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.

A sensational read. Bea Fitgerald is a phenomenal writer and that is shown once again in this beautiful retelling.
Cassandra and Helen were incredibly easy characters to fall in love with and I love that this story was Sapphic with fantastic asexual representation.
Bea is without a doubt an auto buy author for me.

I love Bea Fitzgerald’s writing style. This retelling of the Helen of Troy myth from the point of view of the women through the voices of Helen and Cassandra is a fabulous tale of female agency. Although described to me as a sapphic tale, it is so much more, giving a voice to, and a representation of, so many kinds of love among the characters in this story. Reading a representation of an asexual character as one of the main protagonists was revelatory - and empowering for such an under represented group within the LGBTQIA+ community. Thank you Bea Fitzgerald for writing her character so beautifully and convincingly.

I look forward to the next retelling with great anticipation and excitement.

A beautiful sapphic story. I adore a good Mythology retelling and this is one of the best.

Adored it from start to finish. Cassandra is portrayed so well and leaps off the page as a fiesty princess. Helen is my favourite though. I needed more from her POV.
This is a more adult book than GGQ but that's great for me.

Bea is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I'll read anything she writes.

Greek retelling check
Sapphic romance check
What’s not to love? The story of Troy from casandra point of view. I am sucker for myths and legends retellings and this was definitely up there.
For fans of Margaret Atwood The Penelopiad

Finally finished this book! It took me a bit longer than I’d hoped because I had a lot going on, but I’m glad I made it through. I really like Bea’s writing style—it’s so easy to follow and just flows really well. I didn’t love this one as much as *Girl, Goddess, Queen*, but I still enjoyed it a lot.

The book dives into some heavy stuff like sexism, misogyny, feminism, and how women fight in a male-dominated world. It’s told from two perspectives: Cassandra, the princess of Troy and priestess of Apollo, and Helen, the queen of Sparta and also a princess of Troy. They’re both just pawns in a bigger game played by the gods, with Helen getting caught up in the manipulations of Apollo and Aphrodite.

The story kicks off with Cassandra, who’s given the power of prophecy by Apollo in exchange for her virtue. When she can’t go through with the deal, he curses her, and she has to deal with these visions to save her city. Helen helps out, and they grow closer while trying to figure it all out. But then Aphrodite pushes Helen into a relationship with Paris, sparking the legendary war between Greece and Troy.

I love how Bea mixes Greek mythology with strong feminist vibes. She really nails that girl power energy, and I hope she keeps writing more takes on Greek myths.

Absolutely fantastic read, loved this reimagining of the Trojan War. I loved that Cassandra and Helen made their own future, rather than accepting the one given to them. I loved the friendship that blossomed between Cassandra and Helen in the end, and the way all the women supported each other.

"The End Crown All" by Bea Fitzgerald follows Cassandra, cursed by Apollo when she fails to uphold their bargain, and Helen, who flees Sparta for love but faces hostility in Troy. As war approaches, their intertwined fates may hold the key to changing the future, despite the gods' control over their destinies.

I loved both lead characters, especially how there story beginnings mirrored each other with the marriage prospects: Cassandra removed herself from the equation by becoming a priestess while Helen bent over backwards to try and please her husband. There relationship was very sweet and I loved how they went from enemies-to-allies-to-lovers! Cassandra was my favourite character.

I am not the most familiar with the Trojan War but I never found myself lost. The character index at the start was also very handy, especially as there was such a big cast. I will say the last 100 pages had me in a chokehold as I couldn't tell if there would be a HEA or end in tragedy.

I do think I had different expectations from reading Girl, Goddess, Queen. GGQ is very much a fake dating romcom while TECA is a commentary on women's autonomy with a backdrop of a war. I think if I read this first, it would have been a 5 star read. I went in expecting a sapphic romcom and instead got emotional trauma (no regrets). I also think reading this first is totally fine as the events of GGQ aren't really mentioned.