A tall order to build a believable scenario where that could happen! Starkston does a beautiful job taking the slender clues about Briseis’ life and times and building believable characters. In the poem she expresses her love for Achilles in spite of the fact that he killed her brothers and husband, sacked her city, and reduced her status from princess to slave. In the Iliad Briseis has only a handful of lines, yet she is a pivotal character in the narrative arc of the classic poem, sparking a rift between Achilles and Agamemnon that almost brings the Greek war against Troy to ruin. Starkston takes a similar approach through the story of Briseis.

I have a weakness for stories that shine a light on little known women or give silenced women a voice in the way Anita Diamant spoke for the biblical Dina (Joseph’s only sister) in her wildly popular The Red Tent. She finds strength in visions of a handsome warrior god will that be enough when the half-immortal Achilles attacks? Hand of Fire, a tale of resilience and hope, blends history and legend in the untold story of Achilles’s famous captive, Briseis. A young healing priestess, designated as future queen, must defend her city against both divine anger and invading Greeks. The Trojan War threatens Troy’s allies and the Greek supply raids spread. Her novel has all the elements I look for in historical fiction: compelling characters, engaging plot, and fascinating setting. Hand of Fire by Judith Starkston is one of those I want to enthusiastically share with my fellow readers. I like most of them and write a paragraph or two on, or. Book Review and Giveaway: “Hand of Fire” by Judith Starkston