This book is a romp, and that’s an understatement. It’s definitely one of Lloyd Alexander’s under-the-radar gems. In it, Alexander remixes Greek and Roman mythology to create a whole new world for his characters (and us) to explore.  

The main characters are Lucian, a clerk who discovers that his bosses are getting rich by stealing from the royal treasury, Fronto, a poet turned into a donkey through his own bad choices, and Joy-in-the-Dance, a girl with a mysterious past on the run from a tyrannical king. The three of them travel across a land inspired by mythological Greece, and many of the book’s events resemble major episodes in Greco-Roman mythology. The characters are delightful, especially when they argue among themselves.  Their adventures range from action-packed escapes from death to hilarious comedies of errors, and each new person that they meet adds to the fun.

I particularly recommend this book for readers who love ancient myths. The story is great on its own, but it’s especially fun for mythology fans who can spot the myth behind each episode.  Lloyd Alexander also weaves in some interesting aspects of ancient culture, such as the idea of the scapegoat and a quick overview of ancient poetic meters, which gives the book added educational value. Even more knowledgeable readers will recognize aspects of Minoan and Mycenean culture and references to Roman literature, not to mention the occasional Greek words sprinkled through the text. For example, Joy-in-the-Dance’s unusual name is reveled to be a translation of her Greek name, Terpsichore. The Arkadians is a book that everyone can enjoy that will get better every time you read it. – Krishni Burns