malloray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Slavery, Misogyny, Gore, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
odette_tbdk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Tengo sentimientos encontrados con este libro, por una parte me pareció muy emocional y profunda la relación que tenían Aquiles y Patroclo, pero el ritmo de la historia no me convenció del todo. Hacia el final del libro el ritmo fluyó muy bien, pero el principio es difícil de continuar, la vida de Patroclo de niño y en sí todo el proceso que les lleva a la guerra de Troya es bastante lento y tedioso. Pero aún así, me hizo sentir muchas cosas y también me enseñó de mitología (cabe aclarar que yo no sé nada de estos temas), así que sería injusto darle mala calificación por eso.
Me faltaron personajes femeninos que no giraran en torno a los protagonistas, pero eso ya no es culpa de la autora, simplemente no hay muchos porque así es la mitología. Cuando lea Circe tendré lo que me faltó aquí.
En general, un libro muy triste cargado de mitología y de referencias muy extensas a los ornamentos, política y costumbres de la época. Tedioso a ratos pero al final te deja con un buen sabor de boca (en parte). Buena lectura.
Me faltaron personajes femeninos que no giraran en torno a los protagonistas, pero eso ya no es culpa de la autora, simplemente no hay muchos porque así es la mitología. Cuando lea Circe tendré lo que me faltó aquí.
En general, un libro muy triste cargado de mitología y de referencias muy extensas a los ornamentos, política y costumbres de la época. Tedioso a ratos pero al final te deja con un buen sabor de boca (en parte). Buena lectura.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Grief, War, Child death, Medical content, Violence, Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Slavery, Xenophobia, Sexism, Death, Genocide, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Torture, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Animal death
turtleraces's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, War, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
cturn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Death, Slavery, Genocide, Grief, Violence, Infidelity, and War
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, and Medical content
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I don’t know why I haven’t read this book before now! It was so good! The thought of a book about the Trojan War having such a pure and genuine love story in it and it has nothing to do with Helen, makes me so happy. I just love this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Murder, Medical content, Violence, Pregnancy, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, War, Slavery, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Grief
art3m1sxx's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Gore, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and War
thaliareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As a Percy Jackson kid, I had a feeling I would really enjoy this book and I was correct. It was an interesting retelling of Achilles life as experienced by Patroclus. It was a brilliant reimagining of the Iliad and had my attention throughout the entirety of the novel. It was heart wrenching and heart breaking but ultimately worth every ounce of pain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence and Slavery
I'm behind on reviews and it's been a few weeks since I read the book so I likely missed a couple of content warnings.pigeongreen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a beautiful story that expounds on the classic Greek mythology that most of us are somewhat familiar with. We experience the depth of joy, grief, loss, and anger with the characters, and fall in love with the lovers. Dialogue is purposefully sparse and formal, supporting the rich character development via the narrator, Patroclus. We see through his eyes and hear his thoughts and feelings, relating to other characters through him. A must read. Tragic and gorgeous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Gore, Grief, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
_sfaye_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
im crying !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
ahakuutti's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Rant incoming because there's really no other words to describe what a let down this book was and how overhyped it is. For a retelling this hyped and applauded I expected more nuance and depth than a self-indulgent and sad gay boy slash fanfic I ended up reading.
This book gave me nostalgia for old BL/mlm tropes where the main character has no personality so the female readers can self insert themselves to him more easily and the main love interest is still somehow really interested in the main character even though he has the personality of a dry rag and is overall really passive. I start to have problems with this set-up only when the writer also adds their internalized misogyny by making all the female characters obstacles and those who bring conflict against the main gay couple. This is what this book is.
I never understood what Patroclus saw in Achilles except blind adoration and what Achilles saw in Patroclus making their relationship seem extremely vapid and surface level. They're both flat cardboards who suddendly gain a personality when the original myths demand it to make the events happen and all the more nuanced and complicated characters are either women who get pushed to the sidelines, killed or made antagonistic or the other guys in the army against Troy who're also often untrustworthy or kill and rape (which our gay boys don't do because they're perfect gay boys).
I'm usually fine if retellings change some things but there has to be a certain purpose behind it; if the author decides to take out all the rape, grey morality and violence the main character's originally had but instead makes them perfect feminist gay boys and treats the few female characters like this I do think that theres some validity to criticize that.
The writing has some nice passages from time time and it's easily readable but overall I coasted through this book like in a haze and it got me out of reading slump so there's something good. My favorite moment was in the end
Last point and this might be more of a nitpick but I also found it weird that after the main characters grow up to be adults there's no more sex scenes between them whereas when they were teenagers the author before descriped them in quite explicit detail. Amongst all the bloodshed of the war them being intimate now as adults would have underlined more on their pure love compared to the rape and pillaging happening all around them.
This book gave me nostalgia for old BL/mlm tropes where the main character has no personality so the female readers can self insert themselves to him more easily and the main love interest is still somehow really interested in the main character even though he has the personality of a dry rag and is overall really passive. I start to have problems with this set-up only when the writer also adds their internalized misogyny by making all the female characters obstacles and those who bring conflict against the main gay couple. This is what this book is.
I never understood what Patroclus saw in Achilles except blind adoration and what Achilles saw in Patroclus making their relationship seem extremely vapid and surface level. They're both flat cardboards who suddendly gain a personality when the original myths demand it to make the events happen and all the more nuanced and complicated characters are either women who get pushed to the sidelines, killed or made antagonistic or the other guys in the army against Troy who're also often untrustworthy or kill and rape (which our gay boys don't do because they're perfect gay boys).
I'm usually fine if retellings change some things but there has to be a certain purpose behind it; if the author decides to take out all the rape, grey morality and violence the main character's originally had but instead makes them perfect feminist gay boys and treats the few female characters like this I do think that theres some validity to criticize that.
The writing has some nice passages from time time and it's easily readable but overall I coasted through this book like in a haze and it got me out of reading slump so there's something good. My favorite moment was in the end
Spoiler
where Thetis reminisced on her life and her desire for revenge against the man who had raped her, but still ending up to care for the boy which she birthed. It managed to summ up her feelings so succintly but beautifully and I immediately felt for her. The only time I cried during this book was for the injustice she had experienced but also the motherly love she still managed to feel for Achilles.Spoiler
Last point and this might be more of a nitpick but I also found it weird that after the main characters grow up to be adults there's no more sex scenes between them whereas when they were teenagers the author before descriped them in quite explicit detail. Amongst all the bloodshed of the war them being intimate now as adults would have underlined more on their pure love compared to the rape and pillaging happening all around them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence