The Historical Novel Review

The Rage of Achilles by Terence Hawkins

Perhaps one of the greatest stories ever told is that of the Illiad, the Trojan war. It has been told and rediscovered by new generations through the decades. And now, author Terence Hawkins adapts this passionate story into a powerful and compelling, in-your-face retelling.

Achilles is a legendary Greek warrior of paramount grandeur. An enigma, he is renowned for his prowess in battle, noble demeanour, cruel ruthlessness, and egotistical, sometimes outrageous, behaviour. He is Ancient Greece’s most powerful weapon.

The winds of war begin to blow when Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, steals the not-so-virtuous wife of Menelaus, brother to King Agamemnon of Greece. The Greeks send their army to Troy to retrieve her and exact their revenge. No matter how they struggle, however, they cannot breach Troy’s resistant walls.

In the turmoil that ensues between the Greeks and Trojans, Achilles’ bride is stolen. Furious, he refuses to lend his military prowess to his army against the Trojans. Without his skill, the Greeks struggle and the Trojans, led by their mightiest warrior, Hector, gain the upper hand. Even so, Achilles continues to refuse to participate. In his stead, Achilles permits his best friend and lover, to fight on his behalf. Donned in Achille’s armour, Hector kills him. When Achilles learns of the death of his beloved friend, his grief and rage knows no bounds. Achilles enters the battlefield to retrieve the body. The Trojans worry and beg Hector to withdraw, but Hector refuses.

On the battlefield, Achilles confronts Hector, who turns and runs. Exhausted and aware of the futility of his flight, Hector stops and faces his pursuer. Achilles kills him with his sword. Still enraged at the death of his lover, Achilles mutilates and vengefully drags Hector’s body around the walls of Troy.

THE RAGE OF ACHILLES is Terence Hawkins’ first novel. Within its pages, he vividly brings to life the glory and guts of a long forgotten era. He recounts this monumental tale with grim brutality and raw, violent descriptions. Hawkins delves deep into the most intrinsic of human emotions and expounds upon them with detailed intensity and an all-too-believable reality. Not for the faint of heart, Hawkins’ novel explores war with all its smells, terrors, and blood. It is the kind of heart-pumping, edge-of-your-seat book that readers long for and diligently seek.