Carosella has brought to life an entirely new take on the Helen myth. She has embraced a Helen who takes control of her life and tries to defy fate (and the gods do their darndest, as usual in Greek mythology, to make her and everyone else miserable). In the process she has created an engaging novel. She richly develops the jealousies, passions and loyalties of her characters, as well as bringing the reader directly into the ancient Greek world. I enjoyed the sense of interconnectedness between different parts of this Greek and Mediterranean world that she develops, Troy, Sparta, Egypt, Mycenae, Athens—completely accurate and it adds depth to her portrayal of this exotic world. This is not the Helen Homer shows us, although he’s a bit coy about Helen, so maybe he’s just covering her tracks. I can appreciate a flexible view of all the legendary mythology of the ancient world, and Carosella has flexed some impressive muscle.
Buy Helen of Sparta at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore
