Release Day for HELEN OF SPARTA!!

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Today, HELEN OF SPARTA is officially released into the world in paperback and ebook, and I could not be more excited! To celebrate, I thought I'd do a little bit of a round-up of past Helen and Theseus posts, in case you feel like reading up on the underlying myths of their adventures -- but beware! If you don't know these myths already, they definitely contain spoilers for HELEN OF SPARTA's narrative!

Isocrates on Helen

To some ancient writers, Helen's beauty is seen as the most powerful gift of all. I'm not so sure I agree that it was a gift, exactly, but it was certainly powerful! (spoiler free!)

Theseus Is Not Your Typical Bronze Age Hero

We remember Theseus primarily for his heroic deeds of self-sacrifice more than those of self-service, and that's strange indeed for a hero of his time, something that opens the door for an interpretation of his character that jives more readily with modern ideas! (Spoiler free!)

Helen and Theseus: Another Reason Athens and Sparta Don't Get Along

In which I discuss how the myth of Helen's abduction by Theseus might have been a reflection of the later antagonism and animosity between the great cities of Athens and Sparta. (If you don't know this myth already, potential spoilers ahoy!)

Helen and Menelaus

What do we know about their relationship before they were married? Not a lot. But there are some very interesting intersections which make for great story-fodder. (Maybe wait to read this one until AFTER you've finished reading HELEN OF SPARTA! There might be some Spoilerish questions raised! Definitely it involves a glimpse of my thought process in creating Menelaus's character!)

The Fall of Theseus (Part I and Part II)

King Theseus doesn't get nearly as much press as Young Theseus -- maybe because his later exploits (one of which is the abduction of Helen) end in disaster. (Possible spoilers for HELEN OF SPARTA!)

There's a lot more on Helen, Theseus (and Pirithous) in the archive if you want to explore, but this is a solid primer to get you started! Don't forget the maps, too, if you want a little bit more Geographic context to the places in HELEN OF SPARTA! And be sure to follow along on the blogtour for reviews and interviews this month!