Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Dancing with the Lion: Rise by Dr. Jeanne Reames


Dancing with the Lion: Rise by Dr. Jeanne Reames (ISBN: 978-1-62649-900-3) is Book Two of Dancing with the Lion: Becoming by the same author - the historical fiction book about the youth of Alexander the Great described earlier (click here to read my post on Book One).

This second part answers many questions that I was left with after reading the first part. It seems that this book was split in two for publishing reasons but this certainly does no justice to the story. Whatever the reason for this separation, I don’t think that in this case, the end justifies the means.

This being said, I now understand the title (which I questioned after reading Book One) and it turns out that Philip is the Lion and Alexander his cub. Why revealing this so late in the story, especially since it was cut in two parts, is not the best idea. It feels familiar, however, to renew with the main characters of Alexander, Hephaistion, and Philip which are – as I pointed out in Book One - as close to reality as can be expected.

It was nice to pick up the story again and submerge into the action. We accompany Alexander as his father’s Page during his Thracian campaign. Elected to be his father’s Regent as Philip is besieging Byzantium, we witness the prince’s first command to successfully crush the revolt on the northern border of Macedonia. At Chaironeia, Alexander annihilates the Theban Band. The events leading up to the murder of King Philip and Alexander’s proclamation as his successor are the true climax.

Throughout the book, Alexander is very much aware that his life at court with all its intrigues and complications stands in sharp contrast with the warmth and charismatic life he discovers at Hephaistions home. It makes him realize that he has to pay a high price to live as a Royal Prince and heir to the throne of Macedonia.

In between, several chapters are treating the deep affection and love that blossom between the young prince and Hephaistion, both mentally and physically. I am not sure we need all the tiny spicy details for this phase of Alexander’s coming-of-age but there seems to be a tendency to present this book as an LGBTQ Romance rather than a Historical Romance. Well, maybe all readers will find something to their liking but as an Alexander novel the sexual approach is not a priority. After all, the Greeks in antiquity were bisexual and that should suffice.

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