Synopsis: This is a retelling/reweaving of the story of Cassandra who, along with her brother, could foretell the future. Cassandra is also a healer, as well as a scribe. The setting is during the Trojan war that was started when Apollo and Aphrodite used humans to compete for a golden apple.
Review: If you like mythology, you'll love this book. There is lots of sex of all sorts and lots of fighting. I slogged through it, but wouldn't read another of the series. It's billed as a mystery, but there is no mystery to it. ( )

The Trojan War has been covered in so many novels and plays, many of which are classics of historical fiction or fantasy genre from Homer and Aeschylus to Kleist to Gemmell, Heaney and even Berlioz's opera Les Troyens. I feel it's more and more difficult for writers to come up with an original, interesting slant on the story. This author succeeds admirably with this enjoyable novel: her retelling of the story of Cassandra. She makes the strong Cassandra a Trojan princess/priestess of Apollo/healer/prophetess and advances her own reason for why instead of people not listening to Cassandra's prophecies, Cassandra is not even able to articulate them. Greenwood also introduces a fictional character not in the original myth, Diomenes aka Chryse [the Golden One], Achaean [Greek] priest-healer of Asclepius, god-touched by Thanatos, Greek god of death, as counterpoint to Cassandra. Cassandra and Diomenes both are victims of thwarted love. The Olympian gods wager as to what is stronger: love or death. The gods play with these humans, treating them as their puppets. The story covers events prior to, during, and immediately after the Trojan War. The author treats each episode with a large dollop of creative license. Chapters alternate between the voices of Cassandra and Diomenes, giving their points of view and how events affect them. At the end of each chapter a few italicized paragraphs give us the gods' and goddesses' running commentary. So: what is stronger--love or death?
All supplementary material was valuable reading. I did notice the publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, which generally puts out mysteries. However, I don't know why this novel is called a mystery; it's a mystery to me.... ( )

3.5 stars
CASSANDRA is Ms. Greenwood’s retelling of the Cassandra of Troy myth. Cassandra was a daughter of Priam and sister of Hector, the Trojan hero. Cassandra was a prophetess cursed by Apollo to prophesy the truth but never be believed.

CASSANDRA is told through Cassandra representing the Trojans and Chryse/Diomenes representing the Achaeans/Greeks.
Each chapter alternates with inserts of the gods discussing the mortals and events like a chess game. These inserts show the new gods, the children of Zeus, to be jealous, childish, petty, and vindictive. The older gods, Pan and Demeter, come off better being against using mortals as pawns in a game spawned for a wager.

Both sides begin when the protagonists are very young and continue through an extremely abbreviated siege of Troy. Both are god touched, blessed, and cursed.

Cassandra believes and never loses her conviction the gods exist. In fact her travails only strengthen her in all ways, solidifying her belief because she can actually see the gods. Trojan women are highly valued for their skills, intelligence and independence. Cassandra is all of that and so much more. Wise beyond her years and honed to a razors edge by loss of loved ones and grief she endures and goes on.

Chryse Diomenes has no faith as decreed by Zeus. Snatched by Apollo from the arms of Thanatos, Death is the only god he believes in. Death holds no fear for Chryse. Bought from his father and raised as a healer priest he witnesses much in the healing dormiton of the god, the underground chamber where the suppliants sleep and are sent dreams to assist in their healing. The Achaeans see women as seed bearers only; they’re slaves or less and as such have little to no value. Chryse is an anomaly in that he doesn’t hold this low opinion of women having been blessed with an independent mind by Zeus.

Ms. Greenwood uses creative license and some of the changes add while others do not.
Purists will undoubtedly have some issues with CASSANDRA. The education of both Cassandra and Chryse in the healing arts along with their look into the inner workings of the Temples is really fascinating. However, there are parts that drag and add nothing to the story overall. The pace and intensity picks up once the considerably shortened siege begins. The ending is left open for continuation in Electra, the third in the Delphic Women trilogy. While Cassandra is indeed a strong heroine and worth reading her story lacks the magical element that made Medea so compelling and therefore pales in comparison.
Reviewed by IvyD for Manic Readers ( )