Review by Gracedscribe -- The Fox by M. N. J. Butler

Gracedscribe · Post by **Gracedscribe** » 02 Sep 2019, 06:45

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fox" by M. N. J. Butler.]

3 out of 4 stars

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I've been developing a real love for historical fiction over the past few months. So when I came across M. N. J. Butler's The Fox, I was excited. Now I was a little intimidated by the size of the book, but the stunning book cover and the prospect of a novel based on Greek history was enough of an encouragement to dive in.

I was immediately put off by a number of things. The first thing was the extremely tiny print that made reading on my device very uncomfortable. I do not think this would have been a problem if I had read a print edition since the number of pages was listed as around 700, whereas my device had it down to 300 pages, and it was evident that the text had been forced to fit into the screen.

The book begins with a mundane flowchart and a 10-page glossary of names and terms - not the best way to begin a historical novel if you're looking for a sizable readership, in my opinion.

I skipped right to the Prologue. The story begins with intrigue and drama: "Something is going on here." - a great way to begin a story. The protagonist sets the stage for what is to come - he has been assigned the task of recording historic events that have taken place in Sparta and the surrounding world over a few decades. This sort of becomes a memoir of the protagonist’s life, but also reflects a history of Sparta.

The story was written for an ancient audience, one that had ample time and leisure. The pace is very slow in the beginning and digressions are in plenty. So if you're picking this book up, make sure you have the time and patience to complete it. Having said that, I will also state that if you get through the first bit of monotony in the book, it becomes a thrilling tale.

The greatest fault in the book is that it has not benefited from a good dose of editing. I feel that all the parts of the book: layout, choice of words, digressions, and length would have been improved by honest criticism. I detected the first among many language errors within the first two paragraphs. This is not to say that the author's language is poor. He displays a superior grasp of language skills in putting the story together, but he has missed out on a lot of the finer details.

There are several parts that bear testament to the author's great writing skills. Leotychides's life as part of the flock, the descriptions of harsh environs, battle scenes, private living quarters, surprisingly vivid details of Spartan life and culture - the author definitely has a love for writing, and for Spartan history. There is a particularly moving scene in the novel when Leotychides is sorting through the belongings of his slain patrol-leader, who had become so much more to him than a friend, where the author is able to describe in vivid detail what goes on during a Spartan funeral.So much of research has gone into the writing of this novel, that it almost feels as if the author has imbibed a great deal of the culture and ideology of the Spartans.

Character development is a great plus-point in this novel. Though there are more characters than one could easily follow, the reader feels like the protagonist’s constant companion throughout the story. The characters are very palpably human and none of them are sterilized into god-like figures. The emotions, choices, circumstances and reactions are very much believable.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. With the number of errors I found, it was evident that it was written with a lot of love and a great deal of passion, but the lack of editing does leave a lot to be desired. Also, it will be a struggle to get through the first bit of the novel, but once you get going, it is a thrill. The number of characters involved and the sheer volume make this one for a heavy read. Those who are looking for a light read must definitely stay away. That being said, I would recommend that lovers of historical fiction and drama press on through the first bit, because the rest of the story is a tale to remember.

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The Fox
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Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 06 Sep 2019, 10:20

Nicely written review. I love Greek history, and I have considered this book more than once, but have not picked it up due to length. I just don't know that I have the reading time to get through a book this long in a reasonable amount of time. Especially if the beginning is slow and a slog, it is probably best that I don't pick up this one for now, even if the overall subject matter is something that does interest me.