Celticlady's Reading Room

Helen of Sparta, also known as Helen of Troy, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, and was a sister of Castor, Pollux, and Clytemnestra. 

In Greek myths, she is said to be the most beautiful woman in the world. 

Helen was captured by Theseus. a son of a god. They married and Helen was happy, even though she had betrayed her family to be with Theseus.

 

She was captured back by her brother's and brought home where there were many suitors for her hand in marriage, including, Ajax, Menelaus whom she despised and Odysseus to name only a few . She did marry Menelaus and was  Queen of Laconia, a province within Homeric Greece. She was abducted yet again by Paris, Prince of Troy, which brought about the Trojan War. Imagine being so beautiful that you are the cause of a war!

 

This story has so many characters that it was hard to keep track of them. I did study ancient history in high school and did read the Iliad and the Odyssey and have always loved Greek Mythology so I was kind of familiar yet with the more well known gods and goddesses. Thank goodness for the listing of who's who in the back of the book. That helped tremendously. 

 

I did not read the first book in the series so I may have missed some main parts to the story but I did enjoy reading this version of mythology. If you love historical fiction and the Bronze Age, you will love this story.