Black Ships by Jo Graham
By: Clarrisa Sauter
Black Ships is a novel based on Virgil’s The Aeneid told from the point of view of Gull, born into slavery and from a Troy destroyed twice by the ancient Greeks. Gull becomes an oracle for Persephone, “The Lady of the Dead”. When Prince Aeneas and the remnants of his father’s fallen kingdom sail to Pylos for revenge, Gull joins an exodus of freed slaves on a journey from Millawanda to Byblos to Egypt (changed from Carthage in Virgil’s epic for historical reasons). Gull manages to get married and have a few kids, receive prophetic messages, journey to the Underworld, survive battles and avoid threats from Ramses III’s fictional sister – an adapted version of Dido – all while wearing make-up.
Graham’s writing is vivid, action-packed, and most importantly, as historically accurate as possible. The grammar can be a bit sloppy in a few spots, but I’ll assume that’s because I practically have The Elements of Style memorized, and thus have high standards. Overall, Black Ships is a captivating trip to the ancient world that reminds us that we, too, live in exciting times.
Graham’s writing is vivid, action-packed, and most importantly, as historically accurate as possible. The grammar can be a bit sloppy in a few spots, but I’ll assume that’s because I practically have The Elements of Style memorized, and thus have high standards. Overall, Black Ships is a captivating trip to the ancient world that reminds us that we, too, live in exciting times.