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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
An engrossing Greek story of battle, war, and what is is to love someone. Love the last few lines
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Can’t remember the last time I reviewed a book with five stars. This was the most beautiful, gripping love story. I went in without any inclination as to how the story would end -l never studied much Greek mythology. This made the story even more surprising and compelling. Fell in love with the protagonist and admired how he held the world and spoke of the human heart. Beautifully, beautifully done.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was the first book I read this year after a surprising amount of positive reviews on Booktok convinced me it will be an amazing read which will win its way into my heart and be one of my favourite books yet. How disappointing Booktok and this novel are. I am torn at how much I disliked this book and how utterly agonizing it was to finish it. This is an honest review of why you shouldn't waste your time reading this book and my full opinion on the tragic trojan story written by Madeline Miller.
Spoliers Ahead and utter heartbreak
1. Achilles is a terrible character. For a person to have a designed destiny for them, and then decide to completely throw it out the window, just then a few chapters later to agree to his fate, arrive to Troy, and wait 9 years to fulfill it only to send his intimate partner to finish the job for him. What a hero. This man must protect his dignity and honor at all cost by sending his lover (Which I know it is Patrolus's idea) out a second though with a plan that will benefit him in the long run, and not hype up his man when he dies protecting Achilles glory? He also gives up this big boy act once Managanon says he's gonna steal his lady Brisis, which then makes him say to Patrolus, screw it. His Character development is kept the same besides that he got older. He still sassy, egotistical and only worried about Patrolus when he's dead. Y'all I understand you need closure but keeping him dead in your bed for a week is nasty, and why would you need to grieve over a man who we didn't see that much intimate relationship with anyway. Plus he is such a mommas boy it is absolutely annoying for a semi-god to be asking his mom what he should do when he has been blessed with the knowledge to already know what to do.
2. Patroclus is a wussy. This character didn't grow over the course of the years displayed in this book. He gets jealous over Achilles for marrying and having a baby with Deidamia and then gives her pity sex, and then never tells Achilles. That builds a lot of trust within their relationship. He also falls in love with Briesis, which I mean go off bi king, but ahhh, there is no importance to their relationship in the story besides Patroclus figuring out his sexuality and then arguing with Achilles about how he sees a life with her but then stays with Achilles anyway. Open relationship I guess? Again go off king.
3. The relationships between all the men are like how guys say that women are always competitive while they are just chill. Except it's the complete opposite and the women are the reasonable ones, and the men are two-braincelled individuals where honor is running through their veins and they need more at any cost. (This is only a stereotype and not what I actually believe about women, I think anybody can be super smart!) It constantly sounds like there are 12 year olds bickering about any event/situation. Is this the reason why the war took 10 year to complete? We will never know.
4. The book is absolutely slow. It takes so long for anyone to make a decision on anything. You would think this book would be more than 400 pages for the amount of time passes in this novel. Becuase of this exaggerating time stretch I think we lack the growth in the characters that was important for us to see exspecually in Achilles.
5. Thetis is a horrible, undisisive mother. Firstly she decided to take away the child between Achilles and Deidamia because she already knows that Achilles will die and she needs a successor. She is always thinking she is doing the best for Achilles like taking him away and dressing him up as a girl (which honestly I loved imagining Achilles clothed in dresses with his blonde hair, ugh, so pretty) which is quite risky considering that a male in this god world would be considered weak... She also always is giving him advice on the Trojan war and what to do. She is always so protective of him, but when it comes down to accepting Patroclus it is unaccatalbe? He is constantly around mortals his whole life, including his father. At what point is she absolutely devastated that he has a boy best friend and is making memories? She couldn't have noticed the memories being formed when they were both still alive?? Ugh, I just thought she was so annoying. Sorry.
6. The imagery. There were two times in this whole book where I was somewhat intreged at what Madeline wrote for us. Once in the Rose Quatrz cave, and when Patroclus was fighting acting as Achilles. Maybe that was why I was so bored during the book was because I just wasn't entertained which then led to me being annoyed at everything else? I have no idea. The main point is though is that there is no imagery. There isn't anything to spark my mind and find the scene delightful.
Spoliers Ahead and utter heartbreak
1. Achilles is a terrible character. For a person to have a designed destiny for them, and then decide to completely throw it out the window, just then a few chapters later to agree to his fate, arrive to Troy, and wait 9 years to fulfill it only to send his intimate partner to finish the job for him. What a hero. This man must protect his dignity and honor at all cost by sending his lover (Which I know it is Patrolus's idea) out a second though with a plan that will benefit him in the long run, and not hype up his man when he dies protecting Achilles glory? He also gives up this big boy act once Managanon says he's gonna steal his lady Brisis, which then makes him say to Patrolus, screw it. His Character development is kept the same besides that he got older. He still sassy, egotistical and only worried about Patrolus when he's dead. Y'all I understand you need closure but keeping him dead in your bed for a week is nasty, and why would you need to grieve over a man who we didn't see that much intimate relationship with anyway. Plus he is such a mommas boy it is absolutely annoying for a semi-god to be asking his mom what he should do when he has been blessed with the knowledge to already know what to do.
2. Patroclus is a wussy. This character didn't grow over the course of the years displayed in this book. He gets jealous over Achilles for marrying and having a baby with Deidamia and then gives her pity sex, and then never tells Achilles. That builds a lot of trust within their relationship. He also falls in love with Briesis, which I mean go off bi king, but ahhh, there is no importance to their relationship in the story besides Patroclus figuring out his sexuality and then arguing with Achilles about how he sees a life with her but then stays with Achilles anyway. Open relationship I guess? Again go off king.
3. The relationships between all the men are like how guys say that women are always competitive while they are just chill. Except it's the complete opposite and the women are the reasonable ones, and the men are two-braincelled individuals where honor is running through their veins and they need more at any cost. (This is only a stereotype and not what I actually believe about women, I think anybody can be super smart!) It constantly sounds like there are 12 year olds bickering about any event/situation. Is this the reason why the war took 10 year to complete? We will never know.
4. The book is absolutely slow. It takes so long for anyone to make a decision on anything. You would think this book would be more than 400 pages for the amount of time passes in this novel. Becuase of this exaggerating time stretch I think we lack the growth in the characters that was important for us to see exspecually in Achilles.
5. Thetis is a horrible, undisisive mother. Firstly she decided to take away the child between Achilles and Deidamia because she already knows that Achilles will die and she needs a successor. She is always thinking she is doing the best for Achilles like taking him away and dressing him up as a girl (which honestly I loved imagining Achilles clothed in dresses with his blonde hair, ugh, so pretty) which is quite risky considering that a male in this god world would be considered weak... She also always is giving him advice on the Trojan war and what to do. She is always so protective of him, but when it comes down to accepting Patroclus it is unaccatalbe? He is constantly around mortals his whole life, including his father. At what point is she absolutely devastated that he has a boy best friend and is making memories? She couldn't have noticed the memories being formed when they were both still alive?? Ugh, I just thought she was so annoying. Sorry.
6. The imagery. There were two times in this whole book where I was somewhat intreged at what Madeline wrote for us. Once in the Rose Quatrz cave, and when Patroclus was fighting acting as Achilles. Maybe that was why I was so bored during the book was because I just wasn't entertained which then led to me being annoyed at everything else? I have no idea. The main point is though is that there is no imagery. There isn't anything to spark my mind and find the scene delightful.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was told this book would make me cry and it really did. It’s a beautifully written tale of love and loss, greed and glory, and an epic war we’ve all read about.
I found the book to be well-written and beautifully descriptive. I could see myself in the Greek summer, standing on the white sand beach, mesmerised by the sparkling blue of the Mediterranean. The war scenes were a bit bloodier than I would have liked them to be, but I don’t hold that against the author at all. It fits the narrative, I just personally could have done without the descriptions of the killings.
As for the characters, there are all the greats of Greeks from Homer’s poems, and though the story is about Achilles, the only one I found my heart aching for was Patroclus (overlooked, afraid, endlessly devoted). His pure, unconditional love for Achilles and the pain he felt at the thought of losing him, made my heart go out to him. His death impacted me way more than Achilles’ did, who in contract to Patroclus, was pompous, selfish, and vain. People sang Achilles’ name, praised and honoured him for his skill and courage, both in life and in death. Meanwhile, Patroclus’ sole identity was as Achilles’ companion, generally disregarded, and deprived of his rights, even in death, until the very end. I honestly feel Patroclus deserves to be recognised for his kindness, selflessness, and bravery. Because of course he was brave, not in the traditional sense, but he was fiercely protective of those he loved and cared about (Achilles and Briseis, and even the Greeks) and would go to any lengths to protect them.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and would highly recommend it. Just a heads up, it might take a few chapters for the plot to get gripping, but stick with it, because once it does, it’s so good.
I found the book to be well-written and beautifully descriptive. I could see myself in the Greek summer, standing on the white sand beach, mesmerised by the sparkling blue of the Mediterranean. The war scenes were a bit bloodier than I would have liked them to be, but I don’t hold that against the author at all. It fits the narrative, I just personally could have done without the descriptions of the killings.
As for the characters, there are all the greats of Greeks from Homer’s poems, and though the story is about Achilles, the only one I found my heart aching for was Patroclus (overlooked, afraid, endlessly devoted). His pure, unconditional love for Achilles and the pain he felt at the thought of losing him, made my heart go out to him. His death impacted me way more than Achilles’ did, who in contract to Patroclus, was pompous, selfish, and vain. People sang Achilles’ name, praised and honoured him for his skill and courage, both in life and in death. Meanwhile, Patroclus’ sole identity was as Achilles’ companion, generally disregarded, and deprived of his rights, even in death, until the very end. I honestly feel Patroclus deserves to be recognised for his kindness, selflessness, and bravery. Because of course he was brave, not in the traditional sense, but he was fiercely protective of those he loved and cared about (Achilles and Briseis, and even the Greeks) and would go to any lengths to protect them.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and would highly recommend it. Just a heads up, it might take a few chapters for the plot to get gripping, but stick with it, because once it does, it’s so good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Grief
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written wow