The Falcon of Sparta

December 1, 2018
Deadly enemies duke it out for control of the Persian throne in Iggulden's latest historical adventure (The Abbot's Tale, 2018, etc.).It's 401 B.C.E, and King Darius tells his eldest son, Artaxerxes, that one day he must murder his younger brother, Cyrus, when the old man dies. It's what Darius himself did--it's what Persian kings did to gain and safeguard their thrones. But the adult Cyrus "knew he had been born loyal" and accepts that he will never be king. So matters get most unbrotherly when Darius dies and the new "god-emperor" Artaxerxes orders his brother executed despite the latter's protestations of loyalty. Their mother puts a stop to the immediate fratricide, but soon the two enemies gather armies to do battle. The king's massive array of troops vastly outnumbers that of the underdog Cyrus, who has Spartans, Persians, Greeks, camp followers, scant gold for his mercenaries, and desperately little food. Copious amounts of blood flow and many heads roll in scenes of vicious violence and betrayal. Readers might not want to get too attached to any favorite character, because no one's fate is guaranteed. There are no dull moments in the tale, because in between battles, Cyrus' army struggles to live off the land and survive the heat, "a living thing, a tongue of flame that flickered and pressed among the marching men." Meanwhile, the war cost Artaxerxes "unimaginable sums in gold." But he is determined: One man will win, and the other "will feed the kites and crows. It is just the way of things." Valiant Spartans rip into Persian ranks, but the Persians simply replace their dead with an apparently endless supply of fresh troops. This is a well-researched tale of heroism and hardship, honor and betrayal in which anyone's life can disappear with a filth-tipped arrow or the slash of a kopis.Exciting fare, a yarn well-spun.

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A fraternal bloodletting in ancient Persia draws into its swirl a number of mercenaries from the Greek city-states, as the prelude to a historic battle and escape. Set at the end of the fifth century BCE, as King Darius dies, Iggulden's story mainly follows the king's second son, Cyrus, as he schemes to take the throne from his elder brother. As governor of the western provinces, Cyrus pays for a number of Spartan and other Greek troops to join his loyal Persian forces in a royal face-off. The soldiers, with their families and others, march the length of Asia Minor to confront Artaxerxes. The attempt fails; Cyrus and the chief Greek generals are killed. It falls to the philosopher-politician Xenophon to save the remaining men, women, and children, and write the history of the March of the Ten Thousand. VERDICT A rousing retelling of a singular event, as seen through the eyes of three leaders on a momentous trek, this latest historical novel by Iggulden (The Abbot's Tale; "Wars of the Roses" series) will be of interest to both young and old readers of military and ancient history.--W. Keith McCoy, Somerset Cty. Lib. Syst., Bridgewater, NJ

January 1, 2019
It's not easy being the king's brother, especially when he earmarks you for execution. Fearing a potential rival for the throne of Persia, King Artaxerxes follows his late father's advice and orders his younger brother, Cyrus, be put to death. Backed into a corner, the heretofore loyal Cyrus raises an army of Greek mercenaries and rebels, challenging the mighty Persian army. In true Iggulden fashion, swords clash and blood flows as extreme sibling rivalry plays out and reaches a brutal climax. Facing seemingly insurmountable odds on the battlefield, the hardscrabble followers of Cyrus also struggle to survive the elements and ever-dwindling food and other supplies. After Cyrus dies a hero's death, legendary soldier, philosopher, and historian Xenophon assumes the mantle of leadership, defying the odds by strategically evading the superior forces of the omnipresent Persians to guide the legendary Ten Thousand home. The remarkably prolific and popular Iggulden returns to the ancient world after his War of Roses novels and does his usual outstanding job of fictionalizing historically significant military events.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)