Scars and Black Armor

Achilles is a legendary hero and commander of the Myrmidon army, but a leader is defined by those who follow him. What manner of men fought beside Achilles in the crucible of war?

Stelios, lifelong friend of Achilles, is summoned upon his death to Mount Olympus to share with the gods what fire guides the hearts of mortals. Stelios recounts his past—his liberation as a boy at the hands of the Myrmidons, his induction into their ranks, and the life-changing lessons they instilled within him. He trains and grows alongside Achilles, and watches as the meek boy he knew in his youth transforms into a relentless warrior.

They become brothers, these men in black armor, defined by their decision to carry the most brutal burdens. In time, as violence scars their shields and bodies, they learn that the morals and creeds they were raised upon have begun to fracture. As Stelios grapples with the futility of a life lived only for war, he seeks solace in his wife and a young boy he rescues and takes in as his own—a boy who will one day face his own mysterious destiny.

As the darkness in the Myrmidons deepens, Stelios battles to protect those he loves, even if they stand against him. In the pursuit of peace, Stelios must sacrifice everything.

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“Channeling Homer and Steven Pressfield, Liam Chambers weaves a mythological masterpiece. He delves deeply into warrior psychology with an epic tale of heroism that cuts to the soul. Stelios, a Myrmidon warrior slain in a heroic battle, is denied passage across the river Styx. Instead, he is ordered to climb Mount Olympus and give an account of his life to the chief of the pantheon.

As the narrative unfolds, we discover the horrific background of Stelios' childhood, the rites of passage that forged him into a warrior, and the trials that tempered his character as a commander of a Myrmidon battalion. As time passes, his challenges become increasingly difficult, and his black armor becomes more scarred with every battle he fights, until at last, he is forced to confront a dilemma that demands every bit of the courage he spent a lifetime developing. As his final, most difficult battle rages, Stelios sacrifices that which is most precious to him in a desperate attempt to win an immortal victory for those he loves.

Chambers masterfully uses the backdrop of Greek mythology to portray the crises which have confronted veterans since the beginning of human civilization: the tension between love and rage, courage and fear, victory and guilt, triumph and failure. He subtly constructs a path through the tortuous psychological nightmares and soul-crushing dilemmas so many veterans face and ends the book with a climactic glimpse of redemption and triumph of the human spirit.

This book will be a treasured part of my collection of books on warrior psychology. It should be mandatory reading for every member of the armed forces.”

—Verified Amazon Review