Review of The Fox
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Draggnow
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Review of The Fox
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fox" by M. N. J. Butler.]
Leotychides is a proud Spartan, a prince in the house of King Agis, one of the two kings of that great city-state. He looks forward to the day when he will assume the throne and lead his people in the old ways which have always been known to preserve the Spartan spirit and way of life. There have been rumors in the palace circles contesting the legitimacy of his claim to the throne, his mother's unwillingness to decisively counter these claims combined with his father's silence on the matter fuel his desire to prove himself, but first, he must contend with his father's scheming brother, Agisilaos.
The Fox is a story about love, honor, and vengeance set in ancient Sparta around the time frame between the latter stages of the Pelopponesian war and the post-Corinthian war period. It follows the primary character, Leotychides as he stakes his claim to what he believes is his birthright and the factors as well as the people he must contend with to achieve his goal.
The author's attention to detail is simply stunning. He gives an in-depth description of the concept of flocks for the youth of Sparta and the importance of this system of youth development as it concerned the military aspects of the society. The same can be said for the Kleroi and its importance to a citizen or otherwise. Credit must also be given to the author's style of conversation in the book, he uses a blend of the old world flair infused with romantic realism. An accurate example of this would be when Leotychides appeals to his wounded father, Agis, to accept him as his heir. These are some aspects of the book I liked.
The only aspect of the book I did not like would have to be the large number of characters involved in the story. It was thoughtful of the author to include a glossary with a list of the characters involved and their relationship to the storyline but it affected my following the storyline smoothly as I kept returning to the glossary every time I came across a new individual and this happened frequently.
If you are the type of person that loves intrigue and suspense, then I recommend you read this book. Following Agisilaos, as he pits both real and suspected rivals against one another in a bid to achieve his plans will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very last page. Historical fiction genre readers will also be drawn to this book, the storyline is interlaced with details of some of the most iconic battles that defined the power tussle between Athens and Sparta during that era.
M.N.J. Butler delivers on a bestseller with The Fox. The storyline is gripping and the attention to detail is excellent, the presence of a ton of characters in the story did negatively affect my enjoyment of the story but not enough to remove a star. The editing of the book is very professional as I found no errors in it. It is for these reasons I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Leotychides is a proud Spartan, a prince in the house of King Agis, one of the two kings of that great city-state. He looks forward to the day when he will assume the throne and lead his people in the old ways which have always been known to preserve the Spartan spirit and way of life. There have been rumors in the palace circles contesting the legitimacy of his claim to the throne, his mother's unwillingness to decisively counter these claims combined with his father's silence on the matter fuel his desire to prove himself, but first, he must contend with his father's scheming brother, Agisilaos.
The Fox is a story about love, honor, and vengeance set in ancient Sparta around the time frame between the latter stages of the Pelopponesian war and the post-Corinthian war period. It follows the primary character, Leotychides as he stakes his claim to what he believes is his birthright and the factors as well as the people he must contend with to achieve his goal.
The author's attention to detail is simply stunning. He gives an in-depth description of the concept of flocks for the youth of Sparta and the importance of this system of youth development as it concerned the military aspects of the society. The same can be said for the Kleroi and its importance to a citizen or otherwise. Credit must also be given to the author's style of conversation in the book, he uses a blend of the old world flair infused with romantic realism. An accurate example of this would be when Leotychides appeals to his wounded father, Agis, to accept him as his heir. These are some aspects of the book I liked.
The only aspect of the book I did not like would have to be the large number of characters involved in the story. It was thoughtful of the author to include a glossary with a list of the characters involved and their relationship to the storyline but it affected my following the storyline smoothly as I kept returning to the glossary every time I came across a new individual and this happened frequently.
If you are the type of person that loves intrigue and suspense, then I recommend you read this book. Following Agisilaos, as he pits both real and suspected rivals against one another in a bid to achieve his plans will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very last page. Historical fiction genre readers will also be drawn to this book, the storyline is interlaced with details of some of the most iconic battles that defined the power tussle between Athens and Sparta during that era.
M.N.J. Butler delivers on a bestseller with The Fox. The storyline is gripping and the attention to detail is excellent, the presence of a ton of characters in the story did negatively affect my enjoyment of the story but not enough to remove a star. The editing of the book is very professional as I found no errors in it. It is for these reasons I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute by Jeff Meyer
