Spears of Troy

by Lex Carrow

Milo wins a twenty-four-hour pass to the most advanced sim on Earth and wakes on the shores of Troy with one goal: find Achilles. He has hours to track the hero before the system ends—until two strangers alter the plan and steer him toward a deeper discovery.

Agetor, the young soldier who shares his battlefield wounds—and takes Milo’s hand to another man’s spear for the first time.

Kelestra, the priestess of Poseidon, whose calm masks the sea-god’s ferocity within her.

As the clock runs down, the choice only grows sharper…and then it doesn’t.

Spears of Troy is a fast, male-led, MMF-triad novella about bi awakening in an ancient world and is not suitable for young readers. What to expect:

-Explicit MMF (brief M/M)
-Battlefield violence
-Affirming end

Set against the grit of the famed Greek siege, Spears of Troy is Episode One of the VRJourneys series, a near-future bingeable romance collection where fully-immersive AI-powered simulations allow the protagonists to experience love, danger, and lust against the backdrop of different historical eras. Each episode reads as a standalone and features different tropes and pairings.

119 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2026

About the author

Lex Carrow writes the kinds of stories he loves to read - history with a touch of romance. Though it admittedly would probably be more accurate to say he writes romance with a touch of history...and a ton of spice.

Drawing inspiration from humanity's constantly evolving and changing views on sexuality across different cultures, Lex seeks to bring these fascinating moments out of the history books and onto your e-reader while enriching them with passion, danger, and of course sex - lots of different kinds of sex.

Lex is currently writing his next work from his home office, which he likes to pretend is in a log cabin nestled deep in the woods.

Reviews

[Sheila Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I SELECTED THIS FREE ARC TO READ AND TO REVIEW VOLUNTARILY**

I found the set up for this novella intriguing! I am NOT a fan of VR-meets-History, however the story of Achilles is one of my favorites, which led me to selecting this to read! Making this story relevant to the options available in today's society fascinated me. The descriptive words and "real-life" situations grabbed my interested and kept me reading.

The subtle moments between the MMC and his companion build nicely. and lead to the MMC's redirection of his original mission. Those feelings build as the MMC decides to succomb to his desires and the imagery of terms used in ancient Greece pulled on my heartstrings. And evolves to a spicy MMF moment that is shared beautifully and fits masterfully.

The feelings that the MMC experiences at the of the book poses questions that can absolutely relate to others in today's society. However, an unforeseen experience takes those feelings and turns them into something quite else: hope and joy for a different experience.

I recommend this novella for a quick read and a way to experience historical events in today's technologically advanced society.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the synopsis, I was surprised at how much I liked the thought of diving into a VR‑meets‑history story, and Spears of Troy absolutely delivered on that front.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Spears of Troy is one of those novellas that grabs you quickly and doesn’t waste a moment. The VR twist on the Trojan War is such a fun angle, and it makes the ancient setting feel alive in a way that’s easy to visualize. Despite the short length, the characters feel well‑rounded, and I found myself genuinely caring about Milo and the people he meets inside the simulation. The tension builds nicely, leading into a final scene driven by desire — a spicy MMF moment that fits the emotional and narrative arc surprisingly well. I’m already looking forward to more of Lex Carrow’s work because this blend of VR and historical storytelling is exactly the kind of concept I love.

What I didn’t expect was how emotional the aftermath would be. Milo waking up and feeling the loss of his AI‑generated world is handled with a lot of nuance, and it raises interesting questions about how technology shapes our emotional lives. The ending brings everything together with a hopeful tone that feels just right. Quick read and definitely worth picking up.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the ARC!

This is an interesting setup with the MC experiencing a virtual reality romance set in Ancient Greek. The romance itself was well-written if quick (explained potentially by the prompted scenario aspect of the setup), and the spice was varied. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the romance as well as the different attitudes displayed. However, I wasn’t a fan of the MMC. What I’m guessing is intended to be amicable goofs cut closer to secondhand embarrassment, and he falls far short of what I would think was basic research into the time period he’s travelling to, despite this being a scenario he’s prompted.

I did like the hint of something more in the ending, and appreciated the unique setup for the series as a whole.

[Seher · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is absolutely obsessed with Greek Mythology, especially the Trojan War era, I was super excited to come across this book by Lex Carrow. And it’s a short story, which made it the perfect way to get in another book by the end of the year.

Then there was plenty of smut and muscles.
And some A.I. enhanced virtual reality.
Perfect for Christmas.

Basically, one moment our main character, Milo, is closing his eyes, and the next second he’s in a fully immersive simulation powered by A.I. that allows him to stand on the beaches of Troy as a Greek captain who is destined to run into Achilles.

What follows is some archery, some muscles, a beautiful priestess and gorgeous soldier.

I did have a few moments where I was like, Milo should know more. Given that he’s so interested in the Ancient Greeks and wants to meet Achilles, I can’t imagine that he wasn’t aware of how and why Agetor would be uncomfortable with the dynamics. I’m also wondering how scammy the company is that you can just die in the simulation even if you’re 5 minutes in and they won’t restart the simulation.

That being said, you have to give Lex Carrow some credit for a story that is a bit more than smut

⭐️ The "Black Mirror" Twist

“If I hadn’t come to Troy would these…feelings, these desires…would they ever have been explored? Will I ever have this chance again? If not, should I be making the most of this? Should I be…exploring more? Did I even want more?”

Milo starts the journey coming off as completely straight; the character doesn’t allude to being the slightest bit bi-curious. But once in a setting where the rules can be a bit different, he actually explores those feeling, which really does give rise to the question; what would we do if we were out of our bodies?

⭐️ The Ethics of AI in Romance

“Or just finally get lucky with that special crush you’ve had your eye on - all from the comfort of a VRJourneys bed.”

This quote was also a little interesting to me. The same company that promises these beautiful immersive experiences where you can be on the beaches of Troy and can feel the wounds also allows you to ‘get lucky with that special crush’. I completely get that it’s a fantasy, but it’s interesting how we’ve low-key accepted as people that porn will be a major part of A.I and virtual reality when we can really do it. I can’t imagine being comfortable knowing that people can just do this to me.

Keep in mind that this isn’t a criticism of the author (the man can’t give us fleshed out rules for the rules behind these simulations work in a short story), I just think it’s interesting to think that fiction is what’s gotten us to the point where we can easily comprehend A.I. and yet, we also accept this in what we write.

“I emptied out my savings that I’d be spending thousands of dollars on an experience that differed little from run-of-the-mill virtual reality tech.”

⭐️ Final Verdict

Despite my questions about the rules, I really enjoyed this novella. It’s fun and fast paced that manages to be both spicy and a little bit philosophical.


Disclaimer:
I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nicole Sapriken · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you Lex Carrie and Book Sirens for the opportunity to arc read this one.
I knew I would enjoy this one as soon as I read that it was set in Troy, or well, the beach outside of Troy, during the time of Achilles. What I got was totally unexpected in a good way. This story is unique, and yet not so much for someone who grew up in the time of “Total Recall”. I loved it.
I loved that we knew Milo was in a virtual reality, and that it was all super real. I love the depth of which the story got, and how it made Milo, or “Milon of Salamis” change his look on his own life and sexuality. Agetor and Kelestra were wonderfully written as well, and helped to move Milo to what he truly wanted, rather than what he originally thought was his main goal of meeting Achilles.

Such a great story, and a wonderful dash of MMF spice too! I can’t wait to read more of them.

[IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ARC review ✨

Spears of Troy was a nice, quick read. The novella follows Milo, a modern day American who heads to ancient times via a VR journey to join the Greeks in their fight against the Trojans, and explores cameraderie and desire along the way, ending in a spicy MMF adventure.

I received an ARC for free via BookSirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily, and it is my honest opinion.

The author did a great job at balancing the immersion into Milo's chosen setting with reminding the reader that Milo is actually a modern human and himself unfamiliar with the historical time he spends this journey in. I enjoyed the writing, and the spice was good.

In the first half, the novella did drag on a little bit for me at times, probably because I wasn't super interested in the everyday ancient war life being described there, but in the end, all that did help build up to the connection Milo felt toward Agetor and Kelestra, the other two main characters, and it didn't stop me from finishing the book in one sitting.

Without spoiling anything: I especially loved the ending after Milo woke up from the VR simulation.

I adore the concept of history-inspired, spicy VR journeys deeply and will be following along as more of this series comes out for sure! Spears of Troy releases in January 2026. If the setting and pairing/tropes speak to you, and you're looking for a quick read, I recommend you check it out.

[Syd Linders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Lex Carrow and BookSirens for the ARC.

I’ll admit that the talk about AI in the description of this book had me concerned it was used to write it, but I don’t believe that is the case. It’s a plot device here.

Lighthearted but sweet, I thought; a nice, quick read. The characters are interesting and the spice is not hamfisted (pun intended).

There’s something about the use of AI to simulate relationships and experiences here that I don’t quite have my teeth wrapped around. I was happy that the author has the come down, as it were—when Milo gets pulled out of the simulation and is back in reality. To me it speaks to a desire for connection that society (ie capitalism) denies and resells to us as a VR experience. I don’t even think that is what Carrow is going for, but that’s ok. Not everything needs to mean something deep. Somethings can just be two dudes jacking each other off under a boat. And I think that’s beautiful 💖