The Amazon and the Warrior [Paperback]

Judith Hand (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2004

The Legend of Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons

For eight years, the besieged city of Troy has withstood the relentless might of the Greek invaders. Now the dread Achilles, mightiest of the Greek warriors, seeks to conquer the fabled realm of the Amazons as well. But one woman stands between him and his ruthless ambition to conquer her homeland.

Penthesilea, Warrior Queen of the Amazons, watched her mother die upon Achilles' sword. A fiery, red-haired tigress of tremendous passion and courage, Pentha vows to take revenge on the legendary Greek champion, even if it means leading an army in defense of imperiled Troy.

Her lover, Damonides, does not share her eagerness for battle. Once a formidable warrior in his own right, he long ago put away the sword. Now he yearns only to live in peace with the beautiful and ardent Amazon Queen. But can he stand idly by while the woman he loves risks everything for the sake of her people?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Like Dorothy Dunnett and Mary Renault, Judith Hand recreates a lost world with clarity... top-notch historical writing from an author with great promise."

About the Author

Judith Hand has made the transition from left-brained scientist to right-brained novelist. Before she began writing fiction some twelve years ago, she was teaching Animal Behavior and Ornithology in the UCLA biology department.

She is the author of several novels and two screenplays. Her epic of the Minoan civilization, Voice of the Goddess, has won numerous awards. Her contemporary romantic thriller, Code Name Dove, features a female spy whose day job is to lead adventure tours and whose great personal love is photography. In all of her stories, she writes of strong, bold women, women who are doers and leaders.

An avid camper, classical music fan, and birdwatcher, she currently lives in Rancho Bernardo, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (May 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765349361
• ISBN-13: 978-0765349361
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,870,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars average quality but she did research it, October 3, 2004

By 

TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Amazon and the Warrior (Paperback)

As both a writer and a historian I am always pleased when it is clear that someone has done research. Unfortunately, while it is very obvious that Hand has done more than average layperson research into the Amazon legend, especially the Achilles & Penthesileia legend, she does not pull the story out well. For example, I could forgive the embellishments to the narrative, it is, afterall, a very short legend only truly expanded in Late Antiquity to anything than just the battle. But there are too many characters who get their own chapters in this book. Given the title I wanted the book to focus on Penthesileia and Damonides -- when it did, it was very well written and interesting to read. Instead we seem to spend time in several characters' heads and it gets distracting. Also in the first part of the book, Achilles et al take off for Amazon regions and the Amazons know they are there but nothing happens -- why was that even in there? Overall disappointed.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but takes some liberties with history, July 30, 2004

By 

A. B White (Laurel, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Amazon and the Warrior (Paperback)

"The Amazon and the Warrior" is entertaining, but is a fairly broad interpretation of the legend of the Trojan War. Judith Hand is great for putting her characters in the middle of the action. It's great summer reading, but for a better view of the Trojan War from the women's point of view, I recommend "The Firebrand" by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fabulous retelling of Ancient saga, June 5, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Amazon and the Warrior (Paperback)

Just across from Troy, the Greek Commander and the mightiest of warriors Achilles and a few of his men killed the Amazon warrior mother of the then young Penthesilea and apparently abducted her sister. Pentha watched in fear and hiding. Vowing to kill the invincible Achilles, Pentha joined her mother's people. Several years later Pentha is the Warrior Queen of the Amazons.

Pentha meets Damonides when he helps her escape from a simple rope trap by catching her as she tumbled to the ground. They become lovers, but disagree about what to do about the Greeks who have laid siege on Troy. Pentha feels this is her opportunity to avenge her mother's death while Damon, once a great warrior, has turned away from the sword and opposes her plan of attacking the Greeks at the walls of Troy. He fears for her and her people as the odds would be overwhelming even with surprise on their side. She says after Troy Achilles will come for Themskyra. He knows he will back his beloved though he prefers the plow to the sword having seen death first hand.

THE AMAZON AND THE WARRIOR is a fabulous retelling of one of the legendary short sagas of Ancient Greece. When title characters are on center stage, the plot is filled with action, plenty of romance, and a feel for the era through she as a warrior queen and he a retired warrior wary of war. However, when the author heroically brings the depths and other perspectives of other heroes, the plot creaks from sidebar overload. Still, this is a fine read because Ms. Hand provides an enthralling look at the Ancients.

Harriet Klausner