July BotM - Song of Achilles

[Brittany]

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.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.


Who's reading this one?

[Brittany]

This is one I have wanted to read for awhile so I will try to fit it in during July

[Jo]

Ooh I'm definitely in for this one, I think I'll do it as my July audiobook :)

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

I love this book! I wont join in this time since I just read it last summer, but I will jump into the discussion here and there! I hope everyone enjoys it! It was amazing!

[Jo]

Annoyingly, the audiobook doesn't seem to be available on Audible anymore, and I have too many e-books on the go already so I may not be able to read it this month after all. I'll check back later in the month to see if it's been re-added again.

[Brittany]

That's strange Jo! It's still there for my audible? I checked but it isnt on sale on Chirp or I would have recommended that.
My library didn't have the audio so I'm reading the ebook. It will be next up for me after the one I'm reading

[Kayleigh {K-Books}, YA Fantasy Fan]

I've just got this book so I am definitely in.

[Jo]

Brittany wrote: "That's strange Jo! It's still there for my audible? I checked but it isnt on sale on Chirp or I would have recommended that.
My library didn't have the audio so I'm reading the ebook. It will be ne..."

Maybe it's a UK thing? It's so weird because I checked I think last week and it was there then? Not sure what's happened but it's definitely not available on UK Audible now.

[Brittany]

Super weird! Its there on .ca, I never understand why they do things like that.

Yay Kay!

[Jo]

Some rights based issue I'd assume, maybe they only had it the UK for a certain amount of time? Still super annoying!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Oh no, that suck Jo! Do you have library near by where you can borrow it from?

[Jo]

I do have a library nearby but I don't tend to read more than one physical book at once and I'm currently reading Sorcery of Thorns. I might check there to see if they have it after I'm done, but it probably won't be this month.

[Brittany]

I'm reading this finally now. I'm about halfway through chapter 8. I like that it is from Patroclus' POV, neat to see the story from a different view point. (view spoiler)[ Can you imagine what it would be like to all of a sudden have a Centaur in front of you telling you to get on his back? (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

The Song of Achilles has been added to UK Audible again, so I think I'll check it out once I finish The Alice Network!

[Brittany]

Yay that it came back!

[Jo]

Yeah I don't know what happened there, but at least it's back now! I only have 3 hours left of The Alice Network, so I think I should finish that one next week and then I'll be able to start this.

[Brittany]

Sounds great!

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

I loved Patroclus! Going into it, I though it was going to be in the POV of Achilles, but the Patroclus POV actually made a lot of sense. Following him was great!

[Brittany]

I knew it was in his POV, partly what made me so intrigued by this retelling
I'm not blown away by it but I am enjoying it. About 40% of the way done, middle of chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ had the Deidameia plot line where she is now Achilles' wife and pregnant with his child and all that. Thetis and her scheming, hiding Achilles away from the war since it is not yet the right time. (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

Just started this, made it up to chapter six today. (view spoiler)[ I'm not sure how I feel about the narrator? His performance feels a little flat to me, though I'm not sure if that's just an unfair comparison coming off The Alice Network where Saskia Maarleveld was just so good. Anyway, it's been a fairly slow burn starter, we've had the whole winning the hand of Helen, and all the men pledging allegiance to Menelaus bit, Patroclus has been exiled for killing someone and has come to live with Achilles and his father and the boys friendship has started to blossom. I have to admit both Patroclus and Achilles are feeling kind of flat to me right now, I'm hoping that will improve as the book goes on. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Brittany]

Jo I get what you are saying about the characters being a little flat at that point. In my opinion it got better

Finished this today and I gave it 5 stars I may change it to 4 yet its somewhere in the middle for me.
(view spoiler)[ I loved the way that Achilles and all of his negative attributes were not taken away from. He totally could have saved everyone if he could only have swallowed his pride. Instead his fame being intact was more important and he lost everything that mattered.
I loved how Patroclus tried to save as many of the women as he could. I will always think that Briseis deserved so much more but their friendship was lovely.
I also appreciated Thetis coming to the tomb at the end and hearing about how her son really was before all the war. And that she was the one to help Patroclus return to Achilles side in the underworld. (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

I'm glad to hear that they improve!

[Brittany]

Oh for sure. I found that it was only alright until about half way. And Achilles is not a likeable character in a lot of ways but I thought that too was well done.

[Jo]

Up to Chapter Ten. (view spoiler)[ So Achilles went off to train with Chiron and Patroclus followed him there. We've skipped a lot of time in the last few chapters, we've gone forward about five years now, so they're now fifteen. I don't mind a time jump but there have been like 3 in the past three chapters alone, which is quite a lot. I generally like to settle into one time for at least a few chapters before we skip ahead! Anyway, Achilles' mother Thetis is none too keen on Patroclus, and sent him to Chiron to split them up, but Patroclus followed him there. It seems like she's definitely going to cause some trouble for the two of them in future. It's also pretty clear that Patroclus has feelings for Achilles, he tried to kiss him before he got sent away. Thetis also told him he's going to die, which I mean if you know Greek mythology, that's not really a big spoiler! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it Brittany! (view spoiler)[Achilles was such a frustrating character. It was insane how much he prioritized his fame over anything else. But Patroclus was such a sweet character. The ending when he's stuck at the tomb... I was mess. I'm glad Thetis came through for the guy after everything she did. The thing about this book, as a huge fan of mythology, I already knew the story and knew where this book was headed, but that ending still got me in the feels regardless. (hide spoiler)]

[Brittany]

Lili (view spoiler)[ I loved that the author kept Achilles so fame obsessed though even as it frustrated me. Didn't try to make him a flawless hero or anything like that. He was a kid used to getting everything he wanted.
I too knew where the story was going and was yelling at Patroclus in my head to just turn around and go back. (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

Okay up to Chapter 13: (view spoiler)[ So Patroclus and Achilles have got together but they were brought back from Chiron to Peleus because of the Trojan War breaking out. No real war action yet, but the seeds have definitely been sown. Thetis stole Achilles away from the palace and hid him on an island, where she married him off to a princess, who is now expecting his child. Patroclus found him though and they've been reunited. Honestly it still feels like we're kind of treading water here, I'm still waiting for the real action to start. Also this narrator's female voices are terrible! I still do feel that Achilles is kind of flat, but I'm finding that I can root for his and Patroclus' relationship which I think is the main thing. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

Up to Chapter 16. (view spoiler)[ I hope things are starting to pick up now. Achilles and Patroclus have been found by Odysseus and after he tricked Achilles into revealing himself, he basically forced him into joining the Trojan War by telling him that if he didn't, he would lose all of his great strength and ability. Patroclus of course has followed along with him. Thetis revealed that Achilles will die in this war if he kills Hector, so Patroclus is bound and determined to ensure that doesn't happen.

Also what is it with the books I'm reading lately and rape scenes? Daedamia forces Patroclus to have sex with her because she's upset that Achilles doesn't love her? WHY WAS THIS BIT NECESSARY? Not to mention Achilles was forced into having sex with her in the first place by his mother. That whole bit kind of just left a sour taste in my mouth. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Brittany]

Jo (view spoiler)[ The scene with Daedamia and Patroclus wasn't really necessary in my opinion either. The rape in general was a thing that happened. A lot. And remember you are going into the war part of the story. Not sure how well you know the myths. There is nothing overly graphic though and for the most part I thought all those kinds of parts were well done.

I love how Odysseus tricks Achilles. That was beautifully done. (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

Brittany: (view spoiler)[ I know it was, I just reckon she could probably have left that bit out, it didn't really seem necessary to the story. I know the Greek myths fairly well, I was a bit of a mythology buff as a kid, and I listen to a Myths Podcast which covered the Trojan War a while back, so I definitely know what's coming in the next part of the story. It wasn't really a slam on the book, more a frustration that I've read so many books with sexual assault scenes this year: Lore, The Alice Network, The Rose Code, The Silvered Serpents, The Poppy War, most of the books I've read this year actually have had some kind of sexual assault in them and I know it's something that happens but I do find it quite hard to read (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Brittany]

Oh completely fair I get that and I agree! And that would be frustrating with having read so many like that this year. Awesome about the myth buff :) Is the podcast called Myths? Sounds like fun

[Jo]

It's called Myths and Legends, the guy who does it is called Jason Weiser and he's really good, it covers a really wide range of different myths and legends from around the world, it's not just Greek mythology, he's done Norse, Irish, Arthurian, Italian, Indian, Japanese.....you name it, it's probably there!

[Brittany]

That sounds fabulous! Ill have to look at it

[Jo]

Hope you enjoy!

[Jo]

Up to Chapter 22: (view spoiler)[ So the Trojan War has finally properly begun! Iphigenia's sacrifice was brutal to read even though I knew it was coming. I actually didn't realise she was brought under the pretence of marrying Achilles, so that's a new detail from the myths for me. The Greek Army has arrived in Troy, and have started looting villages, with Patroclus and Achilles taking in the girls "won as prizes", in order to avoid the other men raping them (this sounds noble at this point, but I'm sure it probably wasn't in the original tale!). I'm actually reading This Poison Heart at the minute, and I had no idea till reading this that this was where the name Briseis came from! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

Chapter 24: (view spoiler)[ There've been a lot of false starts in this war, first we had the shooting coming into Troy, then the raiding, and now the war proper has started, after of course, the Greek attempts for negotiation failed. Patroclus has had to start fighting for the Greek army, which he's none too happy about, though he did have more success as a medic. Achilles has been dreaming about killing Hector.....a bad omen? Definitely! We've had another time skip, so I think two years of the war have passed now. These time jumps are definitely a bit clumsy, it's hard to keep track of where we are! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Oooh I used to listen to Myths and Legends all the time! Really well done podcast! I did stop listening to it though. No real reason. I just listen to a bunch of podcasts as it is. Lol.

Jo wrote: "Up to Chapter 22: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I think you're right that Patroclus saving the girls probably wasn't in the OG story... although to be fair I have not read the original text so I have no clue. Lol. But I really liked that this was added to this story. (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

I kind of dip in and out of it, it's not one I necessarily listen to every week because I also listen to a lot of podcasts and I tend to dive in on the mythologies that I'm more familiar with (Greek, Arthurian, Robin Hood etc) but I always enjoy it.

As for Chapter 22: (view spoiler)[ I've not read the OG text either, I just assume because Greek myths usually involve a LOT of misogyny! It was definitely a nice addition though. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

Up to Chapter 28. (view spoiler)[ So Agamemnon took a priest's daughter as one of his war "prizes" *massive eyeroll* and refused to let her go when her father came for her. It turns out that she was a priestess of Apollo, so they angered Apollo and brought a plague on the camp. In order to end the plague, Agamemnon had to send the girl home but he demanded Briseis in exchange as he felt that Achilles had harmed his honour. They got in a big fight, both of them believing that the other had disrespected them and Achilles ended up refusing to fight for the Greeks anymore. He also basically got his mother to ensure that the gods would make the Greeks lose the war. And he sent Briseis to Agamemnon in the hopes that he would rape her and thus bring the wrath of the gods on him as she "belonged" to Achilles. Patroclus went behind Achilles back to ensure that he wouldn't do this and told Agamemnon of his plan. They seem to be okay, but I wonder if this will come back to haunt Patroclus. Achilles in the last few chapters is the definition of male privilege, and I don't think Patroclus will easily forget how he threw Briseis under the bus as they seem to have become friends. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

Up to Chapter 29: (view spoiler)[ So Achilles still refuses to fight for the Greeks. Menelaus took on Paris in a duel and lost, and now the Trojans are on the verge of invading the Greek camp. Patroclus wanted to help Briseis escape but she decided to stay in the camp, as she wants to be taken in by the Trojans and Patroclus promised not to leave her. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Jo]

So I finished. Final thoughts: (view spoiler)[ Honestly slightly underwhelmed. I didn't really feel the emotional weight when Patroclus died, like obviously it was sad, but I don't think I had enough connection with either him or Achilles to really care. It also felt like the story carried on past it's natural endpoint, though I loved the final scene with Patroclus and Achilles meeting in the underworld, I felt like maybe that should have come 1 or 2 chapters earlier, basically everything from Chapter 31 to the very end of Chapter 33 felt kind of anti-climactic. Also feels like kind of an oversight that ACHILLES

I'm glad I read it, but overall I definitely think I preferred Circe to this. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Elena]

I'm going to start reading this book today! :)

[Liliana, YA Paranormal Lover]

Oooh I hope you enjoy it, Elena!

[Brittany]

Sounds good! Looking forward to what you think of it

[Jo]

Hope you enjoy, Elena!

[Elena]

I'm about 50% into the book. I know the original story and this one is also good. Love the narration. So personal, which is perfect for the story.