Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Rating: 4.5/5 

Recommend: Definitely!!

Review: I have to say this book exceeded my expectations. I'd never heard of it until it was chosen as the group read for the genre challenge I'm participating in and wasn't sure if I would like it but it sounded interesting so I bought it on my kindle. I was immediately entranced by this book. I was only a little familiar with the story of Achilles before I started the book but the author had a way of making him so lively and real. I loved the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus and how above all else they really just wanted to keep each other safe and refused to leave each other behind, even when others tried so desperately to keep them from each other. This book was such an easy read and I really didn't want it to end even though it obviously had to. I do think the ending was rather bittersweet but was rather perfect and the happiest ending these two would ever get. I really did love this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to venture into the genre. 

Review: The Whispering Muse by Sjón

Rating: 2.5/5

Recommend: maybe 

I want to point out that I won this book in a goodreads giveaway awhile back. 

Synopsis (courtesy of goodreads): The year is 1949 and Valdimar Haraldsson, an eccentric Icelander with elevated ideas about the influence of fish consumption on Nordic civilization, has had the singular good fortune to be invited to join a Danish merchant ship on its way to the Black Sea. Among the crew is the mythical hero Caeneus, disguised as the second mate. Every evening after dinner he entrances his fellow travelers with the tale of how he sailed with the fabled vessel the Argo on the Argonauts’ quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

Review: I didn't really have any expectations for this book but I still ended up being a bit disappointed. It wasn't a particularly long novel and it was entertaining and captivating at moments but it just didn't capture my attention. I liked it well enough but I didn't love it. I guess I'd just hoped there would be more of Caeneus's tales in the book than there actually was and less about paper blocks being loaded onto a ship. Some might love this novel but it honestly just wasn't my cup of tea. I did think the structuring of the story was great and well paced and I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. If you think this might be something you'd enjoy go for it but if you're more sceptical then I wouldn't.