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Niobe Trilogy #3
Arrows of Artemis: Niobe and Chloris
*Book 3 of the Niobe Trilogy* Queen Niobe of Thebes must deal with escalating political tensions between her husband Amphion and her powerful brother, King Pelops of Pisa. Meanwhile Pelops’ wife Hippodamia fears her husband will choose the bastard Prince Chrysippus over her own sons, Atreus and Thyestes. The murder Hippodamia plots to protect her sons is only the beginning of the bloodshed…and the fate of Niobe’s daughter Chloris hangs in the balance.
396 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 14, 2012
The 3rd novel of the Tapestry of Bronze trilogy resolves the various stories or myths surrounding Pelops and Niobe, and sets the stage for those of the next generation, especially that of the Atreidae, the descendants of Atreus, son of Pelops and Hippodamia. These include such well known giants as Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia, Orestes and Electra and others. It also sets the stage for Laius as King of Thebes leading into the Oedipus mythos and the plays of Aeschylus.
I cannot offer enough accolades for this trilogy. I have not enjoyed mythic fiction so much since reading the works of Mary Renault to which this trilogy favorably compares. It is not just that these books read easily, bring ancient mythic or legendary figures to life and gives them real personalities, tell interesting and exciting stories, offer page turning fiction, caused me to tear up at least twice... It is also the immense amount of scholarship that went into creating these works. It is also the choices made by the authors where versions of the myths vary in important detail—choices that make for consistency and intrigue in their versions of the stories. One wonders if Victoria and Alice were present during the events in a past life? One hopes the authors are now working on something as wonderful.
These are a must read for anyone interested at all in Greek mythology and lovers of mythic and historical fiction.
I cannot offer enough accolades for this trilogy. I have not enjoyed mythic fiction so much since reading the works of Mary Renault to which this trilogy favorably compares. It is not just that these books read easily, bring ancient mythic or legendary figures to life and gives them real personalities, tell interesting and exciting stories, offer page turning fiction, caused me to tear up at least twice... It is also the immense amount of scholarship that went into creating these works. It is also the choices made by the authors where versions of the myths vary in important detail—choices that make for consistency and intrigue in their versions of the stories. One wonders if Victoria and Alice were present during the events in a past life? One hopes the authors are now working on something as wonderful.
These are a must read for anyone interested at all in Greek mythology and lovers of mythic and historical fiction.
September 30, 2018
Well, it’s been a long time since I started this trilogy, and I have finally got around to finishing it. I find myself with surprisingly little to say. I braced myself to be disappointed when I read this book, since I assumed that my reading of other entries in the series were a few years ago – my tastes may have changed, I may be looking back on it with rose-tinted glasses. But it was surprisingly good. The book is jam-packed full of events, obstacles, and intrigues. One certainly can’t complain for lack of excitement and drama.
The one thing I think the book could’ve done better was the lack of introspection. Even though a lot is happening in the lives of our characters, there aren’t that many opportunities for the characters to simply have a quiet moment to reflect. We don’t get too many insights into their inner thoughts, or the human struggle and the toll it has on them. I think the only character we get to delve that deep with is Pelops, our antagonist, and most of the time that was not an enjoyable experience – I’m just going to admit it, I really hated Myrtilos, and felt as irritated as Pelops himself at his presence.
But some reflection and deepening of the characters aside, I can’t fault much else. The writing is consistently competent, the pacing is good, as I already said the book certainly delivers on drama. This book isn’t going to turn your life upside down or be an earth-shattering amazing read or anything, but it’s an enjoyable, easy read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend or read again myself.
8 out of 10
December 21, 2011
A worthy successor to the previous two books in the trilogy which begins with Children of Tantalus: Niobe and Pelops and The Road to Thebes: Niobe and Amphion
In this book the characters are older – as to be expected – than they were in The Road to Thebes: Niobe and Amphion. This means that they are less exuberant, less naïve, and a little more jaded than earlier - deeper and more complex. Many of the characters we met in earlier volumes are now concerned about their children. Even Hippodamia becomes sympathetic (or at least understandable) when you consider that.
We also get to know characters who will play roles in later stories, especially Atreus, Thyestes, Laius and Chloris. I also especially liked the return of Broteas, who I found really interesting.
Grossack and Underwood don’t force their characters to accept present-day morality. Might may not be quite right, but it deserves lots of respect. They also show as a matter-of-fact the affair between Laius and Chrysippus, as well as Pelops’s wooing of his niece Chloris – homosexuality and marriages between uncles and nieces were commonplace.
Grossack & Underwood also present the fantastical elements of myths in such a way that you can understand how they happened – a natural explanation – while letting us see how they could be passed down the way they have been passed down. These include the building of the walls around Thebes, the punishment of old King Tantalus, and most importantly (and convincingly) the deaths of the Niobids.
Really good.
In this book the characters are older – as to be expected – than they were in The Road to Thebes: Niobe and Amphion. This means that they are less exuberant, less naïve, and a little more jaded than earlier - deeper and more complex. Many of the characters we met in earlier volumes are now concerned about their children. Even Hippodamia becomes sympathetic (or at least understandable) when you consider that.
We also get to know characters who will play roles in later stories, especially Atreus, Thyestes, Laius and Chloris. I also especially liked the return of Broteas, who I found really interesting.
Grossack and Underwood don’t force their characters to accept present-day morality. Might may not be quite right, but it deserves lots of respect. They also show as a matter-of-fact the affair between Laius and Chrysippus, as well as Pelops’s wooing of his niece Chloris – homosexuality and marriages between uncles and nieces were commonplace.
Grossack & Underwood also present the fantastical elements of myths in such a way that you can understand how they happened – a natural explanation – while letting us see how they could be passed down the way they have been passed down. These include the building of the walls around Thebes, the punishment of old King Tantalus, and most importantly (and convincingly) the deaths of the Niobids.
Really good.
May 8, 2011
just finished Arrows of Artemis: Niobe and Chloris, part of grossack and underwood's tapestry of bronze series...it's an intensely sad book, of course, and gripping in many parts, but it achieves a certain serenity that i did not expect but appreciate at the end.
and then there are the last two sentences. i won't include them here - spoilers - but will describe their impact on me. you know how some phrases and sentences can jar you and kick you out of a story? well, these last two sentences send you out of the story, but in a good way, and at the point youre ready to leave the story
and then there are the last two sentences. i won't include them here - spoilers - but will describe their impact on me. you know how some phrases and sentences can jar you and kick you out of a story? well, these last two sentences send you out of the story, but in a good way, and at the point youre ready to leave the story
December 19, 2019
Rarely have I come across a book trilogy that I love so much. I love ancient greek myths and the Bronze Age because it was the time many of the myths and legends were happening. But what sets this series apart from all the others is that the power of the gods is complicated and the way it presents itself is ambiguous even if you know the myths. You can be as prepared as you like, but you will always be surprised.
Because the setting is actually in the Bronze Age the feel of reading is like getting first hand experience that world. When most myths are told they have the feel of the Classical period when many of those in the Pantheon were established and the aesthetic and the knowledge of that time is far greater than we have of the somewhat mysterious Bronze Age. The world in the books is ever more expanding, from traders to seafarers to distant lands and makes the world so much bigger and greater than previously thought of.
The writing is also wonderful, descriptive and evocative of everything of the world and the will of the gods. You can clearly see that Victoria Grossack and Alice Underwood – the writers of these fantastic books and others – immersed themselves in the Bronze Age and did actual research for it. I can only wish to do the same myself at some point, to actually go to the places where the myths were made and where history of them is written in stone, literally.
Summary:
Chloris, the Princess of Thebes and the only daughter of Niobe and Amphion decides to join the Maidens of Artemis. Niobe in the meanwhile sees her own power, as a foreign Queen, challenged with her sister-in-law Thebe’s actions. King Pelops grows ever more power hungry, but at a cost. The Tirerias comes once again, this time to fulfil the prophesies which were spoken to so long ago.
I fear anything I could say about this third book is a spoiler. Even though I knew what was coming and I knew the myths (Wikipedia, basically) it still shocked me in the end. I started to cry and the shock of it was so great that took an hour, maybe more, just to collect myself and then decided to pick up another book to get my mind off the sadness.
I am glad I read them from beginning to end and in order, because you would otherwise have late revelations, but with reading them one-by-one the stories scope and the relationships are clearer and after spending so much time with these people – yes, they aren’t characters anymore – you just want to see them happy or at least have a satisfying end. Because in the end this is a tragedy in three acts – made in to books – and the greeks and the myths and the society is not kind to those who cannot survive in that world.
If there was one minor flaw in the book it would be the lack of Chloris, one of the my own personal favourite characters from mythology, having so little page time even though she is the second name in the third book. But I understand that they had to work in time jumps, because there are plenty, this covers numerous years, and all the plot points – brilliantly done – had to be in place realistically I understand the focus on those we already know than those whom we have just met. Just my own personal thing, nothing major.
All in all, as the final words to these books I recommend once again that you buy them. Self published books are rarely this good and such good storytelling and plotting and character growth that I wish more people knew of it. I guess this is that kind of series that those who seek this kind of literature find it and love it. But really. support these women and their writing, because these are the kind of books that should be made in to movies or TV-series’ and would be brilliant in that format as well. Just crossing my fingers in hope for some adaptation of these in the future if some producer decides to take a chance on this trilogy, or any of the Tapestry of Bronze-series books.
Because the setting is actually in the Bronze Age the feel of reading is like getting first hand experience that world. When most myths are told they have the feel of the Classical period when many of those in the Pantheon were established and the aesthetic and the knowledge of that time is far greater than we have of the somewhat mysterious Bronze Age. The world in the books is ever more expanding, from traders to seafarers to distant lands and makes the world so much bigger and greater than previously thought of.
The writing is also wonderful, descriptive and evocative of everything of the world and the will of the gods. You can clearly see that Victoria Grossack and Alice Underwood – the writers of these fantastic books and others – immersed themselves in the Bronze Age and did actual research for it. I can only wish to do the same myself at some point, to actually go to the places where the myths were made and where history of them is written in stone, literally.
Summary:
Chloris, the Princess of Thebes and the only daughter of Niobe and Amphion decides to join the Maidens of Artemis. Niobe in the meanwhile sees her own power, as a foreign Queen, challenged with her sister-in-law Thebe’s actions. King Pelops grows ever more power hungry, but at a cost. The Tirerias comes once again, this time to fulfil the prophesies which were spoken to so long ago.
I fear anything I could say about this third book is a spoiler. Even though I knew what was coming and I knew the myths (Wikipedia, basically) it still shocked me in the end. I started to cry and the shock of it was so great that took an hour, maybe more, just to collect myself and then decided to pick up another book to get my mind off the sadness.
I am glad I read them from beginning to end and in order, because you would otherwise have late revelations, but with reading them one-by-one the stories scope and the relationships are clearer and after spending so much time with these people – yes, they aren’t characters anymore – you just want to see them happy or at least have a satisfying end. Because in the end this is a tragedy in three acts – made in to books – and the greeks and the myths and the society is not kind to those who cannot survive in that world.
If there was one minor flaw in the book it would be the lack of Chloris, one of the my own personal favourite characters from mythology, having so little page time even though she is the second name in the third book. But I understand that they had to work in time jumps, because there are plenty, this covers numerous years, and all the plot points – brilliantly done – had to be in place realistically I understand the focus on those we already know than those whom we have just met. Just my own personal thing, nothing major.
All in all, as the final words to these books I recommend once again that you buy them. Self published books are rarely this good and such good storytelling and plotting and character growth that I wish more people knew of it. I guess this is that kind of series that those who seek this kind of literature find it and love it. But really. support these women and their writing, because these are the kind of books that should be made in to movies or TV-series’ and would be brilliant in that format as well. Just crossing my fingers in hope for some adaptation of these in the future if some producer decides to take a chance on this trilogy, or any of the Tapestry of Bronze-series books.
January 11, 2013
In this book the alliance forged between Pelops and Amphion falls apart, as they fight over the affections of the two women, Niobe and Chloris, mentioned in the title. This book brings the story Niobe trilogy into those that could be called "unsung epics" - stories of jealousy and greed, failure and victory, where not everyone has a happy end. And yet mortals do end, some sooner, some later.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews