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Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Publisher: Ecco Press
Publish date: September 20th, 2011
Genres: Historial fiction, romance, fantasy, mythology, LGBT+ romance
Synopsis:
Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath.
They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.
My Rating: 5 well-deserved Stars
I’ll state for you right out of the gate that I know virtually nothing about greek mythology, nor have I read Homer’s Illiad. That didn’t stop me from adoring this book.
A great benefit of going into this with no knowledge of the backstory was that I was able to be surprised throughout. This enabled me to enjoy the book for the work of fiction that it is, historical or otherwise, as well as to discuss it with others who were more familiar with the source topics. It made for great conversation.
I took my time reading this one. Often I find myself jumping in and around a novel just trying to get to the action, but the writing is captivating and I was enamored at Patroclus’ narration style.
If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend you do— whether you’re familiar with the story or not, you will be surprised regardless!
Here’s where you can get your copy:
The Pros:
- For a story that had a pretty significant love story that many characters thought would be an issue, it was pleasantly well addressed. The representation Miller’s story has given to the LGBT+ community was very well done.
- There are so many different kinds of love showcased in this war-laden novel. Romantic, physical, spiritual, platonic, unrequieted, and more… it’s all there, and it’s all practically tangible to the reader.
- Often with fantastical characters, the juxtaposition between them and mortal human characters can be a little jarring to read. This was not the case with Miller’s writing. It seemed clear and concise why the Gods saw and expressed things one way, while the mortal characters and even the half-God characters had a different idea of the situation.
The Cons:
- There were more loose ends than I expected there to be at the end. A few things I definitely expected to come up again and be a source of conflict never came back around.
- The end seemed too… sudden. Without spoiling anything, I felt like there are this big build up to a significant event, and almost as soon as it happened, we’re basically just a few pages away from everything being concluded.
- Many backstories are told by other characters throughout the story, but there were some significant characters for whom I expected backstory and never got it. Maybe this is my own fault for not having an in-depth knowledge of greek mythology.
Overall:
You should definitely give The Song of Achilles a try, regardless of your familiarity with Homer, or mythology. There is still a wonderful, touching story for you to be enthralled with.
Miller’s writing is very emotionally evocative, and it was a pleasure to go through that rollercoaster of emotions she penned. I wasn’t sure I was going to cry, but by the end I 100% did— with snot and everything. You’ve been warned.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that The Song of Achilles made me want to read more about greek mythology, but it did pique my interest in reading more historical fiction!
Let me know what you think or thought of The Song of Achilles in the comments below!
Check out more of my book reviews for more recommendations!