This review might be my most extended one yet, because, somehow, this book managed to surface many opinions I had no clue I had. 

I know so very little about Ancient Greece and Greek Mythology. I read the Iliad nearly 15/16 years ago and can barely remember one dang thing. I say this first in my review because it will not contain anything about the accuracy or deviation from all the other texts and stories about this topic. Additionally, (and unfortunately), I mostly know about 3000 years ago in Greece by watching Troy when I was a teenager and only thinking, thank goodness I don't live in that time because it seems pretty awful to be a woman. 

This novel is the critical story of Achilles and Patroclus, a well-needed perspective. I appreciated Miller writing about their love. It was a refreshing coming-of-age story that I think needed to be highlighted. I enjoyed how readable this book was and how Miller included great details, whether on the landscape, the characters, or the war. 

With that said, I must admit, the story felt too Young Adult for me. Even if this isn't classified as Young Adult, I think it felt a bit immature. The story is told from Patroclus' perspective, and I will say, to me, it read like a 16-year-old's diary of a completely infatuated and passionate human being in love with someone - at least for the first half or so. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Miller made it beautiful and captured what it can be like for young people to go through a passionate romance. Honestly, Patroclus truly seemed to be there for the pleasure of Achilles and nothing more - always on the move to be with him, always trying to save him, always doing whatever Achilles did and wanted. But maybe that happens when you write about 16-year-olds falling for one another. My perspective on this changed slightly near the end because war makes characters grow up a bit (plus, they literally grew older), but it was still confusing throughout much of the novel. 

Now, Patroclus did end up being my favorite character. I love it when characters veer off the tracks of what we think about in typical literature - Patroclus is emotional and passionate. He dislikes violence and never considered being a soldier/warrior. A violent past breaks him, and he likely wishes to escape. Achilles notes Patroclus well in the beginning: when Peleus asks why Achilles chose Patroclus to be his companion, he responds: "he's surprising." That's how I felt about Patroclus, especially near the end. It was lovely.

Overall I think Miller did a good job with the novel, but didn't necessarily "stick" with me. I genuinely liked the portrayal of Achilles and Patroclus in this version - leaning into the rumors of their relationship for millennia and highlighting what likely happened. I appreciated some beautiful quotes about love, but overall this didn't move me as much as anticipated. I loved Achilles and Patroclus's love story, yet found myself so bored in the war or Greek strategy scenes. Therefore, I can't rate this higher even though I really wanted to.