Black Ships

Jo Graham delivers an interesting blend of historical fiction, adventure and romance, and pagan fantasy in this retelling of The Aeneid. Quick prose, interesting characters and ancient locales combine to good effect. With a little suspension of disbelief, the reader will be transported into a page turning delight as the sails of Black Ships ferry them to a time of clashing Bronze Age Mediterranean cultures...

...read the full review of Black Ships

After reading this encouraging review I decided to go out and buy the book and read it for myself. I think it's fair to say that I took a bit of warming to Black Ships, the first few chapters didn't really grab me at first, but once the story started to take shape and I got to know the characters a bit more then I found myself really enjoying it.

I think Jo Graham did an excellent job of blending her own story with that of The Aeneid, especially where Aeneas is concerned and the inner turmoils he faced like is he worthy to be king? and can he lead his people to a new land? and is he able live up to the high expectations of his father Anchises? I think she conveys this part of the story really well to the reader.

The switching of Dido of Carthage to Princess Basetamon of Egypt is clever and really works, but I have to agree with Ursus that the inclusion of the God Mik-el is pretty pointless and not needed, at one point Mik-el kind of indicates that he's related to Gull's lover, Xandoros, but then never expands on it and just leaves you wondering. But other than that minor criticism I thought all in all it was a really good, well written and well researched novel.