The Battle of Thermopylae was riveting – not mere choreography like the movie 300, but real tension created by 300 men trying to survive but also prepared to die. The reader has a first row seat as the realization of no escape transforms Leonidas and his men into determined heroes.
In sum, The Heroic King is a brilliantly written novel that gives life to one of the great cultures of history. Its mixture of drama and adventure can carry the reader forward at whatever pace he or she may desire.
My only concern in recommending the novel is for the reader who knows nothing of Sparta – whether they will have the perseverance to work through the new vocabulary. Like the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, I say “Don’t judge this novel by its first two dozen pages”. Acclimate yourself and move on to a great adventure.