Nick Brown (2)

Further adventures of Mandrocles: Continuation of his memoirs. His mentor, Miltiades, is no longer in the picture, so Mandrocles is taken under the wing of Themistocles, who wants to defeat the Persians through a massive fleet of ships--the "wooden walls." The whole novel tells of Themistocles's struggle to convince the other allies and Athenians that that is what the oracle had meant when she had said wooden walls would save Athens. We follow Mandrocles as our eyes in stages of the Greco-Persian War, through his participation in sea battles: Aegina and engaging the Persians on the sea near Thermopylae. He has matured and is now the captain of marines on board the Athenian flagship, the "Athena Nike". He and a delegation witness the battle at Thermopylae as it nears its ending. As they return to Piraeus, they witness the burning of Athens.

The novel is a slow-burner; much of the first part established personal relationships, including a love interest. The novel really didn't pick up for me until it began to describe storms at sea and the various sea fighting. The "diekplous" maneuver was interesting in how it was used successfully by the Athena Nike. I don't know how accurate the fighting was, but it was certainly exciting. I hope there will be a third novel to wind up the War--Salamis and Plataea still have to be fought--and to put closure to Mandrocles's life. The fact Mandrocles kept addressing the reader of his memoir and as it were, speaking to us, annoyed me. I apologize for erring in my review of [The luck bringer] by confusing Brasidas, the Spartan, and friend of Mandrocles, a completely fictional character, with the historical Brasidas.

Recommended.… (meer)

Author's conception of the Battle of Marathon and what led up to it, through the eyes of a youth, Mandrocles of Samos, who had saved the life of Miltiades and called the "Luck Bringer" from then on by him. After Mandrocles's father catches him in an indiscretion, while Miltiades is visiting, the father gives Mandrocles over to Miltiades to shape him up. Then follows adventures: life on shipboard amongst Miltiades's crew; various battles; life in Athens and introduction to its fleshpots; then culminating in the Battle of Marathon. We see why Miltiades feels the Persians will come from the sea that way and he guesses the fight will be there. Aided by several hundred Plataeans and a pre-Peloponnesian War Brasidas, a violent battle is fought by the Athenians.

Fast-paced, with likeable characters. For most of the novel I felt it rated 3 stars, and only the climactic battle, consisting of only a few pages, rated 4 stars. I loved the cover: stylized Corinthian helmets with that of Mandrocles set apart in orange.… (meer)