On Monday I reviewed Temping Fate and promised that later this week there would be a review of the sequel to Nobody’s Princess. Ta-da; here it is. Esther Friesner is still everything I said she was on Monday; the first book of these two (and it appears that there will only be two, total) is about the early life of Helen of Sparta, before she got kidnapped and had that whole war started over her. Very little is known in reality, and Esther Friesner took some few liberties, but it is still an exciting adventure, incorporating many different elements of the pre-Hellenistic world.

The second volume picks up where the first left off; Helen has just decided that she is somehow going to get onto the Argo, a boat that Jason, a prince of Iolkos, is sailing off to find a golden fleece. Unfortunately, Helen’s two brothers, Castor and Polydeuces, are on the boat already, and she must find a way to sneak on. Once she gets there, will she be discovered? After all, she is a princess of Sparta, and she was supposed to marry Theseus at some point. Secondarily, the trip is dangerous in and of itself. Will she (and her friend, the former slave, Milo), survive and make it back to Sparta?

I didn’t think this book was quite as outstanding as the previous volume, but part of that might have been that there wasn’t really so much of a shock of discovery as there was in the first volume. It could also be because the story, overall, was darker than the previous volume. The whole story of Jason and the Golden Fleece intertwines with a handful of very depressing Greek tales (none of which should actually be a spoiler); one of these is Medea, although we only see her pre-children. Every moment that Medea was on the screen was moderately painful, as I wrote a paper on Medea back in ninth grade. (It was a pretty good paper, though.)

I did enjoy seeing a handful more Greek myths (or semi-myths) brought to life. I enjoyed seeing Herakles (Hercules), larger than life, on the pages, and I enjoyed many of the other famous characters as well. The main characters, Helen as narrator and Milo as her constant companion, are fantastic; she is as confused by her recent physical changes as anyone would be, and I find the idea that Helen of Troy was a gangly preteen who bloomed late quite appealing. Her relationships (all, of course, platonic) with various men in the book were great, too; I was most amused with the men who found her incredibly attractive when dressed as a boy. Fortunately, she found it amusing herself.

I think my final verdict on the book is that the two form a great set, but that the first volume is overall superior. I would recommend both to those who are interested in Greek history and mythology; it forms an interesting contrast to Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books. Due to a slightly darker tone, I would say that the second volume is intended for slightly older readers than that first, although both books are suitable for readers in sixth grade or older. I do respect Ms. Friesner’s ability to integrate historical fact with excellent storytelling and well-drawn characters; I hear that she is writing another historical novel, about Egypt, for adults, and I look forward to reading that. 4/5 stars.