4 out of 4 stars
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In The Fox - The protagonist, Leotychides, recites his life's story in the time of ancient Greece.
Noticing the citizens stare at him from time to time, he begins to check his reality; his people despised him, contrary to the esteem he inherited as a royal Sparton. Unfortunately, Leo's spot on the throne was five-fingered by his uncle, Agisilaos, practically forcing Leo into his future of bloodshed from a young age.
The development of family and loyalty was taught to Leo during his training with his flock- along with military technique and force. This proved helpful in his career as a mercenary general, seeing as it led him to victory in combat; also with maintaining his " Spartan side" when prompted to record the Seige of Mantinea by King Philip II. I feel like the education Leo was taught additionally helped a great deal in his moral character; seeing the pain his classmates felt helped him gain compassion and sympathy, and enduring physical exertion engrained patience.
I enjoyed this book mainly because of its historical depth when talking about culture- it created another world full of rich life and color. Clearly, something of this proportion was mapped out over a long period of study; much thought was put into the story and its inhabitants. Second, the book has an actual dimension of character growth.
Unlike most novels of its sort, The Fox portrays a meaningful distancing between character's personalities and individual thought- giving way to a more complex and exciting story. And finally, the book's layout was brilliant (in my opinion.)
I'll admit that it takes a while to get absorbed but, the pace the book is written makes the story come alive.
M.N.J Butler's The Fox is politically intriguing and quite enveloped as well- I made many connections to other works like Hamlet ( Shakespeare) and Jason And The Golden Fleece ( Apollonius of Rhodes.) I truly enjoyed the references used in this book, like the title itself. On a more suggestive note, I believe readers who like most historical fiction novels and Heroic odysseys would love this page-turner.
One thing I disliked about the book was the overabundance of names; It was hard to keep track of who did what at times.
Furthermore, some of the dialects confused me. However, the book was exceptionally edited and well worded; to me, that makes up for some light confusion. I rate this marvelous piece of literature 4 out of 4 stars- despite the mild cursing and rudeness.
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The Fox
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