Review of The Fox

[Fatima Hasan]

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

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Fox by M. N. J. Butler is a historical fiction, set in the times of ancient Greece. Leotychides is the protagonist of this novel. The book revolves around Leotychides’ life as a Spartan prince and a warrior.

Leotychides began his story by telling us about his childhood years and how he came to know that he belonged to the royal line of Spartan kings. Sparta’s governing system consisted of two kings, one from Agiad line and the other from Eurypontid line. King Pausanios belonged to Agiad line and was Leotychides’ uncle. King Agis belonged to Eurypontid line and was the father of Leotychides. He was then trained with other kids of Sparta to become a warrior. The friendship forged in the early years of training became a lifelong bond for Leotychides. They were like brothers to each other. After the death of King Agis, series of events unfolded which brought a lot of changes in Sparta and its relations with its allies. Read the book to find out the events that unfolded.

It is a complex and a very lengthy book but that also makes it a very well researched and detailed piece. By reading the book you will realize that the author has done a very thorough research about Greek history and lifestyle. The description is very vivid and the reader will feel as if he/she is also a part of Leotychides’ journey. The battles are described in such a way, as if you can see the scenes unfolding before your eyes. The characters are very well written and have unique personalities. Leotychides' mother was one such character that was very unique and had a lot of layers to it. She was headstrong, extremely beautiful and a fierce woman. I liked her character.

It took me a lot of time to complete this book and to understand the complexities present in the story. I did not find any major grammatical errors in it.

I would rate The Fox 4 out 4 stars. I would recommend this book to all the lovers of historical fiction and Greek history. The book is very interesting and it will keep you hooked.

******
The Fox
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon