The adventures of Odysseus need no introduction perhaps, but this is a classic (pardon the pun) example of a good old tale remade for a new generation of readers. In this retelling, young soldier Eperitus aids a band of soldiers in a battle, and joins their number. In doing so, he has joined forces with Odysseus, who is travelling to Sparta to court the beautiful Helen. On the face of it, he does not have as much going for him as many of the other contenders, but that is not going to stop him.

I’ve loved classical tales since childhood so was eager to see what this new author did with the material. It’s an exciting story with plenty of action, and the requisite supernatural elements. I am no scholar, and I am sure that purists will pick holes in this novel as they always do, but if you are a fan of writers like Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow and Conn Iggulden you will enjoy this. If you don’t already know the story, it doesn’t matter; and if you do, there are some surprising plot twists to keep readers on their toes.