Drawing on ancient texts and modern archaeology to reveal the trans woman’s story hidden underneath the well-known myths of The Iliad, Maya Deane’s Wrath Goddess Sing weaves a compelling vision of Achilles’ vanished world.
Author Maya Deane’s prose is lyrical without venturing into purple territory, poignantly guiding readers through Achilles’ internal and external trials...Some prior knowledge of the Iliad will maximize the enjoyment of this novel, if only to provide some context for Deane’s beautifully realized Mediterranean landscape and her depiction of the Greek gods as vivid, often malicious beings...Deane’s descriptions of these entities are utterly entrancing: Athena, for instance, has eyes 'so unnaturally large [they were] too enormous to turn in their sockets—owl’s eyes'...Her vivid imagination also extends to the Iliad’s cast of complicated, iconic human characters, whom she brings to life with confidence and skill...Wrath Goddess Sing is a mythic reinvention for the ages that asks questions about topics such as trans identity, passing and the politics of the body.
Finding an elasticity in the story of the Iliad, Deane pits Achilles against Helen of Troy in the Trojan War...The book begins with Achilles hiding in Skyros with the princess Deidamia...Under Deidamia’s tutelage, and using special herbs, Achilles is transitioning from a male body to her true female self...Athena intervenes and transforms Achilles completely into her ideal female body so she can feel fulfilled in her real identity...The book holds close to the story of the Iliad in broad strokes but attempts to deliver a parallel journey for Achilles as she transitions and then explores the world of war while questioning what it means to be a woman and a man...The premise of the parallel journeys is effectively handled and integrated into the Homeric epic...This fresh perspective is valuable even if the swashbuckling style of the prose lands a little heavily on the page.
Deane’s tour de force debut gives The Iliad the beating heart of a legendary warrior...Deane’s narrative soars: epic in scope without ever growing tedious, with a huge supporting cast (including many wonderful LGBTQ characters) that readers will have no trouble keeping straight due to their beautifully shaded personalities...Add in massive battle scenes, meddling gods, and all the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, and the result brings the familiar story to fresh, vivid, and unforgettable new life.
