Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.'A book I could not put down' ANN PATCHETT'An exciting, sexy, violent Superman version of The Iliad' GUARDIAN'Sexy, dangerous, mystical' BETTANY HUGHES Review I loved it ― J.K. RowlingA captivating retelling of the Iliad and events leading up to it through the point of view of Patroclus: it's a hard book to put down, and any classicist will be enthralled by her characterisation of the goddess Thetis, which carries the true savagery and chill of antiquity ― Donna TarttAt once a scholar's homage to the Iliad and startlingly original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist ... A book I could not put down ― Ann PatchettInventive, passionate, uplifting and different ... A truly worthy winner ― Joanna Trollope Book Description THE INTERNATIONAL SENSATION; WINNER OF THE ORANGE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION About the Author Madeline Miller is the author of The Song of Achilles, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012, was shortlisted for the Stonewall Writer of the Year 2012, was an instant New York Times bestseller, and was translated into twenty-five languages. Madeline holds an MA in Classics from Brown University, and she taught Latin, Greek and Shakespeare to high school students for over a decade. She has also studied at the University of Chicago's Committee on Social Thought, and at Yale School of Drama, where she focused on the adaptation of classical texts to modern forms. Her essays have appeared in publications including the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Lapham's Quarterly and NPR.org. She lives outside Philadelphia.