Valerio Massimo Manfredi
Lo scudo di Talos

THE REVIEW

Kleomenides, a Spartan, is abandoned by his father Aristarchos in a forest because of a foot deformity that makes him lame, but he is rescued by an Ilota shepherd, Kritolaos, who “adopts” him by calling him Talos and teaches him to shoot with a bow and live as a slave.

This novel was unappealing to me from the start, as it touches on something as perfect as Greek mythology, something I grew up with.

Right from the first chapters, it didn't captivate me (characters not very original, events trivial), so I decided that when I wrote the review, I would destroy it, tear it to pieces. But then the miracle happened: towards the end of the first part, it begins to enrich (from the Battle of Thermopylae) with particular, delicious, and well-written details and deeds (for example when Talos and his Spartan brother Britos, who does not know he is his brother but they still suspect it even though they are not sure, start a private war against the Persians, although it takes on the characteristics of a comic book).

In short, I find myself having to admit that I enjoyed reading it, especially from the second part, in which insignificant pieces begin to form a more complex puzzle.

The reader will find it challenging at first to associate all the names with their respective owners, and in the early chapters may get bored like I did, but if they manage to continue the reading, they will be fascinated by the descriptions and the plot woven by the author, who skillfully balances invented elements and characters belonging to Greek mythology.

Therefore, the reader will encounter a novel at times trivial and with, in my opinion, a disappointing ending, but nonetheless a good novel.

In my opinion, though, the biggest flaw lies in the character of Antinea (Talos' love interest): what could have been a character neither good nor bad turns into a very forced, whining caricature, who evokes anything but sympathy or pity from me.