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Ilium
Set in the dark world of international espionage, from London to Mallorca, Croatia, Paris, and Cap Ferret: the gripping and suspenseful story of a young woman who unwittingly becomes a perfect asset in the long overdue finale of a covert special op
The young English narrator of Lea Carpenter’s dazzling new novel has grown up unhappily in London, dreaming of escape, pretending to be someone else and obsessed with a locked private garden. On the eve of her twenty-first birthday, at a party near that garden, she meets its charismatic and mysterious new owner, Marcus, thirty-three years older, who sweeps her off her feet. Before long they are married at his finca in Mallorca, and at last she has escaped into a new role – but at what price? On their honeymoon in Croatia, Marcus reveals there is something she can do for him—a plan is in place and she can help with “a favor.”
This turns out to be posing as an art advisor to a family on Cap Ferret, where Marcus asks her to simply “listen.” A helicopter deposits her at a remote, highly guarded and lavishly appointed compound on a spit of land in the Atlantic. It’s presided over by an enigmatic, charming patriarch Edouard, along with his wife Dasha, children Nikki and Felix, and populated by a revolving cast of other guests—some suspicious, some intriguing, perhaps none, like her, what they seem.
Brilliantly compelling, this is a spellbinding and unexpectedly poignant story of a long- planned, high-stakes CIA-Mossad operation that only needed the right asset to complete.
The young English narrator of Lea Carpenter’s dazzling new novel has grown up unhappily in London, dreaming of escape, pretending to be someone else and obsessed with a locked private garden. On the eve of her twenty-first birthday, at a party near that garden, she meets its charismatic and mysterious new owner, Marcus, thirty-three years older, who sweeps her off her feet. Before long they are married at his finca in Mallorca, and at last she has escaped into a new role – but at what price? On their honeymoon in Croatia, Marcus reveals there is something she can do for him—a plan is in place and she can help with “a favor.”
This turns out to be posing as an art advisor to a family on Cap Ferret, where Marcus asks her to simply “listen.” A helicopter deposits her at a remote, highly guarded and lavishly appointed compound on a spit of land in the Atlantic. It’s presided over by an enigmatic, charming patriarch Edouard, along with his wife Dasha, children Nikki and Felix, and populated by a revolving cast of other guests—some suspicious, some intriguing, perhaps none, like her, what they seem.
Brilliantly compelling, this is a spellbinding and unexpectedly poignant story of a long- planned, high-stakes CIA-Mossad operation that only needed the right asset to complete.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
January 17, 2024
I reviewed this one for the New York Times and enjoyed it immensely. What seems, on the surface, to be a tale of a CIA-led plot to assassinate a Russian KGB killer, is much deeper: a tale of a young woman, a CIA asset, who discovers how much she cares for the family of the KGB officer -- and how much she likes even the target himself. This is the sort of moral ambiguity that seems to fascinate novelist Lea Carpenter, the way living a double life and every day making your cover, that critical and deeply embedded lie, feels real to everyone around you. It’s also what makes “Ilium” such an unexpectedly moving novel. Bonus? Carpenter really knows her spy craft.
February 15, 2024
Nice idea, bad execution, and on the top of that a very confusing narration. It breaks my heart to write that this book had so much potential, it had so much potential to become one of the most remarkable spy thrillers, but sadly it was a never even a thriller to begin with.
The narration is absolutely horrific. I don’t know why did the author deliberately made it more confusing to blend foreshadowing with recollections. Besides, it’s totally unrealistic and doesn’t involve any substantial characters. I don’t think I will be able to recollect the names after some time, because you will find two timelines running simultaneously where there are bunch of names as well as internationally acclaimed spies.
The execution is quite bad, and the element of love seems forced. Throughout the narrative, you remain confused whether it was really a choice made by love or out of sheer sense of need. Not just you but even the protagonist keeps on questioning this till the end. Plus, I don’t why but there is the development of love in the mind of a nine-year-old boy for a twenty-five-year old woman is a total turn off. I don’t know what strange fetish or perceptive the author had behind this. Though through the layers, we are able to see that the Oedipus complex is very much persistent in the child character but at the same time it’s the protagonist who’s clueless. This book took me 5 long days to finish even though I was hoping to finish it off before it. Simply because the writing style is very confusing for most of the readers.
This book is part philosophy, part recollection and part a detailed art history class. Besides, there are no twists and turns or gasping moments that you will be expecting in a conventional spy thriller. It’s because everything is revealed in narration even before the execution leaving no room for the readers’ guess. This was my first attempt at reading a spy thriller but I am shocked because this is not what I had thought of when I picked up this book.
The only good thing about the book is that the author shows the true face of America and Israel both while highlighting how their respective agencies are responsible for not just the war you see on the foreground but even in the background, they are brutal when it comes to spying on people who have families. In fact, for this they will not even refrain from shattering families, hopes and the willpower of life. The end note is sad and equally moving. If you are highly impressed by the books with a philosophical undercurrent then this one’s definitely for you.
The narration is absolutely horrific. I don’t know why did the author deliberately made it more confusing to blend foreshadowing with recollections. Besides, it’s totally unrealistic and doesn’t involve any substantial characters. I don’t think I will be able to recollect the names after some time, because you will find two timelines running simultaneously where there are bunch of names as well as internationally acclaimed spies.
The execution is quite bad, and the element of love seems forced. Throughout the narrative, you remain confused whether it was really a choice made by love or out of sheer sense of need. Not just you but even the protagonist keeps on questioning this till the end. Plus, I don’t why but there is the development of love in the mind of a nine-year-old boy for a twenty-five-year old woman is a total turn off. I don’t know what strange fetish or perceptive the author had behind this. Though through the layers, we are able to see that the Oedipus complex is very much persistent in the child character but at the same time it’s the protagonist who’s clueless. This book took me 5 long days to finish even though I was hoping to finish it off before it. Simply because the writing style is very confusing for most of the readers.
This book is part philosophy, part recollection and part a detailed art history class. Besides, there are no twists and turns or gasping moments that you will be expecting in a conventional spy thriller. It’s because everything is revealed in narration even before the execution leaving no room for the readers’ guess. This was my first attempt at reading a spy thriller but I am shocked because this is not what I had thought of when I picked up this book.
The only good thing about the book is that the author shows the true face of America and Israel both while highlighting how their respective agencies are responsible for not just the war you see on the foreground but even in the background, they are brutal when it comes to spying on people who have families. In fact, for this they will not even refrain from shattering families, hopes and the willpower of life. The end note is sad and equally moving. If you are highly impressed by the books with a philosophical undercurrent then this one’s definitely for you.
February 15, 2024
Ilium is marketed as a spy thriller and the first part is true but not so much the thriller part. I liked the beginning where a young milquetoast woman is unknowingly being spied on as she goes about her day. Then as a newlywed she meekly concedes to participate in some secret operation when asked by her spy husband. The main setting of the book is beautiful but nothing much happens beyond leisurely lunches and walks. At about the 40% point we finally learn what the end game is and things fall into place but the stroll to the finish never really heated up enough for me to care.
Three lukewarm stars
Three lukewarm stars
January 30, 2024
Cool premise, but soooo boring.
December 26, 2023
My thanks to NetGalley and Borzoi Books/Alfred A. Knopf for the ARC of "Ilium" in exchange for an honest review.
This is very much a deeply perceptive character driven thriller and far far away from the high octane adventures of Jason Bourne or James Bond.
"Ilium" resides more in that morally vague, treacherous world of John le Carre espionage. It's like a deceiving hall of warped funhouse mirrors where worldly-wise, duplicitous jaded spies think nothing of using their 'assets' as emotional bait as means to justify their ends. And their clandestine wars with each other seem last forever, an endless cycle of missions and the revenge they generate.
Plunged into this world is the unnamed young English girl who serves as the book's narrator and anchor. She's been wooed and married by Marcus, over 30 years her senior and something of an 'international man of mystery'.........also an apt description of Marcus's lifelong best friend. Raja.
Marcus's young wife is persuaded to ingratiate herself into the family of the equally mysterious wealthy Edouard. She's merely to observe but it's clear that in some way, Edouard's in the crosshairs of those veteran spymasters, Marcus and Raja.
At the reclusive family's scenic compound at Cap Ferret on the coast of France, our young fledgling spy at first embraces her adventurous and potentially dangerous new life. But while she forms a loving bond with Edouard's young son Felix, twists and surprises begin to reveal themselves.....and there's an inevitable but still shocking conclusion coming toward her..... with all the brutal ironies that come with spies devoting their lives to their 'tradecraft'.
"Ilium" functions as a literary fiction thriller, so this is not a book for readers who crave perpetual shootouts and hairbreadth escapes. But its total immersion int0 character development kept me glued to the story from beginning to end. Every person here holds their own secrets, backstories and motives that propels the action and makes the finale all the more powerful.
It's been some time since I've read this particular type of thriller, wary of confusing plots and excess verbiage. But author Lea Carpenter perfectly combines the drama and mystery as her prose peels off the unseen layers to her characters. Overall an expert voyage through le Carre territory. Well done in every way.
(and you can check out my other reviews at www.thesandyquill.blogspot.com)
This is very much a deeply perceptive character driven thriller and far far away from the high octane adventures of Jason Bourne or James Bond.
"Ilium" resides more in that morally vague, treacherous world of John le Carre espionage. It's like a deceiving hall of warped funhouse mirrors where worldly-wise, duplicitous jaded spies think nothing of using their 'assets' as emotional bait as means to justify their ends. And their clandestine wars with each other seem last forever, an endless cycle of missions and the revenge they generate.
Plunged into this world is the unnamed young English girl who serves as the book's narrator and anchor. She's been wooed and married by Marcus, over 30 years her senior and something of an 'international man of mystery'.........also an apt description of Marcus's lifelong best friend. Raja.
Marcus's young wife is persuaded to ingratiate herself into the family of the equally mysterious wealthy Edouard. She's merely to observe but it's clear that in some way, Edouard's in the crosshairs of those veteran spymasters, Marcus and Raja.
At the reclusive family's scenic compound at Cap Ferret on the coast of France, our young fledgling spy at first embraces her adventurous and potentially dangerous new life. But while she forms a loving bond with Edouard's young son Felix, twists and surprises begin to reveal themselves.....and there's an inevitable but still shocking conclusion coming toward her..... with all the brutal ironies that come with spies devoting their lives to their 'tradecraft'.
"Ilium" functions as a literary fiction thriller, so this is not a book for readers who crave perpetual shootouts and hairbreadth escapes. But its total immersion int0 character development kept me glued to the story from beginning to end. Every person here holds their own secrets, backstories and motives that propels the action and makes the finale all the more powerful.
It's been some time since I've read this particular type of thriller, wary of confusing plots and excess verbiage. But author Lea Carpenter perfectly combines the drama and mystery as her prose peels off the unseen layers to her characters. Overall an expert voyage through le Carre territory. Well done in every way.
(and you can check out my other reviews at www.thesandyquill.blogspot.com)
June 2, 2024
Interesting, but too much I couldn't believe to be any more than that. Potential spoilers from here on out.
Side note: I dislike when questions in dialogue are not tagged with question marks. Like: "Do you like question marks." "I don't think so. Do you."
It is beginning to feel like I liked this book less than I thought. But I did get caught up in it, and I loved the kid, Felix.
Side note: I dislike when questions in dialogue are not tagged with question marks. Like: "Do you like question marks." "I don't think so. Do you."
It is beginning to feel like I liked this book less than I thought. But I did get caught up in it, and I loved the kid, Felix.
February 15, 2024
This is much less exciting than it sounds. Apparently it is a "literary thriller," emphasis on literary. And to be fair, I liked the writing and I liked the narrative voice, but not very much happens. Until the end, and even then, it's very short and only approaches any kind of tension or feeling--it felt more like an outline of a story than an actual book.
I don't mind slow burn stories at all, but this one never comes close to catching fire.
Audio Notes: I very much liked the narration by new-to-me Tanya Cubric, though. Will be looking out for her other projects.
I don't mind slow burn stories at all, but this one never comes close to catching fire.
Audio Notes: I very much liked the narration by new-to-me Tanya Cubric, though. Will be looking out for her other projects.
May 17, 2024
Such an intriguing take on espionage, Ilium looks through a different lens into the world of spies as a young woman becomes entangled in international intrigue. Ilium is quiet, and content with being so. It's fast-paced and at times intense, but this not a thriller. Instead, it delves deep into characters and themes, delivering a noir-like confessional, reminiscent of a memoir.
Set largely against a backdrop of Cap Ferret, a headland in Gironde, France, the story follows the unnamed narrator's journey from an unhappy existence to a seemingly idyllic marriage with a mysterious older man named Marcus. Following their wedding and honeymoon, she becomes the perfect asset for a covert operation's long-overdue finale.
As the narrator infiltrates the target's house under the guise of an art advisor, tensions simmer both inside and outside the heavily guarded compound. While the operation's aim remains unclear, Carpenter explores the themes of espionage's human cost, peeling back layers to reveal the human complexities beneath the surface.
Bearing another name for the famous city of Troy, Ilium explores the themes that draw parallels to the name's origin. As secrets unravel and alliances are tested, she discovers that her new role comes with unforeseen risks and consequences. As the stakes rise, she grapples with the true cost of her involvement, offering a poignant exploration of loyalty, identity, and people's hidden depths and bigger stories.
Set largely against a backdrop of Cap Ferret, a headland in Gironde, France, the story follows the unnamed narrator's journey from an unhappy existence to a seemingly idyllic marriage with a mysterious older man named Marcus. Following their wedding and honeymoon, she becomes the perfect asset for a covert operation's long-overdue finale.
As the narrator infiltrates the target's house under the guise of an art advisor, tensions simmer both inside and outside the heavily guarded compound. While the operation's aim remains unclear, Carpenter explores the themes of espionage's human cost, peeling back layers to reveal the human complexities beneath the surface.
Bearing another name for the famous city of Troy, Ilium explores the themes that draw parallels to the name's origin. As secrets unravel and alliances are tested, she discovers that her new role comes with unforeseen risks and consequences. As the stakes rise, she grapples with the true cost of her involvement, offering a poignant exploration of loyalty, identity, and people's hidden depths and bigger stories.
November 9, 2023
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. "Set in the dark world of international espionage, from London to Mallorca, Croatia, Paris, and Cap Ferret: the gripping and suspenseful story of a young woman who unwittingly becomes a perfect asset in the long overdue finale of a covert special op" it would be a thriller. The narrator, a 21-year old English woman, obsessed with a locked, private garden, "meets its charismatic and mysterious new owner, Marcus, thirty-three years older, who sweeps her off her feet. Before long they are married at his finca in Mallorca, and at last she has escaped into a new role – but at what price? On their honeymoon in Croatia, Marcus reveals there is something she can do for him—a plan is in place and she can help with “a favor.”" Add in that the publicity machine said: "Brilliantly compelling, this is a spellbinding and unexpectedly poignant story of a long- planned, high-stakes CIA-Mossad operation that only needed the right asset to complete." Well, that is the job of publicists though I did not see it in that light!
I thought it would be quite the ride [not necessarily]. At the beginning, the patter/rhythym was appealing--but it did not continue. I kept hoping it would grip me, but it did not. An atypical thriller [to me]. A cast of many characters all with an interesting--and international--backstory. It was SOMEWHAT interesting and intriguing but no payoff. Written well enough--no nails on chalkboard and some vivid, on point descriptions of people and places, Thankfully short, I persevered, wanting more [no dice]. And, I did not care for the ending,
Still, it may appeal to some.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. "Set in the dark world of international espionage, from London to Mallorca, Croatia, Paris, and Cap Ferret: the gripping and suspenseful story of a young woman who unwittingly becomes a perfect asset in the long overdue finale of a covert special op" it would be a thriller. The narrator, a 21-year old English woman, obsessed with a locked, private garden, "meets its charismatic and mysterious new owner, Marcus, thirty-three years older, who sweeps her off her feet. Before long they are married at his finca in Mallorca, and at last she has escaped into a new role – but at what price? On their honeymoon in Croatia, Marcus reveals there is something she can do for him—a plan is in place and she can help with “a favor.”" Add in that the publicity machine said: "Brilliantly compelling, this is a spellbinding and unexpectedly poignant story of a long- planned, high-stakes CIA-Mossad operation that only needed the right asset to complete." Well, that is the job of publicists though I did not see it in that light!
I thought it would be quite the ride [not necessarily]. At the beginning, the patter/rhythym was appealing--but it did not continue. I kept hoping it would grip me, but it did not. An atypical thriller [to me]. A cast of many characters all with an interesting--and international--backstory. It was SOMEWHAT interesting and intriguing but no payoff. Written well enough--no nails on chalkboard and some vivid, on point descriptions of people and places, Thankfully short, I persevered, wanting more [no dice]. And, I did not care for the ending,
Still, it may appeal to some.
November 2, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this interesting novel. This is a very different kind of spy story. In the end, I’m not sure if I liked it that much or not. It left me with a weird sense of “hmm, what did I just read”? If you’re looking for an interesting story that’s more of an internal take on espionage, this might be for you. If you’re looking for a pulse-pounding, car-chasing kind of spy story, this isn’t that.
March 9, 2024
Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Knopf for accepting my request to read and review Ilium on NetGalley.
Published: 01/16/24
Stars: 2.5
Not for me. I picked this up based on the description: key words -- international espionage, suspenseful, and gripping. The wait is over; there were spies.
This is a slow moving book. Many times I thought I was reading write whatever comes to your mind pages. I don't have a lot to say -- there wasn't anything that I found worthy of a pitch to a publisher. This is a story that needed some action. I can't even quantify this as psychological, there just isn't enough substance.
Published: 01/16/24
Stars: 2.5
Not for me. I picked this up based on the description: key words -- international espionage, suspenseful, and gripping. The wait is over; there were spies.
This is a slow moving book. Many times I thought I was reading write whatever comes to your mind pages. I don't have a lot to say -- there wasn't anything that I found worthy of a pitch to a publisher. This is a story that needed some action. I can't even quantify this as psychological, there just isn't enough substance.
October 22, 2024
"The history of war is a history ... of malice slapping the wrist of good intent. The history of war is a history of action, reaction, repeat. War is tragedy, and tragedy, Aristotle knew, is a game of subtraction. A game of loss."
I have not encountered many spy novels by women. One of the things that I find interesting and enjoyable is reading novels written by women in genres that have been dominated by men. This novel was particularly interesting in this respect, because it draws heavily on The Iliad, which of course is ascribed to Homer. I kept thinking about Caroline Alexander's thesis in The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad and the Trojan War that The Iliad was composed as a powerful anti-war epic. Carpenter certainly centers her own novel on the costs of the never-ending war of espionage. She also gives us a spy story in which love, not of country, but of another person, is the prime motive for most of what happens.
"If only Alexei and Tracey had had the chance to sit, maybe in some tent late at night, when the rest of the world was sleeping, and enough blood had been shed on all sides. If they had been able to sit and talk, like Priam and Achilles, they might have discovered the things they shared, like loss. They might have wept, and seen at once the joy and the futility in their work. Seen that the reckoning they sought was the real chimera. And with this knowledge, they might have made decisions so that their guests could sleep well. And in doing that, they then might have found a will and a way while they were still young to end the slaughter of their war, the true forever war. The last great game.
The story is told by the main character, a rather naive, recently married woman in her early to mid twenties. She is writing about a dozen years after the main plot, and weaves in and out of what she knew and experienced then, during the events of the novel, and what she learned and came to understand later. For the most part this technique worked for me, but near the end, as the plot nears its climax, I thought the technique broke down. The "what I now know" became more intrusive and forced, so less effective. I had a few other quibbles; we never learn exactly what happened to the man who was the subject of the operation. The narrator's lack of curiosity about her husband's illness also felt unconvincing, even given the big age difference and her naïveté and complete lack of curiosity.
Still, I enjoyed the novel, and recommend it. I listened to the audio, which was well done by Tanya Cubric (but is not as of this writing listed on GR).
I have not encountered many spy novels by women. One of the things that I find interesting and enjoyable is reading novels written by women in genres that have been dominated by men. This novel was particularly interesting in this respect, because it draws heavily on The Iliad, which of course is ascribed to Homer. I kept thinking about Caroline Alexander's thesis in The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad and the Trojan War that The Iliad was composed as a powerful anti-war epic. Carpenter certainly centers her own novel on the costs of the never-ending war of espionage. She also gives us a spy story in which love, not of country, but of another person, is the prime motive for most of what happens.
"If only Alexei and Tracey had had the chance to sit, maybe in some tent late at night, when the rest of the world was sleeping, and enough blood had been shed on all sides. If they had been able to sit and talk, like Priam and Achilles, they might have discovered the things they shared, like loss. They might have wept, and seen at once the joy and the futility in their work. Seen that the reckoning they sought was the real chimera. And with this knowledge, they might have made decisions so that their guests could sleep well. And in doing that, they then might have found a will and a way while they were still young to end the slaughter of their war, the true forever war. The last great game.
The story is told by the main character, a rather naive, recently married woman in her early to mid twenties. She is writing about a dozen years after the main plot, and weaves in and out of what she knew and experienced then, during the events of the novel, and what she learned and came to understand later. For the most part this technique worked for me, but near the end, as the plot nears its climax, I thought the technique broke down. The "what I now know" became more intrusive and forced, so less effective. I had a few other quibbles; we never learn exactly what happened to the man who was the subject of the operation. The narrator's lack of curiosity about her husband's illness also felt unconvincing, even given the big age difference and her naïveté and complete lack of curiosity.
Still, I enjoyed the novel, and recommend it. I listened to the audio, which was well done by Tanya Cubric (but is not as of this writing listed on GR).
February 4, 2024
Love leads a young woman into the dangerous world of espionage.
A young woman has left behind a childhood with warring parents and meager financial resources, but at the age of 21 is still trying to figure out who she is and what her life will be. When she meets Marcus, a wealthy and attractive man many years her senior, he sweeps her off her feet and plunges her into an exotic new life. But despite the glamorous locales to which they travel this is not a Cinderella story; she is the perfect person to slip into the life of a former Russian general named Edouard, and Marcus and people in his circle need her to do just that. What seems like a simple task….just observe the goings on at Edourd’s compound near Cap Ferret and report back her findings to Marcus’s friend Raza…will prove to be anything but easy. For a naive and relatively innocent person, creating bonds with a man and his family as she lives a lie will exact a price on her,
Ilium is equal parts espionage novel and observation of the evolution of a young woman whose naïveté and isolated life make her the perfect candidate to enter the duplicitous world of spies. She narrates the story from a period some time after the events she describes took place, which lends a distance to all that she experiences. With an intriguing group of characters whose lives are entangled, she slowly begins to see how carefully she was selected for this role While her love for Marcus (plus perhaps a desire for a more exciting life) renders her more than willing to do what he and Raza ask, it is only when she meets the people on whom she is to spy that she comes to understand the difficulty of maintaining a cover story and extending friendship to people whom she will ultimately betray. Is what she is doing morally wrong, or will the end justify the means? How much must she sacrifice in pursuit of the mission? What kind of person can live in this world of blurred lines and loyalties and come through the other end intact? Not a traditional espionage novel at all, which may lessen its appeal to some. Readers of authors like Chris Pavone, Anna Pitoniak and Clémence Michallon (as well as fans of the Iliad, which plays a role in the story) may want to take a chance on Ilium, For me, the choice of narrative style created a distance from the characters and story which I found to be a barrier to fully caring about them, but I still would describe it as a very well written novel, with the verisimilitude that only someone who understands that world profoundly could deliver. Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheion, VIntage and Anchor books for allowing me access to a copy of this cleverly crafted novel.
A young woman has left behind a childhood with warring parents and meager financial resources, but at the age of 21 is still trying to figure out who she is and what her life will be. When she meets Marcus, a wealthy and attractive man many years her senior, he sweeps her off her feet and plunges her into an exotic new life. But despite the glamorous locales to which they travel this is not a Cinderella story; she is the perfect person to slip into the life of a former Russian general named Edouard, and Marcus and people in his circle need her to do just that. What seems like a simple task….just observe the goings on at Edourd’s compound near Cap Ferret and report back her findings to Marcus’s friend Raza…will prove to be anything but easy. For a naive and relatively innocent person, creating bonds with a man and his family as she lives a lie will exact a price on her,
Ilium is equal parts espionage novel and observation of the evolution of a young woman whose naïveté and isolated life make her the perfect candidate to enter the duplicitous world of spies. She narrates the story from a period some time after the events she describes took place, which lends a distance to all that she experiences. With an intriguing group of characters whose lives are entangled, she slowly begins to see how carefully she was selected for this role While her love for Marcus (plus perhaps a desire for a more exciting life) renders her more than willing to do what he and Raza ask, it is only when she meets the people on whom she is to spy that she comes to understand the difficulty of maintaining a cover story and extending friendship to people whom she will ultimately betray. Is what she is doing morally wrong, or will the end justify the means? How much must she sacrifice in pursuit of the mission? What kind of person can live in this world of blurred lines and loyalties and come through the other end intact? Not a traditional espionage novel at all, which may lessen its appeal to some. Readers of authors like Chris Pavone, Anna Pitoniak and Clémence Michallon (as well as fans of the Iliad, which plays a role in the story) may want to take a chance on Ilium, For me, the choice of narrative style created a distance from the characters and story which I found to be a barrier to fully caring about them, but I still would describe it as a very well written novel, with the verisimilitude that only someone who understands that world profoundly could deliver. Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheion, VIntage and Anchor books for allowing me access to a copy of this cleverly crafted novel.
March 22, 2024
Ilium by Lea Carpenter
Lea Carpenter was unknown to and unread by me before this book, but I now understand why she is a successful author.
In Ilium, she has given us a slow burn novel that defies genre. A story of espionage that does not speak of stealing secrets, only of people, all of whom are not quite who they seem to be, brought together for a deadly reason.
The narrator is an unfulfilled, unhappy woman at the beginning who we slowly find has been specifically spotted and recruited by a “consortium” of intelligence agencies for a deadly mission. It is a pointed tale of deep relationships and dreams that are enigmatically intertwined with a clandestine purpose.
It begins to feel like John Le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl, but then it turns out to be anything but. Compellingly well-told with complex characterizations and emotional manipulation that is deeper than duty to a country, it is about duty to love.
Lea Carpenter was unknown to and unread by me before this book, but I now understand why she is a successful author.
In Ilium, she has given us a slow burn novel that defies genre. A story of espionage that does not speak of stealing secrets, only of people, all of whom are not quite who they seem to be, brought together for a deadly reason.
The narrator is an unfulfilled, unhappy woman at the beginning who we slowly find has been specifically spotted and recruited by a “consortium” of intelligence agencies for a deadly mission. It is a pointed tale of deep relationships and dreams that are enigmatically intertwined with a clandestine purpose.
It begins to feel like John Le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl, but then it turns out to be anything but. Compellingly well-told with complex characterizations and emotional manipulation that is deeper than duty to a country, it is about duty to love.
March 2, 2024
Someone on Bookstagram compared this book to Alias, which was enough to hook me. Unfortunately, the female main character was no Sydney Bristow. I can’t even remember the name of the main character. Maybe she was never named? I don’t even care.
She narrated the book as a reflection on her life as an asset, not a spy, so there was this weird storytelling dynamic where I was trying to piece together events as they occurred in her memory while also trying to predict what would happen as the operation continued in my reading timeline, but had already happened for the narrator.
There was quite a bit of reflection on war, which could have been more compelling if anything happened. But most of this book was this slightly whiny young woman explaining how she didn’t understand events as they occurred in her youth.
In the last 15-20% the pacing picked up because the fourth act of the operation was taking place. But if you’re looking for a spy thriller, I’d keep looking
She narrated the book as a reflection on her life as an asset, not a spy, so there was this weird storytelling dynamic where I was trying to piece together events as they occurred in her memory while also trying to predict what would happen as the operation continued in my reading timeline, but had already happened for the narrator.
There was quite a bit of reflection on war, which could have been more compelling if anything happened. But most of this book was this slightly whiny young woman explaining how she didn’t understand events as they occurred in her youth.
In the last 15-20% the pacing picked up because the fourth act of the operation was taking place. But if you’re looking for a spy thriller, I’d keep looking
January 13, 2024
Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Ilium is the debut novel by author Lea Carpenter, a espionage thriller with the prose of literary fiction set just after the opening of the 21st century in Europe as the third act in an ongoing play of espionage is opening, and a new asset is needed to bring the play to a close.
Enter our unnamed protagonist, a female orphan with a naive sense of romance and no money. She falls in love with a man who owns the house her mother worked in while she was growing up–the one which used to have a garden she fell in love with and dreamed of owning for herself. The man, who is older than her and used to have a reputation as a career bachelor, decides to settle down with her. Right after he does, he tells her two little secrets: he’s dying, and…
This is how our unnamed protagonist is swept up in a plot to gather intelligence on a former Russian operative living in France, near Cap Ferret in a highly-protected compound. First she is there to listen. Then she is there to listen, watch, and process. Then she is there to listen, watch, process, and learn.
I loved the story, as a whole, and the characters. If you read my reviews you know I love spy novels and spy stories. So I thought this would be a win overall. However, the prose style really threw me off. While I can understand Carpenter’s narrative style choice here, it really didn’t suit me well as a reader and I felt it made the story messy. It also slowed down the pacing, which I felt did the story a disservice. I know that as the story leans more toward literary fiction it’s not beholden to the conventions of a standard thriller; therefore, it isn’t held to the same standards of tension and suspension that thrillers are. That doesn’t mean a reader expects there to be so much slowing down for the sake of narrative construct.
It’s a solid read and worth checking out, but not something I’d go out of my way to buy. If you can find it for sale or in a library you might want to give it a go, though.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Espionage Thriller/Literary Fiction
Ilium is the debut novel by author Lea Carpenter, a espionage thriller with the prose of literary fiction set just after the opening of the 21st century in Europe as the third act in an ongoing play of espionage is opening, and a new asset is needed to bring the play to a close.
Enter our unnamed protagonist, a female orphan with a naive sense of romance and no money. She falls in love with a man who owns the house her mother worked in while she was growing up–the one which used to have a garden she fell in love with and dreamed of owning for herself. The man, who is older than her and used to have a reputation as a career bachelor, decides to settle down with her. Right after he does, he tells her two little secrets: he’s dying, and…
This is how our unnamed protagonist is swept up in a plot to gather intelligence on a former Russian operative living in France, near Cap Ferret in a highly-protected compound. First she is there to listen. Then she is there to listen, watch, and process. Then she is there to listen, watch, process, and learn.
I loved the story, as a whole, and the characters. If you read my reviews you know I love spy novels and spy stories. So I thought this would be a win overall. However, the prose style really threw me off. While I can understand Carpenter’s narrative style choice here, it really didn’t suit me well as a reader and I felt it made the story messy. It also slowed down the pacing, which I felt did the story a disservice. I know that as the story leans more toward literary fiction it’s not beholden to the conventions of a standard thriller; therefore, it isn’t held to the same standards of tension and suspension that thrillers are. That doesn’t mean a reader expects there to be so much slowing down for the sake of narrative construct.
It’s a solid read and worth checking out, but not something I’d go out of my way to buy. If you can find it for sale or in a library you might want to give it a go, though.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Espionage Thriller/Literary Fiction
February 18, 2024
I loved this book. I thought the writing was sublime.
March 2, 2025
2.5/3 stars. Intrigue turned to boredom, though I loved Felix. Too slow for me, but it did broach some interesting philosophical questions.
February 29, 2024
3.5 stars. Do not go into this one expecting the "spy thriller" it is marketed as and you may rate it higher than I am. This isn't a bad book, but it is definitely on the slower side, and the spy element isn't as well developed as I would have liked (but on the flip side this is a short book and a quicker read in theory). I did not finish this one with a strong sense of any of the characters and who they were, nor was I overly invested in the plot.
February 23, 2024
the prose was good and interesting. the characters were ok. the story was bleh.
it felt very dream like due to the unusual writing style.
it felt very dream like due to the unusual writing style.
June 18, 2024
2.5 stars - though this site idiotically doesn’t allow for that (very idiotically).
Mmm. I love spy novels of *any* kind and I do love “fish out of water” stories, though by now I’m pretty bored with the “young, naive, inexperienced, slightly idiotic motherless, fatherless, apparently family-less and always, always friendless orphan” female protagonist that so, so many novelists seem to have convinced them gives their narrative an in-built pathos. Newsflash: it does NOT. Not in the least. In fact, what it actually does is what happens in this story: it makes a lot of the connections rather unbelievable, which breaks the suspense of disbelief - and which, obviously, you pretty much need in a spy novel!
So although there was a lot to like here, I’m weary even giving it that extra half star because I don’t fully believe any of it.
1) I never believed this girl really was British! Half British myself, and having grown up in the UK but living in the US since I was 17, I can always “smell” when Americans are pretending to be British.
2) Not believing the girl was British, I also didn’t believe her backstory: the parents etc. The whole thing just screamed “America”! Plus the pastiche of the walled garden, á la The Secret Garden. Basically, everything about the main character seemed like a literary conceit - she never morphed into a real person for me.
3) Marcus and Rafa never seemed real either, but rather amalgams of thousands of characters just like them in a million stories.
4) Just as I was starting to enjoy the whole thing a bit more, the author starts “telling” us the whole story - still in the main character’s 1st person but as if a 3rd person omniscient - ie, as if this girl is suddenly privy to every single character’s thoughts, etc. It was simply silly and I never bought into it.
5) I never believed that Felix would just end up with her (!!???) - I also never believed his voice. Maybe if the author had not up played the “cute factor” quite so much … His obsession with her didn’t bother me because I’ve worked with and been around kids that age my whole life, and plenty have gotten obsessed with me (still do). Truth is, many boys that age “fall for” certain girls/women. That part did ring true. But not much else did.
6) The slow-burn espionage didn’t bother me because I don’t expect all novels to move at the same pace. However, it’s marketed as a “thriller” when it clearly isn’t -this is just literary fiction dressed as a spy novel, which is fine- and honestly: by now I’m exhausted by the pretentiousness of SO MANY writers going on and on about their “philosophies” couched in the voices of the characters: philosophies that rarely if ever are quite as revolutionary or original as these writers seem to believe, or want to believe, and that simply disrupt and interrupt the actual story.
Just give it a rest already!
And last:
7) The ending was ridiculous - not the hows or whys Sophie was killed. That was fine and could’ve been a dramatic, emotionally landing punch point. But those words! All that “live and let live” Give me a break!
Mmm. I love spy novels of *any* kind and I do love “fish out of water” stories, though by now I’m pretty bored with the “young, naive, inexperienced, slightly idiotic motherless, fatherless, apparently family-less and always, always friendless orphan” female protagonist that so, so many novelists seem to have convinced them gives their narrative an in-built pathos. Newsflash: it does NOT. Not in the least. In fact, what it actually does is what happens in this story: it makes a lot of the connections rather unbelievable, which breaks the suspense of disbelief - and which, obviously, you pretty much need in a spy novel!
So although there was a lot to like here, I’m weary even giving it that extra half star because I don’t fully believe any of it.
1) I never believed this girl really was British! Half British myself, and having grown up in the UK but living in the US since I was 17, I can always “smell” when Americans are pretending to be British.
2) Not believing the girl was British, I also didn’t believe her backstory: the parents etc. The whole thing just screamed “America”! Plus the pastiche of the walled garden, á la The Secret Garden. Basically, everything about the main character seemed like a literary conceit - she never morphed into a real person for me.
3) Marcus and Rafa never seemed real either, but rather amalgams of thousands of characters just like them in a million stories.
4) Just as I was starting to enjoy the whole thing a bit more, the author starts “telling” us the whole story - still in the main character’s 1st person but as if a 3rd person omniscient - ie, as if this girl is suddenly privy to every single character’s thoughts, etc. It was simply silly and I never bought into it.
5) I never believed that Felix would just end up with her (!!???) - I also never believed his voice. Maybe if the author had not up played the “cute factor” quite so much … His obsession with her didn’t bother me because I’ve worked with and been around kids that age my whole life, and plenty have gotten obsessed with me (still do). Truth is, many boys that age “fall for” certain girls/women. That part did ring true. But not much else did.
6) The slow-burn espionage didn’t bother me because I don’t expect all novels to move at the same pace. However, it’s marketed as a “thriller” when it clearly isn’t -this is just literary fiction dressed as a spy novel, which is fine- and honestly: by now I’m exhausted by the pretentiousness of SO MANY writers going on and on about their “philosophies” couched in the voices of the characters: philosophies that rarely if ever are quite as revolutionary or original as these writers seem to believe, or want to believe, and that simply disrupt and interrupt the actual story.
Just give it a rest already!
And last:
7) The ending was ridiculous - not the hows or whys Sophie was killed. That was fine and could’ve been a dramatic, emotionally landing punch point. But those words! All that “live and let live” Give me a break!
January 18, 2024
A literary espionage thriller that ABSOLUTELY delivers on every area!
When a young woman meets a roguish older man and falls in love nothing is as it seems. And when their relationship ends, she is left swept up in international intrigue, and the meditation of what, and how important family is.
Carpenter delivers a well-thought-out twisty spy novel that keeps you turning pages, but never loses sight of the emotional resonance of the characters.. I can't praise it enough!
When a young woman meets a roguish older man and falls in love nothing is as it seems. And when their relationship ends, she is left swept up in international intrigue, and the meditation of what, and how important family is.
Carpenter delivers a well-thought-out twisty spy novel that keeps you turning pages, but never loses sight of the emotional resonance of the characters.. I can't praise it enough!
March 8, 2024
Ugh, this book was not good. I was confused a lot of the time and that is by design. The author deliberately keeps you in the dark and you’re left wondering if you’ll ever get all the relevant information. By the end, you do get the broad strokes, but there are still so many smaller questions that never get answered which is really annoying.
This book also seriously strains believability. We are supposed to believe that this hardened Russian man with an insane security detail just lets this random young woman onto his compound with the flimsy excuse of being an art broker who wants to sell his beloved paintings. And then she comes back to the compound later and stays for a while and nobody finds this suspicious? But she’s a spy!
But why is she even there?? She doesn’t even like, report back to her spy group any relevant information at any point! How was she critical to this mission?? They make such a big deal about how she is THE PERFECT person for this mystery spy job and then she never even does any spy stuff! She just lounges around and goes on walks with the Russian guy and hangs out with his 9 year old kid, who inexplicably becomes obsessed with her?? I guess because she’s pretty? I found her to be extremely boring and seriously lacking in curiosity. When her husband tells her he’s dying SHE DOESN’T EVEN ASK ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY AND WHAT HIS ILLNESS IS? I mean, wtf??
Don’t bother with this one, it’s ridiculous yet takes itself very seriously.
This book also seriously strains believability. We are supposed to believe that this hardened Russian man with an insane security detail just lets this random young woman onto his compound with the flimsy excuse of being an art broker who wants to sell his beloved paintings. And then she comes back to the compound later and stays for a while and nobody finds this suspicious? But she’s a spy!
But why is she even there?? She doesn’t even like, report back to her spy group any relevant information at any point! How was she critical to this mission?? They make such a big deal about how she is THE PERFECT person for this mystery spy job and then she never even does any spy stuff! She just lounges around and goes on walks with the Russian guy and hangs out with his 9 year old kid, who inexplicably becomes obsessed with her?? I guess because she’s pretty? I found her to be extremely boring and seriously lacking in curiosity. When her husband tells her he’s dying SHE DOESN’T EVEN ASK ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY AND WHAT HIS ILLNESS IS? I mean, wtf??
Don’t bother with this one, it’s ridiculous yet takes itself very seriously.
February 1, 2024
I truly had little idea what was going on, and I found it obtuse and rather boring. It was an intriguing beginning , but the rest was not for me.
February 5, 2024
Brilliant espionage novel. This was s NOT a thriller or nonstop action spy novel but a head game story. For that reason I liked it better than a thriller - it was like listening to a championship chess match. If you enjoy character studies, slower, twisty, cerebral plots then you should pick this book. There is also a strong link to Greek classics (The Iliad). I’ll think about this book for a while.
March 17, 2024
This book is set up like it’s going to be an exciting spy thriller, however it’s extremely boring, full of stock characters, and very poorly written. There are awkward similes and metaphors throughout, and the timeline of certain plot points makes no sense. Unfortunately this of the worst books I have ever read.
January 25, 2024
This book did not make sense from the narrator’s perspective.
April 6, 2024
I found it confusing, unnecessarily obfuscated, and just plain dull.
March 18, 2024
I don’t remember where I picked up the recommendation for Ilium but, based on the publisher’s blurb, I know I didn’t find it on my own. I haven’t been one for “gripping and suspenseful” stories lately, but I was intrigued by the promise of a look inside the final act of a long running espionage operation. This audiobook was so well done that I hung out on my couch after work just to finish out the seven hours’ listening time.
Ilium was a love letter to spycraft. The story was told by a nameless first person female narrator who had the benefit of years of hindsight. Because it was being told in retrospect, the main action of the story was broken up by “what I didn’t know then but know now” tangents that diffused the building suspense before the story ratcheted up the tension another notch. These tangents also lent a richness to the story by explaining the intricate orchestration behind seemingly unrelated events and offering backstory to apparently one-dimensional characters. Without these well-timed tangents, this love letter to espionage would have been a relatively quick and somewhat uneventful story of a recently widowed young woman who went to grieve with new-found friends at a compound in France and had her stay cut short by an international espionage operation.
I really enjoyed Ilium because of the tenderness and insight with which it described espionage being, at its core, an affair of patience, seduction, and passion. There are countless novels (and films) centered around the recruitment, training, and utilization of assets in espionage; however, almost all of these present the nail-biting thrill of these activities per se or as a prelude to even more action and danger. Ilium was quietly suspenseful without being thrilling or action-packed because it relied on the incestuous nature of espionage, in which pretty much everyone in the long game knows each other either by reputation or in person. This novel was also patently amoral. The first person narrator never judged her actions or the actions of others. “Right” and “wrong” were only used in the context of having been mistaken as to the facts, as opposed to having been immoral or otherwise bad.
Unfortunately, the voice acting on the audiobook wasn’t the best. The cast of characters needed a wide array of very specific accents - ranging from Belfast Irish to Beirut French - to flesh them out and tell them apart. These accents were done very inconsistently. Sometimes the accent fell off as the character continued to speak. Sometimes the same accent varied between speaking parts. Finally, sometimes the accents were just flat out wrong. For this reason, the novel may be better enjoyed in print, with the reader’s brain filling in the accents, than in audiobook.
Despite the uneven voice acting, I truly appreciated Ilium. I would read it again in print. In fact, I would read this author’s backlist and forthcoming publications because of her factually amoral approach to an extremely sensitive and divisive topic. Overall, I recommend this for readers who enjoy psychological suspense rather than action thrillers. Those who are looking for action and/or thrill are bound to be disappointed. This novel may also ring true to those who have had long careers in espionage, even though they would never admit it.
Ilium was a love letter to spycraft. The story was told by a nameless first person female narrator who had the benefit of years of hindsight. Because it was being told in retrospect, the main action of the story was broken up by “what I didn’t know then but know now” tangents that diffused the building suspense before the story ratcheted up the tension another notch. These tangents also lent a richness to the story by explaining the intricate orchestration behind seemingly unrelated events and offering backstory to apparently one-dimensional characters. Without these well-timed tangents, this love letter to espionage would have been a relatively quick and somewhat uneventful story of a recently widowed young woman who went to grieve with new-found friends at a compound in France and had her stay cut short by an international espionage operation.
I really enjoyed Ilium because of the tenderness and insight with which it described espionage being, at its core, an affair of patience, seduction, and passion. There are countless novels (and films) centered around the recruitment, training, and utilization of assets in espionage; however, almost all of these present the nail-biting thrill of these activities per se or as a prelude to even more action and danger. Ilium was quietly suspenseful without being thrilling or action-packed because it relied on the incestuous nature of espionage, in which pretty much everyone in the long game knows each other either by reputation or in person. This novel was also patently amoral. The first person narrator never judged her actions or the actions of others. “Right” and “wrong” were only used in the context of having been mistaken as to the facts, as opposed to having been immoral or otherwise bad.
Unfortunately, the voice acting on the audiobook wasn’t the best. The cast of characters needed a wide array of very specific accents - ranging from Belfast Irish to Beirut French - to flesh them out and tell them apart. These accents were done very inconsistently. Sometimes the accent fell off as the character continued to speak. Sometimes the same accent varied between speaking parts. Finally, sometimes the accents were just flat out wrong. For this reason, the novel may be better enjoyed in print, with the reader’s brain filling in the accents, than in audiobook.
Despite the uneven voice acting, I truly appreciated Ilium. I would read it again in print. In fact, I would read this author’s backlist and forthcoming publications because of her factually amoral approach to an extremely sensitive and divisive topic. Overall, I recommend this for readers who enjoy psychological suspense rather than action thrillers. Those who are looking for action and/or thrill are bound to be disappointed. This novel may also ring true to those who have had long careers in espionage, even though they would never admit it.
April 5, 2024
I enjoyed this book despite its flaws. The flaws could be addressed in a sequel, but the author says she doesn't intend to write a sequel. That's a pity because the characters are distinctive, interesting, complex, and well drawn. Ilium is a spy novel narrated by a young woman who is not trained as a spybut marries into a life of secrecy and a high-stakes mission. She's the protagonist so you get a very different type of clandestine operator, a complete amateur who stumbles into this dark world with no training and little backup. The narrator tells the story in such a way that you are in the dark right along with her as she feels her way through a threatening and alien world. The story takes place in London, Mallorca, Croatia, Paris, and Cap Ferret, and explores what it means to be led by love into a double life. It's a spy novel with a real woman's touch. Its flaws are with plotting, which somewhat strains credibility at times for the sake of character development. Still, the characters are drawn with compassion, understanding, and insight. They seem real, with back stories that explain their motivation. It's a credible and engaging story of bringing a novice into a clandestine world. That's not an easy premise to develop. There's a feeling at times like Cary Grant in North by Northwest where she's a complete innocent thrown into a strange, scary, world. The author has set up an interesting set of deep-feeling, reasonably credible characters. If the author would just keep going, she could polish her craft and the next novel could take these sympathetic characters on another interesting adventure. This time, the protagonist would necessarily be much more knowledgeable, which would change the tone of the story, but in this author's hands it could be done.
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