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King of Ithaka
Telemachos has a comfortable life on his small island of Ithaka, where his mother Penelopeia keeps the peace even though the land has been without its king, his father Odysseus, since the Trojan War began many years ago.
But now the people are demanding a new king, unless Telemachos can find Odysseus and bring him home. With only a mysterious prophecy to guide him, Telemachos sets off over sea and desert in search of the father he has never known.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 14, 2010
11 people are currently reading
498 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Barrett
40 books142 followersTracy Barrett has written more than twenty books for children and young adults. She’s much too interested in too many things to stick to one genre, and has published nonfiction as well as historical fiction, mysteries, fantasy, time travel, myth and fairy-tale retellings, and contemporary realistic novels. She knows more about ancient Greece and Rome and the European Middle Ages than anyone really needs to know, can read lots of dead languages, and used to jump out of airplanes.
Tracy grew up near New York City, and went to college in New England and graduate school in California. She majored in Classics and earned a Ph.D. in Medieval Italian. She was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study medieval women writers and won the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Work-in-Progress Grant in 2005. She taught Italian and other subjects at Vanderbilt University for almost thirty years. She lives in Tennessee with her 6’7” husband, a rescue cat, and two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Tracy grew up near New York City, and went to college in New England and graduate school in California. She majored in Classics and earned a Ph.D. in Medieval Italian. She was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study medieval women writers and won the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Work-in-Progress Grant in 2005. She taught Italian and other subjects at Vanderbilt University for almost thirty years. She lives in Tennessee with her 6’7” husband, a rescue cat, and two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
January 27, 2019
King of Ithaka was a well researched and original novel combining mythology, romance, and what it means to be a hero. A little slow at first and written in a modern style.
October 18, 2011
Original review posted HERE
In Greek Mythology, Telemachos is the son of the great Hero Odysseus and a central character in Homer’s poem The Odyssey – its first four books focus on Telamachos’ journey to find news of his missing father, who had been away for about 20 years. After these first few books, Homer concentrates on Odysseus’ journey home until father and son are reunited in a glorious (and gory) ending when they execute the wannabe usurpers of Odysseus’ throne (and suitors of Penelope – his wife and Telemachos’ mother ). 1
King of Ithaka is a reimagining of the Odyssey from the point of view of Telemachos, who tells his own tale as a young man in the small kingdom of Ithaka. His life, up to the moment when the story starts, has been that of a careless youth who spends time with his best mates, eating and sleeping to his heart’s content. This carefree life is about to come to an end when new visitors arrive and Telemachos, as the King’s son, is to greet them. Reality strikes when he realises he outgrew his tunic and his sandals; and although he still hasn’t grown a beard and his father’s subjects do not show any respect for his position, he is nevertheless becoming a man. The veil has been lifted and now Telemachos realises the sore state his father’s kingdom is in: the defence walls are crumbling down and there is economic and political unrest after all a kingdom without a King is not a kingdom at all. Odysseus has been away for more than 15 years and the Trojan War has ended 5 years ago and his neighbours are clamouring for his mother, Penelopeia, to remarry. She promises to marry one of them once she has finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law but she has come up with a stratagem to keep them at bay: she weaves during the day and un-weaves part of the work during the night. But she can only keep this ruse for so long and this sense of urgency is what prompts Telemachos to finally act and he listens to the counsel of a wise old man who tells him to go in search of his father: if he is still alive, great. If not, it’s time to move on.
He leaves with his best friend Brax and their friend Polydora to journey in search of the father he never knew, armed with a few bits and bobs and a prophecy that says Ithaka will have its King after Telemachos goes after his father and returns:
to the place that is not, on the day that is not, bearing the thing that is not.
I recently read Tracy Barrett’s newest book Dark of the Moon, a reimagining of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and I loved it so much, I had to go and read King of Ithaka immediately. King of Ithaka shares some of the same attributes that made me appreciate Dark of the Moon so much: the lovely writing, the thoughtful themes and the realistic tones of the story. I mean, as realistic as a story can be considering that there is an abundance of mythological creatures inhabiting Telemachos world – his best friend Brax, for example, is a Centaur.
These realistic tones are present in the way that this story is less profusely heroic and more down to earth when it comes to Telemachos’ day to day struggles or the acknowledgement that there is no way Penelopeia can keep her stratagem for long; it is in the meeting with the great personages of the Odyssey: from Nestor to Menelaus; from Helena to Odysseus himself, all of them living with the consequences, to one degree or another, of a terrible War or of the terrible choices they made. One of the coolest things about this story is how there is an acceptance of the fact that poets lie or rather, poets embellish and exaggerate, because what matters is that a great story is told, regardless of whether they are true or not. There is even a bit of meta-storytelling when Telemachos meets Homer and witness firsthand just how stories can be created.
The point is, with this story, Telemachos (and even Odysseus) are somewhat removed from a pedestal of uniqueness and placed amongst everybody else. This is what makes Telemachos’ story so good: that it is no longer separate, in illo tempore. It is now an universal, relatable story of a boy becoming a man, realising what’s important to him, growing up to find his place in the world and more importantly, growing away from his father’s shadow.
And I know I am making this book sound far too clinical but it’s not: it’s really good fun. There is adventure and danger, treachery and murder and also love, true heroism, friendship and loyalty. Plus, even though they are secondary characters, the female characters were really interesting and well developed. I particularly liked Poly, Telemachos’ love interest: she was spirited, intelligent and capable and more than once saved Telemachos’ life.
I also loved the examination of Xenia, the custom of hospitality and courtesy that was so important to Telemachos and his household; I loved the fact that Telemachos spends most of the book with an idea of the characteristics a King must have to be a great person: strength, bravery, generosity but is clueless about the fourth aspect which is the ultimate attribute that will set Telemachos apart from all the Kings he meets.
King of Ithaka is a true hero’s journey and an awesome coming of age story and I loved every second of it.
In Greek Mythology, Telemachos is the son of the great Hero Odysseus and a central character in Homer’s poem The Odyssey – its first four books focus on Telamachos’ journey to find news of his missing father, who had been away for about 20 years. After these first few books, Homer concentrates on Odysseus’ journey home until father and son are reunited in a glorious (and gory) ending when they execute the wannabe usurpers of Odysseus’ throne (and suitors of Penelope – his wife and Telemachos’ mother ). 1
King of Ithaka is a reimagining of the Odyssey from the point of view of Telemachos, who tells his own tale as a young man in the small kingdom of Ithaka. His life, up to the moment when the story starts, has been that of a careless youth who spends time with his best mates, eating and sleeping to his heart’s content. This carefree life is about to come to an end when new visitors arrive and Telemachos, as the King’s son, is to greet them. Reality strikes when he realises he outgrew his tunic and his sandals; and although he still hasn’t grown a beard and his father’s subjects do not show any respect for his position, he is nevertheless becoming a man. The veil has been lifted and now Telemachos realises the sore state his father’s kingdom is in: the defence walls are crumbling down and there is economic and political unrest after all a kingdom without a King is not a kingdom at all. Odysseus has been away for more than 15 years and the Trojan War has ended 5 years ago and his neighbours are clamouring for his mother, Penelopeia, to remarry. She promises to marry one of them once she has finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law but she has come up with a stratagem to keep them at bay: she weaves during the day and un-weaves part of the work during the night. But she can only keep this ruse for so long and this sense of urgency is what prompts Telemachos to finally act and he listens to the counsel of a wise old man who tells him to go in search of his father: if he is still alive, great. If not, it’s time to move on.
He leaves with his best friend Brax and their friend Polydora to journey in search of the father he never knew, armed with a few bits and bobs and a prophecy that says Ithaka will have its King after Telemachos goes after his father and returns:
to the place that is not, on the day that is not, bearing the thing that is not.
I recently read Tracy Barrett’s newest book Dark of the Moon, a reimagining of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and I loved it so much, I had to go and read King of Ithaka immediately. King of Ithaka shares some of the same attributes that made me appreciate Dark of the Moon so much: the lovely writing, the thoughtful themes and the realistic tones of the story. I mean, as realistic as a story can be considering that there is an abundance of mythological creatures inhabiting Telemachos world – his best friend Brax, for example, is a Centaur.
These realistic tones are present in the way that this story is less profusely heroic and more down to earth when it comes to Telemachos’ day to day struggles or the acknowledgement that there is no way Penelopeia can keep her stratagem for long; it is in the meeting with the great personages of the Odyssey: from Nestor to Menelaus; from Helena to Odysseus himself, all of them living with the consequences, to one degree or another, of a terrible War or of the terrible choices they made. One of the coolest things about this story is how there is an acceptance of the fact that poets lie or rather, poets embellish and exaggerate, because what matters is that a great story is told, regardless of whether they are true or not. There is even a bit of meta-storytelling when Telemachos meets Homer and witness firsthand just how stories can be created.
The point is, with this story, Telemachos (and even Odysseus) are somewhat removed from a pedestal of uniqueness and placed amongst everybody else. This is what makes Telemachos’ story so good: that it is no longer separate, in illo tempore. It is now an universal, relatable story of a boy becoming a man, realising what’s important to him, growing up to find his place in the world and more importantly, growing away from his father’s shadow.
And I know I am making this book sound far too clinical but it’s not: it’s really good fun. There is adventure and danger, treachery and murder and also love, true heroism, friendship and loyalty. Plus, even though they are secondary characters, the female characters were really interesting and well developed. I particularly liked Poly, Telemachos’ love interest: she was spirited, intelligent and capable and more than once saved Telemachos’ life.
I also loved the examination of Xenia, the custom of hospitality and courtesy that was so important to Telemachos and his household; I loved the fact that Telemachos spends most of the book with an idea of the characteristics a King must have to be a great person: strength, bravery, generosity but is clueless about the fourth aspect which is the ultimate attribute that will set Telemachos apart from all the Kings he meets.
King of Ithaka is a true hero’s journey and an awesome coming of age story and I loved every second of it.
November 15, 2018
Here's the thing.... I LOVE LOVE LOVE Greek Mythology, stories of the Trojan War and The Odyssey. I LOVE this story of Odysseus returning home to Ithaca and total epic and all, right? Well, I was a teeny tiny bit excited and piqued to read on Telemachus's POV but it turned out to be a total mess at some point in the story that I just basically skimmed for most of the second half it was HORRIBLY written. and she made Odysseus into some kind of villain and her own interpretation of his return and it was plain old dumb, stupid, and retarded and I just shook my head in frustration.
it had NO STRUCTURE and it was as if she had this great idea and concept, but didn't know exactly how to write it and to me she threw in soooo many random things and it was too quick. I mean, the character development to me sucked, the structure sucked, but I'll give it extra points for a good story idea. it just turned out horribly and BORING to me in my honest opinion. Some I know loved this book and that's okay and some didn't. I just personally couldn't get into it or anything and came out EXTREMELY disappointed. *face palm*
And I HATE giving out 1 stars but the more I skimmed through the book to the end, and then reading/looking up on a website I love about this particular moment, I felt all at the same time, she tried too hard to make her own twist into what Odysseus is like when he returns and it was just horribly executed. But if you want to try this book out for yourself, go for it and see what you think. and if you end up liking it yay! I'm glad. I just wished I could've enjoyed it but I didn't.
it had NO STRUCTURE and it was as if she had this great idea and concept, but didn't know exactly how to write it and to me she threw in soooo many random things and it was too quick. I mean, the character development to me sucked, the structure sucked, but I'll give it extra points for a good story idea. it just turned out horribly and BORING to me in my honest opinion. Some I know loved this book and that's okay and some didn't. I just personally couldn't get into it or anything and came out EXTREMELY disappointed. *face palm*
And I HATE giving out 1 stars but the more I skimmed through the book to the end, and then reading/looking up on a website I love about this particular moment, I felt all at the same time, she tried too hard to make her own twist into what Odysseus is like when he returns and it was just horribly executed. But if you want to try this book out for yourself, go for it and see what you think. and if you end up liking it yay! I'm glad. I just wished I could've enjoyed it but I didn't.
December 6, 2019
Telemachus grows up. A retelling of the Odysseus and Telemachus legends and a quest from Ithaka to Pylos to Sparta and back.
September 25, 2017
An interesting novel.
April 12, 2017
I was severely disappointed.
I guess I set myself up for it, expecting a tale as grand as the one of Odysseus. But what I got was a cheep knock off that didn't even follow the Odyssey. For a retelling from Odysseus's son - and the main hero of the story - it sure didn't seem to be "the 'Odessey' as told by Telemachos (his son)", it was a completely different story with a completely different ending than the Odessey.
I guess I set myself up for it, expecting a tale as grand as the one of Odysseus. But what I got was a cheep knock off that didn't even follow the Odyssey. For a retelling from Odysseus's son - and the main hero of the story - it sure didn't seem to be "the 'Odessey' as told by Telemachos (his son)", it was a completely different story with a completely different ending than the Odessey.
January 12, 2016
When Telemachos realizes he has outgrown his tunic and sandals, reality strikes. He is 16 and his father has been gone ever since he can remember, something is not right. In Greek mythology, Telemachos is the son of the great hero Odysseus from Homer’s poem The Odyssey. The book King of Ithaka is the story of The Odyssey told through the son’s eyes, waiting for his father to return. How far would you go for a father you never knew?
Telemachos has a comfortable life living as the prince of Ithaka with his mother, Penelopia, who seemed to be keeping the island in good shape even without the king around. The king, Odysseus, has been missing since the Trojan War began many years ago. The prince lives the a good life, spending all his time with his friends at the beaches or eating meals fit for royalty. All is well, until some unexpected visitors show up on the island, showing his the true state his island is in. When overhearing his less than respectful visitors speak about Ithaka and his mother, he learns that if he doesn't find his father soon, his mother will be forced to marry a commoner to rule with her. Only then, will the demand for a king be satisfied.
Though terrified of the sea, Telemachos and Brax set off to find him, with nothing but the mysterious prophecy given to them by Daisy, a delusional, three-headed monster who lives in a pile of her own feces. On the voyage, he will do his best to fulfill the prophecy, and learn what it means to be a king.
Tracy barrett takes the reader on a journey where Telemachos is shown the dangers of the world outside of his own, along with unexpected love, true friendship, and evil disguised as good. King of Ithaka is an easy and entertaining read, while still being informative. I would recommend this to high school history students interested in learning about greek mythology and adventure.
Telemachos has a comfortable life living as the prince of Ithaka with his mother, Penelopia, who seemed to be keeping the island in good shape even without the king around. The king, Odysseus, has been missing since the Trojan War began many years ago. The prince lives the a good life, spending all his time with his friends at the beaches or eating meals fit for royalty. All is well, until some unexpected visitors show up on the island, showing his the true state his island is in. When overhearing his less than respectful visitors speak about Ithaka and his mother, he learns that if he doesn't find his father soon, his mother will be forced to marry a commoner to rule with her. Only then, will the demand for a king be satisfied.
Though terrified of the sea, Telemachos and Brax set off to find him, with nothing but the mysterious prophecy given to them by Daisy, a delusional, three-headed monster who lives in a pile of her own feces. On the voyage, he will do his best to fulfill the prophecy, and learn what it means to be a king.
Tracy barrett takes the reader on a journey where Telemachos is shown the dangers of the world outside of his own, along with unexpected love, true friendship, and evil disguised as good. King of Ithaka is an easy and entertaining read, while still being informative. I would recommend this to high school history students interested in learning about greek mythology and adventure.
April 17, 2011
Telemachos has long been without a father, and Ithaka without a king. Now, with suitors threatening to force his mother, Penelopeia, into marriage in order to take the kingship, Telemachos has to find out why Odysseus never returned.
Aided by a centaur and a runaway, guided only a seer's cryptic advice, he sets sail for the court of Nestor. On the way they encounter many bizarre creatures, but their biggest danger may be from their fellow men.
I have always loved Greek mythology and the Odyssey in particular. The strange lands and stranger people have a way of sparking the imagination and creating new dreams and worlds in your mind. Telemachus and Penelope, or, in this instance, Telemachos and Penelopeia, have always interested me more than Odysseus. He was off having adventures for years, while his son grew up without a father and his wife kept the kingdom together as best she could without a husband. It was interesting to read about what life might have been like for them.
This book is written in a modern style, with Telemachos and his friends speaking and behaving like modern teenagers. He spies on girls and steals alcohol, goofing off like any other 16-year-old boy might, but he isn't what I would call wild. He is very much a boy at he beginning, but hardships and experience set him on the road to being a man.
There is just a little bit of romance in this novel, but that is not what the story is about. It is about learning what is more important than strength, courage, and generosity. It is about learning to see reality instead of building too much on wishes and beliefs. It is about learning to stand on your own two feet, but still understanding the value of friends.
http://liedermadchen.blogspot.com/201...
Aided by a centaur and a runaway, guided only a seer's cryptic advice, he sets sail for the court of Nestor. On the way they encounter many bizarre creatures, but their biggest danger may be from their fellow men.
I have always loved Greek mythology and the Odyssey in particular. The strange lands and stranger people have a way of sparking the imagination and creating new dreams and worlds in your mind. Telemachus and Penelope, or, in this instance, Telemachos and Penelopeia, have always interested me more than Odysseus. He was off having adventures for years, while his son grew up without a father and his wife kept the kingdom together as best she could without a husband. It was interesting to read about what life might have been like for them.
This book is written in a modern style, with Telemachos and his friends speaking and behaving like modern teenagers. He spies on girls and steals alcohol, goofing off like any other 16-year-old boy might, but he isn't what I would call wild. He is very much a boy at he beginning, but hardships and experience set him on the road to being a man.
There is just a little bit of romance in this novel, but that is not what the story is about. It is about learning what is more important than strength, courage, and generosity. It is about learning to see reality instead of building too much on wishes and beliefs. It is about learning to stand on your own two feet, but still understanding the value of friends.
http://liedermadchen.blogspot.com/201...
December 1, 2010
Okay. I need to start by saying that I’m a complete and total classics nerd. I have a degree in classical studies, I’ve read countless papers on classical mythology, and written several myself. So when it comes to rewriting something like THE ODYSSEY, well, you’d better do it well if you want to impress me, because my eye is beyond critical.
So when I first heard about KING OF ITHAKA by Tracy Barrett I was scared. I was scared that I would hate it even though it looked so good. A reimagining of Telemakos’ part of THE ODYSSEY? Telemakos is my favorite character. I have a freaking cat named Telemachus. I knew I had to read it, but I also knew that if it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be, I would be sorely disappointed.
That said, I read every page of KING OF ITHAKA, my critical eyes wide open, turning pages as quickly as I could. It’s a fast-paced adventure story that doesn’t dumb down a single thing for its younger audience — a mistake I’ve seen in many mythology-based books. The characters are sympathetic and believable while being true to their classical originals. And the twist ending is to die for.
If you don’t know much about THE ODYSSEY, well, you should! Still, I think you’ll enjoy this wonderful, honest adventure novel as a historical fantasy. And if you’re a total ODYSSEY nerd like me, you should definitely check it out.
So when I first heard about KING OF ITHAKA by Tracy Barrett I was scared. I was scared that I would hate it even though it looked so good. A reimagining of Telemakos’ part of THE ODYSSEY? Telemakos is my favorite character. I have a freaking cat named Telemachus. I knew I had to read it, but I also knew that if it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be, I would be sorely disappointed.
That said, I read every page of KING OF ITHAKA, my critical eyes wide open, turning pages as quickly as I could. It’s a fast-paced adventure story that doesn’t dumb down a single thing for its younger audience — a mistake I’ve seen in many mythology-based books. The characters are sympathetic and believable while being true to their classical originals. And the twist ending is to die for.
If you don’t know much about THE ODYSSEY, well, you should! Still, I think you’ll enjoy this wonderful, honest adventure novel as a historical fantasy. And if you’re a total ODYSSEY nerd like me, you should definitely check it out.
December 22, 2015
I will preface this by saying that I'm not as familiar with The Odyssey as I should be. I know the basics; I know what happens to the dude as he tries to get home, I know how he proves himself to be himself, but that's really just all basic background knowledge. Not enough to know a bunch about other characters than Odysseus.
So this was fun!
There were a few cons; the writing style was a little bit clunky at first and took a bit to get into, and the romance seemed a little... fast. But other than that, I did really enjoy it. I liked the main character; Telemachos was a fun guy to read from, and even though his friends were sort of annoying, or bland in the case of Damon, they weren't bad.
I also liked the near-homoerotic tension that there was at times. I was reading this, right, and a passage would make me pause, and after enough of those, it was like, "is this... well, it's ancient Greece, so probably." Those moments stopped after one character was ejected from the story - which was another thing, I guess, was that this story could have been about two hundred pages longer. A bunch of this was so rushed and everything happening at once, I would have liked for it to be drawn out more.
But this was fun. It was a fun experience with some fun characters and I'm glad that I read it.
So this was fun!
There were a few cons; the writing style was a little bit clunky at first and took a bit to get into, and the romance seemed a little... fast. But other than that, I did really enjoy it. I liked the main character; Telemachos was a fun guy to read from, and even though his friends were sort of annoying, or bland in the case of Damon, they weren't bad.
I also liked the near-homoerotic tension that there was at times. I was reading this, right, and a passage would make me pause, and after enough of those, it was like, "is this... well, it's ancient Greece, so probably." Those moments stopped after one character was ejected from the story - which was another thing, I guess, was that this story could have been about two hundred pages longer. A bunch of this was so rushed and everything happening at once, I would have liked for it to be drawn out more.
But this was fun. It was a fun experience with some fun characters and I'm glad that I read it.
August 11, 2013
At sixteen, Telemachos sets off on his own Odyssey in search of his father who has not yet returned to Ithaka from the Trojan War. As in Homer’s Odyssey, Telemachos sails to Pylos to consult King Nestor, and Nestor’s son Pisistratos agrees to take Telemachos to Sparta in his chariot to ask King Menelaos what has become of Odysseus. Mythological creatures and deities live anew in this coming-of-age adventure where a young prince discovers the meaning of friendship and the true qualities of a king. Telemachos must find within himself the strength, bravery and generosity of a king along with another essential quality that Nestor, Menelaos, and even Odysseus seem to be lacking. Barrett weaves many delightful twists into an old tale by assuring us that great poets such as Homer were beloved for their ability to create a beautiful story, not their historical accuracy.
October 22, 2010
Book 65 for 2010.
This is a fabulous twist on the tale of Odysseus told from his son, Telemachos' point of view. I love the use of mythology and I love the surprise ending. The more I think about it, the more clever I think it becomes. Very well executed. Recommended for fans of mythology, sixth grade and up, boys and girls.
This is a fabulous twist on the tale of Odysseus told from his son, Telemachos' point of view. I love the use of mythology and I love the surprise ending. The more I think about it, the more clever I think it becomes. Very well executed. Recommended for fans of mythology, sixth grade and up, boys and girls.
May 19, 2011
Telemachos gets center-stage in this Odysseus retelling. He's kind of a bumbling prince, more likely to sneak off with his centaur buddy to watch the local girls swimming than to worry too much about his small kingdom or his mother, Penelope. And how can you miss a dad you've never known? Slowly, slowly, Telemachos wakes up to his situation and sets out to rectify it.
April 18, 2014
Barrett's passion for the classics shines through in KING OF ITHAKA (I admire the way she's managed to blend her scholarly and writing interests). As I read this, I kept thinking how great it would have been to have this as supplemental reading in my Latin and humanities courses in high school. Great adventure novel.
Read
December 19, 2010Barrett turns episodes from Homer's Odyssey inside out! At some points I actually gasped when I realized how she was twisting a particular Odyssean episode or character into something quite different, often the opposite of what we find in Homer.
October 13, 2010
Nice prose style with a lot of information about daily life in Ancient Greece sprinkled through, but the ending felt rushed.
March 11, 2015
Great book
This is a great book to learn from from, great storyline. But, it takes some time to get into. Lol
This is a great book to learn from from, great storyline. But, it takes some time to get into. Lol
June 17, 2017
For my book review I chose to read King of Ithaka by Tracy Barrett. This story is based off The Odyssey by Homer. However, King of Ithaka is the story of Telemachos, Odysseus’ son. Odysseus has been missing ever since he set sail to fight the war in Troy, leaving his family behind while Telemachos was just an infant. The problem is that the people of Ithaka are demanding a new king unless Odysseus’ happens to return. For this reason, Telemachos must go on a dangerous and exciting journey to find his father, coming face to face with sea monsters and unusual creatures. While on this journey, his mother, and wife of Odysseus, Penelopeia, has to fend off suitors that want to marry her and become the new king of Ithaka. The people of Ithaka set an ultimatum and decide that Penelopeia must marry again if Odysseus does not return soon. Will Telemachos find his father in time to bring him home before Penelopeia is forced to marry again?
King Of Ithaka was, for the most part, a very intriguing book that I believe anyone interested in Ancient Greece and Ancient Greek Mythology should absolutely read. It is full of captivating scenes that leave the reader on the edge of their seat. The book is very well written and contains some advanced vocabulary, yet some very simple and easy vocabulary as well. However, there are some more complex words that a young adult may not understand. The book ending is very exciting and will leave the reader wanting more. I would rate the book 4 out of 5 because of its exciting nature, but some parts of the book I felt were a little bland and I found myself getting easily distracted from it. Overall, King of Ithaka was an exciting book with lots of information about Ancient Greece represented in a way that excites the reader.
King Of Ithaka was, for the most part, a very intriguing book that I believe anyone interested in Ancient Greece and Ancient Greek Mythology should absolutely read. It is full of captivating scenes that leave the reader on the edge of their seat. The book is very well written and contains some advanced vocabulary, yet some very simple and easy vocabulary as well. However, there are some more complex words that a young adult may not understand. The book ending is very exciting and will leave the reader wanting more. I would rate the book 4 out of 5 because of its exciting nature, but some parts of the book I felt were a little bland and I found myself getting easily distracted from it. Overall, King of Ithaka was an exciting book with lots of information about Ancient Greece represented in a way that excites the reader.
January 17, 2018
Book Review
Telemachos lived on an island called ithaka and he was a prince because he was the son of odysseus. His father left him when he was young because he wanted to venture the various lands and seas, he never came back so ithaka was left without a king, so telemachus's mother was left to defend and become the queen and king in the island. Telemachos is a regular 17 year old boy who likes to steal alcohol and spy on girls. Telemachos likes to hang out with his friends and he has a friend who is a centaur, telemachos has to find his father to return king because his mother will be forced to marry soon. Telemachos ventures off to find his father with his friend the centaur. Later on he finds out that his friends little sister snuck onto the boat and they have to take care of eachother. Telemachos ventures all over to find his father and finds him and sparta and they go home and Odysseus is in disguise and telemachos afraid that something will happen to him. I suggest you read this book because it very interesting and i think that if you want to find out what next then you will read.
Telemachos lived on an island called ithaka and he was a prince because he was the son of odysseus. His father left him when he was young because he wanted to venture the various lands and seas, he never came back so ithaka was left without a king, so telemachus's mother was left to defend and become the queen and king in the island. Telemachos is a regular 17 year old boy who likes to steal alcohol and spy on girls. Telemachos likes to hang out with his friends and he has a friend who is a centaur, telemachos has to find his father to return king because his mother will be forced to marry soon. Telemachos ventures off to find his father with his friend the centaur. Later on he finds out that his friends little sister snuck onto the boat and they have to take care of eachother. Telemachos ventures all over to find his father and finds him and sparta and they go home and Odysseus is in disguise and telemachos afraid that something will happen to him. I suggest you read this book because it very interesting and i think that if you want to find out what next then you will read.
July 21, 2021
Eh... It was kind of a bizarre adventure story. I reread a couple of chapters because some of the events didn't make sense. Some of the chapters were good and related well to the adventure that inspired this, the Odyssey. It certainly does hone in on Odysseus' arrogance, especially in the later chapters. If students choose this as their independent reading, I think they'd like the teenager protagonists, and I think they'd like the mythological beings. It could probably do with a cast of characters, maybe with a list of their more Anglicized spellings. This is the first book I can recall where Penelope was Penelopeia, Helen was Helena, but bizarrely, Daisy is only referred to as Daisy, as her name was, according to Telemachos, long and unpronounceable.
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May 8, 2023I think the ending was very surprising. I don't think I heard about Odysseus having "brutality" or a "heavy hand" with his wife and so it made me doubt a portion of this book (Barrett 231-2). It was also a nice ending with Brax surviving and Telemachos becoming the king. I would recommend this book to people who like fiction with a little bit of non-fiction throughout their books. (makeup for 4/24)
November 10, 2017
this book was good and I love how she works in the fact that as stories are passed down they get more and more elaborate. the heartbreak is not as dramatic as maximum ride forever, and I also didn't like how it was so obvious that Telemachus would end up with Polydora, it literally said so. this book was ok, loved the perspective.
July 16, 2018
I found this a bit difficult to get in to for the the first halfish. It’s definitely an interesting point of view, and I enjoyed the way it explained the difference in this story compared to the original tellings. I loved that it included the bard. I was very interested in how things are at Sparta; that could be a good follow up novel to this one.
January 28, 2023
I liked the idea of a retelling of the Odyssey in a new light but the execution of the idea of was bad.
The start dragged on for too long and the ending of Odysseus being a horrible person felt out of place. The start and middle were somewhat enjoyable but the ending was disappointing to say the least.
The start dragged on for too long and the ending of Odysseus being a horrible person felt out of place. The start and middle were somewhat enjoyable but the ending was disappointing to say the least.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2025
I wish the whole book could've been about Odysseus returning and Telemachus learning that his father the great hero wasn't the person he thought he was and how he struggled with that knowledge. The very few pages we did get of that were interesting, but most of the book was a pointless journey with two OCs who were decent enough characters but not who I wanted to read about.
May 26, 2018
I read this book after reading "The Odyssey" by Homer. I love how it sort of follows the same story line, but also has many changes. I definitely recommend this book to people who have previously read the Odyssey.
April 22, 2018
A wonderful story of Odysseus.
November 21, 2018
3.5 stars. Partially contrived (I felt) but gave a new way to look at the Odyssey.
December 23, 2010
First off, the cover of this book bugged me. I hate the current trend of putting large faces on covers. Books like this creep me out with the people staring back. That said, this book was ok. I'm not 100% into books with a male lead. I just personally prefer female leads, I can identify and empathize better with them. The story, however, was solid, the plot believable, and the characters were interesting. The story is about the son of Odysseus, prince of Ithaca, who has been left behind the whole time his father has been trying to get home from Troy (the other side of the story of the Odyssey). It is a very interesting premise, and the plotting is good, especially since it is based on so little of the story because there's only a few references. I was a little confused by the lead's fear of the ocean. I don't believe a prince would be allowed to be afraid of a sword because his father died in battle, so I don't think the son of the most famous sailor in history would be allowed to say "no, thanks, I'll stay on land". I also don't think they'd wait until he was old enough to have a phobia, he'd probably be sailing before his eyes were open so by the time he was old enough to understand phobias he'd probably be used to it. I was also greatly annoyed at how the last half of the book deviated from the original Odyssey story. It's jmo, but if you're basing your entire story on 10 lines from a classic story then don't base your plot on "it was all a lie" or "they stretched the truth". Or, if you do, trust in your reader's ignorance and only mention the change in passing, not with a huge plot-line explanation. I feel as if the author is telling me about her failures straight out.[return][return]I do feel a little guilty, though, because right now my longest review is nit-picky things about this book that really wasn't all that bad. It was an enjoyable, short read that I didn't feel like throwing away. The mythical creatures were dealt with well, and their characterization was believable. The females in the story were well written and acted believably and independently of men, which is nice in a historical story. All-in-all I recommend it from your library or in paperback as a quick fun read.
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