Nobody's Princess

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the godsor her looksto take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemiessuch as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseusbut it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.

"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." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"'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.' Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Nebula Award winner Esther Friesner is the author of 31 novels and over 150 short stories, including the story "Thunderbolt" in Random House's Young Warriors anthology, which lead to the creation of Nobody's Princess. She is also the editor of seven popular anthologies. Educated at Vassar College and Yale University, where she taught for a number of years, Friesner is also a poet and a playwright. She is married, is the mother of two, harbors cats, and lives in Connecticut.