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    Helen of Sparta
    Helen of Sparta
    Helen of Sparta
    Audiobook11 hours

    Helen of Sparta

    Written by Amalia Carosella

    Narrated by Lauren Ezzo

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Long before she ran away with Paris to Troy, Helen of Sparta was haunted by nightmares of a burning city under siege. These dreams foretold impending war—a war that only Helen has the power to avert. To do so, she must defy her family and betray her betrothed by fleeing the palace in the dead of night. In need of protection, she finds shelter and comfort in the arms of Theseus, son of Poseidon. With Theseus at her side, she believes she can escape her destiny. But at every turn, new dangers—violence, betrayal, extortion, threat of war—thwart Helen’s plans and bar her path. Still, she refuses to bend to the will of the gods.

    A new take on an ancient myth, Helen of Sparta is the story of one woman determined to decide her own fate.

    The sequel to Helen of Sparta will be published by Lake Union Publishing in June 2016.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMar 29, 2016
    ISBN9781511368834
    Helen of Sparta
    Author

    Amalia Carosella

    Amalia Carosella began as a biology major before taking Latin and falling in love with old heroes and older gods. After that, she couldn’t stop writing about them, with the occasional break for more contemporary subjects. She graduated with a BA in classical studies as well as English from the University of North Dakota. A former bookseller and an avid reader, she is fascinated by the Age of Heroes and Bronze Age Greece, though anything Viking Age or earlier is likely to capture her attention. She maintains a blog relating to classical mythology and the Bronze Age at www.amaliacarosella.com and can also be found writing fantasy under the name Amalia Dillin at www.amaliadillin.com. Today, she lives with her husband in Upstate New York and dreams of the day she will own goats (and maybe even a horse, too).

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    Reviews for Helen of Sparta

    4/5

    49 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this book so much. I'm really into ancient Greek history, myths and legends.
      It was refreshing to hear from Helens perspective and see her as a woman and not justva trophy.
      There were a few occasions where Helen annoyed me as she came across as being quite selfish
      and I felt little sympathy for her but I had to remind myself of how young she was.
      All in all it was a good story and I'm looking forward to the next one.
      The narrator was very good as well.
    • 5/5
      I love stories that take place in Ancient Times. I have a passing knowledge of the Greek myths; I know the basics of most of the more well known tales but must admit that Theseus was unknown to me. Whether I had just lost my knowledge of him or had plain just never heard of him I can’t tell you but I will admit to some googling in the course of reading Helen of Sparta (BTW – is it me or is the Helen of Troy page in Wikipedia way misogynistic? I know Helen was no brain surgeon but I don’t think she was that bad. The poor girl couldn’t help being born beautiful.)As to this book – gah! I had the world’s worst time putting it down! It doesn’t deal with the usual story of Helen but rather it weaves a possibility of a what might have been of the time before Helen starts her march towards launching those 1,000 ships. In this story Helen is a young woman fighting her destiny and hoping to find a way to stop the war she sees coming in her nightmares. If she can only change the course of her life perhaps she can keep all of those men from dying and the horrors she dreams of visiting her.Helen is the daughter of Zeus but denies the gods and this is probably her biggest flaw – living in a time when the gods and their fickle natures rule the world of the mortals it is foolish of her to ignore their existence and power. But this she does despite putting her faith in Theseus, the son of Poseidon, and King of Athens. He is loyal to his father and the patroness of his city, Athena.I was drawn in from the very first pages by the characterization of Helen and all of the others that inhabit her world. Each one had dimension and intrigued me. The writing was fast paced and I kept turning the pages since I really didn’t know this aspect of Helen’s story. There is a fair amount of artistic license taken as is admitted in the author’s note but I like this Helen. My only issue was with the ending. It just ended with little or no fanfare. Unless this was the author’s intent since the rest of Helen’s story is that which is so well known. Or is a sequel planned? Since I am a touch confused perhaps the notation of another book or an epilogue was in order. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on a very old tale.
    • 4/5
      Amalia Carosella's Helen of Sparta gives an interesting spin on the pre-Trojan War Helen. When I initially read this I didn't notice any indication that this was not a standalone book, so what was at first an extremely abrupt ending became a cliffhanger. Since I really don't like being coerced into reading another book it did not help my opinion of the book. So before reading be aware that this is the beginning of a series.For the most part I liked the presentation of a less passive Helen, one trying to exert her autonomy. Unfortunately there were some places where it seemed a little illogical or contrived for the sake of the story rather than keeping the character true and adjusting the story to the character. This will likely be of little or no concern to many readers since it doesn't really disrupt the flow but some readers will notice and be a bit annoyed.I know I sound negative thus far yet gave it 4 stars, maybe I'm the illogical one, right? Well, this book had a lot more going for it than it did flaws. The prose is very good and I was largely able to relate to the characters. This is no small feat when talking about both the cultural and historical gaps between that period and my own. Additionally, though I hate surprise cliffhangers, I believe this will be a very engaging series.I would recommend this for readers of historical fiction and historical romance (in fact, I was a bit surprised and disappointed it had as much of the romance as it did). For people who simply like a good well-written story I would recommend it as well but with the reminder that this is not a standalone.Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
    • 4/5
      This is a novel about earlier life of Helen. I enjoyed the fact that someone finally take initiative to give Helen a voice and perspective. History or Greek mythology only mentioned Helen in a one dimensional way, the focus were solely on the male figures, while we pondered the question of who Helen is that could cause 10 years Trojan war.
    • 5/5
      I love stories that take place in Ancient Times. I have a passing knowledge of the Greek myths; I know the basics of most of the more well known tales but must admit that Theseus was unknown to me. Whether I had just lost my knowledge of him or had plain just never heard of him I can’t tell you but I will admit to some googling in the course of reading Helen of Sparta (BTW – is it me or is the Helen of Troy page in Wikipedia way misogynistic? I know Helen was no brain surgeon but I don’t think she was that bad. The poor girl couldn’t help being born beautiful.)As to this book – gah! I had the world’s worst time putting it down! It doesn’t deal with the usual story of Helen but rather it weaves a possibility of a what might have been of the time before Helen starts her march towards launching those 1,000 ships. In this story Helen is a young woman fighting her destiny and hoping to find a way to stop the war she sees coming in her nightmares. If she can only change the course of her life perhaps she can keep all of those men from dying and the horrors she dreams of visiting her.Helen is the daughter of Zeus but denies the gods and this is probably her biggest flaw – living in a time when the gods and their fickle natures rule the world of the mortals it is foolish of her to ignore their existence and power. But this she does despite putting her faith in Theseus, the son of Poseidon, and King of Athens. He is loyal to his father and the patroness of his city, Athena.I was drawn in from the very first pages by the characterization of Helen and all of the others that inhabit her world. Each one had dimension and intrigued me. The writing was fast paced and I kept turning the pages since I really didn’t know this aspect of Helen’s story. There is a fair amount of artistic license taken as is admitted in the author’s note but I like this Helen. My only issue was with the ending. It just ended with little or no fanfare. Unless this was the author’s intent since the rest of Helen’s story is that which is so well known. Or is a sequel planned? Since I am a touch confused perhaps the notation of another book or an epilogue was in order. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on a very old tale.
    • 5/5
      Helen of Sparta carries a heavy weight on her shoulders. She is princess to Sparta, but also the daughter of Zeus. Helen is resented by her mother for how she was conceived; she is also bound to inherit the throne. Helen’s gifts from Zeus not only granted her beauty, but dreams that foresee the future. In a recurring nightmare, she envisions Sparta in flames and the death of her family when she is married to a childhood friend. Determined to escape her fate, Helen makes plans to escape to Athens with King Theseus, son of Poseidon. Finally feeling some freedom, the gods continue to punish Helen for her actions; however, Helen still continues to forge her own path.Helen of Sparta offers a fresh take on Greek mythology and the Trojan War from Helen’s point of view. I loved the mix of historical fiction and mythology. I was captivated by Helen’s fiery spirit and determination right from the beginning and found myself immersed in her story. She does not play a damsel, but is the driver of her own destiny. Helen’s world is brought to light with the magic of the gods and the brutality of the history. Focusing on Helen’s life when she was younger, I got to know her character very well as she grew, as well as Theseus. Theseus is created in a heroic and sympathetic light. Overall, Helen's story is packed with great characters, a rollercoaster of emotions and an intense plot. With a rather abrupt ending, I am hoping to read more in the next book.This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      In simplest terms, I loved everything about this book. First, Carosella has a natural gift for storytelling. We're taken on a journey, the story unfolding like a flower, one layer at a time. We get to know the characters as we learn about their lives, their passions, their desires, and their secrets.I don't think it's necessary to know anything about Greek mythology in order to enjoy this book. The author does an excellent job of including enough detail on the associated gods, goddesses, and myths to keep us rooted in the period, without getting caught up in specifics. The plot is intricate and layered, without ever feeling overly complicated. We have mystery and suspense, romance, political intrigue, and family drama. Carosella has a firm grasp on this era in history. Her handling of setting is masterful.Some reviewers have complained that the ending feels too abrupt. I wasn't particularly bothered by this. While the ending doesn't wrap everything up in a neat bow, and it does leave room for a sequel, I felt like we were given enough to reach our own conclusions. I'm looking forward to many more journeys with Amalia Carosella.