The Princess of Prophecy: Heroes of the Trojan War, Volume II

The second book in the Heroes of the Trojan War series follows Helen, the tenderhearted runaway wife of the Prince of Mycenea, and Paris, Prince of Troy, as they flee Mycenea. Pursued by mercenaries, prophecies, and haunting memories, the star-crossed lovers are forced to take refuge in the last place they wish to: Egypt. But this kingdom, like many of the old world, is on the verge of political upheaval and it is clear to the travelers that their refuge may be just as much of a threat as those they are running from.

This series is an intriguing take on the age-old tale of history’s most famous couple. It gives voice to otherwise silent characters and provides vivid depictions of the ancient world, drawing on Cunningham’s experience working at archaeological sites. Unfortunately, this book, like the first of the series, is also a case of poor editing and not-quite-refined writing. Characters are developed largely through narrative instead of action, much of the dialogue is modern and out of place in a historically set novel, the same descriptions are used and feel like stock phrases, and the sex scenes are sometimes clumsy and blunt. Overall this book was an enjoyable read, but the grammatical errors and the aforementioned glitches pulled me out of the story.