“Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath.
They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to 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 cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.”
PlotLine
If you’ve read greek mythology or ever studied ancient history, don’t start this book expecting epic plot twists. The Song of Achilles is a re-telling of the beloved Iliad by Homer. The Song of Achilles is told from Patroclus’ point of view, and follows the love that blossoms between him and Achilles. While yes, the Trojan war takes up a majority of the book, Miller skips the frivolous details, keeping the reader engaged.
New to Greek Mythology?
This book is a perfect gateway into greek mythology, with Miller treating each character as a new person never mentioned before. You do not need any background knowledge of Greek Mythology or the characters that are contained within its history.
Overall Thoughts
The strong suit of The Song of Achilles is its writing style. I began to mark up my personal copy with a highlighter and tabs, but out of fear for running out of ink and going through hundreds of sticky notes, i decided it was better i annotate on my second time through. This is a book you will want to read again, not only for its intricate plot and depiction of love, but also for its beautiful prose. The writing was incredible, yet suitable for a beginning reader. I would highly suggest this book to new readers and old readers alike.
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