Review of The Fox
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Review of The Fox
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Fox" by M. N. J. Butler.]
The Fox by M. N. J. Butler
This book is about a prince named Leotychides. He is Spartan
royalty born of the king's court. He was sent to the flock at the age of seven to be trained according to Spartan military traditions. He has many experiences during his training in the flock and he manages to become good friends with some of the trainees. During this time in Spartan history, there is a lot of unrest in the kingdom. Betrayals and death are not uncommon and the level of mistrust is high among the kingdom’s officials. People are constantly worried about being assassinated or murdered and this worry extends to even the king and the topmost government officials.
The future of Leotychides is very uncertain. The most obvious reason is that the king is not his real father. He soon finds out that it is a secret known among many people in Sparta. This situation is compared to “the fox sticking its teeth to his innards” as a reference to the Spartan folklore of the boy who one day wandered from his flock. In the story, the boy wanders away from his flock one day to a nearby village. On his illicit adventure, he steals a fox that he finds. When he goes back to the camp the flock leader sees him and asks him what he was doing outside the camp. Instead of revealing the fox, he stole he hides it in his cloak in the hopes of keeping his theft secret but the fox starts eating away at his innards. The boy held in his cries and let the fox slowly kill him instead. The Spartans used to believe that there was a fox hidden under every Spartan’s cloak.
As Leotychides tries to deal with all the turmoil surrounding him he is faced with several hard choices. The stakes are high and he stands to lose more than his life if he does not succeed. As Leotychides tells this story many years later at a banquet in Macedonia it gives the people there an insight into the Spartans’ side of the story during its twilight years.
This was a really interesting story. The author has an incredible way of describing the events that took place. It showcases his amazing imagination. The way he tells the story gives an insight into the individual private lives of Spartan warriors and their way of life during this period in history. The author gives each of the characters in the book distinct characteristics that bring them to life. The way he describes death, pain, and war is as if he has a personal experience with all these.
The flow of the story is smooth and easy to follow. The characters are well written. The language used is simple and easy to follow. This book gives an interesting perspective to some already known historical facts telling them through the eyes of the writer. It is a very creative way of retelling historical events and this is what makes the book extraordinary. The story also contains both light and dark themes. Some of the light themes include love, friendship, family, and the importance of brotherhood. Some of the dark themes include war, death, heartbreak, deceit, and betrayal. If some of these themes might disturb you then you should not pick this book up.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars as it is exceptionally well written. This rating is also because it seems to be professionally edited. I would recommend this book to those looking for a great read.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Fox by M. N. J. Butler
This book is about a prince named Leotychides. He is Spartan
royalty born of the king's court. He was sent to the flock at the age of seven to be trained according to Spartan military traditions. He has many experiences during his training in the flock and he manages to become good friends with some of the trainees. During this time in Spartan history, there is a lot of unrest in the kingdom. Betrayals and death are not uncommon and the level of mistrust is high among the kingdom’s officials. People are constantly worried about being assassinated or murdered and this worry extends to even the king and the topmost government officials.
The future of Leotychides is very uncertain. The most obvious reason is that the king is not his real father. He soon finds out that it is a secret known among many people in Sparta. This situation is compared to “the fox sticking its teeth to his innards” as a reference to the Spartan folklore of the boy who one day wandered from his flock. In the story, the boy wanders away from his flock one day to a nearby village. On his illicit adventure, he steals a fox that he finds. When he goes back to the camp the flock leader sees him and asks him what he was doing outside the camp. Instead of revealing the fox, he stole he hides it in his cloak in the hopes of keeping his theft secret but the fox starts eating away at his innards. The boy held in his cries and let the fox slowly kill him instead. The Spartans used to believe that there was a fox hidden under every Spartan’s cloak.
As Leotychides tries to deal with all the turmoil surrounding him he is faced with several hard choices. The stakes are high and he stands to lose more than his life if he does not succeed. As Leotychides tells this story many years later at a banquet in Macedonia it gives the people there an insight into the Spartans’ side of the story during its twilight years.
This was a really interesting story. The author has an incredible way of describing the events that took place. It showcases his amazing imagination. The way he tells the story gives an insight into the individual private lives of Spartan warriors and their way of life during this period in history. The author gives each of the characters in the book distinct characteristics that bring them to life. The way he describes death, pain, and war is as if he has a personal experience with all these.
The flow of the story is smooth and easy to follow. The characters are well written. The language used is simple and easy to follow. This book gives an interesting perspective to some already known historical facts telling them through the eyes of the writer. It is a very creative way of retelling historical events and this is what makes the book extraordinary. The story also contains both light and dark themes. Some of the light themes include love, friendship, family, and the importance of brotherhood. Some of the dark themes include war, death, heartbreak, deceit, and betrayal. If some of these themes might disturb you then you should not pick this book up.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars as it is exceptionally well written. This rating is also because it seems to be professionally edited. I would recommend this book to those looking for a great read.
******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
