About the Book:
The legend begins…
Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. “The best of all the Greeks”—strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess—Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine—much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles’ mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.
When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must 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 Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.
Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career.
My Review:
“They never let you be famous and happy.”
Five stars for the absolutely spellbinding and gorgeous audiobook narration!! I never thought I’d be interested in this book but it completely captivated me.
I have to thank BookTok’s influence over my daughter and her friends who kept recommending this book to me. And the book is just gorgeous! I cannot recommend the narrator Frazer Douglas highly enough. His voice is perfect for this beautiful and tragic story.
Don’t let the intimidating subject matter keep you away from this book. It has everything: forbidden love, overbearing parents, courage and heartbreak. This is a powerful, exciting audiobook. The writing is sublime and the bond between Patroclus and Achilles is beautiful. The author puts her own twist on history and in this version, the two are bonded together, loyal to each other no matter what the fates had in store for them.
“I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
This is an unforgettable book and I recommend it highly!
