that you wonder why nobody thought of it before. Hauser’s stunning debut novel brings ancient Troy wildly, raucously, passionately alive.

Manda Scott

A delight from start to finish. A clever premise and thoroughly enjoyable.

Elizabeth Fremantle

In the vein of authors like Marion Zimmer Bradley and Ursula K. Le Guin, For the Most Beautiful gives this well-worn tale new life.

Bookreporter

★ 11/15/2016
Making her fiction debut, Hauser has written a fresh reinterpretation of the story of the Trojan War and the fall of Troy. Alternating among the perspectives of the Trojans, the Greeks, and the gods, Hauser follows the events leading up to the climactic destruction of one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. Although she gives a nod to the familiar heroes of Homer's epic Illiad, the author concentrates on the lesser-known Trojan women caught up in the conflict—Krisayis, the 15-year-old daughter of the high priest, who is dedicated to a life of service to the gods but in love with Prince Troilus, and doomed Briseis, princess of Pedasus. Other elements found in the classic tale—ferocious battles, behind-the-throne machinations, seduction, love, and loss—are also here. Hauser's characters are brave, willful, sometimes foolish, impulsive, and utterly relatable, and her portrayal of the manipulative, capricious gods is particularly wonderful. VERDICT Extensively researched and based on many of the minor characters of Homer's great work, this quick-paced, enthralling retelling will attract readers who loved Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage P.L., AK

Library Journal