Nobody’s Princess

In this novel, first in a planned series, Friesner imagines the childhood of Helen, the Spartan princess whose face would launch a thousand ships and cause the Trojan War. As a girl, Helen loathes the domestic lives that royal women are expected to lead (and at which her twin sister, Clytemnestra, excels). Helen longs to be trained as a warrior—reasoning that she’d be a much better queen if she understood how to fight—and with her two older brothers, Castor and Polydeuces, covertly learns how to wield weapons. When Clytemnestra is betrothed to Prince Tantalus of Mykenae, Helen and her brothers accompany her to her new home, and then continue on to Calydon to help slay a giant boar that is terrorizing that land. Helen finds additional training—and a role model—in Atalanta, the beautiful princess who has chosen the life of a huntress. Finally, Helen, disguised as a boy, joins Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. Readers will enjoy the numerous cameos by famed mythological figures—such as Theseus and the Oracle at Delphi—and gain insights into the customs of the day and the gods’ importance in everyday life. With fresh interest in fictionalized accounts of the Greek myths—such as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series—Friesner’s rendering of a vivacious and nervy Helen should easily win fans. Ages 12-16. (Apr.)