Ms. Cast has taken Ancient Greece and the mythology of the Trojan War and turned it into a delightfully fresh story about what could have happened. In her unique take on this tale, ancient meets modern in an amusing way. The two worlds and their unique properties make for laugh out loud moments.
The goddesses Athena, Hera and Venus have decided that the Trojan War has gone on too long. They are tired of the fighting and the slaughter. They decide to defy Zeus and to interfere by finding Achilles a strong woman who can take his mind off the battles and help him control his berserker rage.
Achilles was given the choice when he was 16 of living a long life of peace and love or a short life filled with fighting that would result in fame for millennia to come. Achilles being a headstrong and proud teenager chose the path to fame. Now that he is approaching 30, he is rethinking his decision and wishes for a way to change his fate. As part of the deal that he made, he is taken over by a berserker during moments of extreme rage, hatred or passion. Most women and men fear him and he lives in solitude as a fierce warrior.
Katrina Campbell works at a clinic counseling married couples. She enjoys her job and loves her friends. One night while heading home from a friend’s house, the cab she is in is hit by a car. As a result, Venus takes her soul and transports it to Ancient Greece where it is put into the body of a young princess. When Kat learns of what the goddesses expect her to do she is shocked. She must use all of her modern knowledge to help Achilles overcome his fate. Fortunately, she is helped by her best friend Jacky who is also transported.
I loved this book. It was hysterical and touching at the same time. Achilles is a man who thinks that he has no control over his own fate. He fears his future and the creature he becomes when under the berserker’s control. Kat tries to integrate into Ancient Greece, but her modern ways are difficult to hide. She swears, has her own mind and is not above bossing others around to get what she wants. Fortunately, her modern sensibilities allow her to understand what Achilles is going through and to find a way to help him out. Jacky is transformed from a 38 year old African American ER nurse to a 19 year old white maidservant. To say she doesn’t handle the change well is an understatement. She responds in a hilarious manner that demonstrates how integral our culture and race are to our identities.
Ms. Cast really thought about what the true story of the Trojan War might have been and about how stories and myths take the reality and blend it with exaggeration as it is passed down. I enjoyed her twists to the story. They made the tale all the more interesting.
