THE SONG OF ACHILLES BY MADELINE MILLER

PLOT SUMMARY:

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

MY REVIEW:

And so my love affair with Greek Mythology continues. Similar to so many of the female empowering Greek Mythology books that have hit the shelves recently, The Song of Achilles was a really fresh take on a story I thought I knew and I really enjoyed it. ⁣

If most of your knowledge of Achilles is based on the movie Troy, like mine was before diving into Greek Mythology books (!), then forgot all that you think you know as this book will blow your mind! The legendary Achilles is depicted in a whole new light in this book and for the first time I could actually see the human side to this epic legend. Yes he’s still fast, brave and the greatest warrior the world has ever seen but Miller immerses the reader into this whole other side of his story. ⁣

I won’t say much more as a lot of it happens how we know it to happen, especially the chapters during the war at Troy, but I really enjoyed this book. I had no idea what would make it different to any other Achilles book but wow was it not at all what I was expecting. ⁣The writing is excellent and the emotions throughout are so raw and real. I really love Miller’s style and can’t wait to read more from her. I would say I preferred Circe a little bit more but this is still a great read!

This book is for adventure, romance and Greek mythology fans. It will give you a deeper and more personal look into one of the world’s most legendary names.

IN 3 WORDS/PHRASES:

Emotional

Magical

Enlightening

FAVOURITE QUOTE:

'You can use a spear as a walking stick but that does not change its nature.'

FAVOURITE CHARACTER:

Patroclus, it was nice to learn more about him as he is a name that is know in Greek Mythology but not many know a lot about him.

OVERALL RATING:

8/10