By Madeline Miller
SPOILER-FREE
Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
REVIEW
THEMES: ADVENTUREOUS, EMOTIONAL, HISTORICAL, MEDIUM-PACED.
What a beautiful book.
The writing is descriptive, simple and engrossing.
The protagonist(s) are so loveable but are not immune to flaws, I feel as I was not able to separate myself and almost became Patroclus, which is a rare feat.
The plot is a captivating page-turner, I found it difficult to put it down. If I could read it anew I would.
To enhance the experience, listen to some Hozier – especially Hymn to Virgil (only listen to after reading).
My only con would be the ending, it felt rushed and some elements did not feel consistent with the rest of the book.
I would recommend this to anyone, whilst the (spoiler-free) review is short, it is truly one of my favourite books of all time.
Click link below for Storygraph overview, which includes general rating, summary (same as above) and other reviews.
The Book Slump 
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