Book 27/30.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In ancient Greece, during the legendary age of heroes, Patroclus finds himself far from home after being exiled to Phthia. An unremarkable young prince, he has little place in this new kingdom, where he exists in the shadow of its powerful ruler, King Peleus, and Peleus’s extraordinary son, Achilles.
Achilles is everything Patroclus is not. Celebrated as the greatest warrior among the Greeks, he possesses remarkable strength and beauty and carries the blood of a goddess. Their lives should have remained entirely separate, but Achilles unexpectedly chooses to take Patroclus into his care. What begins as an uncertain relationship gradually develops into a genuine and enduring friendship. As the two boys become men, they train in both warfare and medicine, growing increasingly devoted to one another. Their friendship eventually becomes a profound love, though Achilles’s mother, Thetis, strongly opposes their relationship. A powerful and merciless sea goddess, she despises mortals and sees Patroclus as unworthy of her divine son.
Yet Achilles cannot escape the destiny that awaits him. When Helen of Sparta is taken away, the Greek kings and warriors gather to launch an assault against Troy in an effort to bring her back. Drawn by the possibility of earning eternal glory, Achilles decides to join the campaign. Patroclus, frightened by what the war might cost but unwilling to abandon the person he loves, goes with him. Neither of them can foresee how profoundly the years at Troy will change them or how severely war will challenge everything they believe in and cherish. Ultimately, Patroclus will have to face the fate he has feared most: losing Achilles to a destiny neither of them can escape.
I have had The Song of Achilles – and Circe – on my radar for a verrrrryyy long time, so I was so soo sooo excited to finally read this!!! I was certain I was going to LOVE it, so imagine my disappointment when it ended up being an average 3-star read 😫
It was not a bad book by any means. The writing was beautiful, and the worldbuilding was world-class. My main problem was that I expected more action but got more romance instead, and when the main action finally starts on page 300 (of 352), it was too little, too late for me. I can appreciate what Madeline Miller was trying to do, but ultimately, it just was not the reading experience I was expecting.
PS: This was the first book I bought in Europe, specifically in Tarragona, Spain. The other contenders for “Tarragona book” were Project Hail Mary, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and The Wedding People, but I ultimately settled on The Song of Achilles because it is the one I have wanted to read for the longest.
** A guide to ratings **
1 star – did not like it
2 stars – it was okay
3 stars – liked it
4 stars – really liked it
5 stars – it was amazing