4 out of 4 stars
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Narrated from the times of the Greek conquests (the classical periods), the times of the famous wars of Sparta and Athens, of world-famous heroes like Leonidas and of the Greek and famous Gods. It is exactly from these times that this episode of the history of these lineages and Greek kingdoms is narrated. Telling the story of an illegitimate heir who has to fight his own uncle in order to win his throne The Fox by M.N.J. Butler is the perfect book for those who enjoy historical fiction.
In this story, Leotychides, the son of King Agis, who is supposedly the heir of one of the two thrones of Sparta, finds out that he is an illegitimate son. And for that reason, he is forced to dwell on his own uncle for the throne. Nevertheless, Leotychides' journey will not be that easy. He is going to have to dig deep in the Spartan traditions and later try to reconquer his place in the kingdom.
Although it has a protagonist, this story is not just about a unique hero, but of many. The story unveils to us the way warriors lived in ancient Greece. As we read the story, we can see how the life of the warriors was, the challenges that the young warriors faced until they become real men. We can also realize the system by which heirs went to finally become kings and rulers. This is not a fictitious story; the author is based on true facts. However, he also mixed with a touch of his own imagination and creativity to justify parts that had not a good source of real information.
However, the plotline of this story is very complex, the story has many characters. Even though the author presented a list in the beginning and tried to explain the origin of some characters throughout the first book and chapter, it still possesses a wide range of characters. And I believe readers will get confused while trying to perceive when some characters are covered in the story, and when their left. Even the way the characters are introduced completely out of the blue. And this complexity made this book a bit boring.
Aside from the aspects I mentioned above, the story is really very interesting. It does have some instances of profanity, but they are so minor that do not constitute a problem to a younger audience. So, I believe youngsters can enjoy this book as well. I recommend it to anyone who likes Greek stories, stories that talk about conquerors. And concerning the edition, I have nothing so severe to complain about the book. I did find some typos, but they did not convince me enough to give this book less than 4 out of 4 stars .
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The Fox
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