(2) YA Pleased with Cassandra's offering, Apollo gives her the gift of prophecy, but when she turns down his sexual advances, he curses her so she won't be believed. Cassandra then foretells the sack of Troy and her own enslavement and murder--a grim premise for a novel, but Levine's Cassandra never stops trying to avert the tragic future she sees. Her efforts win her a few crucial allies, including her brother Hector, a minor wind god named Eurus, and (once the Amazons side with the Trojans against the Spartans) the Amazon princess Rin. But all of Cassandra's attempts fail, even barring Paris and Helen from seeking refuge in Troy. Through a clearly evoked Aegean setting, unique customs, and certain poetic turns of phrase, Levine immerses readers in a Bronze Age society, contrasting the strictures placed around Cassandra and other Trojan women with the freedom and agency enjoyed by the Amazons, whose culture is also meticulously portrayed. Cassandra's friendship with the Amazon princess adds another intriguing strand to the narrative. Purists may object to Levine's modifications, but modern readers most interested in grrrl power won't mind. In the end, does Cassandra succeed in saving Hector from death at the hands of Achilles and the city of Troy from the wooden horse outside the gates? I could tell you--but best to read it for yourselves.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(3) YA Graves's prose recounting of the Trojan War and the fall of this ancient city is back in print in a handsome volume with a new introduction by Dan-el Padilla Peralta. With research into Homer and "various other Greek and Latin authors," Graves's narrative is nevertheless free-flowing and not burdened by the often-ponderous language of strict translations of ancient accounts.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read series. Illustrated by Dani Jones. This entry-level adaptation of the famous Greek myth geared toward beginning readers is easy to read, but its simplicity results in a bare-bones treatment. The illustrations are cartoony and somewhat uneven: King Menelaus looks appropriately grumpy and Helen both coy and sultry, but the action scenes are a bit wooden. Pronunciation guides assist readers with Greek names.

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) 4-6 Illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. Rubalcaba and Cline first discuss the myth surrounding Troy's downfall, then examine major phases of the storied city's excavation. Evolution of excavation techniques is detailed as well as the change in thoughts surrounding the possible reality of a Trojan War and how science could reconcile history and myth. Illustrations and archival photographs throughout help support the thorough text. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 In his third adventure, Corydon Panfoot vows to defeat the Olympian gods, whose vainglorious self-love is responsible for the world's wars and destruction. Defending Troy with his fellow monsters, Corydon witnesses the deaths of Hektor and Akhilleus and plans a trap for Zeus. Using characters and images from the Iliad, the confidently written story shapes old material into a compelling original adventure. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Byrd. This irreverent biography of the nineteenth-century German who rediscovered ancient Troy attempts to disentangle fact from Schliemann's autobiographical fiction. Cartoonlike illustrations add to the appeal of the gently humorous text, though some readers may struggle with the complex sentences and unfamiliar vocabulary. Engagingly told and well documented, this will be particularly welcome where students already have some familiarity with ancient history.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2006

(4) YA In ancient Greece, teenage Myrina joins the Moon Riders (a.k.a. the Amazons), befriends the young prophetess Cassandra, and becomes a player in the Trojan War as it wracks her homeland. Despite excessively stylized dialogue and a plot that overextends itself to span more than a decade, Tomlinson presents an admirably strong heroine and competently balances epic and human story elements.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) 4-6 Victorian adventurer Miss Vesper Holly is back, this time near the site of ancient Troy as located by Professor Dionescu. But Vesper and friends, including disapproving guardian Brinnie, narrator of the tale, meet with violence when they learn Dionescu is working for a megalomaniac archvillain. Alexander's writing holds many pleasures: his ironic, articulate voice, a lovably imperceptive narrator, and a knowledge of Homer.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2005