Review by Tester013 -- The Fox by M. N. J. Butler
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Tester013
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Review by Tester013 -- The Fox by M. N. J. Butler
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fox" by M. N. J. Butler.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The illegitimate son of King Agis II and Queen Timaea, Leotychides faces a journey of uncertainty ahead of him as he enrolls in "The Flock", a Spartan boot camp for children to become warriors. The Fox by M. N. J. Butler tells the story of the trials and tribulations Leotychides faced on his journey to greatness, whilst examining the various cultural practices and historical events of his corresponding time, including the battles between the Spartans and Thebes and subsequent fate of Sparta.
Interestingly, the title correlates with the legend of a young Spartan boy who had stolen a fox and placed it under his cloak to hide it. The fox struggled and fought against its captor, eventually leading to the death of the boy. However, despite the painful death, the boy never admitted to stealing the fox, foreshadowing the spiritual strength Leotychides must have had in order to survive the harsh conditions in The Flock.
The book was rather enjoyable to read as the story was very much rooted in historical events rather than a result of the author's imagination. As someone who is interested in history myself, I was very pleased to learn more about the 4th century BC through the book. The author also handled the gory battles somewhat gracefully, opting to focus on events rather than individual gory details, something that I very much appreciate and makes the book appropriate for a wider audience. Thus, considering my observations, I'm sure that any history buff looking for a fictional read will certainly enjoy this book.
Nonetheless, my experience with this book wasn't all merry and cheerful. I found that the style of language used in this book was quite difficult to comprehend, making for a very tough read. This fact was not aided by the sheer amount of words on each page of the review copy I received, making the process of writing this review as arduous as the life of Leotychides. Additionally, the fighting described in the book became rather repetitive after some time, leading me to question whether the book really required 596 pages to tell the author's story adequately.
In the end, though, I believe most of my complaints are rather subjective. Other readers may find the style of language easily comprehensible and the retail copy of the e-book may not have the flaws I encountered at all. Hence, considering the merits of the book as well as its interesting premise and story, I feel comfortable giving it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars, taking away a star for the complaints as listed above. Whilst not for the very young, I can recommend this book to most readers who are interested in the (albeit somewhat dramatized) life of citizens in the 4th Century BC.
******
The Fox
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The illegitimate son of King Agis II and Queen Timaea, Leotychides faces a journey of uncertainty ahead of him as he enrolls in "The Flock", a Spartan boot camp for children to become warriors. The Fox by M. N. J. Butler tells the story of the trials and tribulations Leotychides faced on his journey to greatness, whilst examining the various cultural practices and historical events of his corresponding time, including the battles between the Spartans and Thebes and subsequent fate of Sparta.
Interestingly, the title correlates with the legend of a young Spartan boy who had stolen a fox and placed it under his cloak to hide it. The fox struggled and fought against its captor, eventually leading to the death of the boy. However, despite the painful death, the boy never admitted to stealing the fox, foreshadowing the spiritual strength Leotychides must have had in order to survive the harsh conditions in The Flock.
The book was rather enjoyable to read as the story was very much rooted in historical events rather than a result of the author's imagination. As someone who is interested in history myself, I was very pleased to learn more about the 4th century BC through the book. The author also handled the gory battles somewhat gracefully, opting to focus on events rather than individual gory details, something that I very much appreciate and makes the book appropriate for a wider audience. Thus, considering my observations, I'm sure that any history buff looking for a fictional read will certainly enjoy this book.
Nonetheless, my experience with this book wasn't all merry and cheerful. I found that the style of language used in this book was quite difficult to comprehend, making for a very tough read. This fact was not aided by the sheer amount of words on each page of the review copy I received, making the process of writing this review as arduous as the life of Leotychides. Additionally, the fighting described in the book became rather repetitive after some time, leading me to question whether the book really required 596 pages to tell the author's story adequately.
In the end, though, I believe most of my complaints are rather subjective. Other readers may find the style of language easily comprehensible and the retail copy of the e-book may not have the flaws I encountered at all. Hence, considering the merits of the book as well as its interesting premise and story, I feel comfortable giving it a rating of 3 out of 4 stars, taking away a star for the complaints as listed above. Whilst not for the very young, I can recommend this book to most readers who are interested in the (albeit somewhat dramatized) life of citizens in the 4th Century BC.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Tester013's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
