A Hero's Welcome — Scarlett Readz & Runz

TROY HAS FALLEN

The greatest city on earth has been reduced to a pile of smoldering ash, but the cost has been high. The fabled king Priam with the last remnant of the city, knowing all hope of survival is gone, sacrifice themselves in a last act of defiance to destroy the greek army.
His once mighty army destroyed, his alliances in ruins.
Agamemnon crawls for the safety of his fortress walls of Mycaenea well aware that enemies will smell blood in the water.
But after ten years at war, who could you trust to keep your throne safe?

Running for their very lives, the refugees of Troy search the sea's of the Mediterranean for refugee led by Aeneas. Somewhere they can survive, in the hope of one day bringing vengence to their home.

Achilles had a son, whom some call Pyrrhus.
Having missed the great war, he is determined to prove himself by hunting down the refugees.

Odysseus,
having helped them escape feels duty bound to find the refugees and warn them of their peril.

What People are saying:
Angus Watson, (Author of Age of Iron Trilogy & West of West Trilogy):
"Kelly's prose whisk you back three thousand years so you're shoulder with bronze armoured shoulder with Achilles, Agamemnon and the rest of the gang.
He's taken the Iliad and the Odyssey, shaken them up, swung them around and delivered them back, fizzing with adventure. How about the bible next Mr Kelly?
Kelly's remixed Ancient World is a thrilling, page turning joy.

Title: A Hero’s Welcome

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: Heroes of Troy Book II

Author: Daniel Kelly

Paperback: 276 pages

Publication Date: 09/29/2020

Publisher: Olympia Publishers

Language: English

ISBN: 1838047204

ISBN-13: 9781838047207

GOODREADS

My Review

A Hero's Welcome is the sequel to The Fall of the Phoenix, and it brings an arsenal of intrigue and knifing characters to the table. After the shocking ending of book one, this one delivers the aftermath of Troy with a bite and lasting imprint. In no uncertain terms does this book not only cast off an imaginative revision of the legends, but it also demonstrates the strengths and skillful writing abilities of this author.

Troy has fallen and it is time for all parties to return to their homes or find a new one. Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, and his men venture on the long journey through the treacherous sea when a storm capsizes their ships and leaves them stranded. Standing out as one of my favorite parts of the novel, their arduous travel and coming of wakefulness, their struggles to heal and dust of is a feast for the reading senses conically descriptive, and it struck me most engrossing.

Agamemnon is looking forward to reuniting with his wife Clytemnestra and his children after his 10-year long absence. With his impending approach to his home, his anticipation to take his old place rises steadily and this sheds light upon the character as we know him, revealing a gentler core. There are further examples of this, when his beautiful young slave girl Cassandra, not his concubine in this rendition, fares into peril, and Agamemnon springs to action, revealing his tender side of the protector. Furthermore, in the scene where he meets his wife who bathes him to rid him of the filth from travel, he lets down his guard. Not only can he be ruthless and strategic, but his heart is ready to be back home.

A new component added in this aftermath of the story of Troy, are the voices of those back home, so as in the pov of Clytemnestra. As the wife of Agamemnon who was left for years with her children and ruling alone, we learn how she has fared while her husband was gone. If ever there was a character that can play her cards, it certainly is her. She has turned out to be the evilest and knifing character in this story and I loved it! This is what I live for in movies and books!

So what happened to the Trojans, left in the rubble?

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Along the main plotline of Agamemnon’s return, there is one major sideline amidst the many arteries this tale reaches. Led by Aeneas, cousin of Hector, the survivors of Troy are likewise traveling the seas to find a new home, and luckily for them, they find refuge. But nothing comes without a price. While one hand feeds the other, there will be use made of their presence, if not now, so later.

As the entire tale unfolds, intrigue, politically and personally driven gain, backstabbing, assassinations, and revenge motivate a big part in the web of A Hero's Welcome. With the broad range of pace and scope, there isn't anything missing in this page-turner with a bite. If you know a bit of Greek mythology or consider reading a bit about some of these characters, it is easy to see why they make such great material to inspire new stories. I wasn't familiar with all of the cast and so it was nice to read of Agamemnon's children, especially Orestes and Iphigeneia, who are part of the motivating factors that drive the plot. But, it wouldn't be a good story if there wasn't an antagonist mixing things up, and so the traitorous actions of Aegisthus combined with the knifing Clytemnestra raise the suspense, while Kelly ends chapters most cleverly at little cliffhangers. What is left is to speculate about Orestes’ intent when he finds out the truth about his mother and I am still wondering about that Cassandra girl, who seemed to take it all in and is devising her own agenda, maybe?

Such an exciting and razor-sharp read. The entirety of the novel, from plot, to characters to writing, stands in perfect phalanx at the ready for the reader’s enjoyment. Very well done and I highly recommend it. Since I read both of this author’s novels and loved them, I will stay tuned for what else he will write…impatiently.

Happy Reading, friends.

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