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Book Review of The King Must Die

The King Must Die
The King Must Die
Author: Mary Renault
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
VickyJo avatar reviewed on + 49 more book reviews


Mary Renault, in her 'Author's Note' at the end of her magnificent novel "The King Must Die" describes Theseus as "..brave and aggressive, physically tough and quick; highly sexed and rather promiscuous; touchily proud, but with a feeling for the underdog; resembling Alexander in his precocious competence, gift of leadership, and romantic sense of destiny."

Renault brings Theseus to life, telling us his story not as a myth, but as she imagines it could have been. We watch Theseus grow from a young boy of six to a brave young man of 19 by the novel's end. He comes into his own as the son of a king, and eventually as a king himself.

Renault not only knows ancient Greece, but she brings it to life. The time Theseus spends in Crete as a bull-dancer is a fascinating portion of this engrossing tale. Her novel "The Bull from the Sea" is the sequel, and begins with his return from Crete. I highly recommend both!