Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Not Quite the Illiad

Wicked Beauty, the 3rd novel in Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series, essentially rewrites Homeric epic poetry in a fun way. 

We have 3 narrators here. Helen (here, Perseus' sister, son of the former Zeus), Achilles (who in this is an orphan, raised in Hera's orphanage), and Patrocles (here the beloved son of of two lesbians who left Olympian politics to protect their family.) At the start, we learn the previous Ares has died, and Athena is running the trials to replace him. Zeus sweetens the pot by giving Helen's hand in marriage to whomever wins the trials. 

Helen isn't pleased by the latter, and enters the trials herself to retain her autonomy. Which sets her in opposition to Achilles, who is second in command to Athena, and his lover Patrocles.  Well, except for the fact that Achilles is so convinced of his own path to the title, that he really has no beefs with Helen. Helen, it seems, knew Patrocles as a child. 

As the trials begin, Achilles and Patrocles and Helen form a triad relationship, which amazingly allows for the two men to continue to have sex with each other as well as her. (In what bits of this style of writing I've read, two men generally won't touch each other once a woman gets involved. Not the case here.) 

One of the better parts comes from the revelation of what a jackass Paris is. Indeed, during his prior to the narrative romance with Helen, he spent most of his time destroying her self esteem. 

Honestly, even if this series seriously deviates from the source material, it has grown on me. I find myself amused by what the author can come up with to reimagine characters and stories. I do hope we eventually get a book focused on Hermes and Dionysis, since they remain the two most fun characters supporting the narratives.

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