THE RAGE AT TROY

The girl strode along the lane of lodges past their listless eyes. Small and fine, dark of hair and eyes, in the uncertain light of torches, she appeared among them, the glum nine-year warriors, as a rumor masked in human form. Above, the ashen moon, wandering and aimless, signaled neither rest nor comfort in the ever-sullen air of never-drowsy evening. Below, spearmen and peltasts, slaves and hoplites turned from the pulsing life of the girl, embracing with listless hearts the listless rituals of their wan evening hours, shunning the shimmering specter of another thousand-ship-beauty to love or hate, for whom to shed blood, or kill—or die…

In this opening, Paul Parente ushers readers into the world of his new novel The Rage at Troy. In the last year of the Trojan War things begin to change. Agamemnon, king of Argos, kindles the wrath of the matchless Achilles by stealing his love, the mysterious and beautiful Briseis. Achilles’ boundless rage sweeps up everyone in its path, including two Greek spies, Thanno and Dimitri. Required to do Agamemnon’s dirty work, Thanno and Dimitri, cousins and comrades—one of them with a secret—disagree about the safest course to navigate during these life-changing events. Thanno wants to stay the course, stay low to the ground, but Dimitri wants to join Patroclus and fight in the forefront of the battle. And others long for transformation: Agamemnon craves ultimate victory; Briseis hopes that Achilles will learn to feel; Talthybius, the Greek messenger, longs to be moved by the muses—and, driving it all, Achilles burns for revenge. But, as they grapple with jealousy, torture, murder, love, battles and revenge, can they attain their desires? Or will corruption and heartlessness triumph as they give in to the one overwhelming passion that rules them all…The Rage at Troy?