The thrilling continuation of Pat Barker's "The Women of Troy" and "The Silence of the Girls." Fantastic, masterful . . . Barker strips away the glittering armor of myth - Guardian. After ten bloody years, the war is over. Troy is in ruins, and the victorious Greeks are filling their ships with the spoils of battle. Along with the plundered treasures are many Trojan women, captured by the Greeks – among them is the legendary prophetess Cassandra and her observant handmaid, Ritsa. Trapped as the war prize of King Agamemnon, Cassandra is haunted by visions of his death – and her own – while Ritsa is forced to witness both Cassandra's rages and the coming horrors. Meanwhile, waiting for the fleet's return is Queen Clytemnestra, the vengeful wife of Agamemnon. Heartbroken by her husband's choice to sacrifice their eldest daughter to the gods for favorable winds to Troy, she has spent this long decade plotting revenge in a palace haunted by childhood ghosts. As one wife travels toward the other, united by the vision of Agamemnon's death, one thing is certain: this long-awaited return will change the fates of all forever. The queen of literary historical fiction, Barker is an unflinching guide on a journey into ancient Greece - National Geographic. Incredibly fresh . . . Pat Barker is one of the best novelists working today - Alice Winn, author of "In Memoriam."