Briefly noted: this is sparta! (book)
Mar. 10th, 2009 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bunnyjadwigaThe Fire of Ares by Michael Ford. (Walker & Company, 2008)
I picked up this first in a juvenile series called "Spartan Quest" think it would be Percy Jackson knockoff fantasy. It turns out, however, to be classic juvenile historical fiction, and rather well done at that. The hero is born a Helot, the Messenian serf-class in Sparta; however, it turns out that he has connections, and perhaps a destiny, connected with the ruling-class Spartans. Rather rough stuff here, with lots of bullying and combat, but with a wealth of detail and tackling complex social history with skill. Not for fantasy fans, or those who don't like 'boy fiction' but still quite good. Not sure whether I'll look for sequels.
I picked up this first in a juvenile series called "Spartan Quest" think it would be Percy Jackson knockoff fantasy. It turns out, however, to be classic juvenile historical fiction, and rather well done at that. The hero is born a Helot, the Messenian serf-class in Sparta; however, it turns out that he has connections, and perhaps a destiny, connected with the ruling-class Spartans. Rather rough stuff here, with lots of bullying and combat, but with a wealth of detail and tackling complex social history with skill. Not for fantasy fans, or those who don't like 'boy fiction' but still quite good. Not sure whether I'll look for sequels.
