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After Ilium
Alex Parris has been fascinated by the Trojan War all his life, but when he meets the seductive Eléna on a cruise to Turkey, he cannot help but see the two of them as a modern Helen and Paris. However, following seduction in Istanbul and their tour to the ruins of Ilium, Alex is forced to fight his way back to his lover—if he can find her, and if the rugged Turkish coast doesn’t kill him first.
282 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
1 person is currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Swartz
23 books14 followersStephen Swartz grew up in Kansas City where he was an avid reader of science-fiction and quickly began emulating his favorite authors. Since then, Stephen studied music in college and, like many writers, worked at a wide range of jobs: from French fry guy to soldier, to IRS clerk to TV station writer, before heading to Japan for several years of teaching English. Now Stephen is a Professor of English at a university in Oklahoma, where he teaches many kinds of writing. He still can be found obsessively writing his latest manuscript, usually late at night. He has only robot cats.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 23, 2012
A young man's imaginings of acient battles become real as he chases his version of Helen of Troy. Suspenseful, exciting. A good read that keeps your attention all the way through. (Greg/Amazon/5 stars)
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I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was well-paced and the characters were engaging and realistic. Don't read it if you are expecting a sappy romance novel. Passion, violence, adventure, history, mythology, tragedy and betrayal couldn't be woven together into a more enjoyable tale. After Ilium has a wide audience of readers it will please. (Danielle/Amazon/5 stars)
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After Ilium is a great story, one that I felt very daring in reading, as my normal genre tends toward epic-fantasy. This book is totally NOT a fantasy, so Stephen Swartz really expanded my literary horizons! It is an engrossing work of modern literature, delivered with darkly cosmopolitan flair.
Alex Parris, a young American wakes up in a foreign hospital. He is terribly injured and his story is told in both flashbacks and dreams. He has always been involved in the history of ancient Troy, or Ilium as it was called in ancient times. After finishing college Alex journeys to the the ruined city that has facinated him all his life, and on the way there he meets the mysterious and beautiful Elena.
The way that Swartz weaves Alex's dreams of Ilium and his memories of what happened to him after he met Elena is engrossing, and I found it hard to put down. This is not a romance novel in any way. The mystery of what happened to Alex and how his love of the history of Ilium led to his predicament is at times violent and gritty.
I really enjoyed this book. There is no fluff here, just good, solid adventure. (Connie/Amazon/5 stars)
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Great romantic adventure in shadow of Trojan War!
This is about a guy who is going to visit the site of Troy (also called Ilium) because he is into history. ON the way he meets an older woman and they have an affair. One thing that's cool is that his name is Alex Parris and her name is Elena, which is Helen in Greek. So they are like the original couple who started the Trojan War 3000 years ago. The turning point in the story is when they are at Ilium and Elena wants Alex's attention so she makes it look like some Turks are harassing her. That gets Alex in trouble and the rest of the book is him trying to get back to her but having a lot of obstacles to over come. This part is like the Odyssey. I works pretty well but the sex scenes are sappy and the ending is not what I expected. I liked it a lot and recommend it for anybody who like reading about the Trojan War or romantic adventure stories. (Anonymous/Barnes&Noble/4 stars)
----------------------------
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was well-paced and the characters were engaging and realistic. Don't read it if you are expecting a sappy romance novel. Passion, violence, adventure, history, mythology, tragedy and betrayal couldn't be woven together into a more enjoyable tale. After Ilium has a wide audience of readers it will please. (Danielle/Amazon/5 stars)
----------------------------
After Ilium is a great story, one that I felt very daring in reading, as my normal genre tends toward epic-fantasy. This book is totally NOT a fantasy, so Stephen Swartz really expanded my literary horizons! It is an engrossing work of modern literature, delivered with darkly cosmopolitan flair.
Alex Parris, a young American wakes up in a foreign hospital. He is terribly injured and his story is told in both flashbacks and dreams. He has always been involved in the history of ancient Troy, or Ilium as it was called in ancient times. After finishing college Alex journeys to the the ruined city that has facinated him all his life, and on the way there he meets the mysterious and beautiful Elena.
The way that Swartz weaves Alex's dreams of Ilium and his memories of what happened to him after he met Elena is engrossing, and I found it hard to put down. This is not a romance novel in any way. The mystery of what happened to Alex and how his love of the history of Ilium led to his predicament is at times violent and gritty.
I really enjoyed this book. There is no fluff here, just good, solid adventure. (Connie/Amazon/5 stars)
------------------------------
Great romantic adventure in shadow of Trojan War!
This is about a guy who is going to visit the site of Troy (also called Ilium) because he is into history. ON the way he meets an older woman and they have an affair. One thing that's cool is that his name is Alex Parris and her name is Elena, which is Helen in Greek. So they are like the original couple who started the Trojan War 3000 years ago. The turning point in the story is when they are at Ilium and Elena wants Alex's attention so she makes it look like some Turks are harassing her. That gets Alex in trouble and the rest of the book is him trying to get back to her but having a lot of obstacles to over come. This part is like the Odyssey. I works pretty well but the sex scenes are sappy and the ending is not what I expected. I liked it a lot and recommend it for anybody who like reading about the Trojan War or romantic adventure stories. (Anonymous/Barnes&Noble/4 stars)
April 14, 2012
After Ilium is an engrossing work of modern literature, delivered with darkly cosmopolitan flair, by indie author Stephen Swartz. As one reviewer said, 'don't read this if you are expecting a sappy romance novel!' There is a deep story here, and while there is a love affair, this book is much more of a thriller, mixing intrigue and politics with the romance.
Set against the backdrop of the modern middle-east, After Ilium contrasts the old against the new in multiple ways throughout the story. Historical Ilium of the Trojan era is viewed through the eyes of the young history buff and tourist, Alex Parris as he tours Turkey and Greece, and we see the modern cities that thrive there now. The contrast of old against new provides a vivid tapestry that holds the reader.
The story begins when Alex Parris, a young American wakes up in a foreign hospital. He is terribly injured and his story is told in both flashbacks and dreams.
He has always been involved in the history of ancient Troy, or Ilium as it was called in ancient times. After finishing college Alex journeys to the ruined city that has fascinated him all his life, and on the way there he meets the mysterious and beautiful Elena.
Elena is older and very cosmopolitan. Rather naive at the outset, Alex is attracted to her foreign mannerisms and her aloofness challenges him. They begin a love affair that is filled with both passion and unanswered questions.
Rather quickly things begin changing for the the worse, in his relationship with the beautiful Elena. Swartz' descriptions of both ancient and modern Ilium are clear and vivid. The conversations and interactions between the characters are natural and unforced, drawing the reader in and immersing them in his tale.
Alex’s youth and inexperience lead him into a situation that culminates in a series of terrifying events. Nothing is as Alex believes it to be, and he is dragged into a series of nightmarish events that have one comonality - Elena.
The way that Swartz weaves the complex web of both Alex's dreams of ancient Ilium and his drugged memories of what happened to him after he met Elena is engrossing, and I found it hard to put down.
This is not a romance novel in any way. The mystery of what happened to Alex and how his love of the history of Ilium led to his predicament is at times violent and gritty.
I really enjoyed this book. There is no fluff here, just good, solid adventure, well-written and engrossing. After Ilium is a book that I would read again!
Set against the backdrop of the modern middle-east, After Ilium contrasts the old against the new in multiple ways throughout the story. Historical Ilium of the Trojan era is viewed through the eyes of the young history buff and tourist, Alex Parris as he tours Turkey and Greece, and we see the modern cities that thrive there now. The contrast of old against new provides a vivid tapestry that holds the reader.
The story begins when Alex Parris, a young American wakes up in a foreign hospital. He is terribly injured and his story is told in both flashbacks and dreams.
He has always been involved in the history of ancient Troy, or Ilium as it was called in ancient times. After finishing college Alex journeys to the ruined city that has fascinated him all his life, and on the way there he meets the mysterious and beautiful Elena.
Elena is older and very cosmopolitan. Rather naive at the outset, Alex is attracted to her foreign mannerisms and her aloofness challenges him. They begin a love affair that is filled with both passion and unanswered questions.
Rather quickly things begin changing for the the worse, in his relationship with the beautiful Elena. Swartz' descriptions of both ancient and modern Ilium are clear and vivid. The conversations and interactions between the characters are natural and unforced, drawing the reader in and immersing them in his tale.
Alex’s youth and inexperience lead him into a situation that culminates in a series of terrifying events. Nothing is as Alex believes it to be, and he is dragged into a series of nightmarish events that have one comonality - Elena.
The way that Swartz weaves the complex web of both Alex's dreams of ancient Ilium and his drugged memories of what happened to him after he met Elena is engrossing, and I found it hard to put down.
This is not a romance novel in any way. The mystery of what happened to Alex and how his love of the history of Ilium led to his predicament is at times violent and gritty.
I really enjoyed this book. There is no fluff here, just good, solid adventure, well-written and engrossing. After Ilium is a book that I would read again!
April 8, 2017
It was amazing! What an awesome story. I absolutely loved how history and the present intermingled, and I learned so much about Helen of Troy from this story. I loved how Alex's reminiscences flowed into the present conversations without there being any jilt or pause in my concentration or enjoyment of the story. It is honestly well written and I read this story in one sitting, it would not let me go and I enjoyed every word.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews