The Mirror of Helen

"The story of Helen of Troy is one of the great classics of all time. In this unusual fantasy novel, Richard L. Purtill dares to look behind the scenes to depict what it was really like to be involved with that half-goddess whose radiant beauty did indeed launch a thousand ships. Here is Helen as a child, kidnapped and held hostage. Here is Helen as a woman, captive in an alien city while the civilized world sought for her, fought for her. Told as by one who had seen the events, who knew her, who knew the gods who pulled the world's strings, this is a novel that brings it all back in the vivid reflections of the mirror of divine judgement."— Donald A. Wollheim, founder of DAW Books"With a scholar's grasp of the period and its mythology, and an unerring eye for character, Richard Purtill brings a gripping reality to the siege of Ilium. As real as today's news—and vastly more enjoyable."— F. M. Busby, author of The Demu Trilogy