”We were murderers and poisoners, innocents and warriors. And without us, Alexander would have been only a man. Instead, he was a god."

Few authors can bring the ancient world and obscure historical figures to life quite like Thornton. Every one of her books transports me away to a different world, a different life. This one is no different.

Focused on the women (and men) of Alexander the Great, it covered the perspectives of Thessalonike (his fierce sister), Drypetis (the mechanics-obsessed daughter of King Darius), Roxana (Alexander’s beautiful but scheming the first wife), and Hephaestion (Alexander’s male best friend). Each perspective covered different parts of Alexander’s continual fight to conquer, including everything from sieges to political scheming. A different story of Alexander is also offered here; while he has gone down in history as one of the greatest conquerors and military leaders of all time, this book focused on his faults.

The characters from history along with many more make this novel a treat to read, it brought back a lot of memories of Greek history. This novel is impeccably researched by the author and she is well versed in this time period. The voices of the characters are all-powerful and the setting is very well done. Shows you a glimpse of life in these times. Loved this story behind the legendary Alexander the Great; his early days of conquest, his rise to power, the expansion of this kingdom across Greece, Persia, and India, and the women who supported, challenged, and loved him. A great blend of history with a human story.