Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Helen of Troy (Greek mythology)
5 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Myth-O-Mania series.
In this latest series entry, narrator Hades, Greek god of the underworld, "tells it like it is" as he recounts events surrounding the Trojan War. McMullan occasionally strays from the source material, though the retelling's conceit allows for the transgressions. General silliness and humorous dialogue breathe some fresh air into these old tales.
Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo
(4)
YA
Meyer retells the origin, experience, and fall-out of the Trojan War through the eyes of Hermione, the neglected daughter of Helen of Troy. Hermione's ambivalence toward her infamous mother, her struggle to chart her own destiny, and her own troubled romantic ambitions shape the thin plot that Meyer builds around authoritative explanations of Greek myths, heroic backstories, and dynastic relationships. Bib.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(3)
YA
In this sequel to Nobody's Princess, the future Helen of Troy dresses as a boy and joins Prince Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece. Aboard the Argo, Helen faces her own challenges: hiding from her brothers, avoiding arrogant Hercules, engaging in sword fights, and coping with a friend's death. Friesner's Helen is a spirited young woman bent on making her own path.
Reviewer: Nancy Hull
(3)
YA
This story imagines the girlhood and young adulthood of the beautiful Helen, first of Sparta then of Troy. She grows up a warrior princess desperate for freedom but also strikingly responsible (e.g., she doesn't quest for the Golden Fleece until she knows her guards won't get in trouble). The story is a well-integrated mix of Greek mythology and the author's imagination.
Reviewer: Amelia Cass
(3)
YA
A hostage in ancient Greece, Anaxandra relies on her "goddess of yesterday" as she impersonates her foster sister, Princess Callisto, in the court of Menelaus and Helen. When Helen flees with Paris to Troy, Anaxandra is enslaved but saves Menelaus's son. The classical setting is fully and engrossingly evoked; Anaxandra is a courageous heroine, and the fast action resolves in a pleasing ending.
Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam
5 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.