Polyxena considered Paris to be the most handsome in Troy until she met Achilles

The main protagonist of H. Allenger’s Polyxena has always seen her brother Paris to be the most attractive man in the whole of Troy. That is, until she met Achilles, the same man who brought destruction to her home city.

From the book, it can be glimpsed that Polyxena has huge admiration for Paris.

Until I met Achilles , I believed no man was more handsome than Paris, and I was immensely proud of being around him just for his looks alone. He and Helen definitely made an attractive couple, turning people’s heads wherever they went and maybe even arousing envy among the onlookers. But he lacked the strength of Hector, as well as the courage -some even claimed he was somewhat cowardly- which detracted from his person and may explain why Aeneas rather than he was selected Troy’s supreme commander after Hector’s death. He made up for his deficiencies by constantly practicing with the bow and arrow and was an accomplished archer, perhaps even the best one in our army. In summation, he was not as attractive as Achilles to me, another consequence resulting from having undergone my journey.

The book follows the story of Polyxena, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads to a surprising conclusion about her destiny after she chosen as Neoptolemus’s love interest. Troy has just fallen, leaving the city in ruins and at the mercy of the Greeks. Neoptolemus has claimed the daughter of the now-deceased King Priam of Troy as his love prize. After she rejects his advances, he angrily contrives a story that dooms the ill-fated Polyxena. She knows what she must do to survive, but unfortunately, she cannot change her destiny.

Polyxena is mortified that Neoptolemus has fallen in love with her, for this means she must die at the commemoration rites for his father. As Polyxena prepares for the inevitable, she reflects over the past year, relating her thoughts to Aphrodite, the goddess she believes is responsible for orchestrating the events that have beleaguered her. As she tries to make sense of it all, Polyxena converses with all the well-known personages associated with the Trojan myth-Achilles, Agamemnon, Cassandra, Helen, and many others-while seeking solace in the hope that her existence has not been futile.

In this gripping story of forbidden love, Polyxena unwittingly becomes intertwined in the romantic legacy surrounding Troy.

The book can be purchased via our online bookstore.