Helen of Sparta

Great Women of Greek Mythology #5

by Mike French, Vittorio Mattioli, Little Miss Grumpy (Cover)

Helen is the most beautiful woman in the world. She may be the most beautiful woman ever. This beauty is a curse as much as a blessing, however, as men fight over her wherever she goes, even kidnapping her in order to possess her. She becomes the most hated woman in all of Greece for the war she sparks when she is abducted by Paris, favourite of Aphrodite. But is Helen really to blame? Is she a willful seductress with no care for the consequences of her actions or a mere plaything of the gods?

GREAT WOMEN OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY is a series of short books for young and old introducing readers to the ancient world through its heroines. These books aim to bring readers on a journey filled with excitement, drama, death and love, all while focusing on the women that have played such an important role in our history yet are still remembered as mere bystanders.

144 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2024

About the author

Mike’s debut novel, The Ascent of Isaac Steward came out in 2011 with Cauliay Publishing and was nominated for The Galaxy National Book Awards which due to an unfortunate clerical error was awarded to Dawn French.

Mike's second novel a dsytopian sci-fi called Blue Friday was released in 2012 by Elsewhen Press and was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award 2013. Convergence, his third book, was released in October 2013 from Elsewhen Press and was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke award 2014.

In Nov 2015 Elsewhen Press published Mike's hybrid novel & graphic novel called An Android Awakes with artist Karl Brown.

The sequel Fictional Alignment was published in paperback April 2018.

Mike was also the senior editor and owner of The View From Here literary magazine which closed in Nov 2014.

Reviews

[Ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having previously read Medea from the "Great Women of Greek Mythology" series, I found Helen of Sparta to be a much more complex and thought-provoking experience. While my feelings toward Medea were clear and visceral, disliking her with every fiber of my being due to the horrific nature of infanticide, my reaction to Helen remains far more ambiguous. This series clearly adopts a modern, feminist lens, attempting to provide agency to these iconic figures, yet I found it somewhat jarring how the narrative framed Helen's beauty as a burden or a source of victimization, when in reality, it was her most potent weapon. There is a lingering sense of injustice in the fact that thousands perished in her name while she lived out a contented life, making it difficult to fully sympathize with her character. Nevertheless, the writing style is exceptional; it feels fresh and contemporary while remaining deeply rooted in the essence of ancient Greek reality. It doesn’t claim to be a strictly faithful retelling but rather an original work inspired by primary sources, and I found it much more engaging to process than the darkness of Medea's story.

[Helen Pugsley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to vividly picture 12yro girls dancing naked? Ever wanted to picture men more than twice their age leering at them? Ever wanted to read about what felt like an attempted rape of a 12yro?
I can't tell if this is AI drivel or someone actually writes this badly. I'm saving this to recycle.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different approach on the famous Helen.

[JoAnna GC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for children, as it describes on the back. I was glad I read it before allowing my daughter to read.

[Beatriz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bffff me lo compré en un viaje a Creta, y vaya puta maravilla. Mi pequeña