Review of The Fox

[Abigael Tasha]

[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 by M. N. J. Butler is a historical novel that manuscripts the life of Leotychides, a young and brilliant man. He was born in Sparta, Greece. He is a lonely prince of Sparta and the only son of King Agis II, who succeeds in one of the Spartan thrones. Leotychides is believed to be the illegitimate child of the King, therefore, he is barely acknowledged as the heir to the throne. This causes him to face many challenges after the death of his father, including division of the people( those who support him and those who don't) among other challenges. Leotychides(Leo) of Sparta never stops believing in himself regardless of the challenges. He is devoted to honoring his father's name. He takes us through his life of misery, hardship, events, and his tact of survival. Read the turn of events in ancient Greece and how Leo survived through thick and thin.

With no doubt, the author researched this topic thoroughly which I appreciate. The events match exactly with the time they happened in ancient Greece. Readers learn so much about the history of ancient Greece as the author realistically portrays life and events in ancient Greece. Loyalty, betrayal, political conflicts, love, and war are majorly explored in this piece. Leo and his flock of boys are too loyal to their purpose in their training. Despite their training being unbearable, they remained focused and persevered. I must acknowledge the simple language used making it easier to understand. Also, a lengthy glossary was provided to explain the characters and unfamiliar words which I must say was a handful. One had to refer not once or twice to be in line with the plot. I also loved how the author describes the characters, for example, Leotychides' mother is an interesting, strong-willed character who can be well pictured and her emotions can be felt.

I, however, felt the book started slow. The first 100-pages were slowly developed making it a bore. People who pass judgment quickly would likely dismiss the book in its early phases due to that. The story, nevertheless, picked up well and got fascinating, thumps up to the author!

Despite the above-said complexity, I enjoyed the book. It was a novel that was long enough to give the history of ancient Greece. With no doubt, the book was professionally edited since it was very well written. I perfectly rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It tells an accurate story of the Spartan society and friendship and loyalty are described. Some bonds are formed as kids and last all their lives, which serves as a lesson.

I would recommend this book to young adults ages fourteen and up due to the complex plot that is written in great depth. This can make the tale hard to follow for younger audiences. Therefore, I recommend this book to young adults who will be able to appreciate this book and enjoy it more. Also, those who enjoy learning the work of history shouldn't pass this.

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The Fox
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