The Wolf-Girl, the Greeks, and the Gods: A Tale of the Persian Wars - by Tom Holland (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Trojan War is ancient history. The gods of Olympus are silent and have not appeared to mortals for generations. In the city-state of Sparta, young Gorgo's mother gives a warning with her dying breath: the Persians are coming. The princess Gorgo, weaned on her nurse's stories of gods and shapeshifters, never forgets her mother's last words. When at last the drums of war begin to sound, she is swept up in a dangerous game of politics, treachery, and vengeance. With the blood of Herakles and Zeus himself running through her veins and the awakening of a dormant supernatural power, Gorgo, now queen of Sparta, must help lead her city-state against a mighty empire. Unraveling like prophecy and featuring stunning art from acclaimed illustrator Jason Cockcroft, Tom Holland's dramatic reimagining of one of history's most formidable wars will echo through the mind of the reader long after they have reached the final page."--

Book Synopsis

The magic of mythology meets the grit of history in a blazing blockbuster retelling of the Persian Wars from award-winning author Tom Holland, lavishly illustrated by Jason Cockcroft.

I come to tell you a story. A story unlike any that has been told before.

The Trojan War is ancient history. The gods of Olympus are silent and have not appeared to mortals for generations. In the city-state of Sparta, young Gorgo's mother gives a warning with her dying breath: the Persians are coming. The princess Gorgo, weaned on her nurse's stories of gods and shapeshifters, never forgets her mother's last words. When at last the drums of war begin to sound, she is swept up in a dangerous game of politics, treachery, and vengeance. With the blood of Herakles and Zeus himself running through her veins and the awakening of a dormant supernatural power, Gorgo, now queen of Sparta, must help lead her city-state against a mighty empire. Unraveling like prophecy and featuring stunning art from acclaimed illustrator Jason Cockcroft, Tom Holland's dramatic reimagining of one of history's most formidable wars will echo through the mind of the reader long after they have reached the final page.

Review Quotes

In this epic tale, lavishly illustrated by Cockcroft, Holland mixes reality and mythology to tell of the Persian Wars. . . . A fascinating work and an ideal primer for curious readers and Greek history enthusiasts alike.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A marvelous balancing act of a book. . . Candlewick Studio is at their finest here, with the book's larger trim-size and dedication to presentation elevating the proceedings at every turn. More than a mere book, this is a thrilling experience of history, mythology, culture, and adventure that will appeal to nascent nerds of those varieties, or even the budding Tolkien fan.
--Booklist (starred review)

Atmospheric illustrations ratchet up the melodrama in this retelling of the war between the Greeks and Persians. . . Dark and brutal.
--Kirkus Reviews

What a fabulous achievement! Not since Mary Renault has this kind of history come so alive and with such juice, energy, and excitement. I just know that my twelve-year-old self would have fallen on this like a . . . like a wolf on a lamb. Breathtaking adventure on every page, and just the kind of detail, color, and vitality that young readers adore. As does this old reader, I have to confess.
--Stephen Fry, actor, director, and author of Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, volumes 1-4: Mythos, Heroes, Troy, and The Odyssey

A glorious mixture--of history, fiction, and thrilling legend, with pictures to swim the Hellespont for.
--Sebastian Faulks, journalist and acclaimed author of historical novels for adults, including Birdsong, Snow Country, and The Seventh Son

The Wolf-Girl, the Greeks, and the Gods is a wonder, as beautiful to look at as it is entrancing to read. Jason Cockcroft's illustrations are jaw-dropping, and Tom Holland's prose took me back to my own childhood introductions to these extraordinary mythological worlds in Roger Lancelyn Green's Tales of the Greek Heroes and Leon Garfield's and Charles Keeping's The God Beneath the Sea.
--Frank Cottrell Boyce, screenwriter and author of Cosmic and Carnegie Medal winner Millions

Cloaked in mystery, sharp with danger, powerful in its bones, The Wolf-Girl, the Greeks, and the Gods is a modern myth of an ancient time that I wish I read as a boy, and will reread until I'm rickety and gray.
--Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Red Rising Saga

Historian Tom Holland recounts the Persian Wars. But in this fictional account, the gods also play a role, just as they did in the tales of The Iliad and The Odyssey, some of his childhood favorites. Combine his vivid storytelling with striking imagery by Jason Cockcroft and you've got a display worthy over-sized book with a corker of a story.
--Parade

About the Author

Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, author, and presenter of the acclaimed podcast The Rest Is History. He is the author of Rubicon, Persian Fire, and Dominion and has translated various classical texts, including Herodotus's Histories. He has written and presented a number of TV documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4. Tom Holland lives in London.

Jason Cockcroft was born in New Zealand, grew up in the north of England, and studied illustration at Falmouth University. He has illustrated numerous picture books and fiction titles for all ages, most notably contributing the cover artwork for three of the original UK editions of the Harry Potter books. His debut fiction title, We Were Wolves, was long-listed for the Yoto Carnegie Medal. Jason Cockcroft lives in Yorkshire.