Review by Elah Villena -- The Fox by M. N. J. Butler

[Elah Villena]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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A story about hardship, heroism, patriotism, and friendship; one of the best historical novel- The Fox. M.N.J. Butler is a journalist and a broadcaster who possesses passion in reading classics and ancient history and with this book he shows his own imagery of what is life in ancient Greece. The historical accurateness conveyed by the author is commendable, and the story itself is nothing but outstanding. 

The book narrates Leotychides life, from a child who is unsure of who or what he is and then grow up believing that he may be the future king. Leotychides grow up living with his cousins and the members of the royal family, though viewed as a legitimate son he doesn’t let go his claim to the throne. His life crumbled more when his claim was denied by his uncle but this also leads to a more determined Leotychides.

One of the most deciding moments of his life was when he entered the Sparta military academy. He started acknowledging and giving his loyalty to his role as a Spartan, and he gained friends that stays beside him throughout his fight. Spartan fight for what is truth, for his country and most especially for his comrades and all of this are shown in the story by Leotychides.

Butler uses first person point of view that makes the readers feel that they are in the story, that they are Leotychides. The character’s relationship and interaction with Leotychides also brings large impact to the story. The way he describes the places and the events makes his vision vivid that the readers can be fully immersed to it.

This book is a complete package; it is informative, it is thrilling and very inspiring. With the length of 571 pages including the glossary of terms, I will be honest, I almost put this book down but it was very well-written that it pulled me back. The combinations of well research history and authors’ artistry brings the blood to this story.

This book for me has been professionally edited as I saw zero typographical errors. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I really enjoyed reading it, and I highly recommend it to the readers who enjoy historical fiction. I was glad that the glossary was there but the story was slow-moving and the overwhelming terms and names make me use it repeatedly, so I find it troublesome. I recommend reading the notes located at the end if you find some information confusing.

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The Fox
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