Each author
writes their story from one or two point of views, which means that
these change in the course of the book. But it works very well, here
perhaps even more seamlessly than in the other two previous novels,
or maybe it’s just that I’ve gotten used to this method.
We see the
Trojan war and the events that led to it through the eyes of several
characters, both Trojan and Achaean; kings, princesses, slaves,
warriors… The situation lends itself to delicious drama and
conflict. There are battles, there is betrayal, there is love; some
seek honour, some vengeance, some victory... One of the central
themes is honour and hubris, and the utter senselessness of war. The
characters sacrifice so much, or even everything, but what do they
win?
It would be
hard to choose a favourite among these stories, so I’ll just say a
few words about each.
Kate Quinn:
The Apple. The story that begins the novel is told by Hellenus,
half-brother of Hector and Paris, and Andromache, Hector’s young
wife. Both suffer from feelings of not quite fitting in, which makes
them endearing characters. Their tale of the wedding of Odysseus and
Penelope introduces us to many of the key characters. The beginning
may not be as dramatic as the later parts, but Quinn is an
experienced author and that shows; the story gripped me right from
the start. I loved the humour and I really cared about Andromache
and Hellenus.
Stephanie
Thornton: The Prophesy. This part is told by Priam’s daughter,
Cassandra. As she is often known as a mad prophet, it was clear that
this part must have been a challenge to write. On one hand, it is a
truly fascinating perspective, dark and intense, but on the other
hand, you don’t want the character to appear so insane as to
alienate readers. Stephanie Thornton handles this with enviable
skill: you don’t only understand Cassandra, but her descent to
madness is so real and relatable it’s almost scary.
Russell
Whitfield: The Sacrifice. This part is told from the perspective of
Agamemnon, a king weary of the war and the world, tormented by his
guilt and his grief. It is gritty and tragic, and if, by the end, I
did not quite like or admire Agamemnon, I certainly pitied him.
Christian
Cameron: The Duel. Once a queen, now a slave, Briseis finds herself
becoming the lover of the legendary Achilles – and taking the place
of his chariot driver. I couldn’t quite get into this story at
first, but when I did… what a ride! The story gains momentum as it
hurtles towards its poignant, tragic end.
Libbie
Hawker: The Bow. This part has two narrators: Penthesilea, a fierce
amazon, determined to seek honour and death, and Philoctetes, an old,
crippled warrior, hopelessly in love with Achilles. I fell in love
with both. Add to that the lovely language, the haunting and
beautiful imagery… I wanted more! I have actually read one novel by
Libbie Hawker before, but this story definitely convinced me to check
out her other work.
Vicky
Alvear Shecter: The Horse. This part has one of the most well-known
narrators in the collection: Odysseus. There’s quite a lot of
humour in this account of the wily trickster, but underneath it runs
desperation. The war is dragging on. Someone should do
something. Which is more valiant, fighting on (and on and on) or
using any means to end the conflict?
S.J.A.
Turney: The Fall. The end is seen through the eyes of Aeneas, which
is fitting in many ways. Even when Troy falls, all the threads of the
narrative are woven together. There is tragedy and so much sorrow,
yet there is also hope of a new beginning.
All in all,
I enjoyed “A Song of War” immensely. The story is literally
legendary and very familiar – from other books, movies, TV shows…
but even though I knew what would eventually happen, I never really wanted to put the
book down.
