*Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's | Penguin for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review*

Okay, I'm Greek. Irrelevant, I know, but Bea Fitzgerald writes about Greek mythology as if she's Greek. And that tells me something!
Read this book!
I'm going to say it one more time.
Read!
This!
Book!
Thank you, bye!

Bea Fitzgerald is one of the most important voices of our time. She truly never misses with her beautiful work!

4.5

the end crowns all is a sapphic retelling of the trojan war, following helen and cassandra as they try to stop the war 🗡️

while it took me a while to get into the story (since everyone is an idiot) i ended up loving this one more than girl, goddess, queen. the girl power, taking the narrative in your own hands and the slow burn between helen and cassandra were just so good 👑

really recommend if you’re in your ancient greece era like i am, or if you’re obsessed with the troy saga ✨

Bea Fitzgerald can do no wrong for me. This wonderful follow up to the brilliant Girl, Goddess, Queen is just as powerful, enchanting and captivating as it's predecessor. Loved it!

I really enjoyed reading the sequel to Girl Goddess Queen, I felt The End Crowns All had a different pacing to the first but the storyline was equally as engaging. I loved how the characters were portrayed, Cassandra and Helena were carved out really well, as was the take on Apollo.
I loved the different POVs as I felt a connection to the characters. The story on a whole was marvellous and I highly recommend.

💭📚The End Crowns All 👑
- Bea Fitzgerald

Greek mythology

After absolutely loving Fitzgerald’s debut, Girl, Goddess, Queen, I was sold on this one. I’m hugely grateful that I wanted granted access to an early review copy on NetGalley. Swipe ➡️ for the blurb and read on for my thoughts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one took me a while to get into as the pacing, tone and characterisation of this one is so vastly different to Fitzgerald’s debut. But the breadth of her research is evident and she weaves in so many themes, characters (including the gods!), sub plots into this retelling of the Trojan War, through the eyes of Cassandra and Helen, who are our doomed lovers. There’s consent, mental health, toxic masculinity, asexual love, violence against women and girls, jealousy, and so much more.

I will admit that I struggled with the pacing of this one, and I didn’t connect with Cassandra and Helen in the same way I did in GGQ, but you really have to admire her characters. But I loved how Cassandra went head to head with a certain bullish god, and held her own.

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Penguin Random House, and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.

I have very much enjoyed this sapphic Greek mythology retelling of the Trojan war! While this book was quite different from Girl, Goddess, Queen, it did tell a compelling story. I loved Bea's depictions of Cassandra and Helen, as well as her characterization of Apollo. Her newsletter said she originally didn't include Helen's POV so I'm so very glad it was added in editing! It does explain why it feels like less attention was given to Helen. Either way, I honestly cannot wait to see what she has in store for us with panTHREEon.

I really loved this book a lot!
As a history teacher I enjoyed picking out the pieces of the actual myth that were put into this book

4.5 stars
This was a great read, I enjoyed every minute of it! 🥰

The fall of the city of Troy is one of the more defining events in Greek mythology, where the fates of many prominent characters are shaped. Among them Hector, Achilles, Odysseus, Helen, Paris... and one of the more interesting ones: Cassandra, a princess of Troy having received the gift of prophecy, but cursed not to be believed when she tells others about the future.

In this fantasy reimagining, the story centers on Cassandra and Helen, two young women destined to be victims of a war shaped my men and gods. But this author gives them a chance to be at the center of the story, showing their struggles and their triumphs.

🫒"Every woman in this city might as well carry a part of that curse in her: that we will always have to fight to be believed, to matter, to be heard."🫒

Without spoilers I can say that what I liked most about this book was the meta storytelling, with the characters trying to shape the story we're reading - making one wonder if the main aspects of the myth we know are really set in stone. This was a fantastic way to let us relate to Cassandra, dreading if certain events would come to pass or not. I love that feeling when reading a book of not knowing what will happen!

The characters, the pacing, the very quotable prose, the obvious research that has gone into this novel - it all adds up to an addictive read, especially if you have an interest in Greek mythology!

The book also has great LGBT+ representation, with a sapphic love story, an asexual main character and a gay side character. (As well as, you know, Greek gods.) 🏳️‍🌈

Thank you to the publisher and Tandem Collective for providing me with a copy of this novel for a readalong and review! All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - such an amazingly written book with amazing characters and such a fun story.

I absolutely loved girl goddess queen and was so desperate to read the next book by Bea. She does not disappoint!!

This book was everything I needed and more.

I loved the characters so much and their development was such a great read!!

The writing was magical and so well written it made it such an easy and flowing book that had me devouring it within 24 hours 🥹🥹

I love Beas writing so much and her stories are always so magical. I cannot thank NetGalley and of course Bea for allowing me to read this book it bought me so much joy 🫶🫶

I ended up enjoying The End Crowns All!
It was such a fun read and just what I needed as I've been really wanting to read some greek mythology after watching the show Kaos (I highly recommend it!).
The End Crowns All really was so well written! I'll definitely be reading more by the author!
The characters were all fleshed out and well done, and I especially adored the romance between Cassandra and Helen. Some of their interactions just made me smile so much as they were so sweet together.

I will admit that while I did end up really enjoying the book, I did think it could have been a little shorter as, at times, it dragged.
The End Crowns All is definitely a book I highly recommend, especially if you're interested in a sapphic reimagining of The Trojan War!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

Something about these books just give me all the feels!

Growing up Greek gods were what I saw in Hercules and I thought them only good and gracious but when you delves deep into the reality of them they are dark and twisty and make for the perfect baddies. Did I enjoy it as much as Girl Goddess, Queen? No… then again I have an unhealthy obsession with Hades. But the connection and narrative between Helen and Cassandra kept me reading on.

Snared in a trap, locked in as pawns in the gods battle for notability these two protagonists do whatever they can to have their own voice. The solidarity between the women in this story had me hooked and I didn’t want it to end.

The face that launched a thousand ships… and the bad ass women who taught for a chance of free will. Highly recommend.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏’𝒔 𝑨𝒍𝒍

‘𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥.’

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

holy women with swords! where do I start? I’m a firm believer that a good book should make you feel passionate, miffed at some form of injustice and yet oddly hopeful for a better possibility, a different thread if you will- The End Crown’s All took all of that, wrapped it neatly in the finest of Trojan fabrics and set it alight because WOW WOW WOW. The passion! The aggravating men! But also the hope and the feeling of warmth that these characters- specifically the women- brought is unmatched.

I have so many words and feelings for this book but I just am absolutely, well and truly gobsmacked at not only how much I loved it but how Bea has managed to carefully craft such a beautiful book, riddled with quotes that’ll stay with you for a lifetime, and entwined with feminine rage that digs its blade into you until you feel hollow but seen.

my heart is soaring.

Cassandra and Helen are both two love sick, self-sacrificing idiots who love each other in spite of their flaws and I just they don’t tell eachother things will be okay- they’re realists, strategists and so hopelessly in love I can’t cope.

In my heart I KNEW Bea wouldn’t bespoke us with a queer tragedy but the panic was there okay?? but it’s okay! panic over, they got the ending they deserved <3

overall if you’re looking for a sapphic, greek reimagining of the Trojan war where the stakes are high, and the rivals to lovers is rivalling than The End Crown’s All might just be the book for you!

thank you @chaosonolympus and @netgalley for this advanced copy!

4.25⭐️

As an absolute sucker for myths and retellings, this was such a nice twist to the original myth about the fall of Troy and the added feminism made my little heart very happy.

To a certain extent, I wouldn't be too surprised if this was a closer account on what actually happened than whatever we hear today. The relationship between Helen and Cassandra is so beautiful and Helen's struggle as a woman for safety, not necessarily love, is a true fight for survival and comes to show the way women have struggled during that time.

Bea Fitzgerald has done a truly remarkable job with this retelling and I might actually add Girl, Goddess Queen to my TBR.

Also huge thank you to Tandem Collective Global, Penguin Platform and Bea Fitzgerald for letting me participate in this read along and gifting me a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

In other words, read this if you are a lover of Greek myths and a good sapphic read!

A deeply satisfying sapphic spin on the Fall of Troy, The End Crowns All is a spirited romance between cursed soothsayer Cassandra and the wayward princess Helen that also examines privilege, power, gender roles, and gendered violence in a kinetic, thoughtful way.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Penguin Random House Children’s for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: mentions of rape and sexual assault, violence, war, death, injury, misogyny

“The End Crowns All” is an incredibly original retelling of Homer’s “The Iliad”, focused specifically on Cassandra, Princess of Troy, and Helen of Sparta in a world where the two fall in love during the devastating Trojan War. Cassandra is beautiful, a princess and a priestess of Apollo but she always wants more. When her patron offers her the gift of prophecy, Cassandra initially jumps at the chance, but when she’s told she must offer her body fully to Apollo, she refuses to go through with it. Instead, Apollo curses Cassandra to see the future but never to be believed- soon enough all of her visions focus on a particular person, the one who will bring ruin to Troy and everything Cassandra holds dear.
At the same time, Helen of Sparta is the most beautiful woman in the world and every man wants to fight for her love. When Paris, a long-lost prince of Troy, arrives in Sparta with the aid of the goddess Aphrodite Helen runs away with him- half out of love and half out of a desire for change. However, when she arrives in Troy it is clear that the politics and violence of Greece are echoed here. Cassandra in particular seems to detest Helen and is determined to drive her away before anything can come to pass. When the war comes, it’s not just the army outside the walls that Cassandra and Helen have to deal with, especially as it becomes clear that the gods are determined that Troy will fall. Realising that they might be the key to changing the strands of fate, Helen and Cassandra fall in love as the world is ending, and they are determined they won’t be victims of a man’s war.

I loved this author’s first book “Girl, Goddess, Queen” for the way it retold the story of Hades and Persephone. “The End Crowns All” is even more ambitious and even brighter. It’s a gorgeous retelling of ‘The Iliad’ with the perspectives of the women in mind, focusing on the long-demonised Helen and the tragic character of Cassandra if the two women fell in love with each other. There are so many important messages in this story- about being believed and the importance of consent, about being loved for who you are and changing yourself for the better- but also about the rampant misogyny of the original Greek myths. This is a beautiful love story, a reflection on the roles of women in the ancient world and also deeply compelling in how it represents Cassandra’s curse and Helen’s personality. The book takes its time to build up but by the end I was racing through it, desperate to know if this story would let things would turn out differently for the two of them. I particularly loved how the author took the ten years of ‘The Iliad’ and brought it down to a matter of months due to godly intervention and fate, it made predicting how the story would go incredibly difficult and massively enjoyable as someone who has read a lot of retellings. This is also one of the first books I’ve read that features a lesbian asexual, and as someone who is ace, I loved how Cassandra’s sexuality is written and explored through this book.

A glorious sapphic retelling of the Fall of Troy with Cassandra and Helen at its heart.

With the pun fully intended, I didn't see the HEA coming, but I was rooting for it all along. A massive 'f you' to meddling gods who think that can truly break a human spirit or a love that defies EVERY ODD OR ISSUE THROWN AT THEM!

The relationship between Cassandra and Helen was so beautifully built through an understanding of 'true selves' and finding that someone who sees beyond everything. It felt like a love letter to Greek mythology with a respectful 'hold my beer' to make it better.

OMG I LOVE LOVE LOVE BEA FITZGERALDS WRITING
I am in love with this book and cannot wait to meet her at YALC

I am certain Bea mastered the way of retelling myths, no one does it like her! this book is definitely more plot heavy than romance heavy compared to Bea's debut novel, but it was still a fantastic book! and the sapphic asexual representation was great!

Another great book I loved it as much as I loved the first! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.