The Song of Achilles

A beautifully written and emotionally powerful retelling of the Iliad, but from the perspective of Patroclus. Have always been fascinated by Greek mythology and this book did not disappoint. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is portrayed with depth and nuance. At first, I thought that Patroclus was weak and unremarkable, but as the story progressed, I came to understand his motivations and feelings. I grew to like him towards the end as he stood up for what he believed in and charged into battle appearing as Achilles to save the Greeks, killing Sarpedon (son of Zeus!) even. Although ultimately he was killed — spoiler alert — it was a heroic ending that redeemed his character for all that he was accused of being. Achilles is just a remarkably strong and gifted character, for someone who is merely a demi-god, and not even of a high god (merely a sea-nymph!). The whole time, I was waiting for the Achilles' heel twist, but I jumped ahead of myself. After reading up on the research done by Madeline Miller, I understood that this book has strong roots in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and that the heel was just a myth. It was a nice and fun read and I got carried along the way. Even Briseis, the farmer girl captured by the Greeks and given to Achilles as a war prize, had a strong character arc and was portrayed with depth and nuance.