mat_tobin's review against another edition
4.0
I found this to be an excellent retelling of Homer's epic poem. Cross does not just choose to recap main events but covers the relationships and the reasoning behind many of the actions that the characters take. In previous versions, writers have shied away from other members of the story, generally focusing on key players and their actions but in this version, the author weaves a carefully thought-out story, choosing to keep in the minor players and sharing the sadness and conflict that they felt and saw throughout the war. I also thought that the gods were written well too.
The highlight though is Neil Packer's illustrations. He claims that Cross' writing made the job of illustrating the book easy (it's a lovely, chunky size) but I'd argue that his whole-page illustrations do more than enough to hold their own with their bold colouring and characters whose poses and positioning are echoes of the same characters to be found on Ancient Greek pottery. I would hope that these stories, some of our oldest and best, are shared with children.
The highlight though is Neil Packer's illustrations. He claims that Cross' writing made the job of illustrating the book easy (it's a lovely, chunky size) but I'd argue that his whole-page illustrations do more than enough to hold their own with their bold colouring and characters whose poses and positioning are echoes of the same characters to be found on Ancient Greek pottery. I would hope that these stories, some of our oldest and best, are shared with children.
nicolec417's review against another edition
4.0
Another great read-aloud. I love these retellings and the artwork.
auntie_em's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
angryredpanda's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
junkyardigan's review against another edition
3.0
this is basically a chapter book with pictures and the pictures are so dream-like. I really like this author because they also wrote a version of the Odysseus in this style. this story is not interesting though, it's just a lot of blood and gore.
hotgurlzee's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun retelling of Homer’s The Iliad. It definitely was more accessible than the actual translation especially for uncultured people like me lol
bookishzee's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun retelling of Homer’s The Iliad. It definitely was more accessible than the actual translation especially for uncultured people like me lol
ursulamonarch's review against another edition
3.0
This format STILL felt a little tedious to me in the battle segments! The illustrations weren't my style, but they were interesting.
mat_tobin's review
4.0
I found this to be an excellent retelling of Homer's epic poem. Cross does not just choose to recap main events but covers the relationships and the reasoning behind many of the actions that the characters take. In previous versions, writers have shied away from other members of the story, generally focusing on key players and their actions but in this version, the author weaves a carefully thought-out story, choosing to keep in the minor players and sharing the sadness and conflict that they felt and saw throughout the war. I also thought that the gods were written well too.
The highlight though is Neil Packer's illustrations. He claims that Cross' writing made the job of illustrating the book easy (it's a lovely, chunky size) but I'd argue that his whole-page illustrations do more than enough to hold their own with their bold colouring and characters whose poses and positioning are echoes of the same characters to be found on Ancient Greek pottery. I would hope that these stories, some of our oldest and best, are shared with children.
The highlight though is Neil Packer's illustrations. He claims that Cross' writing made the job of illustrating the book easy (it's a lovely, chunky size) but I'd argue that his whole-page illustrations do more than enough to hold their own with their bold colouring and characters whose poses and positioning are echoes of the same characters to be found on Ancient Greek pottery. I would hope that these stories, some of our oldest and best, are shared with children.