An enjoyable take on the legend of Achilles, and what went on (possibly) behind the scenes. More than a historical retelling, it is closer to a love story, and it manages to add to the legends of Achilles without dumbing it down.
The writing of the author is just as good as I remember, and it moves the story forward without getting in the way. The focus is on the telling of the story, and we see it from a different point of view this time.
Since the story is so well-known there aren’t too many twists, but for someone coming to it for the first time this would be a rollicking ride. Through most of the book I was trying to figure out they would get through the ending, but the compromise that was made didn’t feel like cheating.
One complaint I have was that there was so much going on unseen in the world of the gods, and the way it was related back to us felt clunky and unnatural. I would have liked to have seen them in action more, but the author chose to focus on a few mortal characters rather than on the gods on Mount Olympus.
It is a rather short novel, so it was hard to stop turning the pages knowing it wouldn’t take long to get through. Excellent book!
Next I am reading The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft.
