Summary [From Book]: Destined to become a beauty, raised to be a queen, young Helen of Sparta refuses to be left behind when her older brothers enlist in the quest for the Golden Fleece—why should boys get to have all the fun? Accompanied by her friend, the ex-slave Milo, and disguised as a boy herself, Helen sets out to join the crew of heroes abroad the fabled ship the Argo. Helen soon faces all sorts of dangers and intrigue. She must use her wits to avoid her brothers’ detection, even as a devastatingly handsome boy catches her eye and brash, boisterous Hercules falls in love with her boy-self. In pursuit of the Fleece, Helen faces warrior women, deadly prophecies, and a terrifying, murderous princess. Not to mention the start of her period...
With her beauty blossoming, Helen’s journey takes her beyond the mythology of the Golden Fleece, across the seas of the ancient world to Athens, where her very future as Queen of Sparta is threatened.
Review: Ha I actually finished this book! It took forever (I’m not sure why, but it did). All right on to the review. First off, I would like to say how much I love Helen as a character. She is a strong, determined, outgoing girl who will not take no for an answer. She’s the kind of girl who would not allow a man to hold the door open for her. Helen refuses to sit by and let the boys have all the fun! She’s a greek version of the feminist.
Another reason I am so fond of this series is because I am a history-nerd, and greek mythology has always fascinated me. I thought the idea of the different Gods and the different stories on how they came to be. I knew the story behind Helen of Troy and for some reason had always pictured this gorgeous blonde Spartan girl who was just looks, no brains. It much more suits my liking to think of Helen of Troy as the Helen in Friesner’s novels. Anyways…on to the actual book.
The book was fast-paced (much like the first) and filled with moments of adventure and disaster at a moment’s notice. One character’s death threw me so much for a loop that I literally had to read the page over again to understand what had happened. It was compelling and fun, but I did put it down and was able to forget about it for a while. So it’s nothing completely unforgettable, but it’s a good adventure book. Friesner’s characters are entertaining and different. Basically a great adventure book for anyone looking for a fun fast-paced read with awesome characters, but nothing life changing.
Rating: 4/5 Lots of fun, kick-ass characters, awesome story, but not amazing.
Reviews from the Pros:
"Helen is the original ‘girl power’ heroine! She hungers for adventure like some people hunger for a new pair of cute shoes...if you are a fan of the romance, adventure, and intrigue in mythology, but would like to look a little deeper to humanize the characters from your favorite stories, this is the book for you!"–Justine Magazine
"Friesner is an accomplished writer who is able to interweave a contemporary feel for these ancient characters with piece of history and mythology. She can also be funny, as readers can virtually feel Helen rolling her eyes during the course of her narration."-voice of Youth Advocates
"The fresh take on a familiar woman...will intrigue both mythology fans and those readers who can’t get enough of tough girl heroines, regardless of setting or genre."-The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s books.
"Readers may be familiar with the legends and myths of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Medea, Hercules, and Helen of Troy, but Esther Friesner weaves these characters together in a teen novel that lifts them off those dusty pages and into a re-imagined tale of adventure and intrigue…It is a thrilling coming-of-age story that will undoubtedly please fans of Nobody’s Princess and garner new fans." –Historical Novels Review
