Hand of Fire

Trojan Threads #1

by Judith Starkston

A legendary war, an invincible warrior, a woman forced to defend her family and realm—and her independent spirit. Will she become the captive or the captor?

Briseis fights to protect her city, an ally of Troy, from marauding Greeks and her husband’s arrogant violence. She finds strength in visions of a handsome warrior god until he appears before her in flesh and blood. When Briseis raises a sword against the mighty Achilles, she ignites a passion that threatens to betray everyone she holds dear.

Hand of Fire, a Greek myth retelling, portrays the Trojan War through a woman’s experiences of both trauma and resilience. Immerse yourself in this richly depicted Bronze Age world where Greek gods walk the earth, epic heroes fight with sword and heart, and a woman dares to determine her own destiny.

"Briseis steps out from the handful of lines she gets in Homer's epic, and fearlessly tells her own story as healer, war prize, and partner to the famous Achilles—here a godlike hero who manages to be all too human. Recommended!"–Kate Quinn, NYT Bestselling author of The Alice Network and Empress of the Seven Hills

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mythology, Greek Mythology, Fiction, Retellings, Fantasy, Greece

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Judith Starkston writes historical fantasy and mythic retellings set in the Bronze Age of the Greeks and Hittites. Her six novels bring women to the fore—whether Deidamia or Briseis from the Trojan War cycle of myths or a remarkable Hittite queen whom history forgot, even though she ruled over one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. Judith has degrees in Classics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and Cornell and lives in Davis, California. Find her newsletter sign-up (and a free novella), book reviews, and posts about archaeology and history on her website JudithStarkston.com

Reviews

[Helen Hollick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes a good historical novel? The writing, of course, has to be well done – a good pace, that “page turner” quality where the reader is hooked into the story from the first paragraph to the last. The plot has to keep going, no sagging bits in the middle where the reader starts skipping pages.
Characters? Ah yes, good characters that are believable as real people – even when they are clearly “made up”. They don’t necessarily have to be likeable characters, the baddies can be just as entertaining as the goodies.
What else? What about research? A poor historical novel gets all the facts wrong, or so muddled so the background believability is ruined.
There also needs to be suspense, tragedy, maybe it can be a little bit sexy in places. Romance, hatreds, fights, tension….
A good historical novel leaps to life, it should be almost as if you have travelled back in time and you are watching the characters’ story unroll before your eyes. You laugh, cry, get angry with them when they do. You ache to know what happens next…

But what is the difference between a _good_ historical novel and a _brilliant_ one?
I suggest you read Judith Starkston’s Hand of Fire and you’ll discover the answer.

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Don't provoke me - wretched headstrong girl!
Or in my immortal rage I may just toss you over
Hate you as I adore you now - with a vengeance."
----Homer, The Iliad

Judith Starkston, an American historical fiction writer, has spun a gripping tale of Briseis, who was held captive by the half-immortal, Achilles ans she was the very reason of a dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon which is the central plot of Homer's The Iliad, in her new book, Hand of Fire. Although
Judith Starkston has focused her book on Briseis's painful life and also how a woman like Briseis love a half-immortal man like Achilles.

Synopsis:
The Trojan War threatens Troy’s allies and the Greek supply raids spread. A young healing priestess, designated as future queen, must defend her city against both divine anger and invading Greeks. She finds strength in visions of a handsome warrior god; will that be enough when the half-immortal Achilles attacks? Hand of Fire, a tale of resilience and hope, blends history and legend in the untold story of Achilles’s famous captive, Briseis.

The war between Trojans and Greeks rages on, and the all the while Briseis is scared of her fate, since she is betrothed to marry a bad-tempered and violent prince of Lyrnessos, Prince Mynes. Soon after the men of Lyrnessos leaves for the war, the Greeks attack their city and holds Briseis captive. And eventually her fate changes when she falls in love with her captor, Achilles- the half-immortal man. Read the book to unfold the most devastatingly beautiful story of Briseis and Achilles.

Well firstly, I must say, it's a quite powerful novel which holds the power to change your opinion about this woman called Briseis. Moreover, the author have spun this mythological tale quite flawlessly with her crisp prose and expressive words. The narrative style is quite alluring, since we are made to see the story from Briseis's POV, but don't worry, the author gives us enough space to analyze it with our own perspective. Well to be honest, the book opened bit slow and at times the emotional pull was not strong enough to let us see clearly.

It is not hard to portray any mythological character about whom we already know, but this author have crafted out them with ease, depth and compassion thus making them look more beautiful than they were known and making us acquainted in a way like we know our own friends. Yes, I understand, it's hard to contemplate, but this particular author knows how to develop a character with ease with the progress of the plot.

The author have vividly painted that grotesque backdrop of Trojan War fought against the city of Troy by the Greeks, thus giving us feel like we are standing right in between blood and gut. Moreover, what I most admired about this author was her ability to lay out or draw out any picture effortlessly, intricately and strikingly, whether it is Mount Ida or the way courageous Briseis speaks. I said before in my review that this author changes our mindset, well she does changes our perspective about Achilles, from a cruel man to a man with a softness in his heart. And if are a big fan of tales of ancient gods and goddesses, then it will leave you enthralled till the very end.

Verdict: All the historical and mythological story lovers, don't give this book a miss. And the rest, you can read this book to lose yourself in the alluring voice of Briseis.

Synopsis: Thanks to the author, Judith Starkston, for providing me with a copy of her book, in return for an honest review.

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not finding it amusing to be the dissonant voice in a chorus of near-universal praise for this novel, especially when I don't have any hipster inclinations and this is a retelling of The Iliad (a book I adore) from the point of view of a very minor character: Achilles' war prize slave Briseis, a choice of protagonist that I don't recall seeing more than once before.

And this starts very well, so well that for the majority of the first half you don't have much cause to expect it to disappoint. But disappoint it does, in the end. As usual for me, I can easily list the reasons.

For a start, length. I think this story should've been longer, and with that I don't mean that the author should've crammed in as many words as she could only to make the book fatter. I mean the plot should've included more, specifically in the second half, where it's all so rushed, so full of holes, all told increasingly more and more in vignette-style passages that make the flow bumpy and jumpy, in abrupt stops and starts like some old car. True, it could've stayed as long as it currently is without adding more, too, but on condition that the narration be evened out, large chunks edited out or rewritten, as many time-jump holes filled as possible, and a better handling of transition from one event to another that happen in the same chapter (which are short, so this makes some vignettes read more like swift summaries of an event/action). The author knows how to write and create characters, but she doesn't have a good command of storytelling flow and pacing.

Then, believability. I have no particular preference for Homeric retellings being fantasy or historical or steampunk for all I care, but I do expect that they follow the rules of the chosen genre they belong in. I expect believability and pausibility within the conventions of a genre. If you tell me your retelling is a Sci-Fi space opera, I'm all ears and eyes for the spaceships and all the cool tech thingies you'll invent. But if you classify your retelling as Historical Fiction, and then break the rules of historicity and plausibility, then... I'm sorry, the story can no longer be sold with that label. Hand of Fire falls in the fantasy genre, it can be correctly tagged Historical Fantasy, but not HF. It's not historical, it ceased to be the moment the author made the gods real. It could have been written so that it be the characters who believe the gods are real and alive beings, and that'd be fine and appropriate for the time and for a purely historical tale, but this author actually made Thetis (mother of Achilles) appear on-page in all her glory. And there are other instances of the gods' existence being a reality and their meddling in the affairs of men, too. That's just breaking the suspension of disbelief.

And then, characterisation. in the beginning, and for more than a dozen chapters, Briseis is a believable and interesting woman, one you can see actually existing and doing the things she does. I liked her in those early chapters. Then... stuff happens that brings that image down. First is the fact that she starts to have strange dreams that are unnervingly erotic, in which she sees a god of her people, Telipinu, who looks (oh, surprise!) exactly like Achilles down to his glorious golden mane.

What? Oh, sure, yes, yes, we've all had wet dreams at some point in life. That's not the argument here! The point of these dreams is straight out of a lurid bodice-ripper, merely there to establish that Briseis is Fated By The Gods™ to meet Achilles and have wild monkey sex with him before the gates of Troy, and the detail that the god of her dreams looks like a clone of the demigod of her wet dreams is included just so she'll know Achilles instantly when he barges in wielding his sword, brings the walls down with the sheer power of his sexiness and carries her off on his shoulder, caveman-like.

Is that realistic? Definitely not. It's not like photos and videos existed back then that'd influence a girl's subconscious and lead her to dream with her celebrity crush, the way Briseis does. The strong-minded, industrious, dignified, and likable girl who can take in great loss and challenges in her short life is suddenly turned into a poor victim to a brute husband, is captured by another golden brute, forgets too soon and too easily that he killed one brother and is the cause of the deaths of the other two brothers, and goes weak in the knees on barely arriving to the Achaean camp. Or, in other words, Briseis experiences a regression and character inconsistencies in the name of shoehorning her into doing as Fate decreed.

Which leads me to insta-love. As Briseis is a slave, she really cannot consent or reject freely to becoming Achilles' bedmate, which is why there are accusations of Stockholm Syndrome some people throw at this when it is brought up. Starkston says in her Author's Notes that she doesn't share this opinion, and I'd have loved to read what her counter-arguments were. I certainly hope they are much better than what's done in the novel to circumvent this thorny point and avoid any scent of forced seduction masquerading as love. Unfortunately, the novel does nothing to counter-argue credibly and logically to the mentioned concerns, because, on top of the Fateful Dreams plot element that "prepares" the field for their meeting, when that does come to happen, Achilles experiences a fit of love at first lust. He meets Briseis, witnesses her rash action in defence of her brother, and goes into regretful hand-wringing on her behalf that's soon morphed into love.

And she? She "resists" for a short while, a too short while given her family's tragedy because of Achilles in this novel, and then the token resistance is immediately wiped out to engage in passionate lovemaking following Briseis' saving a fellow slave girl from rape and being covered up by Achilles to escape punishement. (By the way, why is it that in so many novels the immediate follow-up of attempted sexual assault is sex? Who, after narrowly escaping rape, thinks "Yay! I want to shag this hottie who saved me!"?) She remembers her dreams, concludes that her destiny is to be with Achilles, feelings appear overriding the ugly reality of killing and slavery, and she's in his bed right away. Basically, the second half of the book is: Briseis comes, beds Achilles, gets pregnant, and leaves. (By the way again, where are Achilles' wife and son Neoptolemus? Never are they mentioned in this novel, where he talks of wanting Briseis to be his wife when they return to Phthia. Uh? Hey, Achilles, have you forgotten Deidamia? And that your Mummy told you that you won't come back alive from Troy...? Sigh. Many holes, this book has, my young padawan).

It's not realistic to make a love story blossom so fast and with so little cause, while ignoring the problematic elements and the war in general. It's true that The Iliad has Achilles in love with his war prize and that she does seem to reciprocate despite the circumstances. But one has to take into consideration that the Trojan War spans a full decade and so there was plenty of time, implied years, for the sentiments between Achilles and Briseis to develop. Years for them to know each other, to have a routine, a life in common, and so on.

Finally, I'd like to comment on a small detail: Briseis' father. When I read his name was Glaukos in this novel, I was wondering what had happened to Briseus, which is how her father is called in the original. But since the author had reinvented her as a priestess of Kamrusepa and given her a life of her own that Homer and the other poets of the Epic Cycle never gave her, I didn't think much of it, ascribing it as just another right to creative licence bestowed on every reteller. Until I read in the Author's Notes that Starkston changed Briseus' name to Glaukos "purely for clarity." And I don't agree in the least with it. Whilst the intention to make old Greek names as simple as possible is fine, I think she did it already with giving her invented characters easy names, and should have let the names of those characters named in The Iliad intact. It's condescending to assume it'll be complicated or unclear if father and daughter have similar names, more so when neither have a name that's overlong, complex to pronounce or hard to remember. After all, it's not unheard of in the real world for fathers and daughters to have similar names: George and Georgia, Peter and Petra, Michael and Michelle, Christian and Christine, etc. So why think readers wouldn't be able to tell old Briseus, who only appears in the beginning, from the protagonist, Briseis? Even more, there's the priest Chryses and his daughter Chryseis, who is Agamemnon's captive, and the author hasn't changed names there though she conveniently omits naming the priest, leaving it at stating his position when speaking of him. Also, readers that love Historical Fiction are likelier to do well with repetitive names and people with the same name, because that's common in history. Look at readers of English historical fiction, for example, where everyone seems to be called Henry, Edward, Richard and Elizabeth, Mary and Jane, yet they can tell who is who anyway.

Three stars it is, mostly for the first half and the unusual POV if not for the passable reimagining.

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good book. This might be the best Trojan War novel I’ve read this year. It is certainly far better than For the Most Beautiful by Emily Hauser – also telling the Trojan War with Briseis as the central character and thus this book’s direct competition. It’s practically criminal that Hand of Fire is not better known. Why is it that some of the best books are so overlooked?

I admit, I have a difference of opinion with the author, Judith Starkston. In her author’s note, she mentions that she interprets the characters and the relationships of The Iliad such that Briseis and Achilles have a mutual and true romance. For all you Patroklos/Achilles fans out there, it is worth noting that Homer never does make it clear what the nature of that relationship was (although later Greeks speculated and argued about it), so I have always accepted that if you want to imagine that Patroklos and Achilles were lovers, or if you want to imagine that Briseis and Achilles were lovers, both are equally acceptable and valid readings. Heck, you could even plausibly read that both relationships existed. But I admit, I’m not a natural fan of Briseis/Achilles. Not because I read Achilles’ sexuality a certain way – our modern categories seem not to have existed for the ancient Greeks, who cared more about whether you were dominant or submissive than anything else – but because of the circumstances of the epic. Xenophobia (specifically discrimination along tribal lines, not necessarily language or complexion) was a frequent feature of Bronze Age life, as was slavery, and the justification was often that war captives deserved their fate, for why else would the gods have let them lose the battle? In such a world, an equal romance between Briseis and Achilles seems implausible to me, a rarity when a far more common occurrence would have been that captive women would have been used as a possession, a one-sided sexual relationship with no love to speak of.

So, did I dislike the central relationship of this book? No. I still don’t think it is the most likely scenario, but it is well done. Starkston has created two likable characters and an intriguing dynamic between them that invites you to believe in their attraction and root for their romance. If anything, it was too good to be true. I liked the portrayal of Achilles’ character so much in the romance that I found myself thinking: “He probably wasn’t this nice to her. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if it had happened like this?” So, while I didn’t automatically buy into the premise, this was very much a case of willing suspension of disbelief. I knew it wasn’t my own most likely interpretation of a events, but I liked it enough to actively want to play what if with the book.

I think it helped that such a considerable amount of time and space is spent with Briseis before she even meets Achilles. Most depictions of Briseis’ marriage with Mynes that I’ve read prior to this book show it as happy, or at least amicable – but that makes it much harder to swallow a mutual romance between Briseis and Achilles later on. Starkston has hit upon the fact that there is nothing precluding the marriage from being unhappy, which in turn plausibly pushes Briseis into Achilles’ arms faster. And yet, I must applaud Starkston; she doesn’t make Mynes a complete villain. I do detest villains. Villains are stock characters who are evil for evil’s own sake and devoid of redeeming features. Antagonists are complex human beings whose objectives currently place them at odds with the protagonist, a form of logic (no matter how twisted) motivating their actions, and somewhere, at some time, have someone or something they care about and/or cares about them. The wool scene does a world of good for Mynes’ character, and saves him from being one-note. I wasn’t sure what to think of the Telepinu myth. It’s fascinating that there are so many parallels between Telepinu and Achilles, but usually I’d prefer the author not to draw that much attention to them because I find that foreshadowing, unless extremely subtly done, only makes a story predictable and sucks out the tension. Then again, in this case, the story is so well known, does it really matter?

Starkston takes a more archaeological approach than most Trojan War retellings, drawing upon the connections that the western Anatolian kingdoms had with the Hittite empire to flesh out Briseis’ origins and her life before it is thrown into chaos. This is really above and beyond what most retellings do, and as a history-lover both professionally and personally, it’s a big tick in the checkbox of things I look for in historical fiction (or historical fantasy grounded in a real historical place and time). I did possibly spot one tiny anachronism. Starkston describes Achilles drawing his sword thusly:

“The bronze blade slid against its scabbard as he partly withdrew it, making a scraping sound that filled her mind with blood and her tongue with a metallic burn.”

Any experienced sword user will tell you that swords do not make the singing sound that they do in films when withdrawn from a scabbard. The seed of truth of this comes from 19th century military swords with metal scabbards or at the very least metal throats on the scabbard. But any scabbard made of wood or leather, without a metal throat – and most other scabbards in history were – do not make that sound. But I concede that the passage doesn’t explicitly say that the scraping sound was metal, it just implies it from the fact that the scraping sound makes Briseis think of a metallic burn. That’s it. That’s all I picked up on under historical anachronisms in this book.

I can’t help but admire Starkston’s authorial restraint and discipline. It’s clear that the exciting stuff that every reader is going to want to get to is the Trojan War and Achilles and Briseis’ relationship, but Starkston avoids the temptation of plunging headlong into it and rushing the early part of the book. A lot of stories fall flat because they ask the reader to care about a Big Moment without having given the reader a reason to do so. An author has to put in the leg-work to earn the payoff. Otherwise the audience is thrown into a scene where they know very little about the potential stakes and consequences and haven’t invested in the protagonists – and it’s going to fall horribly flat. So many authors of a lesser calibre would have rushed through Briseis’ life before Achilles and created something thinly sketched, with a poorly realised world and characters little more than names. This sort of writing doesn’t ring true though. People don’t just skim through their life waiting for something big to happen – we don’t have that kind of foresight. People don’t know what is going to happen, and invest their energy and priorities into the present moment, reassessing periodically. When I was reading through Briseis’ life before Achilles in Hand of Fire, her concerns, her objectives, her immediate problems were important. I didn’t feel bored waiting for the Big Moment to happen, and Briseis seemed like a realistic human being.

I debated with myself what final score to give this book, and I was very tempted to give it 9 out of 10 – five stars – but a couple of things held me back. I feel that the book would’ve had to have done more in order to earn that extra point. I would have liked the book to have been longer. I was happy with the large amount of space given to Briseis’ life before Achilles – close to 50% of the book – and I wouldn’t suggest cutting it down, but I would’ve liked the section on the Trojan War to have been expanded. Starkston mentions in her author’s note that she interprets Achilles as an existential hero, and I think she could have pushed that much harder. I think the drama and profundity of the story could have been increased if this theme had been leaned into more heavily. I’m imagining Briseis more torn between her love for Achilles and her grief over her brothers’ deaths, confrontations in which the heat of battle and importance of a cause is set against the inevitable knowledge that good people get killed, challenging the Bronze Age preconceptions of what made a good life, whether slavery was acceptable, or indeed whether the gods even deserved devotion when their interference in the tale has such callously devastating effect. These are the kind of questions that The Iliad asks and what makes it such a titan of literature. Hand of Fire touches on them, but not nearly as much as I would have liked. To be a true epic, the scope of the book would have been more expanded beyond Briseis and Achilles, and tackled the perspectives of other characters in addition. And, finally, I would mark out the writing style as above the competence that I use as my baseline for an acceptable read – but it falls short of being something extraordinary, of possessing the kind of creative flair and innovation that I relish in a very few special books.

Although there is comfortable headroom for improvement, Hand of Fire stands solid above a great many decent books. It is not merely ‘entertaining’, ‘enjoyable’, or ‘competent’; the very least I demand from a book in order to rise to average or just above score. It is well-researched, it works hard to earn the reader’s investment, and it successfully hits up story-telling techniques that make a good book. It deserves to be better known.

8 out of 10

[Stephanie Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hand of Fire is an expertly researched book that blends both the history and mythology of the Trojan War. I've always been intrigued by the character of Briseis, inspiring as she did Achilles' temporary withdrawal from the fighting, and here she comes to vivid life: her early years as a priestess of Lyrnessos, her first marriage to Mynes, and her brutal capture by the Greeks. This is a unique look at the Trojan War, told as it is from the point of view of a slave who commanded the love of one of the greatest epic heroes in history.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the interests of full disclosure, this book was written by my very favorite teacher from high school. In a similarly honest vein, after a few pages, I would have read it regardless of who the author was.

What a lovely novel! Who doesn't already know the story of The Iliad? The heroic acts of Achilles? The Trojan Horse? But I have never read a book told from the perspective of one of the captives of the Greeks. The story of Briseis, a Trojan priestess who became the prisoner of Achilles, is not very well fleshed out in The Iliad. Here, she springs to life.

I'm a sucker for back stories and the history of characters. I loved how we learned about Briseis' training, her home life, her family. Her knowledge of medicines, herbs, and healing was especially interesting. It was clear that a great deal of research went into it, as the details of many medicines and treatments were quite specific. The culture of the region and time was vividly described and very well studied. I confess I knew very little about the region or culture, so reading this novel was a great enlightenment in that regard. The various palaces, rituals, garb, and social roles were all vividly described. I felt like I was actually there.

The thing I liked the most about this novel was the portrayal of Achilles himself. I like the idea that he wasn't just a mindless killer, fighting until fate took over and he was killed. He had a side that was war-weary, a man who wanted just to go home and make a life with a woman he loved. It made him far more believable and likeable, a more interesting and complex figure. I imagine a lot of actual combat veterans feel the same way. While this novel didn’t seem to suggest that Achilles, or any other warrior, suffered from PTSD, it did show that even hardened, semi-immortal fighters sometimes just want to have peace.

In the author's notes, it had some discussion about how Briseis could have fallen in love with the man who was responsible for the death of her family and destruction of her town. I'm not entirely sure I agree that she truly loved him, unless it was just something the gods fated to happen. That argument could hold since Briseis' dreams showed Achilles as her god Telepinu. It seems a little too deus ex machina to me. Although cultures and times change, I think much of human nature remains the same. I can’t imagine many people who could fall in love with someone responsible for killing most of their family. Maybe that is my own failing as a reader. I don’t know. But I am more inclined to go with Stockholm Syndrome, though Starkston disagrees on this point. In either case, the relationship between Achilles and Briseis was a fascinating evolution.

Related to this is the way in which Starkston conveyed how very real the gods were to this culture. For a person like myself who has zero faith and no religion, it can be difficult to remember that the gods were, in fact, very real to people. Still are, I suppose, for those who have faith. This concept informs most aspects of society, and it is evident in their actions and culture and rituals. Starkston did a fantastic job of showing us how religion worked its way into Hittite society and culture in ways we don’t always consider today.

Overall, this is a beautifully written, well researched novel. I would happily recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical fiction, antiquities, or a specific interest in The Iliad.

[D.w. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Starkston sent me a pre-publication copy and here we have an excellently researched book. There are many tales of Troy, and the great battle that conquered her. We look most closely at Achilles and his lover, through the eyes of that lover. But we do so as if the mythology is true.

And with that I found that this romantic epic was not actually one that I longed for or could relate well too. Many another possibly could, but there was a great deal of longing and yearning, and finding a way to nullify the horrific acts that enemies inflict upon each other in a brutal war. That the mythology also intruded puts this novel in to the realm of Romantic Fantasy, and bends us away from the Historical, where we would try and explain in rational terms why Achilles was a tremendous warrior.

The set-up, to bring our two leads together also took away from the pacing of the book though gave the heroine the out of contrasting prior relationships to the foreordained relationship she was doomed to have with the heroic, godlike, Achilles. It was overly long and a key to enticing those who study the military side of this war would be to access the tale closer to the action, and more distanced from the romance.

That however was not the main thrust of this piece. The set-up was designed to give one an affinity for the Heroine, and it does that well. But to provide us in modern times with a read of a story where all believe that the Gods influence things such as the plague, makes a disconnect for me as a historian as well. I should expect that even the most firm believer would be prone to understand that one action in life a certain way does not cause the desired outcome from nature, and thus the gods, since nature is arbitrary.

Thus in the end, this is a highly rated book for those who would dwell in the midst of a tale of love, with the background of the Trojan War painted around it. But if you were to look too closely for more detail of that war, or any aspect beyond what we know from the Iliad or from archeological digs that support Homer's epic, you might not find what you want.

[Nada Sobhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hand of Fire by Judith Starkston is a historical fiction set before and during the Trojan War. The story focuses on Breisis, a priestess of the healing goddess Kamrusepa, and the woman who came between Achilles and Agamemnon. Breisis, who earned only a few lines in Homer's Illiad, is brought to light in Hand of Fire. Starkston both expands and expounds the history and character of Breisis, giving her a whole new form, dimension and depth.
Hand of Fire opens with Breisis's mother on her death bed, and the priestess praying to their goddess to extend her life. However, her prayers are not answered. Breisis follows in her mother's footsteps but cannot seem to grasp all of her mother's faith, devotion and abilities. Breisis is devoted but not like her mother, making her feel incompetent at times.
Despite prolonged delays, the inevitable happens: Breisis weds Mynes, to whom she has been betrothed since birth; a dreadful marriage to a soon-to-be dreadful ruler. Mynes is rash, brutal and blood-thirsty, which is his doom, and to which the reader and Breisis are equally thankful.
Breisis is a healer and the bards tell of the great warrior Achilles as being an unchallenged fighter and healer. Breisis and Achilles collide in their first meeting. Things progress slowly but interestingly. There is a constant ebb and flow between these two characters.
Breisis is truly a strong woman and character. However, her selflessness goes beyond the limits of human behaviour, in my opinion at least, making her both caring and annoying at times.

Hand of Fire is about Breisis; it focuses on her and her alone. The novel does not stray from the priestess to any other character throughout, which is quite interesting actually. Her character development is slow but nicely weaved. The novel is full of ups and downs that are all well-thought of to bring Breisis to the finale, to one last decision.

There are many other likeable characters in Hand of Fire. Achilles' best friend Patroklos is wise, calming, kind and above all loyal beyond measure. He is also one of few who can calm Achilles' fire. Also, one of the most beautiful speeches in the novel is said by Patroklos. "Each of you holds the comfort the other most needs. You are meant for each other. Even the men see that: your height, your hair colour and the divine poise you share. I see more than that. I see inside you: the same gifts, the same fire. Only you can heal each other… You have a fire whose strength can quiet his fire. Imagine. Fire dampened by fire…" (p. 163)

Eurome, Breisis's maid, is an intelligent and caring companion and friend and essential character in the novel. She is a source of rumours and comedy in the novel. After Eurome's first ride in the ship, and after a bout of seasickness, she says "Oh my stars and fishes, if we was meant for seagoing, the gods would gave us fins and scales." (p. 155)

The elemental imagery, particularly the fire imagery, that accompanies Breisis and Achilles is exemplary. "He was made of fire and water. When they joined together, she was filled with feelings far beyond the capacity of her spirit and body to contain – pleasure and delight, pain and despair also, fiercest bonding, radiating out from her in dancing flames." (p. 217). There is plenty more but I cannot quote it all.

The daughter of a historian, Starkston weaves a tale that would linger and leave a mark with every reader.

Hand of Fire is by far the best historical-fiction novel, and novel in general, that I have read in a while. It is a must-read and I certainly plan on rereading it again in the near future for I could not get enough of it.
A ten-star book!

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once in a while I receive requests to preview an author's newest work. In this case the author, Judith Starkston, asked me to read her novel Hand of Fire, a story about the Homeric figure of Briseis. Well once she told me it was a Trojan War era tale I accepted without hesitation as this period of history has long been a favorite of mine. Indeed, it was as a youngster reading the exploits of Heinrich Schliemann and his search for Troy that set me upon the path of being an ancient history aficionado. I have read quite a few historical fictions of the epic struggle , David Gemmell, Glyn Illiffe, Dan Simmons to name a few but this is the first one I have read where the main character is female. Briseis is probably known to most everyone who has read The Iliad or seen the historically flawed movie, Troy, as the cause of strife between Achilles and Agamemnon. What the author does in Hand of Fire is to give her a captivating back story , an in depth tale of a young priestess of the goddess Kamrusepa, the Hittite goddess of healing and fertility, coming of age in a time of war and a young woman struggling with who she is.

The author does an excellent job in setting up the eventual meeting of Achilles and Briseis and in the ongoing byplay between them as they slowly come to grips with their emotions and their entwined fates. There is much turmoil and strife due to the fact that this is a war time setting and that this is the 10th year of that prolonged struggle and the author succeeds in bringing to life the Greek anguish of being so far from home for so long a time. Achilles, though a formidable warrior, is portrayed in a way that emphasizes his frailty as well, especially after the death of Patroclus.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it highly and am looking forward to more from this author . I give it 5 stars.

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Link to the tour schedule: Hand of Fire Fireship Press Virtual Tour

Bio

I write historical fiction and mysteries set in Troy and the Hittite Empire, as well as the occasional contemporary short story. I also review here on my website, as well as Historical Novels Review, the New York Journal of Books and the Poisoned Fiction Revie

I trained as a classicist (B.A. University of California, Santa Cruz, M.A. Cornell University) and taught high school English, Latin and humanities. As part of the research for my novels, I traveled extensively in Turkey. My husband and I have two grown children and live in Phoenix, AZ, along with our golden retriever Socrates.

[Richard Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Hand of Fire from start to end. Judith has tackled a difficult combination here, blending soundly researched historical fiction with mythic elements. In this she is placing herself solidly in the tradition of the Iliad, from which the basic setting of Achilles and Briseis comes. In the process Judith also pleasingly avoids the common approach of demythologising ancient material. The ambiguities and difficulties of a story integrating both humans and gods are welcomed rather than shirked.

One of the central questions here that stood out to me was whether it is possible to love someone who is more archetype than person. In one sense such a love is larger than life and sweeps everything else aside: in another it is completely impossible, and doomed to disappointment on both sides. That, for better or for worse, is where Briseis finds herself in relation to Achilles.

Religion and spirituality are key themes in the book. Briseis' world view, its habits of thought, and the rituals that attend it, are foundational to the story, and are well constructed and appropriate to her Bronze Age context. I thoroughly enjoyed the blend of faith, doubt, superstition and logic that she displays, which will be recognisable to modern readers just as much as to her contemporaries. Achilles is a step beyond such constraints, operating in a dimension of certainty most of us cannot. His passions are larger than ours, incomprehensibly so at times, and like a spiritual amphibian he moves comfortably in the liminal space between this world and the next, between the terra firma of his father, and his mother's measureless ocean.

As you can tell, Hand of Fire made a great impression on me, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the tail end of the Bronze Age. Read it either as soundly researched history or as an exploration of archetypes: either way it is compelling.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very rarely can I not give enough stars for a book. This is such a book. I love the Iliad, it's become one of my favorite books over the years. Judith Starkston has brought the characters of the Iliad to life, but she's done so with her own spin. Through the eyes of Briseis, the priestess/healer. The woman who was briefly able to calm the rage of Achilles.

This book will leave you breathless. I could not put it down. The descriptions so incredible, you can smell the flowers as you walk through the forests of Mt Ida.

Briseis is a multidimensional character who dominates this story. She is a woman who will capture your heart. She could be your friend, your sister or your daughter. You will just love her. She is a strong woman with courage and compassion.
We watch her grow from a young woman losing her mother to a strong Princess of Lyrnessos. We watch her become a captive of Greek soldiers and a confidante of Achilles. Through it all, she is an incredible character.

I loved this book. I didn't want to sleep or eat, just wanted to keep reading. When I was finished, I started over and read it again. It's that good. Judith Starkston- thank you for bringing some of my favorite characters to life for me.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was instantly hooked from page one regarding the tale of Briseis and her Achilles. Judith Starkston's writing instantly reminded me of fellow historical fiction writers Kate Quinn and Stephanie Thornton. All three have the capacity to make the past come alive again. Starkston's Briseis is completely fleshed out and it was interesting to see the Trojan war through her eyes. The ending left me curious about what happens to Briseis and I hope that someday she'll let Judith Starkston know.




Goodreads review published 06/03/16

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. "Hand of Fire" is the new historical fiction novel of Briseis and the Trojan war. Briseis was the famous captive of warrior Achilles but in this book, she has her own story too! Briseis is a young priestess who learns her art of healing from her mother. She also lives during a very tumultuous time and is able to use her skills in order to get through her life. I haven't had an opportunity to read a lot of historical fiction set in ancient times but every time I come across a book like "Hand of Fire," I feel like I need to read a lot more set during this time (it is just so darn exciting). With an incredible story and a lot of great historical detail, this book will appeal to a wide range of historical fiction readers.

The characters in the book are well drawn, especially Briseis. Our heroine it is definitely an interesting character that I really enjoyed following through the story. I like that she is really able to live on her own terms when it seems that other people might like to have more control over her life. One of the most exciting parts of this book for me is the appearance of Achilles as a character. You may be familiar with the methods Achilles and the way that the author is able to weave both his myth as well as some historical detail from the Trojan war together is really something worth reading. I loved reading about Achilles and Briseis together.

This book has a lot going for it! The characters pull you in and there is a ton of action! As I already mentioned, the historical detail in this book is really wonderful. For me, authors notes are often helpful to read but may not be exactly exciting. With this book; however, I really enjoyed the authors note and loved getting sort of a background as to how the author was able to take all of these different facts and myths and weave them into a compulsively readable story. I know that I will anxiously be awaiting this author's next release.

[Kim Rendfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judith Starkston uses Greek mythology as the bones for Hand of Fire, but with her careful research and artful storytelling, we have a full-fleshed novel with genuine, three-dimensional characters who lived in ancient times. The book is a page-turner and was difficult to put down.

At the center is the sympathetic heroine Briseis, a young noblewoman and healing priestess whose life falls apart when the Greek warrior Achilles leads the invasion of the city-state of Lyrnessus. The reader feels Briseis’s love for her city, along with her horror, desperation, and doubts about her goddess. Yet even after suffering tragedy, she draws on her courage and wit.

Ms. Starkston’s Achilles is a complex man. He’s disillusioned with the war and Agamemnon but will remains outside Troy’s walls to fight for his men, whom he considers his brothers. He capable of great violence and great tenderness. The reader understands how Briseis can fall in love with Achilles, even though he caused the loss of her city, her brothers, and her freedom.

If you have even a passing knowledge of the mythology, it does not spoil the suspense but intensifies it.

Ms. Starkston does not flinch in depicting the brutality of war and the heroine’s deep, heart-rending grief, yet the author tells a credible, moving story of a young woman and her struggle to rise above devastation.

[Mary G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judtith Starkston's highly creative and beautifully crafted version of the story of Briseis and Achilles was a real pleasure to read on many different levels. I applaud this author on her excellent command of the English language plus her beautiful writing style, which appeals to the senses in unique ways that I've never encountered in a novel. At times I felt as if I were an observer present in the story, rather than just a reader. As a lover of ancient Mediterranean history, I was fascinated by the historical and cultural details in the novel, particularly with respect to religious practices and the healing arts. The novel is written from the standpoint of the heroine, Briseis, whom Ms. Starkston fleshes out as a beautiful, strong, resourceful woman who displays remarkable strength and courage -- but also very human vulnerability at times -- through numerous trials, tragedies and temptations. Starkston's wonderful writing ability along with her blending of history, mythology, and the supernatural combine to create a fresh, compelling version of a much-loved ancient story told through the eyes of a most sympathetic heroine.

[Marylee MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me think a lot about the women and children shuffled about by the various factions in the Middle East. Set in the Hittite kingdom, the heroine of this novel is caught up in war. A young woman, caught up in forces beyond her control, she maintains her dignity and wins over her foe. What I particularly liked were Briseis's loyalty to family and the bonds she forged with a woman of a lower social class.

[João Rodrigues · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lame high school fanfiction.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars

Intro
I think I should add a "why I pick it" feature in these reviews... anyway: I picked this one up because.. I was looking for novels set in the Hittite empire and this one was one of the few hittites-related novels that came up (and it's not even really hittite...even if it seems that the writer is up with a series about Queen Puduhepa about which I am highly excited *-*). I am not into Homer and his poems, not at all. I am not into ancient greek literature that much, actually... And above all, I am NOT into Achilles and everything about him (I am team Hector by heart, sorry)... So it feels a bit weird to me that I actually kinda liked this novel xD
It's an average novel, anyway. The Plot is good and solid (although nothing amazing or super original), characters are kinda...already seen and unoriginal but enjoyable (except for perhaps Achilles that...well, you'll see later), writing stile good but not exceptional. Average.
The interesting thing was that all the main characters who were not greek were of Hittite culture, mixed up with Mycenean culture. Interesting bit, and also very historically accurate.

The plot:
The book is narrated firsthand by Briseis, daughter of Glaukos, of Lyrnessos, somewhere near Troy (er, wasn't her father supposed to be called Brises?). She's the daughter of the Healing Priestess of goddess Kamrusepa, and she takes her mother's place when she died in the first pages of the book. She's also going to marry prince Mynes, the son of of the king of Lyrnessos. In a very unoriginal twist, this guy is a bad guy(tm), who forces himself on her and beats her everytime he can... untill Lyrnessos is attacked by Achilles and his men and Mynes gets killed. From here on, the story takes the known path, with Briseis captured and given to Achilles as a concubine, them falling in love..and all that jazz. If you are familiar with the Iliad, you'll be familiar with the rest of the plot.

What I think about...

* the plot
I liked the first part better than the second part... with that I mean that I liked the parts where Achilles was absend better than the rest of the book. The bits of Briseis' previous life were nice, although the whole plot was not very original (I mean, first husband being violent and then meeting mr good guy? rather remember me of several versions of Anne Neville's and Richard III's story). The rest is a retelling of the iliad...and was average. Not bad, not strikingly good either.
* the characters
Average, except for Achilles that was just... a Gary Stu. Which is what Achilles is supposed to be all the way, but he looked too...perfect, too fake, too...mr dream guy in a stereotype. I didn't enjoy his character... it could have been played ten thousand times better. I think that even a wreck of a guy such as Mynes was a more interesting and deep character.
Briseis was your average strong willed main character. Not bad, but not very original either.
* overall
Well the best word to describe the novel is "Average". Not bad, not strikingly good either. Enjoyable, nevertheless.
Was a bit disappointed in the ending..it could have been developed a bit more, I was interested in knowing what happened after xD
Strong points
The setting -and all the hittite references- was very good. The writer did her homework
Weak points
The novel is not so original, at the end of the day.

Recommended if...
You are an Iliad freak and hunt down retellings of it like crazy

Avoid it if..
you're not interested in the subject.

[Rebecca Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starkston's debut novel "Hand of Fire" is a retelling of Homer's Iliad from an entirely different - and female - perspective. Here we hear of Achilles and the Trojan War through the eyes of Briseis, priestess of the healing goddess Kamrusepa and widow of the heir to the throne of Lyrnessos, which is sacked by Achilles and the Greeks. Briseis becomes Achilles' prisoner and fights an attraction to the man who was responsible for the killing and plundering that destroyed her family and her city. Once a prisoner and in love with the doomed hero, Briseis becomes a pawn in the larger struggle, caught between two warring powers, Achilles and Agamemnon.

Briseis is a minor character in the Iliad and fans of the 2004 movie "Troy" might remember her as Achilles' captive and lover in the movie, a girl of torn loyalties but still someone with a small role in the story. Here, Starkston brings Briseis to life and gives her the credit she is due. We experience her thoughts, her dreams, her perspective on the killing, raping, and pillaging of the Trojan War, her relationships with her family, and her growing fear as she is pulled between Achilles and Agamemnon. Starkston dusts off the classic and gives the readers a view through the eyes of a participant, one who played an integral role in the events but one who has been largely overlooked by historians and readers over the years. We experience the events in ways that bind the reader to Briseis, a young woman in extraordinary circumstances but with more in common with modern women than one could imagine.

Starkston shows us the Trojan War in a whole new light, with a heroine that is fierce, brave, loyal, and intriguing. Everyone should experience the Trojan War through Briseis's eyes.

[Tinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many strengths. The Bronze Age setting comes vividly to life as Briseis steps out of the mists of legend, fiercely alive and compelling. And Starkston's complex depiction of the half-divine hero Achilles makes the improbable attraction between the two completely believable.

I have the greatest admiration for the depth and breadth of Starkston's research, and enjoyed her very readable Author Notes as well as the additional material on her website. The reader explores Bronze Age Troy and environs with every sense, participating in a fully-realized world that is somehow as familiar as it is exotic.

The subsidiary characters are beautifully developed. Two were, I thought, especially vivid: Achilles's beloved friend Patroklos, and Briseis's elderly nurse Eurome. The kindly old nurse can be a stock character when the protagonist is a noblewoman, but Eurome is so much more than that - she is brave, loving, funny, smart, resourceful, and absolutely three-dimensional. As for Patroklos, he is so deftly depicted that it's easy for the reader to see how he gains everyone's affection, from Achilles and Briseis to all the others in the encampment.

Starkston writes of the gods as her characters would have known them: real, and powerful, and involved in human affairs. Her depictions of Achilles's fully divine mother are nothing less than eerie.

Hand of Fire is a richly satisfying book. I've just ordered some copies for gifts, so I can share it with friends. Highly recommended!

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starkston marries history and mythology with her singular view of the Trojan War from the point of view of a slave conquering the love of Achilles.

What a wonderful way to end 2014 with Judith Starkston's Hand of Fire. A read encompassing stellar writing, compelling characters, and exhaustive research captivating your attention from beginning to end.

Starkston scores high with character development. I was taken with Briseis instantly. Her countenance is calming, intelligent, her strength immeasurable. She is the calming balm to sooth Achilles fiery tempestuous demeanor. She is fascinating and I enjoyed her journey from healing priestess, her dreadful marriage to Mynes, and her callous capture by Greeks. Achilles, a man divided by battlefield and his tender soul. A gentle giant, a thinker, a man with a heavy heart full of emotion. I love the build up between these two, sensual and sexy with class. The chemistry radiates off the pages, the characters come alive, their passion held the entire narrative.

Starkston presents the Trojan War from an original and imaginative perspective, absolutely enchanting as a slave enveloped in grace captures the love and heart of an epic warrior hero in all of history.

[Ruth Chatlien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this look at the Trojan War through the eyes of one of the women characters—Briseis, the captive who became the reason for conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon.

The book is very well researched. I particularly enjoyed learning about some of the healing practices of the ancient world. (As portrayed in this story, Briseis is a priestess of a healing goddess.) Briseis's backstory is well developed. I also like Starkston's portrayal of Achilles as an uncomfortable mix of god and man. Another thing the author handled deftly the relationship between Briseis and Achilles; I have trouble with storylines that show women falling for their captors too easily, but Briseis remains a strong, determined woman even after she becomes involved with the semi-divine hero.

I enjoyed the novel Song of Achilles, which is told from the viewpoint of Patroclus. For other readers who like modern novels about ancient legends, Starkston's book offers a great alternative view of many of the same events.

[Amalia Carosella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Starkston's exploration of Briseis and the Trojan War is both compelling and fascinating, with incredible rich and detailed worldbuilding. It's more than clear that she did her research to inform her setting and characters, both in history and myth. And maybe that's what I love most about this book -- the seamless and unapologetic weaving of myth and magic into history, particularly in how she addresses and illustrates the character of Achilles, who is phenomenally drawn from start to finish. Really, really well done. I also adored how Ms. Starkston approached the relationship between Patroklos and Achilles -- which for me, I found much more satisfying as an interpretation than any I've seen elsewhere.

I'm so glad Ms. Starkston wrote HAND OF FIRE!

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

The amount of research done by the author shows in Ms. Starkston's portrayal of the details of everyday life.

Read full review in the 2014 September issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Eileen Dandashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A STORY OF HOPE WHERE FATE LEAVES YOU NONE -- a real tear jerker

“But what is the difference between a good historical novel and a brilliant one? I suggest you read Judith Starkston’s Hand of Fire and you’ll discover the answer.” –Helen Hollick, Historical Novels Review Editor and author of Forever Queen

“In Hand of Fire, Starkston’s careful research brings ancient Greece and Troy to life with passion and grace. This haunting and insightful novel makes you ache for a mortal woman, Briseis, in love with a half-god, Achilles, as she fights to make her own destiny in a world of capricious gods and warriors. I devoured this page-turning escape from the modern world!” — Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath

“In her portrayal of Briseis, Judith Starkston has cast a bright light on one of the Iliad‘s most intriguing sub-plots. With her fast-paced story, three-dimensional characters, and fascinating cultural details, Starkston has given historical fiction fans a tale to remember.” –Priscilla Royal, author of Covenant with Hell


~ Synopsis ~

The Trojan War threatens Troy’s allies and the Greek supply raids spread. A young healing priestess, designated as future queen, must defend her city against both divine anger and invading Greeks. She finds strength in visions of a handsome warrior god. Will that be enough when the half-immortal Achilles attacks? Hand of Fire, a tale of resilience and hope, blends history and legend in the untold story of Achilles’s famous captive, Briseis.

~My Thoughts~

I surprised myself in how moved I was with this tale. I’ve always enjoyed Greek mythology, but from a distance. I love all the ancient civilization history from the Middle East. So when I had the opportunity to review Ms. Starkston’s book, I was delighted just with the thought. From the first page, you get a sense of who the characters are and how they relate to each other because the author provides us a list of people, gods and places. It’s very important to understand this because the Greek names are hard to keep in mind anyway. So I think that was a nice touch. I also liked that she titled each of her chapters so I was able to go back with relative ease and reread various scenes.

Ms. Starkston wove a wonderful tale from Homer’s Illiad, her knowledge about the Bronze Age and her research which led her to visiting present-day Turkey, then ancient Greece, to talk with their local archeologists. History from over 3,000 years ago leapt off the page. The author’s descriptive scenes with her clever portrayal of events created a love story, you will be hard pressed to forget. Truly a masterpiece.

She brought to life a woman who had every reason to hate Achilles, yet found she somehow loved him. We learn what a priestess did during that age through Briseis’s life. The author fully developed the main characters, so we are able to experience the hardship, love, cruelty and greed of its players. The skill and talent the author has in bringing this story alive, well, it just seizes my mind.

Achilles, the greatest Greek warrior, half mortal, born of Thetis, goddess of the sea, was a deeply conflicted man. His mother had tried to make Achilles immortal and in her efforts she created, instead, a man so strong none could slay him—although he does die, but that isn’t in this particular story. His two essences, man and god, continually leave him edgy and agitated. He will become enraged and wrathful. He felt whole only when he was in battle, full of power and control. When the battle was over he felt remorse for killing. Ms. Starkston paints us a picture of a man who loves, who has compassion, yet has none when he is wronged.

His best friend, confidant and more, Petroklos, a warrior, was the only one close to Achilles who could quell is agitation and calm his spirit, although Briseis, when she came into his life, was able to, too. When Petroklos is killed, Achilles is inconsolable. The author depicts this well; I felt his angst and anguish.

Briseis, a priestess and healer, was captured by Achilles when he sacked her town of Kamrusepa. Born of Antiope, her mother a healer, and Glaukos, Chief Counselor of King Euenos of Lyrnessos, her future was already planned. She was to marry Prince Mynes, the King’s son.

Prince Mynes, a handsome enough man, was fated with circumstances beyond his control. His hot temperament and rebellious inclination makes him rash, and thus poor in decisions. His rashness helped shaped the events which occurred when Achilles entered the town to pillage.

Achilles hoped to take enough wealth from Kamrusepa to appease Agamemnon, the most powerful Greek king of the Mycenaeansone. He was known for his greed and ill-liked by his subjects. Unfortunately, Briseis lost two brothers in battle, along with her arrogant husband, Prince Mynes. It was a crushing blow.

Iatros, her youngest brother was no fighter, like the other two. He wanted to be a physician to care for the wounded. His nature was one of healing. Sister and brother found each other in the devastation of the city and were hiding from the Greeks along with the injured. But they had to escape for the town was on fire. As fate’s hand swept in, Achilles’s men found the group. Iatros took up sword to protect his sister and cut down a warrior, surprising even himself. Even as I reread this scene, I relive Briseis’s resolve. She could not stand aside to see another one of her brothers fall to Achilles’s sword.

~Excerpt~


She drew some water and Iatros washed the face and mouth of the man with the chest injury. His eyes were closed, but he breathed. She turned toward the gate.

“We should close the gate so no Greeks will find—“ She stopped. A shadow had fallen across the opening.

The guardsman sitting on the well drew his sword. Iatros pushed her down so she was hidden behind the well and drew his sword. She heard the sounds a bronze-mailed footsteps rushed. Swords clashed. A man fell.

Then a voice called out in Greek, “Lord Achilles, come over—“ There was a grunt, a thud. The voice fell silent. A Greek warrior lay against the well. His hand loosened its grip on his sword.

She lifted her head to see over the well. Iatros stared at his bloody sword and the dead Greek. The man with the leg wound was on the ground, his sword arm still outstretched, but his innards poured out onto the hard dirt.

Other guardsmen came out of the stables, but it did not matter, for the gate filled with a huge form, and Achilles plunged toward Iatros. Her brother lifted his sword to meet the oncoming stroke. A rage rose up in her; the sound of a hundred bees filled her head. In one motion she swept the dead Greek’s sword off the ground and leapt from behind the well. Achilles’ blade flashed in the air above her. She saw his hands grasping the hilt and sensed their power, then saw his look of astonishment as she raised her blade against the blow aimed at her brother. A new, invincible strength coursed through her arms. The desire to strike-raw and terrifying—drove out her helplessness. Her blade met his. A bolt short through her, and she reeled from the force. Achilles jerked his chest backwards even as the momentum of his swing carried him forward. Achilles’ sword cut through the unprotected joint of her brother’s armor between the neck and shoulder. Iatros’s head fell to the side. As the weight of Iatros’s body carried her to the ground, she heard an anguished cry and could not tell if it washers or Achilles’.

I highly recommend this read to historical fiction and romance lovers.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this wonderful combination of historical fiction and Greek mythology, Judith Starkston reimagines events from the Iliad, telling the story of the Trojan War through the eyes of Briseis, a woman who plays an important role in Homer's epic despite being only briefly mentioned. In Hand of Fire, Briseis is finally given the attention she deserves.

At the beginning of the novel, Briseis is a young priestess of the healing goddess Kamrusepa, but is sadly unable to prevent her own mother from dying. There is more sadness to follow for Briseis when she is married off to Mynes, a prince of Lyrnessos, and finds him to be a violent and abusive man. Sustained by the compassion of her elderly nurse, Eurome, and by visions of the handsome, half-immortal Greek warrior, Achilles, the turning point comes when the city of Lyrnessos falls to the Greek army and Briseis is taken captive. How can she reconcile her love for Achilles with her new position as slave?

Hand of Fire surprised me; I really didn't expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. I love reading historical fiction but tend not to choose books set in the ancient world. I often find that I have trouble identifying with the characters – I sometimes feel that even the non-mythological ones seem more like mythological beings than real people. That was not a problem here: this is a very human story with characters I could love and care about. Briseis herself is a great protagonist and I liked her from the beginning. She has great strength and resilience, all the more impressive when you consider everything she has to endure – the loss of her mother, marriage to a man who treats her badly, personal tragedy in the face of war, life as a captive slave, and her tumultuous relationship with Achilles.

Achilles is more difficult to understand. His personality is complex and conflicted; in battle he is a fierce, mighty warrior gripped by an unstoppable rage, but when he is alone with Briseis we see the gentler, more sensitive side of his nature. Of the secondary characters, there are two in particular that I found very well developed and memorable. One is Eurome, Briseis' elderly maid, a caring, warm-hearted person and a devoted friend Briseis can trust and rely upon. The other is Patroklos, the beloved companion of Achilles, the only person apart from Briseis who is able to quell his rage.

This is a novel that has been thoroughly researched, which is evident from Judith Starkston's author's note in which she describes her reasons for writing this story, the things she discovered during the writing process and the decisions she needed to make. She does an excellent job of drawing on her knowledge of the period to create a convincing picture of what life may have been like for a woman who lived during the Bronze Age. The history of medicine is something I've always found very interesting, so I enjoyed the parts of the book that describe Briseis' work as a healer (which consists mainly of using herbs and magical rituals as unlike her brother, Iatros, she is unable to study to be a physician).

Even for a reader like myself who only has a limited knowledge of Ancient Greece and hasn't actually read the Iliad, I found this novel very accessible and easy to follow. I appreciated the fact that the author takes the time to flesh out the background to the story and doesn't just assume that every reader will be familiar with the time period and the mythology. I was also pleased to find that there's not too much emphasis on the battle scenes! This is Briseis' story and the focus is on her personal life and on her relationships with Achilles, Mynes and the others. I really enjoyed spending time in her world and will be looking out for more novels from Judith Starkston in the future.

[Nassem Al-Mehairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Patroklos, far most pleasing to my heart in its sorrows, I left you here alive when I went away from the shelter, but now I come back, lord of the people, to find you have fallen. So evil in my life takes over from evil forever. The husband on whom my father and honored mother bestowed me I saw before my city lying torn with the sharp bronze, and my three brothers, whom a single mother bore with me and who were close to me, all went on one day to destruction. And yet you would not let me, when swift Achilles had cut down my husband, and sacked the city of godlike Mynes, you would not let me sorrow, but said you would make me godlike Achilles' wedded lawful wife, that you would take me back in the ships to Pythia, and formalize my marriage among the Myrmidons. Therefore I weep your death without ceasing. You were kind always."

In Homer's The Iliad, these are the only lines spoken by Briseis, Achilles' love, and considered his wife. As you can clearly see, Homer left out a lot about a woman who changed the course of human civilization. Judith Starkston has corrected that mistake.

With the publication of Hand of Fire, Starkston has finally placed Briseis in her rightful place in history. Beginning as a healing priestess, our heroine soon finds herself in peril when she is taken captive after her family is killed in an attack. A woman who should have every reason to hate Achilles finds a way to love him, and those feelings become mutual.

We see Achilles and Patroklos' close friendship, and how Patroklos was the only one who truly knew Achilles for who he truly was. When Patroklos was killed in battle, Achilles is inconsolable. This is the point when Briseis and Achilles begin to love each other, and she is able to peek through the veil of the immortal hero to see how human Achilles really is.

Throughout Hand of Fire, we see the progression of the romance between our heroes. The conclusion of the novel hits the reader very hard, when Achilles comes to realize that his fate is sealed and he is taken from this world so devastatingly. By this point, they consider each other spouses, and their love is cut down at its apex.

Hand of Fire is a truly amazing novel. Starkston executes the romance between Briseis and Achilles without letting it get too sappy or lose real, human emotion. Starkston interprets the Iliad the same way I do, with Achilles being a truly kind man with human emotions and flaws, rather than being a selfish, violent man like some believe. No matter what, though, Starkston has created two protagonists that all readers can relate to, with cares and emotions, love and betrayal. These two characters are shown so human-like, it allows us to peer behind the curtain of heroism to see how they really were, just like Briseis did when she found love with Achilles.

Judith Starkston has created a world full of historical accuracy to rival any other, and has crafted characters that we can all find similar to ourselves. I consider Hand of Fire to be one of the most powerful and well-written tales set in the Late Bronze-Age, and one of the best books of 2014. I look forward with great fervor to future works by Judith Starkston, which, if written on the caliber of Hand of Fire, will become classics themselves.

[Faith Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a weakness for stories that shine a light on little known women or give silenced women a voice in the way Anita Diamant spoke for the biblical Dina (Joseph’s only sister) in her wildly popular The Red Tent. Starkston takes a similar approach through the story of Briseis. In the Iliad Briseis has only a handful of lines, yet she is a pivotal character in the narrative arc of the classic poem, sparking a rift between Achilles and Agamemnon that almost brings the Greek war against Troy to ruin. In the poem she expresses her love for Achilles in spite of the fact that he killed her brothers and husband, sacked her city, and reduced her status from princess to slave. A tall order to build a believable scenario where that could happen! Starkston does a beautiful job taking the slender clues about Briseis’ life and times and building believable characters. Briseis matures from an uncertain girl to a woman capable of determining her own destiny in this engaging story.

I was particularly impressed with how Starkston dealt with women’s lives: the endless rounds of chores—particularly weaving—that even elite women dealt with; the emotional toll of being uprooted from home and family and thrust into a life of dependence on brutal foreign soldiers; the gritty experience of camp followers and slaves cooking, nursing, and hauling water. This is not only Briseis’ story, but that of her fellow captives, as well. The author provides us with a set of fully developed supporting characters—both female and male.

Starkston also explores the role of religion in this Bronze Age society. In a time when gods walked the earth and took sides in battles; when every stream, mountain, and cave had its sprite or guardian; when harvests, business success, and health depended on propitiating the gods; religion was integral to everyone’s life. Briseis is a healing priestess and steeped in the rituals that will protect her people. What happens to her faith when her city is devastated, her people murdered, and she is carried off into slavery by the son of a foreign goddess?

The author’s background as a classicist and her research skills add immensely to the historical details and setting of this book. She tramped the fields around Troy, visited Hittite archaeology sites and museums, and studied the latest research on Bronze Age culture. I like historical fiction that takes me to a different time and place. The best stories immerse me in a foreign culture and give me insight into the differences in societies and the commonalities of the human condition. I like to feel the fabric on my skin, smell the plants, taste the food, hear the music and religious chants, as well as see the craggy mountains or the wine dark sea. Starkston delivers.

In conclusion, I found Hand of Fire to be a very satisfying read and an impressive debut novel. Highly recommended.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the time in mythology when gods walked with mere mortals, the relationship between these two entities was seen to be fraught with mystery and great peril. Set during the tumultuous time of the Trojan War, Hand of Fire combines history with legend and introduces us to Briseis, a princess of Lyrnessus, who is taken captive during an assault on her city. Given to the half-immortal Achilles as a trophy of war, Briseis must do everything she can in order to survive the tragedy of her life.

What then follows is an interesting and informative reworking of a story based on Homer’s Iliad. Beautifully researched, the ancient world comes alive in a story which makes history accessible for a modern audience without ever compromising on quality. There is no doubt that the author’s love and passion for her characters comes shining through in a narrative which instructs as much as it entertains. I found much to enjoy in the story, from the unconventional love affair between two strong willed characters, through to the brutality of war of an epic scale. Hand of Fire, breathes new life into a legend which abounds with both intrigue and treachery, having at its centre is a feisty young woman, who rises above disaster to become strong and passionate about the world around her.

As a reader of historical fiction it can become all too easy to get stuck in a particular time frame, so sometimes it’s refreshing to go out of your comfort zone. Hand of Fire gave me a glimpse into a mythical world about which I had scant knowledge but by the end of the story I felt like I had travelled back in time and was all the richer for having made the journey into the world of myth and legend.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been crazy about anything related to the Trojan War since I was a kid and this novel provided a wonderful way to immerse myself in that world. Starkston's research is impeccable, and she really brings bronze age Asia Minor to life. The central character is Briseis, a young woman important to the plot of the Iliad, but as the protagonist of this story, a fully developed character in her own right.

The characterization was the strongest aspect of this book. Both Briseis and eventually Achilles are fully fleshed out, appealing, flawed and interesting. Many of the secondary characters are wonderfully drawn as well. I'm always thrilled when a well-known tale is retold in a fresh, unpredictable way. I mean, we all know how this story ends and yet Starkston created a unique twist that turned a tragic ending bittersweet.

My only complaint was the pacing. The first half is Briseis' life up until the time she's captured by the Greeks. As a result, her romance with Achilles felt rushed, and the last quarter of the book flew by, through plague, creepy Agamemnon, poor Patroklos, the showdown with Hector (which happened entirely off-screen, unfortunately), and it was over all too quickly. Having been an Achilles fangirl much of my life, I loved this nuanced, mystical portrayal of his nature and wanted much more.

Still, a very enjoyable read. I'll definitely look for more books by this author.