gilda_elise

Helen’s Judgement tells the epic story of Greek mythology’s most scapegoated Helen of Troy.

Haunted by her decision to leave her child behind when she fled her unhappy marriage, Helen seeks to build a new life in Troy with her lover, Paris. She yearns to recreate the childhood family she lost when she married Menelaus, but her outraged husband vows to regain her by force, at the head of a vast army.

Facing hostility from all sides, Helen must decide where her loyalty—and her safety—lies.

At first thought, a reader might think that a book about Helen would be more interesting than a book about her sister, Clytemnestra. After all, the entire Trojan War centers on Helen and the decisions she made. But that didn’t turn out to be the case.

While Clytemnestra’s life was filled with tragedy, Helen, until her affair with Paris, lives a rather sedate life. Even with the author adding to Helen’s life (there’s really very little actually written about the woman,) she’s remains something of a cypher. Her reasons for leaving with Paris, who comes off even more shallow than Helen, aren’t very good ones. I was completely surprised by the change from what actually has been written about her.

The parts of the book that switch to Achilles’ POV are only slightly better, as he’s only a slightly better person. Rather petulant, he brings about his own tragedies. Usually I’m more moved by the death of Patroclus, but here it was given rather short shrift.

The books are advertised as a trilogy, so I’m hoping that the rest of Clytemnestra’s story will be told. Unless that, too, is radically changed, Agamemnon is in for a surprise.