While she was still trembling with the complete unexpectedness of what Aeneas had just said and done, he leaned forward a little and kissed her on the mouth. Just one swift, soft touch of his lips on hers and then he turned and walked away.

Love can be deadly. Especially when two girls fall for the same man – one a queen, the other her serving girl.

Elissa knows she is playing with fire, but she can’t resist. Queen Dido suspects nothing, until one fateful night . . . Secrets are revealed, hearts are broken and as dawn breaks, a terrible tragedy unfolds.

A passionate tale of love, betrayal and revenge.



...a perfect maelstrom of love, jealousy, fate and caprice...Dido is right up there with some of the other masterful retellings of myth and legend. 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
Jill MurphyThe Bookbag

...mature themes and complex plot make for an overall stimulating read.
Alys Key (Age 14)New Books Magazine

Geras's ability to weave a touching new tale in with the well-known one is unique to modern children's authors; Dido is a shining new jewel to her crown. An excellent children's novel
Amanda CraigThe Times

As always with Adele Geras's work, the characters walk off the page, she brings the place wonderfully to life, you can hear the sounds and smell the scents - and it's another page-turner
Leslie Wilson Blog

Dido is the latest 're-imagined' classic by Adele Geras. The Queen of Carthage's doomed love affair with Aeneas is seen from the viewpoint of a young royal maid, Elissam who is also in love with Aeneas. Roman gods and goddesses walk among the human characters, giving the story an effective other-worldly feeling. The narrative demanding, but rewarding. Age 12 plus
JC (The Jewish Chronicle)

Greek myths, love triangles, betrayals and lies are all present in Dido, and all make this book an addictive read
Wondrous Reads

Adele Geras's Dido is a novelisation for young adults of the great tragic love story, in which she has combined the pre-Virgil myths and the version in the Aeneid with an additional twist that is all her own. She brings to it the accessibility, warmth and immediacy that she brought to Troy and Ithaka, and again the dialogue is modern
Patricia ElliottArmadillo

Adele Geras turns this simple outline into an story of love and loss involving an entire city
Monsters and Critics

An absolute must, this retelling of a classic brings together all the thrilling elements of a deadly love story. Full of passion, mysticism and betrayal
Now Magazine

Full of suspense and the characters were written so well that you were really pulled into their lives
Chrissie's Corner

This is the third of Geras' legend retellings, and it is just as good as the previous two (Ithaka and Troy). The background characters, subplots and varied voices of narrators fill the novel out until you can just call into Ancient Carthage for a while. There are also frequent appearances from Gods and Goddesses, which adds magic to the tale. I had never heard the story before reading this book, but it has now sparked an interest in Greek mythology.
New Books Mag

What a fantastic job Adel Geras has done bringing these characters to life
Sarah's Book Reviews

Love, betrayal and revenge abound in this historical tragedy that unfolds quite brilliantly through the writing of a supremely gifted author of historical fiction...As always with Adele Geras's work, the characters walk off the page, she brings the place wonderfully to life and you can hear the sounds and smell the scents. It's another page-turner.
Love Reading 4 Kids

It took my breath away.Adele Geras tells the story in flawless prose that is somehow elegant, beautiful and simple all at the same time.
I Was a Teenage Book Geek

Dido is compelling and beautifully written
So Little Time For Books

The book comes billed as 'a passionate tale of love, betrayal and revenge' - and it is indeed, an excellent, intelligent read which will stretch minds just as it will stretch vocabularies. It is vivid in the world it creates, intriguing as it takes you there and satisfying when it leaves you
Chichester Today