Review of The Fox

[Neshboy Aburi]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Fox is a voluminous book authored by M. N. J. Butler. It is an epic tale best described as the most detailed fictional account of Spartan culture during the Long War. This war was between Sparta and Athens. At the time, Sparta was the most prominent Greek city, and it was famed to have the most disciplined, indestructible military in all of Ancient Greece. This book's story, akin to a memoir, is narrated from the first-person perspective of Leotychides, an heir apparent to the Spartan empire during the double kingship era of the Hellenic civilization.

In this account, we see Leotychides grow up in the palace of his father, king Agis Ⅱ. The latter feels discontent due to rumors that Leotychides was not his biological son but was instead sired by a famous traveling Athenian. At the tender age of seven, Leotychides joins the agoge (flock) system, where he and his agemates move out of the city and camp in the countryside. Here, they learn the ways of a true Spartan warrior. It is at this stage that his father dies while on a military campaign. The governing council then disinherits the young warrior and passes the throne to Agisilaos Ⅱ, his father's younger brother. Claims of the boy's parentage inform this decision. Are these claims valid? Will Leotychides reclaim his throne? And if he does, how will he do it? The author has divided this book into four parts, with the first book covering the main character's younger days in his flock and the final book talking about the later years of his life.

The first thing that hit my mind after downloading this book's review copy was that I bit off more than I could chew. I was faced with endless PDF pages that appeared quite intimidating. My savior was the story itself. Once I got hooked, I couldn't put this book down. There were legendary battles vividly outlined. The Spartan way of life, which I found admirable, was explained down to the little minute details. For example, I was unaware that Spartan men engaged in openly homosexual relationships, nor did I know that female Spartans had more rights than males. Would you believe that Spartan men gained citizenship only after the age of thirty? This book had so much information that I couldn't possibly list it all here.

I also liked Leotychides, both as an individual and what his role represented. This author used him to explore themes such as betrayal, love, discipline, leadership, vengeance, hard work, loyalty, and resilience, to name just a few. I also liked how everybody looked up to him, including his ability to cultivate long-lasting friendships, some even with foreigners he often had to fight on the battlefield.

Furthermore, I find it noteworthy that this book has a considerable number of characters. For perspective, I counted over 300 different characters in the book. Their Greek names were so similar that quite a number differed by a syllable or two. I found it pleasing that the author had the foresight to provide a glossary list of these names, thus limiting potential instances of confusion and misrepresentation.

The editorial work was the only aspect of this book I found somewhat wanting. Some sentences were very long and sometimes confusing. The format of the book that I read was not paginated. I also encountered a few subtle errors that didn't appear to be glaring. Generally, I would consider this book to be professionally edited because these minor issues were barely noticeable, and they didn't change the content or meaning of the book.

Lastly, I gladly award this book four out of four stars irrespective of the minor issue mentioned above. The author's ability to frame a surprisingly accurate account of Greek history into this compelling story with meaningful lessons informs my decision. For the audience, historic books lovers will relish this book. In addition, everybody comfortable with voluminous books and excluding young people who wouldn't grasp the complex nature of this story should grab a copy of this wonderful book.

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The Fox
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[addicted reader]

This is a nice book. I once had an opportunity to read it, and it was interesting and action-packed. Hope you also enjoyed the story. Thanks for providing this insightful review. It can be helpful, especially to the novel readers who haven't had an opportunity to read the book.

[J Edwards]

I have just chosen thus book for review and I can't wait to begin. Hope I will enjoy it as much as you did. Thanks for the great review.

[Tarie07]

This was my first historical fiction read and it did not disappoint. I have to admit you did its review great justice.

[markodim721]

The author did a great job because through the narrative he created a completely authentic atmosphere. I liked the nicknames of certain characters the most and how everyday life in ancient Sparta was described. Thanks for the good review.

[Jodeci 007]

I occasionally enjoy historical fiction, and it seems that the author does an exceptional job here, especially with the themes explored through the main character's story. I look forward to reading this.