I adored Girl, Goddess, Queen when I read it last year and was suitably intrigued to hear about Bea Fitzgerald’s second book, a sapphic reimagining of the fall of Troy centered around Helen and Cassandra. The End Crowns All had lofty expectations going in, but smashed these to deliver a stunning tale. Thank you so much to Stevie Hopwood at Penguin Random House Children’s for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Love caused this war. At least, that’s what the stories will say. When Cassandra’s patron god, Apollo, offers her the gift of prophecy – and all the power that comes with it – she seizes the opportunity.
But when she fails to uphold her end of the agreement, she discovers just how very far she has to fall. No one believes her visions. Which all seem to be of one girl – and she’s going to start a war.
Helen fled Sparta in pursuit of love – though that’s proving more elusive than she’d hoped. Far from home, Helen’s navigating all the politics and backstabbing of the Trojan court. And one princess seems particularly intent on driving her from the city.
But when war finally strikes, it’s more than the army at their walls they must contend with. Cassandra and Helen might hold the key to reweaving fate itself – especially with the prophetic strands drawing them ever closer together.
But how do you change your future when the gods themselves are dictating your demise?
Publication Date: 18th July
TW: death, violence, injury, sexual harassment, war, gore, sacrifice, gore, rape, sexual coercion, sexual assault, ableism, misogny, suicide, manipulation, emotional abuse
My Thoughts:
The End Crowns All is truly awe-inspiring. This was an incredible sapphic reimagining of Helen and Cassandra. It completely redefines your expectations of these characters and creates a bold and beautiful new tale that tackles rape culture, the patriarchal myth of beauty and weaving your own narrative.
Bea Fitzgerald has my allegiance. This sapphic reimagining of Helen and Cassandra sparked my interest from the initial concept, but the full story is a captivating and epic narrative that consumed my every waking thought while reading and lingers long after. It just spoke to me in a way that very few books have.
This is a heavy book to read at times, particularly examining rape culture, homophobia, sexual assault and ableism. Fitzgerald’s writing sparks with fury at the patriarchal power structures that define the Trojan War and the endless bloodshed over a point of pride. The way she depicts Paris is incredibly interesting within this framework and unexpected – it is a unique spin on his relationship with Helen that I enjoyed. The embodiment of patriarchal power and rape culture in this book is Apollo, who is just abhorrent in every way. There are sickening scenes within here, but Fitzgerald is careful to handle them with sensitivity and signpost towards resources for any readers affected by the themes covered. I really enjoyed the way prophecy is portrayed here and Cassandra’s curse in particular. Being within her headspace you are tormented with these endless images of death and destruction, with that desperation to stop it from happening. The way she is rejected and ignored breaks your heart entirely and all the while Apollo looms and gloats. Her storyline had such a strong impact on me, bringing her from beloved and confident princess to a fractured woman desperate to protect those she loves from the terrible fate she can see coming.
Similarly, Helen’s characterisation pulls on elements of mythology often neglected – namely her being a princess of Sparta. This is no shrinking wallflower, instead she is adept at manipulation of both her own image and the expectations of those around her. It speaks to a different kind of power and forced path of survival within this patriarchal society. Her strength can be found in her beauty but also within her physical strength too. She is kind and aching to love, confined within the schemings of gods and goddesses. There is a cosmic scale to the narrative that questions how much we can truly shape our own fates and how we can claim a power back that seems beyond reach.
This is very much an enemies to lovers book that truly lives up to that dynamic. I adored how their dynamic evolved and their chemistry felt electric, but only when it felt earnt by the narrative. The dialogue crackled with that spark that is intoxicating. However, you know going in what the stakes are and just how blood drenched this book may become. Fitzgerald upends your expectations and twists the familiar story into something far more interesting and original. It is excellent to see familiar moments happen in a completely different context. The tension is claustrophobic, especially as you hurtle towards the final third of the book. Fitzgerald does not let up on the pacing, creating that ticking clock feeling. It feels all the more heightened because there has been that time allowed for character development and for you to fall even more in love with this incredible cast of characters.
The End Crowns All is a wholly original take on a story that you think you know with a pulsating fury that pours from the pages, but also an achingly beautiful and angst-ridden sapphic romance that is truly one for the history books.
A Short Book Lover 
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