I’ve been waiting on this book being released for a long time as Margaret George typically takes up to five years to finish a book. Unfortunately, the book’s release proved to be bad timing for me since I lost my grandmother the week before and as a result I found it hard to concentrate on anything. When the book arrived, I thought it would help take me away from my problems for awhile since Ms George is an extremely powerful writer and it’s not hard to lose yourself in her books. However, this book proved to be the exception to the rule and it took me nearly six months to finish it instead of my usual couple of days. I can’t blame the author entirely for that because there was a lot going on in my life and I found it hard making time to read.

However, there is no denying that this book failed to grab me in the same way as Mary, Called Magdalene or The Memoirs of Cleopatra and I found it very hard getting a clear picture of Helen and her motives. Ms George’s research was as stunning as always and she certainly brought the era to life in much the same way as any of her books but Helen never seemed to click for me and I’m not sure the author managed to make her seem like an ordinary person. Most of us know the story of Helen, the daughter conceived by Leda when she was visited by Zeus disguised as a swan, but Ms George tries to throw doubt on the circumstances of her birth and I think it strips the story of some of the magic. I have to admit that I’m a huge fan of Greek mythology and the stories of the Gods and their meddling in the lives of mortals weave such a colourful tapestry, I would’ve preferred a more fantastical approach I suppose.

In conclusion, Helen of Troy is never going to be one of my favourite Margaret George novels but it certainly can’t be considered the worst either. My favourite of her novels is still Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles, so it will be interesting to see how I feel about Ms George’s next novel - Elizabeth I - the woman who executed Mary!

I’ll admit that this review is going to be fairly biased because I absolutely adore Margaret George’s books ever since picking up a copy of Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles a few years ago. Mary Stuart is one of my favourite historical characters and Ms George captured her character perfectly. Afterwards, I went straight out and bought her first book The Autobiography of Henry VIII but was disappointed. In fact it is the only one of her books that I’ve never finished and I feel it is mainly due to the fact that I’ve never really been interested in Henry VIII.

The third book The Memoirs of Cleopatra did much to restore my confidence and was a thrilling journey through Ancient Egypt and the life of one of history’s most intriguing females. I enjoyed it immensely, although I do have one word of caution, avoid the series that was made and just read the book.

So it was with great excitement that I noted the release of her latest book Mary Called Magdalene which I read almost in one sitting a few months back. (Yeah, I read it months ago, what’s your point?) I was a little nervous about the subject matter since I’m not a Christian and not in the habit of reading books about religious figures. All I remembered about Mary Magdalene was that she was supposed to be a harlot who washed Jesus’s feet and dried them with her long hair. In fact not much is known at all about this woman despite the fact that she remains the subject of much debate and controversy.

Mary, Called Magdalene strips away the legend and gives a very moving portrayal of a real woman trying to come to grips with her own being. As usual, Ms George’s historical research is so meticulous and accurate that you believe every word she writes is a factual account of Mary of Magdala’s life. I was so convinced the events I was reading actually happened that I was astounded to read the author’s notes at the back of the book revealing that much of Mary’s life was merely based on how women of the time would have lived.

If rich historical details aren’t enough for you, the book is also threaded with the supernatural as Mary fights to free her soul from demons and seeks to find redemption as one of Jesus’s disciples. Mary’s torment as she tries to cleanse her spirit is very moving and touching, as is her eventual exile from her own family.

It’s been a while since I found a book so enthralling that I literally could not put it down but I was completely hooked from start to finish. Margaret George is a master storyteller who has a great gift for cutting to the heart of a legend and portraying the real people.