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

Alheotuci · Post by **Alheotuci** » 25 Mar 2021, 15:20

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

2 out of 4 stars

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The Fox by M. N. J. Butler is a historical fiction that centers on politics and war. Ever since Leotychides was a little boy, he has always noticed that people gave him a look of hate. Not knowing why everyone looked at him that way, Leotychides was determined to unravel the reason behind it. The people believed that he was not the real son of King Agis. Was their suspicion true? Before King Agis died, he ensured that Leotychides promised to keep Sparta united. Sparta, a country where the people upheld the law, was going out of order. What would be the fate of Sparta?

King Agisilaos, who was one of the kings of Sparta, was getting out of control. He did whatever he wanted regardless of the law. There are so many hidden secrets that the people of Sparta are oblivious to. Leotychides became determined to rid the country of its unlawfulness. King Agisilaos started to do more harm than good to Sparta. There was an ongoing war, and so many lives were lost. Despite several people advised Leotychides to become the King of Sparta, he was adamant about not becoming one. Will he able to rid the country of King Agisilaos and reign? Will the ongoing war end?

The positive aspect of this book is how the characters continued to develop as the story went on. The writer did his research thoroughly before writing this novel, which I appreciate. I liked the way the book was comprehensively detailed. M. N. J. Butler did not rush this story. I appreciate the use of humor, which helped to reduce tension in this novel. The concept of this story is unique. It wasn’t cliché in any way. The plot of the book was well-structured.

The negative aspect of this book is the fact that the story was too complicated for me. There were too many names, which made it hard for me to keep up. I felt like some scenes in the book were not needed. There were times when I had to read the sentences repeatedly so I can understand them better. A lot was going on in this novel. I was beginning to lose interest. I wanted to see something more that will pique my interest and make me eager to read about what happens next.

I rate this book a 2 out of 4 stars because of the errors that occurred. I was not excited when reading this novel. It was disheartening to see those errors occur. The book was not professionally edited. At some points, I had to read about the characters again when I could not remember their names. I did not enjoy the story as much as I would’ve loved.

I would recommend this book to people that are interested in historical fiction. For people who like to read about politics and war, this is the book for you. The book contains some words of profanity, which may be sensitive to some readers. It widened my knowledge about ancient times, which was helpful. Although The Fox by M. N. J. Butler is historical fiction, the book has some characters and countries that are real.

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The Fox
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Marcel Cantu · Post by **Marcel Cantu** » 15 Apr 2021, 08:58

It's too bad this story had a lot of errors and grammatical problems. It sounds like it could have been an interesting story if it had been better done.

Raluca_Mihaila · Post by **Raluca_Mihaila** » 16 Apr 2021, 09:17

I was interested in the book, so I appreciate your review that can help me decide whether to pick it or not. I love a good plot, so this seems like an appealing feature. Thank you for your honest review!

Alheotuci · Post by **Alheotuci** » 16 Apr 2021, 15:12

Marcel Cantu wrote: ↑15 Apr 2021, 08:58 It's too bad this story had a lot of errors and grammatical problems. It sounds like it could have been an interesting story if it had been better done.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment !

Alheotuci · Post by **Alheotuci** » 16 Apr 2021, 15:13

raluca_mihaila wrote: ↑16 Apr 2021, 09:17 I was interested in the book, so I appreciate your review that can help me decide whether to pick it or not. I love a good plot, so this seems like an appealing feature. Thank you for your honest review!

I’m glad I could help! Thanks for the comment

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 17 Apr 2021, 10:24

I would love to read about Sparta; however, the slowness of the book and the many characters that one would have to keep track of make it a little less appealing. The errors don't help either. Thanks for your thoughtful and interesting review!

Alheotuci · Post by **Alheotuci** » 17 Apr 2021, 14:26

Prisallen wrote: ↑17 Apr 2021, 10:24 I would love to read about Sparta; however, the slowness of the book and the many characters that one would have to keep track of make it a little less appealing. The errors don't help either. Thanks for your thoughtful and interesting review!

I totally agree! I got tired of reading the book at some point. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment

PeterRabitt20 · Post by **PeterRabitt20** » 18 Apr 2021, 13:49

I usually like the Ancient Greek genre, but the confusing passages and having to re-read would be a turn-off for me too. Thanks for your review!

Alheotuci · Post by **Alheotuci** » 19 Apr 2021, 16:42

PeterRabitt20 wrote: ↑18 Apr 2021, 13:49 I usually like the Ancient Greek genre, but the confusing passages and having to re-read would be a turn-off for me too. Thanks for your review!

It’s disheartening that the book is confusing. Thanks for leaving a comment