RETURN FROM TROY by Lindsay Clarke, 2005.

For some reason, I read War at Troy several years ago, but neglected to go ahead and read this sequel as well. I finally borrowed it and was totally enthralled. Picking up with the horrible sacking of Troy, Clarke does an excellent job of following the various survivors of the carnage and relating the various threads of their stories through the next ten years. It's all here: Menelaus and beautiful Helen, the woman who caused so much strife and agony; ambitious Agamemnon and Cassandra's fates at the hands of vengeful Clytaemnestra; Penelope's patient waiting for her husband's return amid the growing menace in her palace; Odysseus's son Telemachus's coming of age and his rage over his father's long absence; and Odysseus's many adventures in foreign parts as he journeys throughout the Mediterranean, trying to find the path that leads him home. Their stories are so familiar, and yet the author presents them in a fresh way that is enjoyable and entertaining. His apt descriptions of life in the ancient world, including daily routines, the war with the Dorian invaders, slavery, idol worship, terrific tempests, etc. all add color to the multiple stories. Well written and well told, if you enjoy stories of the Trojan War and what happened after, this is quite worthwhile reading.