His heel wasn’t his only weakness

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles is a retelling of the classic story of Achilles and the Great Trojan War with a more detailed description and a focus on the friendship and romance between Achilles and Patroclus. It gives readers a fantasy perspective of how their lives might’ve been before all of the conflicts that eventually cost them both their lives.

The book is told from the perspective of Patroclus and lets readers see what exactly it is that is going on and how he sees it as opposed to just the average recounting of the story. With this, the author creates a story full of emotion that anyone who reads it can understand and or relate to. 

One of my favorite parts about this book is that it creates a narrative that goes outside of what most Historical Fiction does and makes the characters more than what they were originally written to be and doesn’t just shove them into the category of “best friends” when they are lovers. This representation makes it a more fulfilling read, especially for those in the LGBTQ+ community because it serves as a reminder that queer people aren’t a recent thing and that they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Patroclus’ dedication and devotion to Achilles as the first person to  see him for himself and respect him as such is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. He would do anything to see Achilles happy even if his own happiness has to be sacrificed in the process.

Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who love tragic romances.  Madeline Miller did an excellent job making this story thrilling and interesting. In my opinion, this book is absolutely fantastic and definitely worth a read.