Affiliate links can be found within this post. If you need additional information, please see the disclaimer.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
MY REVIEW:
Genre | Tropes: Greek Mythology, Historical Fiction, Battle of Troy
Rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐
Warnings: Violence, Graphic Scenes of War and Intimacy
An incredibly fascinating take on Helen of Troy and the events surrounding this well known tale of history. Wilson drives home the tension and pain in her representation of the events, alternating from vantage points of Helen and Achilles as the momentum unfolds. Helen’s story is always told with disdain as a woman who wanted it all and cared for no one. But Wilson provides a lot of thought provoking material that really had me contemplating these people and events for quite some time.
As a fan of Greek Mythology, I was captivated by every page of this novel, much like I was with the first book “Clytemnestra’s Bind“. Every character is rich in depth and provided with so many insights into experiences that shape their decisions. Nothing is a simple cause and effect, but a rippling of activities that color the landscape and paint a picture that is never easy to understand. But does provide more clarity about how someone could come to the decisions they did. Not that I might agree with their choices, but Wilson creates an environment that makes it easy to understand the complexity of these events.
One of the things I appreciated the most from this retelling is how Wilson portrays the early half of the book of Helen’s marriage to Menelaus and the second half of her marriage to Paris.
Helen’s marriage to Menelaus, while it was unwanted by Helen, he was a kind, and even caring husband. He treated her well but she was disillusioned by this idea of falling madly in love with the most handsome of men and living out her days in rapture. During these times of violent husbands and disregard for women, she couldn’t have ended up with a better option. While he was portrayed as a little meek, he was the sweetest man she could have married.
But then she meets Paris and is overwhelmingly bewitched by his beauty. Allowing herself to be lured into his lies and following him across the sea and abandoning her comfortable life and daughter. But Paris is adequately represented as a mostly empty vessel, caring only for himself and only coveting Helen’s beauty. His only focus is that he has the most beautiful wife in the world, but cares very little for her outside of that.
This struggle portrayed in the book is the most riveting of the emotional distress Wilson portrays. It’s a complicated juxtaposition of how Helen went from a mostly comfortable life to one of complete rejection all because of these ideas and whims she has about pairing with a beautiful man.
The other elements of this book that really drew me in were related to Achilles’ perspective. He’s written as a very complicated character. One that is blindly focused on his desire to be remembered as the greatest warrior of all time and those ambitions driving him to reckless behavior. But also how rationally he processes war strategy.
The men in the Achaean troops look to him for inspiration and he carries such a strong influence on everyone that when he’s betrayed by Agamemnon, his refusal to fight changes the entire dynamic in the battlefield. Wilson also incorporated an interesting take on Achilles and his cousin Patroclus that I hadn’t expected. One where they were lovers, but also had their own individual wives and relationships. It was an interesting take and made all the events that unfold that much more intense because of their bond.
If you’re a fan of Greek Mythology or this historical time period, I highly recommend this book and Clytemnestra’s Bind. They are captivating and so well written you’ll be lost in the rich history as it unfolds!
Read My Review For Clytemnestra’s Bind
Part I of this series, but can be read as a stand alone
GET IT HERE:
She’s the most scapegoated heroine in Greek mythology, but there’s never just one side to any story. This new framing uncovers the complexities of Helen of Troy—a woman tormented by the blame placed on her by others, and tortured by her own guilt.
“We all blamed Helen”
Haunted by her decision to leave her child behind in fleeing her unhappy marriage, Helen seeks to build a new life in Troy with her lover, Paris. She yearns to recreate the childhood family she lost when she married Menelaus, but her outraged husband vows to regain her by force, at the head of a vast army.
Facing hostility from all sides, Helen must decide where her loyalty—and her safety—lies.
Perfect for fans of Greek mythology retellings, and Madeline Miller’s Circe, Jennifer Saint’s Elektra, and Pat Barker’s The Women of Troy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan C. Wilson
Susan C Wilson is a Scottish writer with a lifelong passion for ancient Greece. She loves to explore what makes us human: the eternal motivations, desires and instincts that cross time and place.
She has a degree in journalism from Napier University and, in preparation for writing her novels, gained a diploma in classical studies from the Open University.
Clytemnestra’s Bind, her debut novel, was long-listed for the Mslexia Novel Competition 2019. It is the first in The House of Atreus trilogy and is published by Neem Tree Press.
Twitter: @BronzeAgeWummin
Instagram: susancwilsonauthor
+Follow on Amazon: Susan C Wilson
Looking for book recs…
Adventures in Literature 
Leave a comment