Synopses & Reviews
“There was a smell of blood mingling with the smell of burning that still clung about scorched timber and blackened thatch, and a great wailing rose from the watching crowd. The old High Priest dipped a finger in the blood and made a sign with it on Phaedrus’s forehead, above the Mark of the Horse Lord.”
So began the ceremony that was to make young Phaedrus, ex-slave and gladiator, Horse Lord of the Dalriadain. Phaedrus had come a long way since the fight in the arena that gained him his freedom. He had left behind his old Roman life and identity and had entered another, more primitive, world—that of the British tribes in the far north. In this world of superstition and ancient ritual, of fierce loyalties and intertribal rivalry, Phaedrus found companionship and love, and something more—a purpose and a meaning to his life as he came fully to understand the significance of the Mark of the Horse Lord.
First published in 1965, The Mark of the Horse Lord, set in second-century Britain, has been acclaimed by many readers as the finest of Rosemary Sutcliff’s many novels, imparting true insight into the nature of leadership, identity, heroism, loyalty, violence, and sacrifice.
Review
“The total assurance of the writing indicates an author fully in command of her power.” —Times Literary Supplement
Synopsis
The Story of the IliadHomer's epic poem, The Illiad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. In it, the abduction of the legendary beauty, Helen of Troy, leads to a conflict in which even the gods and goddesses take sides and intervene. It is in the Trojan War that the most valiant heroes of the ancient world are pitted against one another. Here Hectore, Ajax, Achilles, and Odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some casas their tragic ends.
Rosemary Sutcliff makes such extraordinary stories as those of those Trojan horse, of Aphrodite and the golden apple, and of the fearsome warrior women Amazons, accessible to contemporary young people.
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades 6-8, Stories) in Appendix B.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
For fans of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths and readers who enjoyed Homer's epic tales comes a retelling of The Iliad by a master storyteller and an award-winning illustrator that evokes the golden age of mythical Greece.
Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. In it, the abduction of the legendary beauty, Helen of Troy, leads to a conflict in which even the gods and goddesses take sides and intervene. It is in the Trojan War that the most valiant heroes of the ancient world are pitted against one another. Here Hectore, Ajax, Achilles, and Odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some casas their tragic ends.
Rosemary Sutcliff makes such extraordinary stories as those of those Trojan horse, of Aphrodite and the golden apple, and of the fearsome warrior women Amazons, accessible to contemporary young people.
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades 6-8, Stories) in Appendix B.
Praise for Black Ships Before Troy
AN ALA Best Book for Young Adults
"This re-creation of the classic epics is]...described in vivid, exquisitely cadenced prose....A splendid offering, bringing the ancient tale to new and vibrant life."-Kirkus Reviews, Pointer
" Sutcliff] brings into vivid focus the mythic story of the Trojan War, with all of its visually dramatic elements... and] leaves many of the epic's powerful metaphors intact."-Publishers Weekly
"Amazingly told, taut with cunning and terror."-Booklist"
Synopsis
For Greek myth fans, those who can't get enough of the D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, and readers who have aged out of Rick Riordan, this classroom staple and mythology classic is perfect for learning about the ancient myths
As the gods and goddesses of Olympus scheme, the ancient world is thrown into turmoil when Helen, the most beautiful woman in all of Greece, is stolen away by her Trojan love. Inflamed by jealousy, the Greek king seeks lethal vengeance and sends his black war ships to descend on the city of Troy.
In the siege that follows, history's greatest heroes, from Ajax to Achilles to Odysseus, are forged in combat, and the brutal costs of passion, pride, and revenge must be paid. In the end, the whims of the gods, the cunning of the warriors, and a great wooden horse will decide who emerges victorious.
Homer's epic poem, The Iliad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time and Rosemary Sutcliff's retelling of the classic saga embodies all of the astonishing drama, romance, and intrigue of ancient Greece.
Don't miss The Wanderings of Odysseus, the companion to Black Ships Before Troy, and follow Odysseus on his adventure home.
This book has been selected as a Common Core State Standards Text Exemplar (Grades 6-8, Stories) in Appendix B.
Synopsis
The Story of the IliadHomer's epic poem, The Illiad, is one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. In it, the abduction of the legendary beauty, Helen of Troy, leads to a conflict in which even the gods and goddesses take sides and intervene. It is in the Trojan War that the most valiant heroes of the ancient world are pitted against one another. Here Hectore, Ajax, Achilles, and Odysseus meet their most formidable challenges and in some casas their tragic ends.
Rosemary Sutcliff makes such extraordinary stories as those of those Trojan horse, of Aphrodite and the golden apple, and of the fearsome warrior women Amazons, accessible to contemporary young people.
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Rosemary Sutcliff wrote more than 40 novels for young adults, including Black Ships Before Troy, The Wanderings of Odysseus, and The Eagle of the Ninth; five adult novels, including Sword at Sunset; and several books of nonfiction. Scott O'Dell wrote over thirty books, mostly historical fiction, including the perennial bestseller Island of the Blue Dolphins.