Would you Chose Long Life or Eternal Glory if Given the Choice?

A Review of The Song of Sacrifice By Janell Rhiannon 

Hello 1000 Bookies.  I hope life is treating you well.  The latest book I have read is The Song of Sacrifice by Janell Rhiannon.  This is the first novel in a projected four book series revolving around the exploits of the Trojan War.  The point of view is told through the phenomenal female characters in the Greek Tragic Saga, although rest assured all your favorite male protagonists and antagonists are involved.  I loved every second of this novel. At 550 pages, it's a sizable book but an easy and quick read. The story is NOT boring. Many high school students would have rather read this version as opposed to The Iliad or The Odyssey.  

The book follows the original Homeric legend of the Trojan War with a heavy reliance on Greek Mythology,  specifically the Greek gods and goddesses of the time—You will meet all your favorites—Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, Apollo, and Hera. However, The Song of Sacrifice adds newer dimensions to the story.  The story of the Trojan War is one of the oldest stories in literature, this version, told through the Homeric legend is full of intrigue, politics, heroes, prophesies, villains and of course lots of sex.   The story seems to combine many of the fables surrounding the Trojan War 

I did not grow up with an interest in the story of the Trojan War or Greek Mythology for that matter.  I did not come in contact with the story until my sophomore year in high school when I read The Odyssey.  While the story of The Odyssey takes place after the Trojan War, I became enthralled with the story. Many authors have tackled famous events of the Trojan War—A Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a great retelling of the war.  Colleen McCullough, famous for her novels the Thornbirds and the First Man in Rome Series wrote the Song of Troy.  Many Greek authors have written versions of the characters in this melodrama.  The Oresteia tells the stories of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra and their family drama when Agamemnon returns home from Troy.  The Aeneid follows the Trojans when the survivors leave the ruins of Troy and eventually arrive to found Rome.  

The story of the Trojan War centers around Helen, who supposedly was the most beautiful woman in the world.  Helen was “the face that launched 1000 ships”. Helen was married to Menelaus, the King of Sparta, but fell in love and runs away with Paris, the handsome Prince of Troy.  Menelaus was the brother of the Great Greek King, Agamemnon. The Great King’s brother could not be shamed like this. Much like the Treaty System that lead to the outbreak of World War 1, the Greeks city-states and kingdoms were drawn into the war with Troy to reclaim Helen by treaty.  

The Song of Sacrifice tells the backstory of the war.  The story begins with the birth of Paris.  The priests and oracles prophesize that Paris will bring the ruin of Troy.  King Priam and Queen Hecuba fight over the “Lost Prince”. He is ripped from his mother given away to be killed.  What is interesting about this beginning is the story reflects almost the same beginning and prophecy from the the Greek Tragedy, Oedipus Rex.  The baby is left for dead on a mountain but is rescued by the gods to fulfill his destiny. However Hecuba never forgives Priam.  

The nymph, Thetis is the object of affection of Zeus.  However, he cannot bed her and get her with child because there is a prophecy that the child of Thetis will be greater than his father and Zeus cannot have a God greater than he.  So, she is married to a human king and eventually gives birth to Achilles. There is an additional prophecy about Achilles, he will either be king and live a long but boring life or become a warrior, die in battle but his reputation will live on forever and be sung by generations.  He must make the choice.  

The character I knew the least about and had a certain prejudice against was Clytemnestra.  In the Odyssey, Odysseus ends up in Hades and meets Agamemnon who is killed when he returns home by Clytemnestra and her lover.  I had a negative view of her, as a gold digger, power hungry woman. However, Clytemnestra married for love and Agamemnon killed her husband, killed her son and forced her to marry him.   She would eventually kill his sorry excuse for humanity. I wanted to do it. Agamemnon is always the bad guy in this story, there is never anything redeeming about him.  

I cannot wait to read the rest of this series; I enjoyed this one so much.  I recommend picking up a copy of Song of Sacrifice. This would be a fun book for the beach in the summer.  Add to your list. Keep Reading My Friends…