Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Okay, so I feel like I’m one of the last people on Bookstagram to finally read this book. I’ve been seeing it on “books that will destroy you emotionally” lists for years, and I figured it was finally time to find out what all the hype (and crying) was about.

If you’ve read Homer’s Iliad, you already know the general plot. This is essentially a modern retelling of that ancient text, only with a key difference—it reimagines the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus as a romantic one, not just a close brother-in-arms kind of deal. And let me say, I’m fully on board with this version. The original Iliad always felt a little dry to me. Lots of war, not a lot of feeling. Miller flips that on its head. This is a love story wrapped up in a war epic.

We follow Patroclus from his troubled boyhood to his exile, and eventually to his fateful meeting with Achilles—the golden boy of Greece, son of a sea goddess, destined for greatness, and very aware of it. Their bond starts with friendship, slowly evolves into romance, and becomes one of those “ride or die” dynamics that feels like it could shape the course of history. (And in this case, it kind of does.) When Helen of Troy (you know her) is kidnapped, the Trojan War breaks out and our heroes are sent off to battle.

Miller’s prose is gorgeous. It’s lyrical without being overly flowery and annoying. The pacing is smooth. The worldbuilding feels vivid without leaning too hard into info-dump territory. If Greek mythology isn’t your thing, don’t worry. It’s fully accessible. You don’t need to have brushed up on your classics to enjoy this.

And yes, this book is sad. But, for me, it wasn’t “I can’t get out of bed for a week” sad. I think part of that is because I already knew how this story ends. The tragedy didn’t blindside me. Plus (and this might be a hot take) but Achilles? Kind of a dick if I’m being honest. His ego was a little much. (Then again, the egos of most Greek gods were a bit off the charts.) Patroclus deserved better. I said what I said.

Still, their love is real. It’s quiet, soft, and beautiful in its devotion. You feel the weight of it even when you can see the heartbreak coming.

This is the kind of story that lingers and one I’m not mad about reading. If you like myth retellings, doomed romances, or beautifully written stories about messy, flawed people trying to do right by each other in a world that doesn’t really allow for it, then this one is for you.

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