Jo Graham takes Virgil's Aeneid and does a retelling of it from the point of view of the Pythia. She begins the story as Gull, a slave born of rape but still loved by her mother. When her ankle is broken she is apprenticed to the Pythia of the dark goddess Persephone, Lady of the dead, and she becomes Linnea before losing her name to her role when the previous priestess dies. She posesses a gift and burden of prophecy and is occasionally driven by the goddess to do things that she doesn't always understand at first but that make sense over time.

It's the story of the Wilusians or Trojans, the survival of a few and the recovery of some enslaved tribe members, adventures in the Middle East, Egypt and Italy and a hope for a future.

I found it an interesting read, it made me want to revisit the Aeneid. However I didn't find the characters all that compelling, there were moments where I engaged but the engagement slipped, still I was pulled through the tale and enjoyed the read. ( )

I love historical fiction - especially novels set during classical times. Graham's debut is a fresh take on "The Aeneid." Most readers are familiar with the Illiad and the Odyssey (even if they've never read them) and many authors, and filmmakers, have retold those stories. One of my favorite of these is Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Firebrand" told from the point of view of the Seeress, Kassandra - fated to see the future but cursed that no one would believe her until it was too late. However, I have never read a modern author who has gone beyond the fall of Troy. Finally, one has and it was worth waiting for!

Graham has taken a familiar path – that of a famous story told from the POV of a minor character, often a slave, or servant. The story is told mostly from first person by Gull. She is the daughter of slave captured in Troy, and a strong female protagonist. When a chariot hits and cripples her, her mother gives her to the Pythia (a twist on the Delphic Oracle, here given visions by a Goddess instead of Apollo) where she discovers her real gift. Readers of Bradley's work will notice the obvious parallels between the two heroines, but Graham has her own distinct voice. Though the book is truly not fast-paced, it is still a page turner. The Aeneid is more of an adventure tale, a quest even. Gull is reminiscent of Kassandra, but the story will evoke themes in the Odyssey as Gull travels with Prince Aeneas searching for a new home for the exiled Trojans (here called Wilusans). The characters are fully developed, and the author provides details to secondary characters’ lives as well, even when they do not directly impact Gull. This makes the characters seem real.

Though I found the title uninspiring, and the cover almost boring, the writing is excellent; smooth and flowing. I sat down to read a couple of chapters and finished 65 pages without realizing it. Before I started, I learned Graham's next book will center on Cleopatra, as told by one of her handmaids. At first I was skeptical - another Cleopatra book? However, after Black Ships, I can hardly wait to see what she does with the doomed queen. And, the new edition of Black Ships has a much better cover. :-) ( )

"She has chosen you are Her voice and Her hands. You will be dedicated at the Feast of the Return, the Thesmophoria, as is proper. And from that time forward you cannot do as the living do. You cannot shed blood, or watch it shed. You cannot cut flesh with a knife, or wear the colors of the sun. You belong to the Lady, and to the shades beneath."

Since reading Jo Graham's Hand of Isis a couple of months ago, I have been dying to get my hands on Black Ships. It took some time to get a copy from the library, but I finally did - and it was every bit as good as Hand of Isis!

Black Ships is Jo Graham's debut novel. It is an adaptation of The Aeneid, as seen through the eyes of the Sybil. The story is really her story, and her character is much more fleshed out than she is in The Aeneid. Her name is Gull, later known as Linnea and as Pythia, acolyte of Persephone, Lady of the Dead.

Gull is the daughter of a Trojan slave. As a young girl playing in the fields, she is crippled when a passing chariot crushes the bones in her leg. Realizing that she will never be able to work in the fields for King Nestor and earn her way as it were, Gull's mother takes her to the temple of Persephone to be apprentice and handmaiden to Pythia, priestess of the Lady of the Dead. As she displays her power to see into the future, Gull secures a place for herself as "She Who Will Become Pythia."

Gull's first vision is of the titled Black Ships, fleeing the burning city of Troy.
When Aeneas, the last Trojan prince arrives to raid King Nestor's palace and to save the Trojan women and children sold into slavery, Gull remembers him from her vision and decides to join Aeneas and his remaining people on their journey to found a new city. The novel follows the progress of Aeneas, his most trusted captain Xandros, and Gull, as they search for a new home in a distant land.

Black Skips is a stunning and unique adaptation of The Aeneid, with realistic characters that leap off the pages. Jo Graham's brilliant novel brings the ancient world to vivid life, creating a remarkably compelling and beautiful story. From the windy shores of the Isle of the Dead, to the lonely slopes of Mount Vesuvius, to the richness of the black lands of Egypt, Black Ships is brimming with action and adventure and will stay with you long after you've read the last sentence. It is an epic story of survival, set against the backdrop of one of the most fascinating stories ever told. ( )

This book really got me interested in reading more about the Trojan War. I love the characters. I read it last spring, but since then I took a Humanities class where we studied the Ancient Greeks, and now re-reading it, I understand all the little details a lot better. Very well written book. ( )

I really wanted to like this books, and at first I did. I loved the scenery and the development of the world. However, as Gull grew up her character became more uneven. There were times when I was wondering why she and Aeneas were saying what they were. Gull seemed too ambivalent about her decisions.

It was a fine first book, but not amazing. ( )