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The Good Soul
Achilles/Patroclus. When Patroclus, the clumsy son of a disappointed father, is exiled to Phthia for fostering, he feels totally justified in his dislike for the king's son. After all, who could possibly tolerate someone so arrogant, so narcissistic, and so wholly and completely everything that he wants to be?
Words: 236285
Words: 236285
807 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2016
5 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 30, 2025
“Achilles would scorn such things he knew; fairytales, mythology, romantic fantasy, but it was true. Even when he had hated him, he’d loved him, had always loved him, before they had ever met.”
--
‘The Good Soul’ by scarlet_the_seachild is an epic retelling of Patroclus and Achilles before the events of the Trojan War. It is, quite honestly, one of the most engaging and well-written fanfics I’ve encountered.
--
Synopsis
It begins with Patroclus, son of King Menoetius, the Prince of Opus who has just been exiled from his kingdom for murdering the son of a nobleman. He finds himself in the court of King Peleus in Phthia as one of his many foster sons. Patroclus is small, thin, and failing in drills training, an easy target for the other boys to pick on, especially after finding out about the reason for his exile. Shunned by his foster siblings, he befriends Leptine, a slave girl, who shares his hatred of the arrogant and conceited Prince Achilles, the golden son of Peleus, destined for greatness, the ‘greatest warrior of his generation’ and worshipped by everyone. Eventually, Achilles finds out about Patroclus’ hatred towards him, and a rivalry of sorts begins to form between the two boys.
After being framed for a prank involving the King’s cattle, Patroclus is punished by being demoted to servant status, and despite the hard labour of being a servant, Patroclus enjoys spending time - albeit doing chores- with Leptine (who is like a sister to him). But he is still forced to attend drills training with the other foster sons; however, after wrestling with many of them in training, and winning, Patroclus realises that he does have what it takes to be a fighter, a real warrior.
Time passes, and as Patroclus’ skills improve, he engages in a 1v1 with Achilles, he loses of course, but Achilles calls a tentative truce to their rivalry, as he asks Patroclus to be his sparring partner, promising to train Patroclus in return. Tension is high between the two, both as stubborn and hot-tempered as the other, but a friendship begins to form between the once-rivals as Achilles realises that they have much in common, that Patroclus is better company than his gaggle of worshippers, while Patroclus realises that Achilles is more than an arrogant jerk.
The narrative navigates their coming-of-age, the development of their characters and their relationships. From hatred to tentative friendship, to the sacred bond of Hetairoi – blood brothers, companions – and then of course, their infamous love rife with tragedy. The story definitely diverges from Madeline Miller’s ‘The Song of Achilles’, but I didn’t really mind, as I already saw ‘The Good Soul’ as a separate piece of writing. Prepare for the brutality and grief of war, the stress of arranged marriages, politics, prophecies, friendship, love, and of course, the impending doom of the Trojan War.
--
Review
Overall, a really solid story, quite plot-focused with a lot of politics and conflict, very fast-paced with a lot going on. If you’re looking for a similar narrative to TSoA, you might not get what you’re expecting, but it is still so worth reading. And full disclaimer!! It's a brutal story, a lot of mature themes are mentioned and there is a lot of conflict between Patroclus and Achilles throughout the story, so if you think it's a fic full of cute, Patrochilles fluff, you are certainly in for a surprise.
However, the prose is just as gorgeous as TSoA, the imagery is so vivid and just breath-taking, you can tell so much love was poured into the writing, and the dialogue? - Chef’s kiss. Simply divine. The characters leapt off the pages and were brought to life in this retelling. Yes, it has some anachronisms, but really, it seemed more historically accurate, with a better grasp of its time period and (Grecian) culture than most period dramas or ‘historical’ novels.
If there’s writing like this:
But what I really think is the best part about this fic, the CHARACTERISATION!! Honest to god, this had the most compelling interpretation of Patroclus I have ever seen, which isn’t many interpretations, but this fic still managed to blow my expectations away. He was very much still the empathetic and understanding soul presented in Madeline Miller’s TSoA, very much still in love with Achilles, but scarlet_the_seachild made homage to the original tales of antiquity by presenting him as an arrogant and pig-headed youth, a warrior in his own right, fierce and determined, with a yearning for glory, and the mind of a just and benevolent king of legend.
I love it so much. I love it so much that I want to write an AU where Patroclus does become King of Opus, to hell with Achilles – but we all know they’re too in love for that AU to ever work, but oh well. I loved how the author decided to merge the softness and vulnerability of Miller’s Achilles with the brutal killer that is Homer’s Achilleus. I loved the conflict between the two as their characters and relationship developed over the course of the story. I loved the arguments, the banter, the fights, the laughter, the tears and everything else in between. I think so many people try to make them out as the perfect pair of lovers, and for some interpretations that may be true, but in ‘The Good Soul’, they are like two forces of nature always clashing, but breath-taking in times of peace and tranquillity. The writer’s portrayal of Achilles’ divinity is just incredible, there is no line between Achilles or Aristos Achaion, he is as turbulent as the storms that his mother summons, and Patroclus must realise and accept this over the course of the narrative.
Other necessary mentions are the characters of Leptine and Deiomachus, even Penelope and Odysseus have excellent portrayals in the story. Leptine is such an interesting (original?) character, she is mother, sister, best friend and closest confidante to Patroclus and without her, this slow burn would have been a whole lot slower. Kind, witty and overall, just a fantastic person, there definitely is that sense of tragedy surrounding her due to her status as a slave and…certain events which occur. Her friendship with Patroclus is the definition of platonic soulmates. There are so many fantastic side characters in this work, from the foster sons of King Peleus to Ampelius the arms-master and Princess Chloe of Corinth and many, many others.
There’s just so much I could rave about when it comes to this story. I could not put it down, and for that reason, I have read over 236,000 words worth of Patroclus and Achilles being idiots in the span of 2 or 3 days. And I would not trade the time I spent reading this for anything; despite the impending doom that is my exams, I regret nothing.
--
So that’s my very lengthy review of scarlet_the_seachild's 'The Good Soul'. If you've stuck around and skimmed through all of my word vomit, then I congratulate you XD. This fic was definitely a 4.8 to 5.0 star read for me, and it is inevitable that I will re-read it– but I am 100% biased because I love TSoA. If you’re a just as much of a fan of The Song of Achilles as I am, then you have to read ‘The Good Soul’. It’s amazing in all sense of the word. And if you haven’t read 'The Song of Achilles', yet… What in Hades are you doing?? GO AND READ ITTT!!!!
--
"Patroclus saw it before him: the future, an infinite stretch of blue and gold, pledging nothing, promising everything."
--
‘The Good Soul’ by scarlet_the_seachild is an epic retelling of Patroclus and Achilles before the events of the Trojan War. It is, quite honestly, one of the most engaging and well-written fanfics I’ve encountered.
--
Synopsis
It begins with Patroclus, son of King Menoetius, the Prince of Opus who has just been exiled from his kingdom for murdering the son of a nobleman. He finds himself in the court of King Peleus in Phthia as one of his many foster sons. Patroclus is small, thin, and failing in drills training, an easy target for the other boys to pick on, especially after finding out about the reason for his exile. Shunned by his foster siblings, he befriends Leptine, a slave girl, who shares his hatred of the arrogant and conceited Prince Achilles, the golden son of Peleus, destined for greatness, the ‘greatest warrior of his generation’ and worshipped by everyone. Eventually, Achilles finds out about Patroclus’ hatred towards him, and a rivalry of sorts begins to form between the two boys.
After being framed for a prank involving the King’s cattle, Patroclus is punished by being demoted to servant status, and despite the hard labour of being a servant, Patroclus enjoys spending time - albeit doing chores- with Leptine (who is like a sister to him). But he is still forced to attend drills training with the other foster sons; however, after wrestling with many of them in training, and winning, Patroclus realises that he does have what it takes to be a fighter, a real warrior.
Time passes, and as Patroclus’ skills improve, he engages in a 1v1 with Achilles, he loses of course, but Achilles calls a tentative truce to their rivalry, as he asks Patroclus to be his sparring partner, promising to train Patroclus in return. Tension is high between the two, both as stubborn and hot-tempered as the other, but a friendship begins to form between the once-rivals as Achilles realises that they have much in common, that Patroclus is better company than his gaggle of worshippers, while Patroclus realises that Achilles is more than an arrogant jerk.
The narrative navigates their coming-of-age, the development of their characters and their relationships. From hatred to tentative friendship, to the sacred bond of Hetairoi – blood brothers, companions – and then of course, their infamous love rife with tragedy. The story definitely diverges from Madeline Miller’s ‘The Song of Achilles’, but I didn’t really mind, as I already saw ‘The Good Soul’ as a separate piece of writing. Prepare for the brutality and grief of war, the stress of arranged marriages, politics, prophecies, friendship, love, and of course, the impending doom of the Trojan War.
--
Review
Overall, a really solid story, quite plot-focused with a lot of politics and conflict, very fast-paced with a lot going on. If you’re looking for a similar narrative to TSoA, you might not get what you’re expecting, but it is still so worth reading. And full disclaimer!! It's a brutal story, a lot of mature themes are mentioned and there is a lot of conflict between Patroclus and Achilles throughout the story, so if you think it's a fic full of cute, Patrochilles fluff, you are certainly in for a surprise.
However, the prose is just as gorgeous as TSoA, the imagery is so vivid and just breath-taking, you can tell so much love was poured into the writing, and the dialogue? - Chef’s kiss. Simply divine. The characters leapt off the pages and were brought to life in this retelling. Yes, it has some anachronisms, but really, it seemed more historically accurate, with a better grasp of its time period and (Grecian) culture than most period dramas or ‘historical’ novels.
If there’s writing like this:
"A weak, early sun fell on the surface of the water, burnishing the skyline gold"and
"Because I don’t want jasmine[…]I don’t want bed sheets and honey and vanilla perfume. I want scars and calloused palms and mad, fragile beauty. I want golden skin and bronze blood and mostly I want him."and
"Here and there the bodies lay like the flies that hovered around the fruit"I wouldn’t really care if the characters dropped an f-bomb every now and then. Cause what the hell is that writing? It’s so bloody good.
But what I really think is the best part about this fic, the CHARACTERISATION!! Honest to god, this had the most compelling interpretation of Patroclus I have ever seen, which isn’t many interpretations, but this fic still managed to blow my expectations away. He was very much still the empathetic and understanding soul presented in Madeline Miller’s TSoA, very much still in love with Achilles, but scarlet_the_seachild made homage to the original tales of antiquity by presenting him as an arrogant and pig-headed youth, a warrior in his own right, fierce and determined, with a yearning for glory, and the mind of a just and benevolent king of legend.
I love it so much. I love it so much that I want to write an AU where Patroclus does become King of Opus, to hell with Achilles – but we all know they’re too in love for that AU to ever work, but oh well. I loved how the author decided to merge the softness and vulnerability of Miller’s Achilles with the brutal killer that is Homer’s Achilleus. I loved the conflict between the two as their characters and relationship developed over the course of the story. I loved the arguments, the banter, the fights, the laughter, the tears and everything else in between. I think so many people try to make them out as the perfect pair of lovers, and for some interpretations that may be true, but in ‘The Good Soul’, they are like two forces of nature always clashing, but breath-taking in times of peace and tranquillity. The writer’s portrayal of Achilles’ divinity is just incredible, there is no line between Achilles or Aristos Achaion, he is as turbulent as the storms that his mother summons, and Patroclus must realise and accept this over the course of the narrative.
Other necessary mentions are the characters of Leptine and Deiomachus, even Penelope and Odysseus have excellent portrayals in the story. Leptine is such an interesting (original?) character, she is mother, sister, best friend and closest confidante to Patroclus and without her, this slow burn would have been a whole lot slower. Kind, witty and overall, just a fantastic person, there definitely is that sense of tragedy surrounding her due to her status as a slave and…certain events which occur. Her friendship with Patroclus is the definition of platonic soulmates. There are so many fantastic side characters in this work, from the foster sons of King Peleus to Ampelius the arms-master and Princess Chloe of Corinth and many, many others.
There’s just so much I could rave about when it comes to this story. I could not put it down, and for that reason, I have read over 236,000 words worth of Patroclus and Achilles being idiots in the span of 2 or 3 days. And I would not trade the time I spent reading this for anything; despite the impending doom that is my exams, I regret nothing.
--
So that’s my very lengthy review of scarlet_the_seachild's 'The Good Soul'. If you've stuck around and skimmed through all of my word vomit, then I congratulate you XD. This fic was definitely a 4.8 to 5.0 star read for me, and it is inevitable that I will re-read it– but I am 100% biased because I love TSoA. If you’re a just as much of a fan of The Song of Achilles as I am, then you have to read ‘The Good Soul’. It’s amazing in all sense of the word. And if you haven’t read 'The Song of Achilles', yet… What in Hades are you doing?? GO AND READ ITTT!!!!
--
"Patroclus saw it before him: the future, an infinite stretch of blue and gold, pledging nothing, promising everything."
October 11, 2023
One of the most beautiful fanfictions I have ever read, honestly. A big "thank you" to the author! And if anyone wonders: it's on AO3, but you need an account to read it (it's free though).
February 21, 2024
although this is a fanfic, it's still one of my favorite pieces of literature of all time. if you have read tsoa, READ. THIS.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews