A story of ancient war brought on by beauty, lust and passion... A thrilling combination of action and love.
Bestselling novelist Margaret George here imagines the story of Helen of Sparta and Troy, one of the most amazing female mythical characters, ancient or modern. A war, which lasted for 10 years, was fought over her and nearly all the stories of the heroic age were bound into her story – an measure of her capacity to galvanise men into action.
Using her unique gift for research and recreation, Margaret George shows us a Helen who was a tantalising enigma from the very first, flesh and blood certainly, but also immortal, as the daughter of Zeus. Her siblings, Castor and Pollux, the heavenly twins, are destined to mark the night skies. Her beauty is so overwhelming that Theseus, King of Athens, abducts her for his own ends.
She eventually becomes the wife of Menelaus of Sparta, but before marrying him all her other suitors swear to help bring Helen back should she ever be abducted again. When she falls for Paris of Troy it is assumed that he has taken her by force, when her actions are far more complex. The suitors are obliged to honour their oath and so the Trojan War begins – the most pivotal event in the history of ancient Greece.