Review - Polyxena: A Story of Troy by H. Allenger

TITLE:    Polyxena: A Story of Troy
AUTHOR:    H. Allenger
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 400 pages
PUBLISHED:   iUniverse, 2009
ISBN#:   978-1-4401-5470-6
HOW I GOT IT:   Received from Author for Review

FROM GOODREADS:    After Troy falls, Neoptolemus claims Polyxena as his prize, but she rejects his advances. In a fit of rage, Neoptolemus contrives a story that dooms the ill-fated Polyxena. She knows what she must do to survive, but she cannot change her destiny. Polyxena, the daughter of King Priam of Troy, knows her misfortune has been to have Neoptolemus fall in love with her. As she prepares to die at the commemoration rites for Neoptolemus's father, Polyxena reflects over her past year, relating her thoughts to Aphrodite, the Goddess she believes is responsible for orchestrating the events that have beset her. As she tries to make sense of it all, Polyxena converses with all the well-known personages associated with the Trojan myth-Achilles, Agamemnon, Cassandra, Helen, and many others-while seeking solace in the hope that her existence has not been futile. In this moving story of forbidden love, a young woman who is an integral part of the romantic legacy surrounding Troy comes to a surprising and satisfying conclusion about the life she has lived.

MY TAKE:    This is the story of a young princess of Troy caught in the battle between the Trojans and the conquering Greeks.  She is the daughter of King Priam, but is in love with the infamous Greek warrior Achilles.  Theirs is a doomed romance that will have an immediate effect as well as long-term repercussions on the outcome of the war. 

This fictional tale was based upon stories of Greek history and legends.  Although the book starts out a bit slow, the pace picks up quite a bit as Polyxena begins interacting with the Amazons. She becomes a favorite of Penthesileia, Queen of the Amazons and has a love affair with the Amazon warrior Antiope. Polyxena's time with the Amazons is probably my favorite part of the book.  I would have liked to see that part of the story expanded even more, especially with the warrior training. 

There was a large cast of players in this story.  Frankly, Polyxena wasn't really one of my favorites; she annoyed me.  Part of this might have been because a male author writing in a female first person point of view is a difficult task to pull off.  Polyxena's "musings" at times made me think of those vapid song lyrics, "I'm pretty, oh so pretty..."  They were in complete contrast with the strength and intelligence she showed in her political dealings and relationships.  The self-absorption didn't ring true with her other attributes and thoughts.  It was fitting more with what a man might think a woman would think about. 

I did like many of the male characters as well as Penthesileia, Queen of the Amazons.  They were much more fleshed out and realistic feeling to me ~ especially in the roles they were given.  Agenor, Achilles and King Priam were all strong male leads with a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders.  The Queen and several other females such as Helen and Andromache were portrayed as a male might observe them and thus came across believable.

One other small issue I had was with some of the dialogue.  Our modern slang crept into this story and jumped out at me a few times.  I find it a bit hard to believe that warriors from around 1200 B.C. would use terms such as "get real" or "get over it". 

This was an enjoyable story even though there was a large dose of sadness mixed into this tale.  When I was finished I immediately got online to read a bit more about Troy and the mythology surrounding it.  I think when an author has entertained, educated and inspired me to learn more about his subject matter, he's done a good job. 

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon, The Book Depository, Powell's Books, IndieBound


 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome by Caroline Taggart

The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome

TITLE:    The Classics:  All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome

AUTHOR/EDITOR:    Caroline Taggart

INFO:    Hardback, Reference, 169 pages

PUBLISHED:   Readers Digest, 2010

ISBN#:   978-1-60652-132-8
HOW'D I GET IT:   Received from FSB Media for review

FROM GOODREADS:  The thought of ancient civilizations is enough to make anyone groan. Between long hours of tedious mathematics and years of droning Latin classes, it's no wonder that the Greek and Roman societies are most often thought of as dull subjects from school. The Classics, however, flips this long-standing opinion on its head, revealing the clever humor and impressive technological and scientific advancements made by these societies. Between the ninth century B.C. and the seventh century A.D., these great civilizations thrived, leaving behind a legacy felt in every part of the world-from language to medicine, from art to architecture.   


The Classics lets you understand the importance of...

• The Greek alphabet, from alpha to omega
• The history and characteristics that define Greek and Roman architecture and its influence on modern building
• Greek and Latin words, which make up more than 30 percent of the words in the English language, and how you can build your vocabulary by learning the roots 
• The Greek and Roman gods, the mythology surrounding them, and the part these figures play in our culture
• Almost 1,000 years of Greek and Roman history, from the birth of democracy to Caesar's empire
• The philosophies taught by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and what their ideas have contributed to the world we live in today
• How the modern cultural staples such as the Olympics were formed by classical literature, written by authors such as Homer and Cicero-what happened, what does it mean, and why is it still being read and taught today
• And much more!

This concise and witty text makes both a fascinating introduction to the world that became the foundation for Western Civilization and the perfect refresher course for the individual looking to brush up on years of schooling. The Classics puts the same information available in volumes of stuffy textbooks at your fingertips in one entertaining read, guaranteed to inform and delight.

MY TAKE:   I got a kick out of this sometimes irreverent book.  Ms. Taggart takes what can sometimes be a very, very dry subject and injects quite a bit of wit and humor into it.  She touches on things such as the roots of words in language, the greats such as Homer and Aristotle, and then pokes a bit of fun at their logic and rhetoric.  It makes for a relatively easy read and a quick source of reference.  Very informative and interesting book.
   
MY RATING:    3/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon.com

Review - The Olympic Charioteer by Helena P. Schrader

The Olympic Charioteer

TITLE: The Olympic Charioteer

AUTHOR/EDITOR: Helena P. Schrader
INFO: Paperback, Fiction, 398 pages
PUBLISHED: iUniverse, 2010
ISBN#: 978-0-595-36782-5
HOW'D I GET IT: Received from publisher for review

FROM THE COVER/PUBLISHER:  Set in archaic Greece, and based on incidents recorded in Herodotus, this is the tale of a young man's journey from tragedy to triumph - and the story of the founding of the first non-aggression pact in recorded history:  the Peloponnesian League.

Award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader has again created a novel full of rich and realistic characters while providing readers a remarkable insight into Archaic Spartan society.  Well-researched and intelligently interpolated from recorded facts, Schrader's Sparta is a refreshing change from the stereotypes in much modern literature.

MY TAKE:  I must admit it took me just a bit to get into this book.  The author was very thorough in setting up the backdrop and getting necessary information in place before continuing into the story.  BUT, once that groundwork was laid - this story moved faster than the horses pulling the chariots!

I was very impressed with the historical figures, events and places that the author wove into her saga.  The characters were very believable and several were extremely likable - making you really care about them and their fate.  Of course, I was drawn to this book initially because of the horses and the racing.  Ms. Schrader didn't disappoint on that front either.  She obviously did just as much research on the care and training of horses as she did the historical elements.

This was a very enjoyable read that I came away from feeling a little more educated and extremely satisfied.  I highly recommend this book. 

***Thank you to the author and Paula at AME for the review copy.  I was under no obligation to provide a review.  My words and opinions are 100% my own.
 
MY RATING:  4/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:  The Olympic Charioteer on Amazon.com

Happy Reading!