A review by cubanpete
Ilium by Dan Simmons

This is one of those books where you jump between multiple stories and, it being a sci-fi, for a while can't understand what's going on. I have a lot of patience for that sort of thing provided it all is explained in time and the plots eventually weave together. The premise of the main story is great: take the Illiad but add modern-age humans who mess up the flow of events. The gods are satisfyingly vain and cruel. Can they be bested by human ingenuity? Bizarrely, Shakespeare is woven through most of the plots as well. So all set for greatness, but let down by some less exciting plotlines and mild sexism (also,

Helen of Troy sweet on an aging academic?

Purrlease.). It's alright but I can't muster up the enthusiasm for the sequel.