Gay books like song of achilles
8 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books With Male-Male Romances Favor Madeline Miller's The Lyric of Achilles
The book, which is told through Patroclus's perspective, is less a war epic than an intimate love story between two coming-of-age boys. In some ways, The Anthem of Achilles is more a retelling of Cinderella than a Greek grand. Patroclus takes on the role of the downtrodden soul, forced into servitude, while Achilles becomes his Prince Charming. The serve devotes more pages to the scent of perfume and tender, stolen glances than to the glory of battle or the Trojan Horse gambit.
The Tune of Achilles makes explicit what Homer only implied, and the sweeping adoration between Achilles and Patroclus remains Amazon's No. 1 bestseller in LGBTQ + Historical Fiction as of this writing, more than a decade after its release.
That is not to say the instant classic lacks action or the mythical elements that fantasy lovers adore. The Lyric of Achilles is rife with mythic characters enjoy the centaur Chiron and the goddess Thetis.
Rather, it blends genres seamlessly between romance, LGBTQ+, and fantasy. If you're looking for more books that present a compelling love story between two male cha
From Spiderman to Alexander Hamilton, the s brought us plenty of story adaptations. Madeline Miller’s The Ballad of Achilles stands out among all of them. Miller’s award-winning retelling of the Iliad preserves ancient themes: the longing for immortal fame and the irony of a hero’s fall to hubris. At the same time, Miller deepens the story by expanding on the intimacy between Patroclus and Achilles, which is only hinted at in the Iliad.
If you’re one of the thousands of readers who fell in love with The Song of Achilles, you might be chasing another book just appreciate it. Our list of 14 books like The Song of Achilles will shorten your search! We’ve chosen books that will transport you to the ancient world, books with passionate LGBTQIA+ romances, and books with elements of magic and fantasy. So don’t get lost at sea when you move looking for books fancy The Song of Achilles. We’re here to instruction you!
(This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase, I’ll make a small commission.)
14 Books Enjoy The Song of Achilles
Miller has also written a retelling of Circe, in which she dares to draw the wrath of men and gods and is subsequently bani
The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
Rating: No Good Genre: Fantasy Representation: Gay men, Greek/Mediterranean cast Trigger Warnings: rape, rape culture, explicit sex scenes, child sexualization, exotified ethnicity, character death
I stopped reading The Anthem of Achilles a third of the way through. I started the novel with high hopes, as The Song of Achilles promised to be an exploration of the intimate relationship between Achilles and Patroclus—taking what The Iliad only implied and putting it to paper.
Here's what I was hoping for: an honest exploration of the ancient Greek conception of sexuality, taking into account that homoeroticism that we today would name “homosexual” was not considered part of one's sexual identity, simply what one did (in addition to taking a wife, of course). What would a boy growing up in (mythical) ancient Greece, a land where even Zeus took male lovers, ponder about his own idealistic and sexual desires? Does he desire only men (in The Song of Achilles this is true of both Achilles and Patroclus), and what does that mean for him personally, as compared to what it would mean for us today?
Here's what I
If youve spent any occasion on BookTok lately, you might have seen Song of Achilles a lot. This backlist title by Madeline Miller has been making the rounds, and making readers feel all the feels while also giving them a new and intriguing perspective on The Iliad. It is told from the perspective of Patroclus, who must follow Achilles to war and finds everything from his friendship to his courage tested in the events that trail. Its a queer, atmospheric, and dramatic retelling that has certainly captured the hearts of readers around the world, and now you might be wonderingwhat should I read next? Weve got 15 fantastic recommendations of books appreciate Song of Achilles for you!
Note: The subgenre of myth retellings tends to be very white, and we could only detect a few authors of color to include on this list of books like Song of Achilles. We hope in the future that publishing will prioritize the voices of people of color in retelling these tales.
Circe by Madeline Miller
This may seem enjoy an obvious choice, but if you havent read Circe, pick up Millers novel about Circe, which retells the story of the goddess turned witch w
.