Rebind: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

When I first read this book, I knew immediately I would want to bind it. Especially after listening to the audiobook, I found myself feeling devastate, brought to tears by the beauty and hardship within. I have always been intrigued by greek mythology, but the story of Achilles and Patroclus is only one I have become more familiar with in recent years. Being an active romance reader, I had just finished Katee Robert painting Patroclus and Achilles in a much different light a couple of weeks prior (IYKYK), so to read this portrayal of the couple was completely different than I had expected. Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles was so authentic feeling – a haunting version of this couple's tale that gave me hope, personal growth, a broken heart, then finally, resolve.

Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles follows our protagonists thought their lives, from boyhood to war, and every moment in between. We watch love slowly form, fiercely fight, and vaporize into hollowness as our author retells this tale in a raw and thought provoking way.

Throughout the book, there are many moment shared that have inspired the rebind of this book. If you hate spoilers, I suggest stopping here, but I'll try to keep it relatively vague.

Here is a preview of the cover before and after. Stick around to the end for the final!

I had so much inspiration for this cover, from lyres, to centaurs, spears, and so much more. I ultimately knew I wanted to keep this cover simple, sweet, and intimate. I absolutely love how it came together.

The first nod to our couple I have can be found on the bottom of the front cover: laurel leaves. In the beginning of the book, when both Patroclus and Achilles are boys, Achilles wins a race, the prize being a Laurel Wreath, presented to him by Patroclus.

Fast forward, and on Achilles' 16th birthday, he receives a purple cloak from his father for a gift, the cape of a price. This is the inspiration for the color chosen for the case. The theme of being a prince is prevalent throughout the book, Patroclus having lost his title, and Achilles being expected to live up to the name of his.

The hands on the back cover are relatively self explanatory. Patroclus and Achilles are constantly searching for each other – when Achilles leaves and Patroclus runs away to find him, when Achilles is stolen and Patroclus sails across the world to find him, and even in death, they are always reaching for one another.

Finally, and most important to me, are the figs that envelop the front cover. To me, figs are the ultimate symbol of these two characters, having made a consistent appearance throughout the book. What was between the two of them all started with a fig. And because of that, I made it the focal point of this piece.

I tossed in some gilded edges to match the rest of the gold detailing, and the rest is history!

The quote I chose for my personal copy is one that is largely known and wildly popular. That being said, I think it honors the relationship between these characters in a truly prolific way.

"I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world." -Patroclus (Madeline Miller)

That being said, I did do another custom rebind for @nhusbloved that had a beautiful quote that I think should be shared with everyone, as well:

"Perhaps in some other life I could have refused, could have torn my hair and screamed, and made him face his choice alone. But not in this one." -Patroclus (Madeline Miller)

This is my favorite bind to date, and I am very proud of how it turned out. I really think the purple allows the gold to shine. Hopefully this cover does the contents inside justice.

Please let me know in the comments below what you would like to see next, and please feel free to contact me if you are interested in commissioning a rebind.

Books are all lawfully purchased prior to rebinding.

I do not own the rights to the material in between the covers, I just make the covers.

None of the content inside of the book has been changed.