Song of Achilles

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

The discussion for Song of Achilles. Please put notice of any spoilers ahead of the scheduled sections.

We will post a reading schedule soon

[Ilsen]

Song of Achilles schedule:

Jan. 14th - Until Chapter 6
Jan. 15th - Until Chapter 12
Jan. 16th - Until Chapter 18
Jan. 17th - Until Chapter 24
Jan. 18th - Until Chapter 30
Jan. 19th - Until the end

The schedule is just a guideline but I designed it so we can read around 50 pages per day. The chapters are really short for this book so it seems a lot but it’s really not. Also there is a character glossary and discussion questions at the end so that should be fun!

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Woohoo! I love short chapters xD I can’t wait to start this!

[Ilsen]

Me too!!

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

I've already had to remind myself about Achilles Mythos twice xD It's been quite a while since I've immersed myself in Greek Mythology.

I am loving Miller's ability to make it feel very modern

[Ilsen]

I’m actually very lost on Greek mythology as a whole. When I started I thought it was Achilles until I heard the name Peleus to describe the other guy and I was like “Oh no that’s Patroclus”. And that’s as far as I went before I dropped dead.

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Ilsen wrote: "I’m actually very lost on Greek mythology as a whole. When I started I thought it was Achilles until I heard the name Peleus to describe the other guy and I was like “Oh no that’s Patroclus”. And t..."

I completely understand. I am having a hard time keeping characters straight. I though the story was going to be from Achilles pov and it threw me when I realized it wasn't.


I am intrigued to see how Madelline unfurls the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles. I just hope I can get through it without needing to really research the myth ( I only vaguely remember pieces of Hellen and Troy and that war) lol XD

[Ilsen]

Until Chapter 6

(view spoiler)[ At first, I was very confused because I thought it would be Achilles and Patroclus’s POV but no it’s just Patroclus. I am enjoying his backstory though. Poor him who was never loved by his family and Achilles just took him under his wing. The friendship is really cute and I feel for both of them. I don’t have much to say except that the fact that he got exiled for self defense and his father doesn’t care for him makes me sad. But I’m hoping to see how things would change now that they are 13. (hide spoiler)]

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Ack! I have lost my kindle so now I am super behind 😳. I’m going to get the Audiobook on Tuesday and hopefully super catch up!

[Ilsen]

It’s ok. I’m also really behind as well. I just got to Chapter 12. I’m hoping to get as much as I can today before I have to do chores.

Until Chapter 12

(view spoiler)[ So much has happened since Chapter 6. I think things are really starting to pick up. The first part was just to introduce Achilles and Patroclus and how they grew closer together. What developed afterwards was such a chain of events that wow I can’t believe that just happened.

Awww Patroclus really liked him and went to kiss him. Of course I knew that Achilles liked him back. Like they both nuzzled each other good morning and was flirting with each other. But obviously Achilles was scared of his mom reacting which omg his mom is definitely not someone you want to mess with. I knew nothing was going to happen to him but I was scared for him.

So Achilles has to go become a God to appeal to his mom. And he wants Patroclus to go but he doesn’t make it obvious but the bond is so strong that he goes with him. I also really like Chiron as well and he lets Patroclus stay even though he wasn’t allowed to. They really bonded more and then Achilles and Patroclus got together and acknowledged their feelings together and the scene that happened between them was very passionate. Like damnnn Achilles! Chiron is teaching them how to be peaceful and Patroclus grows and is more brave in what he wants.

So then Achilles is called to go to war and to lead the war and he doesn’t want to do it. But then something interesting comes up in the beginning when Menoitius wanted “Patroclus” to marry Helen so he could get the riches. It didn’t work but they all took an oath to defend the husband of Helen if she were to be taken. Patroclus was so young and he thought it was all a dream. And I just reread the scene and even though he was young and it was under his father’s name, he still has to fight I think. And Achilles wants to try to stop him.

There’s even more. Achilles was asked to lead but his mom did not want to do it so he kidnapped him and took him to the land of Sycros where he had to pretend to be a girl and marry Deidameia because he thought Thetis would tell Patroclus where he was if he did. Which obviously that did not happen. He had to find him himself and asked Peleus to tell him where he is because he refused to lose Achilles. But this whole plot just to get him away from the war and even then it’s only because he’s too young?? And then you realize how naive Achilles is because he thinks that his mom who hates Patroclus would tell him where he is. Also Deidameia is ughh. I don’t know even know what she’s going to do with the baby. Ugh what a mess. I want to know what happens. Patroclus forgives Achilles but I wonder if the dynamic of their relationship will change. And obviously they will go to the war but when exactly? I definitely want to keep reading to find out! (hide spoiler)]

[Ilsen]

Until Chapter 18

(view spoiler)[ Yo Patroclus why??? Why did you have to go have sex with Deidameia? Infidelity may not be a big deal to the Greeks and I know it won’t matter but just ughhhh.. I feel guilty. Also, this totally hints that Patroclus is bisexual because he liked it and Achilles did not. Also Deidameia clearly was just feeling like crap and low self esteem. Just ugh.

Thetis really did Deidameia and Lycomedes dirty. First, she lied to Lycomedes and had Achilles as Pyrra and then had Deidameia marry him and make it seem like he loves her when he doesn’t. He only did it so Patroclus can know where he is. And then it turns out that now Thetis wants to claim Achilles and Deidameia’s child for her god and Deidameia is left all alone. And poor Lycomedes is just left with tragedy and Achilles is off to be a hero.

Will the prophecy come to fruition? Probably but it is something I don’t want to happen. Also Odysseus is a prick but I already knew this from reading the tale of Odysseus in school. I mean he cheated on his so called “lovely” wife Penélope with sirens while Penélope stayed faithful. But in this reimagining, he is still terrible.

The whole scene of how Agamemnon (also an asshole) was setting up his daughter to get married with Achilles and instead murders her to have the goddess appeased. Human sacrifice is even said to be frowned upon to everyone else and they are fooling everyone. While Achilles likes the fame, will he really be able to live up to it? It was his first death and that is so traumatizing and even worse when it’s blindsided. I do want to see what happens but my lord, this is probably going to get life brutal. (hide spoiler)]

[Ilsen]

Until Chapter 24

(view spoiler)[ Poor Achilles feels so guilty when the girl dies and is starting to ask Patroclus about what happened when he was exiled. But then right afterwards, he starts killing for the war. The difference between Patroclus and Achilles is that Patroclus feels remorse and not saying that Achilles doesn’t, but Achilles was made for war. Even here, in the upcoming chapters, Patroclus is shown to be better as a healer than a fighter and Achilles was born to fight. You can also see how much of his character is changing.

As the war keeps fighting on, he has started to get used to killing people and raiding the villages even though it is such a monstrous act. And that’s why this book is in Patroclus’s POV. One reader can say it’s obvious that Achilles will die because of his lack of POV but I say it’s more that if we had the war in Achilles’ perspective, you will start to normalize war and that is not the point of this book. You are supposed to see the horrors of the war and how Achilles is slowly changing because of him getting used to the war. If it was done in his perspective, it would have been written off as normal but since Patroclus is not a fighter and is just normal in the sense that he doesn’t want to fight for anything, you are exposed to how truly horrible war is and the effect it can have people whether it be greed from Agamemnon, savagery from Diomedes, trickery from Odysseus, or the price of glory and sacrifice from Achilles. You can only get the full picture from Patroclus.

The soldiers are also rioting from how long the war is and you see that more of Agamemnon’s greediness as he killed a soldier because they wanted to go home after four years of just stalemate. Nothing was happening. Achilles stepped up to the plate and told them to stay even though we all know the actual war will last even longer. It also introduces the mob mentality of the soldier and how easy it is to persuade them with just Achilles’ word and how much power he holds over the soldiers. Who knows if the power actually gets to his head? It may actually already happened as Patroclus takes up the healing position and knows all the soldier’s names whereas Achilles says “I rather all of them remember me” which just shows he already feels as if he is superior to all of them. In terms of physical terms, he technically is but that does not mean to treat others as such. But the point is that the mob mentality is definitely taking place with the soldiers as they stop their rioting and consider the soldier as just another body again. Remorse and anger gone in minutes due to Achilles’ words and the horror displayed in Patroclus’ eyes.

As in terms of their bond, you can see they start to grow distant with their different views. Patroclus the healer and Achilles the fighter. Their love for each other is still strong but now with the addition of Briseis, he is starting to question whether he wants children as he is now 20 years old. It’s super weird to see how the book progresses and as the war goes on, the time lapse is longer. I do not know how their love will end up but I have a feeling Briseis is starting to get more prominent in the story. Although Patroclus’ saving of the women is definitely a heroic act through all the terrors of the war which it does show how terribly treated the women are by the Greeks.

Also, to point out, I’m not sure how the prophecy will change. I’m still kinda confused on that front. Hopefully everything will pan out in these next couple of chapters. (hide spoiler)]

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Until Chapter 3
(view spoiler)[ "They might permit a king to burn tier fields and rape their daughters, as long as payment was made. But you did not touch a man's sons."

Ack! I had to remind myself what I was reading...this is so cringey!
I agree though its so awful that Patroclus gets exiled for basically defending himself. That's okay he will thrive with Achilles! (hide spoiler)]

[Ilsen]

Until Chapter 3

(view spoiler)[ Oh yea toxic masculinity. Something that existed in that time unfortunately. I have a feeling it will be more challenged in Circe but since there isn’t many female protagonists here, it’s not as challenged. Although not everyone has toxic masculinity.

Yea Patroclus really meant no harm at all! But without Patroclus, I don’t think the story would have been the same. (hide spoiler)]

[Ilsen]

Until Chapter 30

(view spoiler)[ So of course Agamemnon messes things up with his pride. He wanted a girl that happens to be the daughter of a priest of Apollo. The priest wishes bad on the army that refuses to give her daughter back. The plague comes upon them. Agamemnon still refuses and Achilles says his pride is killing the army. Which is true. The biggest of ironies is that Achilles starts to be swept up of honor and pride.

He starts to go mad with it and Patroclus just stands by and watches the boy he loved disappear. Achilles is saying is because of Agamemnon but soon it’s because of his own pride that he is willing for everyone to die just for people to bow at your feet. It is greed for power and Achilles becomes the very thing he despises. Gives up on his own morals and ethics just for the sake of reputation and pride which is something that Patroclus notices. The fact that Patroclus has to appeal to that prideful side to just help just shows how deep the root of the problem is.

And then Patroclus dies which I mention I thought it was Patroclus’ POV the whole time because I thought Achilles would die. But no of course he wouldn’t kill Hector unless he did anything to him. And he killed his true love. Patroclus’ last thought was Achilles. Even when he cared for Briseis, he still thought about Achilles even though he was becoming arrogant and completely different from the boy he knew. UGH ACHILLES! Stop letting your stupid pride in the way. We know that Achilles would die but honestly it was at the loss of so many others so that is karma. Maybe he will have the realization that he was being stupid. Or not. Let us see. (hide spoiler)]

[Ilsen]

Until the end

(view spoiler)[ Those last three chapters were the most beautiful chapters. Even though Patroclus is dead physically, his voice is still alive as it takes a while for him to fully rest. Achilles is on the hunt for Hector and he finds no more will to live after he finds out Patroclus’ death. He realized the error of his ways but way too late. In return, he didn’t care about honor.

In a way, it is Thetis’ own fault for making honor and glory such a big deal. And Patroclus was right. Yea he got glory for killing a lot of people and is that really glory? Patroclus remembered him for all the good deeds he had done and that’s what makes people honor and respect him. Pyrrhus was feared but he died quickly because he showed no remorse for anyone. Thetis realized that Achilles having humanity was better and then had Patroclus and Achilles reunited in the underworld. It was beautiful. Although very tragic as well. (hide spoiler)]

I will not start Circe until you are finished with this and plus I really want to discuss with you further so don’t worry about the schedule! I’ll just change the dates.

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Ilsen wrote: " Until the end

Those last three chapters were the most beautiful chapters. Even though Patroclus is dead physically, his voice is still alive as it takes a while for him to fully rest. Achilles ..."

Oh man, I am so sorry! It just got ahead of me. I got to page 48 last night, and I plan to read a good chunk today so I can start discussing some of your posts with you.

[Ilsen]

Oh don’t worry about it! Just take the time you need! I would still love to discuss. There’s also other discussion questions that they have that we can do as well!

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Excellent! I hope the kindle also has the discussion questions lol. I am really enjoying it so far.

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Ilsen wrote: " Until Chapter 6

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I feel so bad for Patroclus' right now with the complete isolation not just from his familiar world but also the new world he is in. The friendship is cute and I am thrilled he now has someone he can connect with. I don't really know why, but I felt just vaguely cringey at the eye flirting lol. Probably because I thought they were still 6 and I thought of it as flirting (I read too much haha).


I am definitely intrigued on how its going to build. I know the end, with the war against Troy, but of course we didn't get the between and I feel like their relationship is going to be lovely. Even if it is super awkward at this point.


One thing I was confused about is how Achilles doesn't mention that he only has one weakness. Did his mother not mention that or is it self preservation? I don't remember if he knew in the mythos. (hide spoiler)]

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Ilsen wrote: "It’s ok. I’m also really behind as well. I just got to Chapter 12. I’m hoping to get as much as I can today before I have to do chores.

Until Chapter 12

So much has happened since Chapter 6. I..."

(view spoiler)[ I don't have a whole lot to say about the first part of this section. I do like how the story is progressing quickly and there isn't a whole lot of filler.

Patroclus and Achilles as a couple is so adorable. I thought their coupling was beautiful and done really well. I can't stand Achilles mother. She is so aggravating and a little scary.

I was disappointed that the boys life with Chiron was over. I just wanted to stay there with them forever xD.


I hate wars, they always tear apart relationships. Thetis is the worst! I still am shocked that Achilles believes anything she says...but maternal love I guess. I can't stand Deidameia, I hate this whole story arc. lol. I agree that I really want to know what happens next. I can't see how this won't change the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles, but we shall see. I do think they have such a strong bond though.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ilsen]

Wow I am so sorry. I have been so busy with everything but I still want to know your thoughts!

(view spoiler)[ OMG ME TOO. When they were doing the flirting, I was like “WAIT HUH” but then I realized they were older and I’m like “Oh ok but still”. They do have such a strong bond. I love their relationship.

His mom just gets worse unfortunately. And Deidameia is just so annoying ugh I couldn’t stand her. But I feel bad for Lycomedes. (hide spoiler)]

[Jacqueline (Fall In Love With The Sound of Words)]

Ilsen, so sorry I never finished this book!! I'm a terrible buddy reader apparently. I lost complete interest in it and haven't picked it back up. Every time I thought to say something I would get sidetracked. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize.

[Ilsen]

Oh no it’s ok. I’m sorry that the book bored you so much. It’s ok. I’ve been very busy as well but I hope you’re reading something good!