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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was so beautifully written, and it’s a story I’ve always loved even though it’s so heartbreaking.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Didn't realize I cared so much until I was crying at the end 😭 Nice follow up to the iliad that intensifies the relationship of Achilles and Patroclus. Honestly, really enjoyed the relationship between Patroclus and Briseis. She was such an amazing character that she deserves her own book.
We will kill the son.
We will kill the son.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Song of Achilles offers a tender, intimate portrayal of a legendary bond, a gift for readers who longed to see the love between Achilles and Patroclus given voice. And I appreciate that: Patroclus is finally given a voice. But that voice doesn’t always sound like him. He is soft, self-effacing, constantly in Achilles’ shadow , and while that quiet love is moving, it isn’t the Patroclus I met in Homer. In the Iliad, he is brave enough to confront Achilles, wise enough to temper his fury, a healer, and a warrior who leads the Myrmidons into battle and kills the second-greatest Trojan. It took a god and two heroes to bring him down. That Patroclus , fierce, kind, and formidable, is barely here. I’m glad to see him at the center, but he deserved to be shown as the hero he was, not just a lens for Achilles.
As I read, I found Achilles’ love for him more powerful in the Iliad. From the first line “Sing, goddess, of the rage of Achilles” we know this isn’t a soft love story. His grief is cosmic. He refuses food, sleeps beside Patroclus’ corpse, speaks to his ghost, and even wishes for death himself. It’s not just heartbreak; it’s cataclysm. His mourning brings down heroes, divides the gods, and scorches the earth. Even his divine horses weep for Patroclus, their immortal heads bowed in dust.
SOA weaves in elements from other sources, and I admire that effort. The writing is lyrical and often beautiful. As a standalone novel, it’s compelling. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not reading their story not really. These aren’t the giants who stood beside gods and toppled cities; they’re boys in the outline of legends. And for all its tenderness, this story doesn’t feel like the Song of Achilles. Because what made Achilles unforgettable, his wrath, his grief, his godlike devastation , is dimmed. This is a love story, yes. But this is not the song Achilles sang.
As I read, I found Achilles’ love for him more powerful in the Iliad. From the first line “Sing, goddess, of the rage of Achilles” we know this isn’t a soft love story. His grief is cosmic. He refuses food, sleeps beside Patroclus’ corpse, speaks to his ghost, and even wishes for death himself. It’s not just heartbreak; it’s cataclysm. His mourning brings down heroes, divides the gods, and scorches the earth. Even his divine horses weep for Patroclus, their immortal heads bowed in dust.
SOA weaves in elements from other sources, and I admire that effort. The writing is lyrical and often beautiful. As a standalone novel, it’s compelling. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not reading their story not really. These aren’t the giants who stood beside gods and toppled cities; they’re boys in the outline of legends. And for all its tenderness, this story doesn’t feel like the Song of Achilles. Because what made Achilles unforgettable, his wrath, his grief, his godlike devastation , is dimmed. This is a love story, yes. But this is not the song Achilles sang.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes