THE BELLATRIX TRILOGY
It’s not a secret that in Greek and Roman mythology women are mostly represented as secondary characters, objects of desire, or prize to conquer. Authors such as Madeline Miller, Natalie Haynes, Pat Barker and Jennifer Saint have taken it upon themselves to give voices to all of those women, showing their stories from their points of view. With The Bellatrix Trilogy, Letizia Parise is contributing to the same idea, not only giving voice to those women but, giving them a “heart transplant”.
HERMIONE (23/09/2022)
Hermione is the first book in The Bellatrix Trilogy. The story starts at the end of the Trojan war and is loosely based on Andromache, Euripides’ play.
Hermione is the daughter of Menelaus and Helen of Sparta, left to grow up without a family and among the brutal Spartans. The return of her parents after the war means only one thing to her, marrying Orestes and take her place in society as wife and mother. However, once Menelaus and Helen are back, nothing goes according to Hermione’s plan. She ends up married to Neoptolomeus, Achilles’ brutal son, who is infatuated with a Trojan slave, Andromache. Hermione is supposed to hate her but the two of them bond and their fates inevitably intertwine.
PENTHESILEA (2023)
The Amazons have been a fascinating subject since ancient time. Penthesilea will be among the first novels telling their stories from their point of view and is inspired by Posthomerica by Quintus Smyrnaeus.
Penthesilea is the daughter of Otrera and Ares, the God of War, and she is the most devoted follower of her sister and queen Hippolyte. On an unfortunate day, during a hunt, she accidentally kills her sister and leaves a hole in the all-female society and her heart. However, her sisters Amazons recognise her value as a warrior and her potential as a leader and elect her the new queen. But Penthesilea struggles between her desire to bring prosperity to her people and her craving for a glorious death that will erase her sins.
ATALANTA (2024)
Atalanta is probably the only woman in all Greek and Roman mythology considered at the same level of heroes such as Erackles, Theseus and Perseus. She is a heroine. This novel is loosely based on the tale of Atalanta written by Ovid in Metamorphoses.
The story begins the night of Atalanta’s birth when her father decides she is not worthy of his attention because she is born a girl. Left to the elements, the child cries all night until Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, send a she-bear to save her. Atalanta grows strong and fast in the wild and dedicates her life to the godess who saved her. Until one day she is summoned to join the hunt of the Caledonian Boar which will change the course of her life forever.
The books in The Bellatrix Trilogy tell three separate stories but they are the answer to the same narrative questions. What would it happen if we focus on the women of the story? What is the relation between fate and free will?
(Please notice that the covers and launch dates for both Penthesilea and Atalanta may be changed)