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Book Review
Jul. 16th, 2023 08:36 pmWrath Goddess Sing
by Maya Deane
This book is really cool and one of the most interesting and exciting takes on the Trojan War I've read (not that I'm much of an expert in the Trojan War). Here Achilles is a trans-woman and daughter of Athena. After her mother transforms her body to match her heart, Achilles goes off to war and on her way to becoming a demi-goddess. Along the way she finds and creates family, goes toe-to-toe with the gods, and kicks a lot of ass.
Wrath Goddess Sing is such a wonderful re-imagining of the ancient Mediterranean world. It's a very multi-cultural world, with different ethnic and political groups constantly interacting, mingling, and clashing. It's vibrant and messing and very compelling. I also love the way Deane portrays the gods and their role in the world. The pantheons of different cultures are treated syncretically, and the gods themselves are mysterious, powerful, and dangerous in the ways they protect, relate to, and manipulate humans for their own ends. The way Deane describes the gods visually is very creative and striking.
Deane's versions of familiar and unfamiliar characters are fascinating. Achilles is exhilarating, occasionally exasperating, and very keenly alive. Meryapi, Patrokles' clever Egyptian wife and Achilles' best friend, was my favorite character. She's very smart, warm, brave, and both literally and figuratively full of magic. I loved Deane's interpretation of Helen. Helen is not just a pretty woman whose love triangle sparked a war, she is a powerful being with her own agenda, albeit a cruel and destructive one.
The book is also fairly thematically dense, and I will be chewing on it all for a good long while. There's a thread about transformation and transition of the self. There's a thread to do with the issues of divine control and influence of humanity. There's a thread about family, both found and otherwise.
Also, the lecherous dolphins were hilarious.
by Maya Deane
This book is really cool and one of the most interesting and exciting takes on the Trojan War I've read (not that I'm much of an expert in the Trojan War). Here Achilles is a trans-woman and daughter of Athena. After her mother transforms her body to match her heart, Achilles goes off to war and on her way to becoming a demi-goddess. Along the way she finds and creates family, goes toe-to-toe with the gods, and kicks a lot of ass.
Wrath Goddess Sing is such a wonderful re-imagining of the ancient Mediterranean world. It's a very multi-cultural world, with different ethnic and political groups constantly interacting, mingling, and clashing. It's vibrant and messing and very compelling. I also love the way Deane portrays the gods and their role in the world. The pantheons of different cultures are treated syncretically, and the gods themselves are mysterious, powerful, and dangerous in the ways they protect, relate to, and manipulate humans for their own ends. The way Deane describes the gods visually is very creative and striking.
Deane's versions of familiar and unfamiliar characters are fascinating. Achilles is exhilarating, occasionally exasperating, and very keenly alive. Meryapi, Patrokles' clever Egyptian wife and Achilles' best friend, was my favorite character. She's very smart, warm, brave, and both literally and figuratively full of magic. I loved Deane's interpretation of Helen. Helen is not just a pretty woman whose love triangle sparked a war, she is a powerful being with her own agenda, albeit a cruel and destructive one.
The book is also fairly thematically dense, and I will be chewing on it all for a good long while. There's a thread about transformation and transition of the self. There's a thread to do with the issues of divine control and influence of humanity. There's a thread about family, both found and otherwise.
Also, the lecherous dolphins were hilarious.
