Sparrows in the Wind

This welcome addition to Greek mythology-inspired stories centers multidimensional female characters often lacking in traditional tales. An original, superbly executed reimagining of a story with enduring appeal.

Levine immerses readers in a Bronze Age society, contrasting the strictures placed around Cassandra and other Trojan women with the freedom and agency enjoyed by the Amazons, whose culture is also meticulously portrayed. Cassandra's friendship with the Amazon princess adds another intriguing strand to the narrative.

Levine's simple, crystalline prose is pure pleasure, and with so much ground to cover, events are often dispatched in brief passages, reflecting perhaps a Homeric style. All in all, a delight for young fans of Greek myths and a thoughtful adventure for fans of middle-grade fantasy.

A nonconformist epic fantasy by Levine (A Ceiling Made of Eggshells) centers the events of the Trojan War around two courageous female protagonists. Fourteen-year-old Trojan princess Cassandra worries about the responsibility of acting as kanephoros--balancing a full basket on her head while leading the city to celebrate a god or goddess. Apollo blesses her with the gift of prophecy when all proceeds smoothly; after she rejects his kiss, however, he appends a curse: no one will believe her portents. Cassandra allies with wind god Eurus to forestall the war she sees coming, but a combination of divine meddling and human willfulness, including the malicious actions of Cassandra's twin Helenus, bring it about anyway. As the war rages, the narrative's focus switches to Rin, a young Amazon princess eager to prove herself in battle. When the Amazons ride to aid the Trojans, Rin befriends Cassandra, and together, the prophet and the warrior work to avoid the terrible future Cassandra has foretold: the enslavement and murder of her family, and the burning of her beloved Troy. Twining the source material with contemporary sensibilities, Levine emphasizes strong female protagonists in a richly imagined, urgently told mythological variation. Ages 10-up. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Oct.)

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