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Trojan Threads #2
Achilles's Wife: A Novel of Greek Myth Retelling
In an ancient kingdom, a princess takes inspiration from a visiting young woman to challenge her father’s views and reach for leadership—and then discovers her muse is a man.
The goddess mother of Greek mythology’s most famous warrior, Achilles, will do anything to prevent her son’s fated early death. In a desperate move, she hides Achilles, against his will, on an island—disguised in a girl’s body.
Tormented by inner discord, the miscast “girl” befriends Mia, the eldest daughter of the island’s king, launching a transformation of Mia’s own. Armed with a new vision she believes comes from a girl, Mia contends with family secrets, a controlling father, her destiny to rule, and the wrath of a goddess.
When fate reveals Achilles’s identity, a divine mother’s fury drives Mia and Achilles into marriage. Mia must navigate her love for a man with a divided heart and a dangerous measure of immortality. Balancing governance and motherhood, Mia will face an unbearable choice.
A stand-alone novel in the Trojan Threads Series.
"What was it like to be married to Achilles? Deidamia, princess of the small island of Skyros, his wife before he took his fated journey to Troy, was the mother of his only child, his son Neoptolemus. Here at last she tells her own story, speaking of how they met, married, and then parted. She knew Achilles the man rather than the warrior. She lets us see a side of him that Homer doesn’t. Unique, fascinating, and restores a long lost voice to the story the Trojan War.” –Margaret George, NYT bestselling author of The Memoirs of Cleopatra & The Splendor Before the Dark
- GenresGreek MythologyMythology
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2026
3 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Judith Starkston
8 books138 followersJudith Starkston writes historical fantasy and mythic retellings set in the Bronze Age of the Greeks and Hittites. Her six novels bring women to the fore—whether Deidamia or Briseis from the Trojan War cycle of myths or a remarkable Hittite queen whom history forgot, even though she ruled over one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. Judith has degrees in Classics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and Cornell and lives in Davis, California. Find her newsletter sign-up (and a free novella), book reviews, and posts about archaeology and history on her website JudithStarkston.com
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March 16, 2026Hi Everyone!
This is my new book, Achilles’s Wife, a novel of Greek myth retelling. Today is pub day, and I hope you’ll help spread the word about it by downloading it or adding it to your to-read list.
Many thanks,
Judith
This is my new book, Achilles’s Wife, a novel of Greek myth retelling. Today is pub day, and I hope you’ll help spread the word about it by downloading it or adding it to your to-read list.
Many thanks,
Judith
Review of advance copy received from Author
Achilles’s Wife by Judith Starkston retells a story about one of the most famous heroes from Greek myth and makes it feel vivid, intimate, and deeply human. Set on the island of Skyros, the novel follows Achilles as he’s forced to live as Pyrrha among the women of King Lycomedes’s household, where his friendship with Princess Deidamia grows into something risky and tender. The writing is rich with physical detail. The clothing, food (OMG I love all the food references!), speech, and setting all feel tangible without ever turning heavy-handed or preachy, and the island itself comes alive on the page. Starkston handles themes of gender, power, and body dysmorphia with care, letting them emerge naturally through the characters rather than through speeches. I finished the book feeling like I’d spent a lot of time with real people who noticed that I was slightly hungry and invited me in for a visit. It was a place I was reluctant to leave.
For my full review, please visit my website
For my full review, please visit my website
March 18, 2026
I was given a review copy of “Achilles’s Wife” and I enjoyed it immensely. The story is taken from old Greek myths, centering on the time a bit before and during the war at Troy. Thetis, Achilles’s goddess mother, has learned of the prophecy that her son will die young. Unable to bear this fact, she does everything she can think of to prevent it and change his fate. One of her ideas is pretty unique but not what you might call “welcome.” Achilles is forced to live in hiding as a girl on the island of Skyros. I don’t think that’s a spoiler as it’s a very well-known story.
He hates it.
But there is one glimmer of light: Deidamia, the king’s daughter. Although the king tries to keep her contained safely in the women’s section of the palace, she of a fierce and shining heart, much like Achilles himself, routinely escapes her luxurious prison to experience the freedom and beauty of her island home outside the palace walls.
Achilles soon catches her in one of her escape attempts, which are difficult. He helps her gain a few afternoons of freedom, and they become quite close while exploring the fields and forests of the island.
Mia, as Deidamia is called, finds a cherished friend in Achilles, who is called Pyrrha. Mia isn’t told of his disguise so believes this is a real girl living amongst the other women.
Eventually, of course, the deception fails and chaos ensues. I found the outing of Achilles as himself a very satisfying revelation, the start of a new chapter in the story.
The only remedy anyone can figure out, including Thetis, is to marry Achilles to Mia. They are happy. They have become close already through much time spent together, so their next relationship step is completely believable and natural. She gets pregnant right away, but Achilles chafes at the forced seclusion (he is still in hiding even though he has been exposed as a guy) and the simple, out-of-the-way island life that does not match his outsized ambition.
Mia takes on more and more responsibility as her father is too old and too traditional to accept new ways. She works hard to keep the villagers on the island thriving and her father gradually sees how intelligent and valuable she is.
When the unthinkable happens and Achilles is discovered by the outside world, wily Odysseus and the king Diomedes come to recruit him for the Trojan war. As we all know, they succeed. What would the Trojan war be without Achilles?
Now Mia must not only deal with grief and loneliness, but she is also left alone to deal with the half-divine son she has birthed—no easy task, for he is extremely headstrong and willful.
Starkston’s writing and storytelling abilities are on display in this vividly-told novel. She spent time on Skyros, studying and drinking in the history and myth that live on to this day in the Greek islands. Here, she got to know her characters and the places where they lived and walked, where they fought and loved. Her knowledge and research shine in lush descriptions and details of the forests, the shoreline, the sea, the rocky hills. I felt like I was there on the island, escaping the palace with Mia and wading along the shore, “exploring the creatures in the tide pools with the briny smell of seaweed filling her nose.”
Ten years of waiting for her husband to return and living with the constant fear of him dying left Mia a bit jaded. “Men talk of winning undying glory through their deeds in battle. My husband chose that life over raising his son and ruling his realm.”
This is a tale of valor, deception, lust, love, and hard decisions. While the truth of many of the stories handed down to us from the Greeks can be questioned, they have without a doubt added rich, marvelous layers of imagination and storytelling to our lives.
He hates it.
But there is one glimmer of light: Deidamia, the king’s daughter. Although the king tries to keep her contained safely in the women’s section of the palace, she of a fierce and shining heart, much like Achilles himself, routinely escapes her luxurious prison to experience the freedom and beauty of her island home outside the palace walls.
Achilles soon catches her in one of her escape attempts, which are difficult. He helps her gain a few afternoons of freedom, and they become quite close while exploring the fields and forests of the island.
Mia, as Deidamia is called, finds a cherished friend in Achilles, who is called Pyrrha. Mia isn’t told of his disguise so believes this is a real girl living amongst the other women.
Eventually, of course, the deception fails and chaos ensues. I found the outing of Achilles as himself a very satisfying revelation, the start of a new chapter in the story.
The only remedy anyone can figure out, including Thetis, is to marry Achilles to Mia. They are happy. They have become close already through much time spent together, so their next relationship step is completely believable and natural. She gets pregnant right away, but Achilles chafes at the forced seclusion (he is still in hiding even though he has been exposed as a guy) and the simple, out-of-the-way island life that does not match his outsized ambition.
Mia takes on more and more responsibility as her father is too old and too traditional to accept new ways. She works hard to keep the villagers on the island thriving and her father gradually sees how intelligent and valuable she is.
When the unthinkable happens and Achilles is discovered by the outside world, wily Odysseus and the king Diomedes come to recruit him for the Trojan war. As we all know, they succeed. What would the Trojan war be without Achilles?
Now Mia must not only deal with grief and loneliness, but she is also left alone to deal with the half-divine son she has birthed—no easy task, for he is extremely headstrong and willful.
Starkston’s writing and storytelling abilities are on display in this vividly-told novel. She spent time on Skyros, studying and drinking in the history and myth that live on to this day in the Greek islands. Here, she got to know her characters and the places where they lived and walked, where they fought and loved. Her knowledge and research shine in lush descriptions and details of the forests, the shoreline, the sea, the rocky hills. I felt like I was there on the island, escaping the palace with Mia and wading along the shore, “exploring the creatures in the tide pools with the briny smell of seaweed filling her nose.”
Ten years of waiting for her husband to return and living with the constant fear of him dying left Mia a bit jaded. “Men talk of winning undying glory through their deeds in battle. My husband chose that life over raising his son and ruling his realm.”
This is a tale of valor, deception, lust, love, and hard decisions. While the truth of many of the stories handed down to us from the Greeks can be questioned, they have without a doubt added rich, marvelous layers of imagination and storytelling to our lives.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The stories from ancient Greek and Roman mythology are foundational to western civilization in ways that few people appreciate today. Even so, they are the warp and weft of our culture. The characters in these myths led lives that the 21st century world has difficulty comprehending. So it helps to find a modern writer like Judith Starkston who can bring these three-millennia-old Bronze Age tales to life.
Starkston's "Achilles's Wife" recounts/reimagines the life of Princess Deidamia on the island of Skyros who falls in love with that great hero. The author took the bare bones of the myth and crafted a masterful novel about the characters' lives beyond the "he did this" or "she did that". Deidamia becomes a woman of strong character, forceful enough to be a worthy match for Achilles. Achilles is a man drawn to his destiny, while loving his wife. Thetis, the Nereid who was Achilles's mother, is depicted with maternal instincts that threatened to smother her child until he broke free from them. The child of Deidamia and Achilles, Pyrrhus, grows into almost as great a warrior as his father, but lacking his father's guidance. We even get a memorable cameo of Medea.
Although we know how the story ends, this novel is a page turner, benefitting from the author's creative and colorful additions to the saga. Her descriptions of Greek island village life, trading ships, military preparedness, and bards ring true to history.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone interested in ancient history and the myths & legends of the Trojan War.
Starkston's "Achilles's Wife" recounts/reimagines the life of Princess Deidamia on the island of Skyros who falls in love with that great hero. The author took the bare bones of the myth and crafted a masterful novel about the characters' lives beyond the "he did this" or "she did that". Deidamia becomes a woman of strong character, forceful enough to be a worthy match for Achilles. Achilles is a man drawn to his destiny, while loving his wife. Thetis, the Nereid who was Achilles's mother, is depicted with maternal instincts that threatened to smother her child until he broke free from them. The child of Deidamia and Achilles, Pyrrhus, grows into almost as great a warrior as his father, but lacking his father's guidance. We even get a memorable cameo of Medea.
Although we know how the story ends, this novel is a page turner, benefitting from the author's creative and colorful additions to the saga. Her descriptions of Greek island village life, trading ships, military preparedness, and bards ring true to history.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone interested in ancient history and the myths & legends of the Trojan War.
Review of advance copy received from Author
There’s nothing I love more than diving into the imagined experiences of the silenced women of the Iliad, and this book ranks up there with some of the best. Achilles’s wife, the Princess Deidamia, is barely even mentioned in the epic poem. She is the one who hides the half-mortal warrior among her women to keep him from being recruited for the Trojan War and later gives birth to Achilles’s son. She is a smart, savvy ruler in her own right, and her inner life is rendered believably and with great respect, given the constraints she faces as a princess in a warrior culture. Achilles, in the source texts, is not very likable to me, but in this story, he is fleshed out in a way that makes him sympathetic. He is a young man deeply conflicted about his fate and situation. There is an early twist to this story that I dare not divulge because I don’t want to rob readers of the experience of encountering it for themselves. It adds yet another layer of fascination and complexity to the characters and the story. Even within a tale where you know exactly what is going to happen next, this book managed to surprise me. It also made me think even more about how the women of the era—the daughters, wives, and mothers of the heroes in the Trojan War—likely had greater sway than the Bard ever let on. If I had a hat, I’d tip it to Deidamia, because she certainly earned my respect. This is a fresh take on an old story that is absolutely worth reading.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Vivid imagery and a wealth of sensory detail bring Mycenaean Greece spectacularly to life in this riveting retelling of ancient myths. Achilles and the princess Deidamia come across as complex, nuanced human beings, however much they are buffeted about by the imperious Greek gods. Princess Mia’s and Achilles’s love is tender and fragile, unconventional, and beautifully depicted. Ultimately it is fated to be brief, but it underlies and motivates the whole story.
The author’s extensive background as a classicist is put to good use as she weaves familiar myths together into something new and unexpected. The reader will follow Princess Mia through the luxuriously appointed corridors and rooms of the royal palace, and also along the rocky paths between sea and mountain on the isle of Skyros, with all the colors, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures that make the setting come alive.
Unlike so much historical fiction involving royalty, in Achilles’s Wife the royals don’t spend their lives luxuriating in privilege and wielding their power thoughtlessly. The princess, particularly, thinks long and deeply about her responsibilities to her people and how to meet their needs. Being clever and resourceful, she finds ways to serve the population of her island realm even though, as a woman, she must put in extra effort to be heard and taken seriously.
Reading this book was an immersive experience, and I highly recommend it.
The author’s extensive background as a classicist is put to good use as she weaves familiar myths together into something new and unexpected. The reader will follow Princess Mia through the luxuriously appointed corridors and rooms of the royal palace, and also along the rocky paths between sea and mountain on the isle of Skyros, with all the colors, sounds, scents, tastes, and textures that make the setting come alive.
Unlike so much historical fiction involving royalty, in Achilles’s Wife the royals don’t spend their lives luxuriating in privilege and wielding their power thoughtlessly. The princess, particularly, thinks long and deeply about her responsibilities to her people and how to meet their needs. Being clever and resourceful, she finds ways to serve the population of her island realm even though, as a woman, she must put in extra effort to be heard and taken seriously.
Reading this book was an immersive experience, and I highly recommend it.
March 16, 2026
Princess Mia: Immersion in a Woman’s Story During the Trojan War
Achilles’s Wife draws readers into the story of Mia, a princess on a small Greek Island during the time of the Trojan War. She grows from an adventurous tomboy to a leader who protects her people. Mia first meets Achilles disguised as a woman, and they form a close relationship. Achilles’s mother, the goddess Thetis, has hidden him on the island to save him from a predicted death.
Puzzled by her attraction to a woman, Mia adjusts readily when she discovers Ackhilles is a man, and they marry, after a harrowing scene with Thetis. They have a son, a wild child who lives to be a warrior. When Achilles’s cover is blown and he leaves for the Trojan War, Mia embraces her role as a princess who cares for her people. She is especially adept at keeping them well fed.
A strong appeal of the novel is a female protagonist who grows into a hard-working leader. The reader will also engage with the period details, like meals, farming, and clothing, that the author describes with such richness that readers feel they’re living during the Trojan War. The rocky terrain of a Greek island and its patches of farming are portrayed with a vividness that gives the story authenticity. This immersion in ancient times is a chance to live during the Trojan War.
Achilles’s Wife draws readers into the story of Mia, a princess on a small Greek Island during the time of the Trojan War. She grows from an adventurous tomboy to a leader who protects her people. Mia first meets Achilles disguised as a woman, and they form a close relationship. Achilles’s mother, the goddess Thetis, has hidden him on the island to save him from a predicted death.
Puzzled by her attraction to a woman, Mia adjusts readily when she discovers Ackhilles is a man, and they marry, after a harrowing scene with Thetis. They have a son, a wild child who lives to be a warrior. When Achilles’s cover is blown and he leaves for the Trojan War, Mia embraces her role as a princess who cares for her people. She is especially adept at keeping them well fed.
A strong appeal of the novel is a female protagonist who grows into a hard-working leader. The reader will also engage with the period details, like meals, farming, and clothing, that the author describes with such richness that readers feel they’re living during the Trojan War. The rocky terrain of a Greek island and its patches of farming are portrayed with a vividness that gives the story authenticity. This immersion in ancient times is a chance to live during the Trojan War.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Judith Starkston's masterful retelling of a lesser-known myth respects ancient Greek history while tackling questions about gender and sexuality.
I knew Achilles was a hero in the Trojan War but I didn't know about his life before that war until I read Judith Starkston's new book Achilles’s Wife. This well-researched story is written from the point of view of Deidamia, a princess of the small Greek island called Skyros. When Deidamia first meets Achilles, she thinks he is a girl named Pyrrha. According to ancient myth, Achilles is brought to the island in disguise. His mother, the Goddess Thetis, hopes to protect her son from his predicted fate of dying young by hiding him on the desolate island.
Ms. Starkston deviates from the original myth by giving the goddess the power to actually change her son into a girl. Thetis persuades the King of Skyros to allow her daughter, Pyrrha / Achilles to live in the royal women's quarters. Deidamia befriends the imposter. Starkson's depiction of Achilles's frustration of being a man trapped in a woman's body is what really makes this book shine. This literary device allows the author to examine issues of gender and sexuality in an historical setting that is also relevant today.
I knew Achilles was a hero in the Trojan War but I didn't know about his life before that war until I read Judith Starkston's new book Achilles’s Wife. This well-researched story is written from the point of view of Deidamia, a princess of the small Greek island called Skyros. When Deidamia first meets Achilles, she thinks he is a girl named Pyrrha. According to ancient myth, Achilles is brought to the island in disguise. His mother, the Goddess Thetis, hopes to protect her son from his predicted fate of dying young by hiding him on the desolate island.
Ms. Starkston deviates from the original myth by giving the goddess the power to actually change her son into a girl. Thetis persuades the King of Skyros to allow her daughter, Pyrrha / Achilles to live in the royal women's quarters. Deidamia befriends the imposter. Starkson's depiction of Achilles's frustration of being a man trapped in a woman's body is what really makes this book shine. This literary device allows the author to examine issues of gender and sexuality in an historical setting that is also relevant today.
Review of advance copy received from Author
If you love stories based on Greek mythology, or stories of strong-willed characters, or excellent historical fiction, or stories of great love ... then Achilles's Wife is the read for you. Based on the story of Achilles - half human, half immortal and amazing warrior - his goddess mother Thetis, and his wife Mia, Judith Starkston's story captured my imagination from its opening scene. The author soon transports us to the small island of Skyros where the king, Mia's father, leads his people with caution and an eye to negotiating with the more powerful kingdoms that make up Greece. With no sons, his eldest daughter Mia will inherit the throne.
Desperate to protect her son Achilles from the prophecy of an early death, Thetis uses her power to transform him into a young woman and hides him on Skyros. Achilles - called Pyrrhus in her female form - and Mia soon become close friends. And ... well, let's just say that the twists and turns as the story unfolds and both Mia and Achilles head towards their destinies will keep you enthralled. Highly recommended.
Desperate to protect her son Achilles from the prophecy of an early death, Thetis uses her power to transform him into a young woman and hides him on Skyros. Achilles - called Pyrrhus in her female form - and Mia soon become close friends. And ... well, let's just say that the twists and turns as the story unfolds and both Mia and Achilles head towards their destinies will keep you enthralled. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A Thrilling Tale of Gods and Men
Achilles’s Wife recounts early Greek myths that are essential backstory to the telling of the Trojan War in the Illiad. The novel covers three entwined and exciting stories that are little known to most of us mere mortal readers: The saga of teenaged Achilles’ fraught relationship with his mother, the goddess Thetis. The poignant love story of Achilles and his young wife, Mia. And the tragic early days of their son, Pyrrhus.
This novel is much more fun than the PG-rated Greek myths so many of us grew up with as children. Here, the author skillfully weaves a tale that touches on modern themes of gender identity and fluidity, parental disfunction, and female empowerment. The fast-paced novel moves between truly terrifying encounters between gods and men, scenes of love between a mortal and a demigod, and early encounters with such well-known figures from the Trojan War as Odysseus.
I have had the pleasure of critiquing early chapters of the novel. The final version took my breath away, as it will yours.
Achilles’s Wife recounts early Greek myths that are essential backstory to the telling of the Trojan War in the Illiad. The novel covers three entwined and exciting stories that are little known to most of us mere mortal readers: The saga of teenaged Achilles’ fraught relationship with his mother, the goddess Thetis. The poignant love story of Achilles and his young wife, Mia. And the tragic early days of their son, Pyrrhus.
This novel is much more fun than the PG-rated Greek myths so many of us grew up with as children. Here, the author skillfully weaves a tale that touches on modern themes of gender identity and fluidity, parental disfunction, and female empowerment. The fast-paced novel moves between truly terrifying encounters between gods and men, scenes of love between a mortal and a demigod, and early encounters with such well-known figures from the Trojan War as Odysseus.
I have had the pleasure of critiquing early chapters of the novel. The final version took my breath away, as it will yours.
Review of advance copy received from Author
We had the pleasure of reading this book for our book club. Greek myths are generally told from a male perspective, with men functioning as active, adventurous heroes and women serving as mainly as passive side characters.
Author Judith Starkston takes a different approach. She’s a classicist who retells ancient myths with a focus on women’s perspectives.
“Achilles’ Wife” focuses on the perspective of the Greek hero’s wife, Mia. The story seemed super well researched, as the author spent a month on the island of Skyros in Greece where the action takes place. As a reader, you get a vivid sense of that place.
Starkston strikes a satisfying balance between staying true to classic mythology while still making the characters accessible to the modern reader.
Plus, who doesn’t love a strong, wise, female world leader like the protagonist Mia? “Achilles’s Wife” was an interesting and compelling read, and our book club thoroughly enjoyed it.
Author Judith Starkston takes a different approach. She’s a classicist who retells ancient myths with a focus on women’s perspectives.
“Achilles’ Wife” focuses on the perspective of the Greek hero’s wife, Mia. The story seemed super well researched, as the author spent a month on the island of Skyros in Greece where the action takes place. As a reader, you get a vivid sense of that place.
Starkston strikes a satisfying balance between staying true to classic mythology while still making the characters accessible to the modern reader.
Plus, who doesn’t love a strong, wise, female world leader like the protagonist Mia? “Achilles’s Wife” was an interesting and compelling read, and our book club thoroughly enjoyed it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
With Achilles’s Wife Judith Starkston re-imagines a little-known, minor episode in the life of the great hero before he sets out to face his doom in the Trojan War. The focus in Starkston’s telling, though, is on the island princess who comes of age as first the friend and then the wife of the man who is half god, half mortal and, for a time and hugely against his will, a young woman. Starkston’s female characters—the goddess, the princess, the youth constrained in a body that is not his own—portray facets of female affection as mother, daughter, friend and lover that echo through the ages.
March 16, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I love how the author seizes an aspect of mythology that’s always been ignored and turns it into a rich, complex story. Although her characters step directly out of Greek myths, they seem like real people as they develop while the plot advances in unexpected ways. And her vivid descriptions make the scenery come alive—I found I could imagine that I was relaxing in the women’s quarters of a palace, or scrambling up a hillside, alongside Achilles’ strong but much beleaguered wife. This is a fantastic book.
March 16, 2026
Achilles's Wife is a feminist retelling of Greek mythology focusing on the family on the island of Skyros who were tasked with hiding Achilles to keep him from a prophesized early death in the war with Troy. In some of the tales, Achilles marries there and he and Deidamia have a son. This book explores that story.
I especially enjoyed it because it was not a legend with which I had been very familar. I look forward to reading her Hittite stories.
I especially enjoyed it because it was not a legend with which I had been very familar. I look forward to reading her Hittite stories.
Review of advance copy received from Author
full review soon
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of Advanced Review Copy from author
In Achilles’ Wife, Starkston expertly draws the shadowy figure of Princess Deidamia into bright sunshine in this creative retelling of Achilles’ secret sojourn as a woman in King Lycomedes’ court where the kinder, more empathetic, side of the great warrior is explored. ‘Mia’ emerges as a strong female character standing proudly beside male Homeric heroes. The pathos of her love affair with Achilles is matched by her heartbreak in dealing with the raging Neoptolemus, her part-divine son, who seeks to match the valour of his famous father yet lacks Achilles' sense of honour and humanity. The book's exploration of two lesser characters in the myth is compelling, especially the helplessness of Mia, and even the divine Thetis, to rein in the volatile and ruthless boy. A tale of doomed love, maternal devotion, and inexorable fate. Highly recommended.
In Achilles’ Wife, Starkston expertly draws the shadowy figure of Princess Deidamia into bright sunshine in this creative retelling of Achilles’ secret sojourn as a woman in King Lycomedes’ court where the kinder, more empathetic, side of the great warrior is explored. ‘Mia’ emerges as a strong female character standing proudly beside male Homeric heroes. The pathos of her love affair with Achilles is matched by her heartbreak in dealing with the raging Neoptolemus, her part-divine son, who seeks to match the valour of his famous father yet lacks Achilles' sense of honour and humanity. The book's exploration of two lesser characters in the myth is compelling, especially the helplessness of Mia, and even the divine Thetis, to rein in the volatile and ruthless boy. A tale of doomed love, maternal devotion, and inexorable fate. Highly recommended.
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