The Song of Achilles A Novel
by Madeline Miller
more Literary & Historical Fiction →Miller's debut reframes Achilles and Patroclus's bond as the emotional center of the Trojan War, not a footnote to it; it's mythology retelling built entirely around one relationship, and it's become one of the most-recommended introductions to the genre for exactly that reason.
why track this in moth
Pairs naturally with Circe for a two-book mini-deep-dive into Miller's take on Greek myth; Moth's library makes the connection easy to track.
Book facts
- Genre
- Fiction, Historical
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- August 28, 2012
- Pages
- 416
- Reading time
- 8 hr 16 min · ~20 nights at 25 min/day in Moth
- ISBN
- 9780062060624
- Language
- en
Publisher's summary
Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.
They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.
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