Nobody's Princess

Esther Friesner

Mar 2008 · Sold by Random House Books for Young Readers

4.4

32 reviews

Ebook

336

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

Helen of Sparta wants to be more than a princess and a pretty face—she wants to be a hero.

The traditions of ancient Sparta would have Helen know her place: a beautiful princess, a loyal daughter, a perfect bride. But Helen wants adventure, and she's not looking back. Not one to count on the gods to take care of her, she sets out to see the world and seek her own fate with steely determination. Her rebellious will makes Helen dangerous enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also gains her true friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi. If she is strong enough, if she is cunning enough, if she is brave enough, Helen will find her destiny . . . but what does destiny have in store for her?

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The back of the book includes further facts about Helen of Troy and Ancient Greece. Hand to readers who love Tamora Pierce and Leigh Bardugo, particularly if they just finished Wonder Woman: Warbringer and want to know more about Helen of Troy.

"A must-read for fans of fantasy and mythology."—VOYA

"Along the way, Friesner skillfully exposes larger issues of women's rights, human bondage, and individual destiny. It's a rollicking good story."—Booklist

Ratings and reviews

4.4

32 reviews

Holly Parker

January 28, 2021

I love Nobody's Princess and Nobody's Prize. Helen of Sparta is very relatable in her determination to take hold of her life and future. The books progress at a steady pace, with a bunch of little climaxes at different points in her journey. It's hard to say for sure whether there is one big climax in either book, but I think that's fine. I was hooked the entire way. Worth a read if you're interested in myths, and especially worth it if you like the idea of greek myths but not the fantasy involved.

Ana Torres

December 25, 2015

I started reading this book because in my school we had book clubs and they chosed this book i red the first chapter and i loved it 5/5

2 people found this review helpful

A Google user

September 30, 2009

I though this was a good book and that it was set during one of my favorite times during history.

About the author

Nebula Award winner Esther Friesner is the author of 31 novels and over 150 short stories, including the story "Thunderbolt" in Random House's Young Warriors anthology, which lead to the creation of Nobody's Princess. She is also the editor of seven popular anthologies. Educated at Vassar College and Yale University, where she taught for a number of years, Friesner is also a poet and a playwright. She is married, is the mother of two, harbors cats, and lives in Connecticut.

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