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Spoils of Olympus #1
By the Sword
322 B.C.
The Macedonian Empire is on the verge of civil war following the sudden death of Alexander the Great.
As a boy Andrikos watched as Alexander's army marched through his homeland of Greek Ionia after defeating the Persians at the Granicus River.
Soon he will be embroiled in their world - and forced to flee his old life.
Thrust into the army, Andrikos struggles to cope with the brutal training, as Alexander's surviving generals seek to divide and conquer the spoils of Olympus.
But Andrikos is not destined to be a nameless soldier.
By chance he is chosen for a clandestine mission - and is immersed in a world of intrigue, violence and brotherhood.
The path that lies ahead of Andrikos requires him to shed his immaturity and take on the responsibilities and emotions of a man beyond his years.
‘The Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword’ is a historical epic which follows the advancements of one soldier from boy to man during a time of increasing political and military unrest for Greece and Macedonia.
Christian Kachel lives in Washington D.C. ‘Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword’ is his first novel.
The Macedonian Empire is on the verge of civil war following the sudden death of Alexander the Great.
As a boy Andrikos watched as Alexander's army marched through his homeland of Greek Ionia after defeating the Persians at the Granicus River.
Soon he will be embroiled in their world - and forced to flee his old life.
Thrust into the army, Andrikos struggles to cope with the brutal training, as Alexander's surviving generals seek to divide and conquer the spoils of Olympus.
But Andrikos is not destined to be a nameless soldier.
By chance he is chosen for a clandestine mission - and is immersed in a world of intrigue, violence and brotherhood.
The path that lies ahead of Andrikos requires him to shed his immaturity and take on the responsibilities and emotions of a man beyond his years.
‘The Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword’ is a historical epic which follows the advancements of one soldier from boy to man during a time of increasing political and military unrest for Greece and Macedonia.
Christian Kachel lives in Washington D.C. ‘Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword’ is his first novel.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
February 9, 2015
I have read a lot of historical fiction over a lot of years. There might be times, as I trudge through it all, that I nearly forget why I read historical fiction in the first place. Especially in those stretches of time where I find myself reading so many more uninspiring books than I do fantastic ones.
Historical Fiction has changed noticeably in the last five or six years. And there has been this danger of being bashed dumb by a pulp fiction tsunami containing sloppily written books haemorrhaging weak, passive-verb laden prose.
I have often found myself wondering..where have all the potential Classics of the Ancient History sub genre of Hist Fic gone? The Gates of Fire and Pride of Carthage novels. The I, Claudius and The Warlord Chronicles (ie The Winter King) books. Are they still being written and discovered in 2015? Can publishers still find them in more than dribs and drabs? Can they even find an audience for them anymore when they do?
Will there be room for thoughtful and intelligent historical fiction novels? Where the author takes the time to understand creative writing before he or she writes his/her story?
I have found a few excellent authors who are harnessing word and story craft, but I am also always grimly watching the line to see what is coming down it. To see what the future of the Ancient History sub genre of historical fiction, will look like.
Little did I expect to discover that future in an Independently Published novel that I nearly did not read nor know existed.
Of all the places to find a budding author of the calibre that I speak of above....I find him in the world of Indie books. I can hardly believe it myself. Not to trash Indie books....I mean that I wouldn't expect to find this book Indie published because I would have thought a Trad publisher would have snapped him up!
If he had not smooth talked me (Me! An expert in Indie and self pub SERE tactics because I get offered so many of them) and sent me his book in the mail, then I would have missed out on being exposed to this promising author's work.
What a near miss it was.
By the Sword is the first in a series (or was it a trilogy?? I forgot to ask, or forgot it if I was told) called Spoils of Olympus.
It is set in Ancient Greece, 322BC, following the death of Alexander the Great.
I could bang on and on about everything that happens, but you know that is not my style. I like you - the reader - to find out plots and storylines by reading the book or the book blurb yourself. I will only touch on a few things.
The story heads out with your narrator, Andrikos, at that poignant moment in his life where he is young, impressionable, bored and running blindly into self destruction. Many of us have been there. Good kids at heart in our day, but with too big of a sense of adventure and with too many wild seeds to sow. The right guiding hand, the wrong kind of trouble, and we find ourselves keening for a way out of our own messes. Andrikos' way out, as with many teens throughout history, is to sign up for the Army.
You may think now that you know this book. Without reading it, you have worked it all out. Boy joins army. Goes through Basic. Loses his virginity. Goes to war. There may be a love story triumvirate. Most commonly, two men and a woman. He has his first, second, third, taste of battle. Excels in leadership and combat. Is given his own band of brothers to lead. Comes home a changed man and a local hero..blah..blah..blah..
You'd be wrong. But I don't blame you. I was wrong too. While some of those plot devices are in By The Sword, it is not all this book has to offer. There is a point where the book takes a complete deviation from the normal flow of things and pulls on its second skin.
I look at the back of the book trying to work out what else I should tell you. I see words in the book blurb. Clandestine, intrigue, violence, brotherhood. Yeah, I'll give the author those. That isn't all the smoke and mirrors of your usual hackneyed book blurb. It does have all that going on.
Obviously, being a debut, not everything is going to be perfect. Damn close though. None of the faults are fatal ones. They are easy to circumnavigate in future novels if the author wanted to evolve his style a little.
I do not understand why this book was ever overlooked by agents and publishers (except the Indie one that picked him up). In fact, I think I have an extra forehead wrinkle from all the frowning I have done as I have read it.
There were actually times where I have put it down and said out loud “but how did this happen! This is too good!”
Books like this should not be slipping through the cracks. Good stories, an author with bonafide life experience and solid writing skills.
What more could a lover of historical fiction wont for?
Oh, I know..she would wont for book two.
I hope I haven't given the author, Christian Kachel, a big head with all my flowery words. But how can any self respecting devotee of this genre leave negative feedback in their reviews when she/he deems the writing or stories bad in books, or aggrandize books that probably don't deserve it...and then not give a power stroke of positivity in a review for a book with as much going for it as this one.
Of course I had to be forthcoming. Of course.
5 stars out of 5. All day long.
Historical Fiction has changed noticeably in the last five or six years. And there has been this danger of being bashed dumb by a pulp fiction tsunami containing sloppily written books haemorrhaging weak, passive-verb laden prose.
I have often found myself wondering..where have all the potential Classics of the Ancient History sub genre of Hist Fic gone? The Gates of Fire and Pride of Carthage novels. The I, Claudius and The Warlord Chronicles (ie The Winter King) books. Are they still being written and discovered in 2015? Can publishers still find them in more than dribs and drabs? Can they even find an audience for them anymore when they do?
Will there be room for thoughtful and intelligent historical fiction novels? Where the author takes the time to understand creative writing before he or she writes his/her story?
I have found a few excellent authors who are harnessing word and story craft, but I am also always grimly watching the line to see what is coming down it. To see what the future of the Ancient History sub genre of historical fiction, will look like.
Little did I expect to discover that future in an Independently Published novel that I nearly did not read nor know existed.
Of all the places to find a budding author of the calibre that I speak of above....I find him in the world of Indie books. I can hardly believe it myself. Not to trash Indie books....I mean that I wouldn't expect to find this book Indie published because I would have thought a Trad publisher would have snapped him up!
If he had not smooth talked me (Me! An expert in Indie and self pub SERE tactics because I get offered so many of them) and sent me his book in the mail, then I would have missed out on being exposed to this promising author's work.
What a near miss it was.
By the Sword is the first in a series (or was it a trilogy?? I forgot to ask, or forgot it if I was told) called Spoils of Olympus.
It is set in Ancient Greece, 322BC, following the death of Alexander the Great.
I could bang on and on about everything that happens, but you know that is not my style. I like you - the reader - to find out plots and storylines by reading the book or the book blurb yourself. I will only touch on a few things.
The story heads out with your narrator, Andrikos, at that poignant moment in his life where he is young, impressionable, bored and running blindly into self destruction. Many of us have been there. Good kids at heart in our day, but with too big of a sense of adventure and with too many wild seeds to sow. The right guiding hand, the wrong kind of trouble, and we find ourselves keening for a way out of our own messes. Andrikos' way out, as with many teens throughout history, is to sign up for the Army.
You may think now that you know this book. Without reading it, you have worked it all out. Boy joins army. Goes through Basic. Loses his virginity. Goes to war. There may be a love story triumvirate. Most commonly, two men and a woman. He has his first, second, third, taste of battle. Excels in leadership and combat. Is given his own band of brothers to lead. Comes home a changed man and a local hero..blah..blah..blah..
You'd be wrong. But I don't blame you. I was wrong too. While some of those plot devices are in By The Sword, it is not all this book has to offer. There is a point where the book takes a complete deviation from the normal flow of things and pulls on its second skin.
I look at the back of the book trying to work out what else I should tell you. I see words in the book blurb. Clandestine, intrigue, violence, brotherhood. Yeah, I'll give the author those. That isn't all the smoke and mirrors of your usual hackneyed book blurb. It does have all that going on.
Obviously, being a debut, not everything is going to be perfect. Damn close though. None of the faults are fatal ones. They are easy to circumnavigate in future novels if the author wanted to evolve his style a little.
I do not understand why this book was ever overlooked by agents and publishers (except the Indie one that picked him up). In fact, I think I have an extra forehead wrinkle from all the frowning I have done as I have read it.
There were actually times where I have put it down and said out loud “but how did this happen! This is too good!”
Books like this should not be slipping through the cracks. Good stories, an author with bonafide life experience and solid writing skills.
What more could a lover of historical fiction wont for?
Oh, I know..she would wont for book two.
I hope I haven't given the author, Christian Kachel, a big head with all my flowery words. But how can any self respecting devotee of this genre leave negative feedback in their reviews when she/he deems the writing or stories bad in books, or aggrandize books that probably don't deserve it...and then not give a power stroke of positivity in a review for a book with as much going for it as this one.
Of course I had to be forthcoming. Of course.
5 stars out of 5. All day long.
June 8, 2017
Even after trusting a very effusive review of someone whose opinion I respect, and though I'm excited at reading anything on the ancient world, I found this one was not my 'cup of tea.' Basically a Bildungsroman, a young man, Andrikos, an Ionian Greek, falls in with a bad bunch of companions and because of a crime he commits, has to leave town. So he joins the army. Alexander the Great has died, leaving no clear successor and heir to his empire. Andrikos has joined the faction supporting Alexander's infant son. We see his brutal basic training. Then he is blooded in his first battle but killing prisoners is distasteful to him. A spymaster sees something in him that he feels will be valuable--his naiveté--and recruits him for an espionage mission. I enjoyed his training to be an effective spy. Most of the novel follows that intrigue. A mature Andrikos emerges and we are left with not exactly a cliffhanger, but room for a new adventure, possibly incorporating his new talent. I do not intend following any further adventures.
On the whole I enjoyed the story. I was squeamish at the torture scene, which I felt was too grisly for my taste. Bad proofing or lack of any proofing annoyed me and spoiled my full enjoyment. I did not become immersed in that time period. Past participles were turned into verbs; there were many wrong homophones. Style ranged from too well organized and long-winded with extensive vocabulary, dialogue and narration to vulgarisms soon after. This was unbelievable to me that simple soldiers and even the spymaster would talk that way. The author kept the same tone when different characters spoke and with descriptions. I couldn't connect with any characters, despite Andrikos being presented as a basically decent young man, led down the metaphorical "garden path" at first by the bad company he kept--and then infiltrating the real pleasure garden, Triparadeisos, as part of his mission.
On the whole I enjoyed the story. I was squeamish at the torture scene, which I felt was too grisly for my taste. Bad proofing or lack of any proofing annoyed me and spoiled my full enjoyment. I did not become immersed in that time period. Past participles were turned into verbs; there were many wrong homophones. Style ranged from too well organized and long-winded with extensive vocabulary, dialogue and narration to vulgarisms soon after. This was unbelievable to me that simple soldiers and even the spymaster would talk that way. The author kept the same tone when different characters spoke and with descriptions. I couldn't connect with any characters, despite Andrikos being presented as a basically decent young man, led down the metaphorical "garden path" at first by the bad company he kept--and then infiltrating the real pleasure garden, Triparadeisos, as part of his mission.
May 1, 2015
I originally reviewed this for the Historical Novel Review.
It is 322 BC and the Macedonian Empire is reeling in the wake of Alexander’s death. Civil war looms as his generals and heirs position themselves to replace their God King – or tear off a piece of the empire for themselves.
Andrikos, a young, fatherless man, faces troubles of his own. He is lured into the seedy underworld of his Ionian hometown, and in his first foray into criminal life he finds himself in far deeper waters than he ever expected. Worse, his family is at risk because of his actions. His only recourse is to join the army, leaving one set of dangers for the larger ones rocking the empire.
After weeks of brutal training – and even worse self-recrimination – he catches the eye of an agent who is part of a secret brotherhood dedicated to the preservation of Alexander’s heirs and legacy. Though he is reluctant to leave his new mates, Andrikos is soon immersed in a clandestine world more secretive than the criminal world he fled and far more deadly than the life as a phalangite offers. And this time, his own contribution could affect the fate of the empire itself.
In this debut novel, Kachel brings the reader on a gritty and powerful foray into Macedon’s conquered realm. It is thoroughly researched, and it has the undeniable authenticity of a soldier (Kachel) writing of a soldier’s life. Andrikos makes for a very sympathetic character, as a young man overwhelmed by his circumstances but eager to rise to the challenge. Recommended, but with a content warning: graphic violence, torture and sexual content. The formatting and cover were well done, and the scattered typos did little to kick this reviewer out of the story.
It is 322 BC and the Macedonian Empire is reeling in the wake of Alexander’s death. Civil war looms as his generals and heirs position themselves to replace their God King – or tear off a piece of the empire for themselves.
Andrikos, a young, fatherless man, faces troubles of his own. He is lured into the seedy underworld of his Ionian hometown, and in his first foray into criminal life he finds himself in far deeper waters than he ever expected. Worse, his family is at risk because of his actions. His only recourse is to join the army, leaving one set of dangers for the larger ones rocking the empire.
After weeks of brutal training – and even worse self-recrimination – he catches the eye of an agent who is part of a secret brotherhood dedicated to the preservation of Alexander’s heirs and legacy. Though he is reluctant to leave his new mates, Andrikos is soon immersed in a clandestine world more secretive than the criminal world he fled and far more deadly than the life as a phalangite offers. And this time, his own contribution could affect the fate of the empire itself.
In this debut novel, Kachel brings the reader on a gritty and powerful foray into Macedon’s conquered realm. It is thoroughly researched, and it has the undeniable authenticity of a soldier (Kachel) writing of a soldier’s life. Andrikos makes for a very sympathetic character, as a young man overwhelmed by his circumstances but eager to rise to the challenge. Recommended, but with a content warning: graphic violence, torture and sexual content. The formatting and cover were well done, and the scattered typos did little to kick this reviewer out of the story.
June 7, 2017
BY THE SWORD (SPOILS OF OLYMPUS) frustrated me. From the three book awards it has won, I expected a high-quality, well-told story (per the back cover blurb) about a young Greek warrior’s experiences following the death of Alexander the Great. But within the first few chapters, SWORD reveals itself to be the kind of book that gives indie publishing a bad name.
First, a disclaimer: the story may well be as terrific as the award judges thought. But I couldn’t get past the first couple of dozen pages, which assail a reader with:
Punctuation issues: Hyphens instead of dashes (“a fist fight that I believe we won- that explains my sore cheek”); commas missing from dialogue (“Good night I trust boys?”).
Research errors: The god to whom Andrikos’ family had a shrine would have been Dionysos, not Dionysius; his uncle who was supposedly “separating clay amphora” must actually have had multiple amphorai (or amphoras).
Odd word choices: “The store was stoic and neat” (should this be “Spartan” or “plain”?);“Aren’t you supposed to be looking out for things like that while I’m predisposed fighting some deviant on your behalf” (“preoccupied”?); “[The women’s] appearance was hoarse and weathered through years of mistreatment” (“coarse”?); “She… was adorned with… a hair beret to signal she was no commoner” (“barrette,” surely?); “the cacophony of misery combined to create a pungent odour” (noise creates a smell?).
Mr. Kachel, please hire a copyeditor! Chances are, you’ll win higher marks from readers and judges both.
First, a disclaimer: the story may well be as terrific as the award judges thought. But I couldn’t get past the first couple of dozen pages, which assail a reader with:
Punctuation issues: Hyphens instead of dashes (“a fist fight that I believe we won- that explains my sore cheek”); commas missing from dialogue (“Good night I trust boys?”).
Research errors: The god to whom Andrikos’ family had a shrine would have been Dionysos, not Dionysius; his uncle who was supposedly “separating clay amphora” must actually have had multiple amphorai (or amphoras).
Odd word choices: “The store was stoic and neat” (should this be “Spartan” or “plain”?);“Aren’t you supposed to be looking out for things like that while I’m predisposed fighting some deviant on your behalf” (“preoccupied”?); “[The women’s] appearance was hoarse and weathered through years of mistreatment” (“coarse”?); “She… was adorned with… a hair beret to signal she was no commoner” (“barrette,” surely?); “the cacophony of misery combined to create a pungent odour” (noise creates a smell?).
Mr. Kachel, please hire a copyeditor! Chances are, you’ll win higher marks from readers and judges both.
January 16, 2016
I recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction. Knowing how this piece of history finally plays out did not deter my reading pleasure, but the author needs a good editor. Repeatedly, but not consistently, the author used the nominative form of personal pronouns where the objective forms should have been used. The killer name-pronoun proximity rules were breached a few times, but not so frequently that I was tripped up in the read.
I liked Andrikos who the author 'grew' before my very eyes! Andrikos was on the wrong path when the storyline opened. Getting him into the army built his muscles, mind and character. Catapulting him into the spy world was writing genius. His sexual escapades were just put right out there for the reader. No imagination required! But I learned something from all the whoring going on. As Andrikos moved up the whore ladder, I saw discrimination of a kind I had never considered before. It transcended wealth, race or sex discrimination and exposed how the mind is trained and retrained to think on such matters. I know power was for the 'haves' and not for the 'have-nots', but everyman must have some divot of dignity to be human. The battle for dignity was a war that Andrikos was winning when last I heard from him. Was it the author's intention to make me think on these matters? I hope so.
Thank you, Mr. Kachel, for a good read.
I liked Andrikos who the author 'grew' before my very eyes! Andrikos was on the wrong path when the storyline opened. Getting him into the army built his muscles, mind and character. Catapulting him into the spy world was writing genius. His sexual escapades were just put right out there for the reader. No imagination required! But I learned something from all the whoring going on. As Andrikos moved up the whore ladder, I saw discrimination of a kind I had never considered before. It transcended wealth, race or sex discrimination and exposed how the mind is trained and retrained to think on such matters. I know power was for the 'haves' and not for the 'have-nots', but everyman must have some divot of dignity to be human. The battle for dignity was a war that Andrikos was winning when last I heard from him. Was it the author's intention to make me think on these matters? I hope so.
Thank you, Mr. Kachel, for a good read.
October 25, 2020
Set in the wake of Alexander the Great's death, By the Sword follows a young man named Andrikos as he joins the army during the heavy fighting between Alexander's would-be successors. Knowledge about the era you're writing about is half the battle in historical fiction, and the author has clearly done his research. Unfortunately, it seems the only way he could find to convey all that knowledge is by having various characters hold interminable lectures on the historical circumstances they find themselves in, which leads to stilted and unnatural sounding dialogue. He also has a bad habit of employing wrong homophones, incorrect word forms, and more - seriously, didn't anyone proofread this before publication? All this proved very distracting, but even so, the pace dragged in places and the book couldn't really keep my attention despite its fascinating setting. And while I don't mind graphic violence when it's needed to advance the plot, this was a mite heavy on the gratuitous torture and butchery.
February 28, 2015
An unusual era is tackled well by a new author in this engaging read. Set in an era about which I have some knowledge but am far from ‘knowledgeable’, this is a tale of the aftermath of the death of Alexander the Great and the jostling for position of his varied successors, told from the point of view of a young recruit. Andrikos is forced to flee his small Anatolian town after a run in with some lowlifes leaves him in trouble, and he heads off to join the army and get away for a while.
Cue the meat of the story, which is a military saga set amid battles, raids and individual ‘secret’ missions of which Andrikos finds himself part. For those of you who like your Historical Fiction strewn with battles and bodies, this is your kind of book. It is fairly graphic and brutal, but that is largely tempered by the fact that it is told from the point of view of the young recruit, with all his own problems, glories, cameraderie and excitement.
I understand from his website that Kachel is ex-military, having served in the Middle East, and that comes as no surprise. Reading this book I would have guessed that the man writing the combat scenes had personal experience of same, and especially the harsh military training which occupies much of the first half of the book. The feeling of realism is strong and there is little hint of outlandishness about it.
Indeed, the book does to some extent come over as a Macedonian/Hellenistic sort of ‘Heartbreak Ridge’. That’s not a complaint… I love that movie. But it is a fairly concise way of putting forward what I felt about the book. So, given what I’ve said, you’ve probably already decided whether you’re interested in it. I would certainly recommend it to readers of ancient military histfic readers. I will leave you with one up and one down about it:
Kachel has clearly done a great deal of research into the era. His knowledge of the military, politics and social culture of the post-Alexandrian era comes through in the text. For me it was an informative as well as engaging read. As I say, I’m no expert on the era, but he comes across as very knowledgable, and I doubt most potential readers would find much to complain about in that respect.
For me, Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword was a solid 4 star read. In terms of story and characterisation, it could well have been a 5. And although there were typos (‘route’ for ‘rout’) and incorrectly-chosen words (‘they accosted his background’) here and there, what knocked a star down for me was the inclusion of a certain type of modern phrasing that somewhat shatters the historical illusion (early on in the book, for instance, I came across the phrase ‘pussywhipped’ which was the worst of these that I read and stuck in my head all the way through.)
So there you go. A relatively small negative against a swathe of positives. If the ancient military is your thing, I suspect you’ll enjoy this book. Give it a try.
Cue the meat of the story, which is a military saga set amid battles, raids and individual ‘secret’ missions of which Andrikos finds himself part. For those of you who like your Historical Fiction strewn with battles and bodies, this is your kind of book. It is fairly graphic and brutal, but that is largely tempered by the fact that it is told from the point of view of the young recruit, with all his own problems, glories, cameraderie and excitement.
I understand from his website that Kachel is ex-military, having served in the Middle East, and that comes as no surprise. Reading this book I would have guessed that the man writing the combat scenes had personal experience of same, and especially the harsh military training which occupies much of the first half of the book. The feeling of realism is strong and there is little hint of outlandishness about it.
Indeed, the book does to some extent come over as a Macedonian/Hellenistic sort of ‘Heartbreak Ridge’. That’s not a complaint… I love that movie. But it is a fairly concise way of putting forward what I felt about the book. So, given what I’ve said, you’ve probably already decided whether you’re interested in it. I would certainly recommend it to readers of ancient military histfic readers. I will leave you with one up and one down about it:
Kachel has clearly done a great deal of research into the era. His knowledge of the military, politics and social culture of the post-Alexandrian era comes through in the text. For me it was an informative as well as engaging read. As I say, I’m no expert on the era, but he comes across as very knowledgable, and I doubt most potential readers would find much to complain about in that respect.
For me, Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword was a solid 4 star read. In terms of story and characterisation, it could well have been a 5. And although there were typos (‘route’ for ‘rout’) and incorrectly-chosen words (‘they accosted his background’) here and there, what knocked a star down for me was the inclusion of a certain type of modern phrasing that somewhat shatters the historical illusion (early on in the book, for instance, I came across the phrase ‘pussywhipped’ which was the worst of these that I read and stuck in my head all the way through.)
So there you go. A relatively small negative against a swathe of positives. If the ancient military is your thing, I suspect you’ll enjoy this book. Give it a try.
April 10, 2015
I was sent a message by the author asking if I would be willing to review his work based on my interest in Historical fiction, specifically based on the Conn Iggulden Empire Series. I was told that if I liked this series I would thoroughly enjoy Mr. Kachel's book as well.
Per his promise, I was not disappointed in the story whatsoever. While this was not an action packed suspense thriller, the characters are built so well that you actually began to think of them as friends of your own. There is a lot of politics and intrigued that pulled me into the time period and made me feel like I was there along the journey...I hope there are others in this series because the end left me believe that there would be.
In my opinion this is a very similar story, told in post Alexander era, of the maturation of a young man from boyhood to manhood and his journey throughout the process. Things like family become more important and childlike devices become things of the past.
I have 3 things that I did not care for about this book:
1 - Character names. When looking at new authors/stories I always read the back or front flap to see who/what the book is about. Typically if I cannot pronounce the name of the lead character, I put the book back on the shelf. I have passed over many books that received great reviews because I knew that I did not know how to pronounce the name.
I know this might seem trivial but I would suggest to any author working on novels from different eras to put the pronunciations of all characters in either the front or the back of the book.
In this particular piece, I dubbed Andrikos' friend Pat because I could not pronounce his name...and stopped trying to do so.
2 - The language and verbiage used was too modern for this period piece; specifically when the officers were berating the recruits. As I am sure Mr. Kachel went through this process with the US Military and curse words and other forms of degrading terms were used, these are not the same phrases used before the common era.
3 - When reading through the book, some passages/chapters seemed to be written at different times as the flow and word choices were completely different. According to Mr. Kachel's bio this book took a few years to finish and unfortunately parts of the story felt piece mailed together.
Would I recommend this to a friend, absolutely. I will also consider any further works that Mr. Kachel writes as a viable read.
Per his promise, I was not disappointed in the story whatsoever. While this was not an action packed suspense thriller, the characters are built so well that you actually began to think of them as friends of your own. There is a lot of politics and intrigued that pulled me into the time period and made me feel like I was there along the journey...I hope there are others in this series because the end left me believe that there would be.
In my opinion this is a very similar story, told in post Alexander era, of the maturation of a young man from boyhood to manhood and his journey throughout the process. Things like family become more important and childlike devices become things of the past.
I have 3 things that I did not care for about this book:
1 - Character names. When looking at new authors/stories I always read the back or front flap to see who/what the book is about. Typically if I cannot pronounce the name of the lead character, I put the book back on the shelf. I have passed over many books that received great reviews because I knew that I did not know how to pronounce the name.
I know this might seem trivial but I would suggest to any author working on novels from different eras to put the pronunciations of all characters in either the front or the back of the book.
In this particular piece, I dubbed Andrikos' friend Pat because I could not pronounce his name...and stopped trying to do so.
2 - The language and verbiage used was too modern for this period piece; specifically when the officers were berating the recruits. As I am sure Mr. Kachel went through this process with the US Military and curse words and other forms of degrading terms were used, these are not the same phrases used before the common era.
3 - When reading through the book, some passages/chapters seemed to be written at different times as the flow and word choices were completely different. According to Mr. Kachel's bio this book took a few years to finish and unfortunately parts of the story felt piece mailed together.
Would I recommend this to a friend, absolutely. I will also consider any further works that Mr. Kachel writes as a viable read.
February 9, 2015
`The afterlife puts the concept of time in perspective.'
Handsome young new author Christian Kachel has gathered his expertise for this debut novel SPOILS OF OLYMPUS from both training and education (University of Maryland- College Park and three Master's degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the Department of Defense) and from his three terms of US Army service in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to writing he works as a Program Manager in the Defense industry. He has stated, `The Spoils of Olympus has been a 2 1/2 year project that began in a Marriott hotel room in San Antonio, Texas while attending pre deployment training for a tour in Afghanistan in late 2011. The wars of succession immediately following the death of Alexander the Great have always fascinated me despite being overshadowed in the history books by the life and times of Alexander himself. Many great novels have been written about ancient Greece and Alexander but few fictional works have explored this forgotten era in western civilization where Alexander's generals, who were once allies, battled each other for control of the largest empire on earth.'
Book I of the Spoils of Olympus series introduces us to the story's protagonist, Andrikos. The book follows him from an adolescence of criminality and capriciousness to his forced enlistment in the wars of succession; taking him from the battlefields of Asia Minor to the Achaemenid palaces of the Persian Empire. Or as the author writes in his synopsis of the book, `322 B.C. The Macedonian Empire is on the verge of civil war following the sudden death of Alexander the Great. As a boy, Andrikos watched as Alexander's army marched through his homeland of Greek Ionia after defeating the Persians at the Granicus River on their way to the total conquest of the Persian Empire. Soon he will be embroiled in their world, forced to flee his old life due to an unintentional crime. Thrust into the army, Andrikos struggles to cope with the brutal yet necessary training which his superiors put him through to prepare for the coming wars of succession as Alexander's surviving generals seek to divide and conquer the spoils of Olympus. But Andrikos is not destined to be a nameless soldier; by chance he is chosen for a clandestine mission - and is immersed in a world of intrigue, violence and brotherhood. The path that lies ahead of Andrikos requires him to shed his immaturity and take on the responsibilities and emotions of a man beyond his years as he struggles to save Alexander's legacy from those who wish to usurp it, a epic which follows the advancements of one soldier from boy to man set during a time of global conflict.'
One of the reasons this SPOILS OF OLYMPUS is such a powerful book is Christian's sense of the battlefield: few writers of historical novels have had that experience and the anxieties and hardships endured bathe this recreation of post Alexandrian Greece with a spirit of knowing the territory. Yes, Christian has done his research well, but the manner in which he relays the rise of Andrikos is from a very human stance. He is not afraid to introduce some of the more `avoided' topics of Alexander's time as his book begins, giving us a more clear picture of characters such as Patrochlus and Ganymede. This infusion of realism into the long neglected `myths' is but one of the aspects of Christian's book that elevates it to a level of importance. Wholly satisfying both as novel and as history, SPOILS OF OLYMPUS introduces and important new voice in contemporary literature.
Handsome young new author Christian Kachel has gathered his expertise for this debut novel SPOILS OF OLYMPUS from both training and education (University of Maryland- College Park and three Master's degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the Department of Defense) and from his three terms of US Army service in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to writing he works as a Program Manager in the Defense industry. He has stated, `The Spoils of Olympus has been a 2 1/2 year project that began in a Marriott hotel room in San Antonio, Texas while attending pre deployment training for a tour in Afghanistan in late 2011. The wars of succession immediately following the death of Alexander the Great have always fascinated me despite being overshadowed in the history books by the life and times of Alexander himself. Many great novels have been written about ancient Greece and Alexander but few fictional works have explored this forgotten era in western civilization where Alexander's generals, who were once allies, battled each other for control of the largest empire on earth.'
Book I of the Spoils of Olympus series introduces us to the story's protagonist, Andrikos. The book follows him from an adolescence of criminality and capriciousness to his forced enlistment in the wars of succession; taking him from the battlefields of Asia Minor to the Achaemenid palaces of the Persian Empire. Or as the author writes in his synopsis of the book, `322 B.C. The Macedonian Empire is on the verge of civil war following the sudden death of Alexander the Great. As a boy, Andrikos watched as Alexander's army marched through his homeland of Greek Ionia after defeating the Persians at the Granicus River on their way to the total conquest of the Persian Empire. Soon he will be embroiled in their world, forced to flee his old life due to an unintentional crime. Thrust into the army, Andrikos struggles to cope with the brutal yet necessary training which his superiors put him through to prepare for the coming wars of succession as Alexander's surviving generals seek to divide and conquer the spoils of Olympus. But Andrikos is not destined to be a nameless soldier; by chance he is chosen for a clandestine mission - and is immersed in a world of intrigue, violence and brotherhood. The path that lies ahead of Andrikos requires him to shed his immaturity and take on the responsibilities and emotions of a man beyond his years as he struggles to save Alexander's legacy from those who wish to usurp it, a epic which follows the advancements of one soldier from boy to man set during a time of global conflict.'
One of the reasons this SPOILS OF OLYMPUS is such a powerful book is Christian's sense of the battlefield: few writers of historical novels have had that experience and the anxieties and hardships endured bathe this recreation of post Alexandrian Greece with a spirit of knowing the territory. Yes, Christian has done his research well, but the manner in which he relays the rise of Andrikos is from a very human stance. He is not afraid to introduce some of the more `avoided' topics of Alexander's time as his book begins, giving us a more clear picture of characters such as Patrochlus and Ganymede. This infusion of realism into the long neglected `myths' is but one of the aspects of Christian's book that elevates it to a level of importance. Wholly satisfying both as novel and as history, SPOILS OF OLYMPUS introduces and important new voice in contemporary literature.
February 18, 2015
This is probably one of the more original books I have read in awhile. It is set in a time not long after Alexander the Great dies. He names his heirs, but his Macedonian generals have other ideas, each out for themselves. Of course this starts a civil war in his short lived Empire.
This story is told from the viewpoint of a unlikely protagonist named Andrikos. He is a young man, who's life seems to be drifting. He is a man with low self confidence, who has trouble looking people he feels are better then him in the eye, is friends with guys like himself who are destined to become criminals, and looks up to a kingpin of crime of sorts.
Andrikos yearns for a strong male role model, and this plays a large role throughout the book. Eventually he joins the army, where the author shows are ridiculously hard the training is in those times. By a stroke of luck he meets Vettis, a spymaster for that faction's General. Vettis is part of an spy ring whose goal is to see the successors of Alexander inherit the empire.
A large part of the book is about Andrikos learning how to fight and spy, and in the process learning to be a confident man. He is really down on himself in the majority of the book, and you can really see how he grows.
The only real negative I could find was some of the dialogue. A lot of times the characters over explained their actions or what not. But maybe that's how they talked back then, so what do I know.
The ending leaves you wanting more, and I can't wait for the next book. Thing's can only go up from here.
This story is told from the viewpoint of a unlikely protagonist named Andrikos. He is a young man, who's life seems to be drifting. He is a man with low self confidence, who has trouble looking people he feels are better then him in the eye, is friends with guys like himself who are destined to become criminals, and looks up to a kingpin of crime of sorts.
Andrikos yearns for a strong male role model, and this plays a large role throughout the book. Eventually he joins the army, where the author shows are ridiculously hard the training is in those times. By a stroke of luck he meets Vettis, a spymaster for that faction's General. Vettis is part of an spy ring whose goal is to see the successors of Alexander inherit the empire.
A large part of the book is about Andrikos learning how to fight and spy, and in the process learning to be a confident man. He is really down on himself in the majority of the book, and you can really see how he grows.
The only real negative I could find was some of the dialogue. A lot of times the characters over explained their actions or what not. But maybe that's how they talked back then, so what do I know.
The ending leaves you wanting more, and I can't wait for the next book. Thing's can only go up from here.
February 24, 2015
Where do i start! Wow! This book was great! I'm a fan of the genre anyway but i was surprised just how much i enjoyed it.
This book follows Andrikos as he turns from a boy into a man.
The story starts slow but quickly Andrikos is thrust into the army after he and his friends get into a bit of bother with some local lowlifes. We following him as he leaves his family behind and undergoes basic endurance training while marching to join the army where he makes and looses friends along the way.
You find out a lot about his position in the army and how the structure works and there is great detail in the clashes between the warring armies
The best bit about this book comes next, i won't give too much away but he gets involved in some clandestine actions within the warring armies and it made the book enjoyable and easy to read as you weren't bogged down in full on army vs army all out war scenes.
I feel you see Andrikos grow quickly, he even finds a potential love interest along the way which i think fitted perfect into the story.
All in all i would definitely recommend this book. If you've read anything by Gordon Doherty like i have i think this book will be right up your street.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series
This book follows Andrikos as he turns from a boy into a man.
The story starts slow but quickly Andrikos is thrust into the army after he and his friends get into a bit of bother with some local lowlifes. We following him as he leaves his family behind and undergoes basic endurance training while marching to join the army where he makes and looses friends along the way.
You find out a lot about his position in the army and how the structure works and there is great detail in the clashes between the warring armies
The best bit about this book comes next, i won't give too much away but he gets involved in some clandestine actions within the warring armies and it made the book enjoyable and easy to read as you weren't bogged down in full on army vs army all out war scenes.
I feel you see Andrikos grow quickly, he even finds a potential love interest along the way which i think fitted perfect into the story.
All in all i would definitely recommend this book. If you've read anything by Gordon Doherty like i have i think this book will be right up your street.
I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series
January 25, 2015
Exciting spy thriller in the wake of Alexander the Great's death!
Great book with a fast paced story centering on the main protagonist Andrikos who becomes a spy involved in the intrigue and plotting between the factions vying for power after Alexander's death.
The book seems well researched and there are plenty of historical details which flesh out the ancient Greek world without it getting boring or long winded.
I read the book in only a few sittings and I can't wait for the next to come out!
Great book with a fast paced story centering on the main protagonist Andrikos who becomes a spy involved in the intrigue and plotting between the factions vying for power after Alexander's death.
The book seems well researched and there are plenty of historical details which flesh out the ancient Greek world without it getting boring or long winded.
I read the book in only a few sittings and I can't wait for the next to come out!
November 8, 2014
loved this book, i had to force myself to put it down for fear of finishing it to so. the author reminds me alot of christian cameron books which i love. lot of action and suspense and the battle observations really made u feel like u where there. i can not wait for the next book by this author it will be one that i will count the days till it is out
April 29, 2015
This was the complete transformation of a young boy to manhood during the battles following Alexander's conquests in Greece and Macedonia. Manhood in ancient times required many forms of maturity and it's captured brilliantly here. The author has a vast knowledge of the places, armour, cities and customs of the people of that time. I will look forward go the sequel. Well done!
March 14, 2015
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
Much has been written about Alexander the Great but the aftermath of his death isn’t nearly so popular a topic simply because it was a really complex politic situation. Kings were rising and falling with alarming rate and the diadochi were tearing each other to pieces over the least little thing. Enter into this world Andrikos, who lives in Illandra with the other Ionian Greeks Alexander liberated. He’s had a rough time what with his father dying and his uncle seeming to constantly disapprove of him and he falls in with the wrong sort of crowd pretty quickly. It’s that wrong crowd that really causes him to leave and become a soldier.
Andrikos and the other characters were pretty good. I particularly enjoyed Vettias, the old spymaster of first Philip, then Alexander and now Eumenes who is under command of Perdiccas. He’s a clever man and if there’s one thing he knows, it’s people. Seeing him try to train Andrikos to become the same sort of suave, sophisticated man-of-the-world that he is was funny but touching at times because you really start to see Andrikos grow up. Throughout the novel Andrikos goes through so much and the brutal training he receives to become a proper soldier in the beginning really is just the beginning. But because of all the things that he goes through, he finally starts to become a man. There’s very little left in the mischief-making boy that we met in the beginning of the novel, particularly by the end. So he at least has a believable character arc and it is very satisfying.
Christian Kachel clearly knows his stuff about the Wars of Alexandrian Succession. It’s a complicated period filled with secret alliances, backstabbing and war and he conveys the feeling of the time quite well. This atmosphere of both hope and despair plays out with the characters, particularly with Andrikos. He leaves Illandra hopeful to join the military, is despairing when he goes through the brutal training and then again becomes hopeful as Eumenes moves against some of the other diadochi for his first battle. Of course there are more examples of that but I really don’t want to spoil a large part of the plot, particularly some of the interesting twists near the end. As for his historical accuracy, I’m no expert on the period but after a little bit more research to remind me of names and such it actually is quite accurate. He doesn’t feel the need to add in battles and people that really didn’t exist other than the main character because the history itself is exciting enough.
My only problem with Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword is that the dialogue lacks both realism and subtlety. I get that this is historical fiction and of course the language is different from ours in different time periods, but I just found the dialogue unbelievable. Everyone from soldiers to spies gives great big long speeches about the problem at hand when just a few words would really suffice. Sometimes the speeches make sense, like when Leandros is recounting his campaigns with Alexander. Sometimes they don’t, like when the different commanders are giving their soldiers encouragement during the battle. In a battle as bloody and vicious as a phalanx battle, you’re not going to stop and give your subordinates almost a full paragraph of encouragement.
And that really leads into the other problem: the total lack of subtlety. Christian Kachel knows his stuff but really assumes that readers don’t, which would be fine if he introduced the history in subtler ways. But he doesn’t. No, characters saying things like this: “The Hypaspists are now known as the Silver Shields since the India Campaign under the commands of Generals Nicanor and Seleucus.” That’s just not realistic because by the time Alexander was dead and Andrikos’ brother Leandros comes back to Illandra, everyone would have known that. The readers wouldn’t have but the characters most certainly would and it could have been introduced in a much more subtle way through dialogue, i.e. “How many Silver Shields got back from India?” “I don’t know, but Seleucus and Nicanor sure tried their best to get all of them back after that huge win.” That’s not the best example but it is better than characters constantly stating the obvious.
So while By the Sword is a good book and I believe that Christian Kachel is a good writer, I did have a hard time coping with the dialogue. At the same time, I loved both the characters and the moderate pacing of the story that just kept increasing. If my review has at all intrigued you, I would definitely encourage you to pick this book up and give it a try.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads rating purposes.
Much has been written about Alexander the Great but the aftermath of his death isn’t nearly so popular a topic simply because it was a really complex politic situation. Kings were rising and falling with alarming rate and the diadochi were tearing each other to pieces over the least little thing. Enter into this world Andrikos, who lives in Illandra with the other Ionian Greeks Alexander liberated. He’s had a rough time what with his father dying and his uncle seeming to constantly disapprove of him and he falls in with the wrong sort of crowd pretty quickly. It’s that wrong crowd that really causes him to leave and become a soldier.
Andrikos and the other characters were pretty good. I particularly enjoyed Vettias, the old spymaster of first Philip, then Alexander and now Eumenes who is under command of Perdiccas. He’s a clever man and if there’s one thing he knows, it’s people. Seeing him try to train Andrikos to become the same sort of suave, sophisticated man-of-the-world that he is was funny but touching at times because you really start to see Andrikos grow up. Throughout the novel Andrikos goes through so much and the brutal training he receives to become a proper soldier in the beginning really is just the beginning. But because of all the things that he goes through, he finally starts to become a man. There’s very little left in the mischief-making boy that we met in the beginning of the novel, particularly by the end. So he at least has a believable character arc and it is very satisfying.
Christian Kachel clearly knows his stuff about the Wars of Alexandrian Succession. It’s a complicated period filled with secret alliances, backstabbing and war and he conveys the feeling of the time quite well. This atmosphere of both hope and despair plays out with the characters, particularly with Andrikos. He leaves Illandra hopeful to join the military, is despairing when he goes through the brutal training and then again becomes hopeful as Eumenes moves against some of the other diadochi for his first battle. Of course there are more examples of that but I really don’t want to spoil a large part of the plot, particularly some of the interesting twists near the end. As for his historical accuracy, I’m no expert on the period but after a little bit more research to remind me of names and such it actually is quite accurate. He doesn’t feel the need to add in battles and people that really didn’t exist other than the main character because the history itself is exciting enough.
My only problem with Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword is that the dialogue lacks both realism and subtlety. I get that this is historical fiction and of course the language is different from ours in different time periods, but I just found the dialogue unbelievable. Everyone from soldiers to spies gives great big long speeches about the problem at hand when just a few words would really suffice. Sometimes the speeches make sense, like when Leandros is recounting his campaigns with Alexander. Sometimes they don’t, like when the different commanders are giving their soldiers encouragement during the battle. In a battle as bloody and vicious as a phalanx battle, you’re not going to stop and give your subordinates almost a full paragraph of encouragement.
And that really leads into the other problem: the total lack of subtlety. Christian Kachel knows his stuff but really assumes that readers don’t, which would be fine if he introduced the history in subtler ways. But he doesn’t. No, characters saying things like this: “The Hypaspists are now known as the Silver Shields since the India Campaign under the commands of Generals Nicanor and Seleucus.” That’s just not realistic because by the time Alexander was dead and Andrikos’ brother Leandros comes back to Illandra, everyone would have known that. The readers wouldn’t have but the characters most certainly would and it could have been introduced in a much more subtle way through dialogue, i.e. “How many Silver Shields got back from India?” “I don’t know, but Seleucus and Nicanor sure tried their best to get all of them back after that huge win.” That’s not the best example but it is better than characters constantly stating the obvious.
So while By the Sword is a good book and I believe that Christian Kachel is a good writer, I did have a hard time coping with the dialogue. At the same time, I loved both the characters and the moderate pacing of the story that just kept increasing. If my review has at all intrigued you, I would definitely encourage you to pick this book up and give it a try.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads rating purposes.
February 15, 2015
February 15, 2015
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book The Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword by Christian Kachel
I was recently invited to read the above book by the author and asked to provide my thoughts about the book because of some of the previous books I read and commented on. It took me several weeks to act on this request, because of other books on my list. I finally purchased this book in the Kindle format from Amazon and commenced reading this book. Initially it looked like it was going to be a daunting task because of all the characters initially introduced and their Greek names were not easy to follow.
Once I got through the initial chapters, I was able to follow the story line which occurs around 322 BC, which is the post Alexander, the Great conquests of the known world. Alexander has recently died and his former generals and Armies have been fractured by both distance and allegiances.
It involves the trials and tribulations of the first person narrator, Andrikos a Greek from the the outer stretches of the Greek empire. He is a near do well teenager trying to find his meaning in life. He is the son of a father who departed from the responsibilities of fatherhood only to appear in Andrikos’ dreams wherein he resumes his guiding paternal role.
Through troubles Andrikos gets into in his home town, his only alternative is to leave and join the Army where he becomes a phalangite in one of the phalanx companies and experiences almost sub human training and is eventually involved inn some of the most brutally described battle scenes.
After his initial training and before the final battle scenes, he is recruited by a staff officer named Vettias, who mentors Andrikos into the arts of espionage and spy craft. This is to weed out other spies and operatives who are in opposition to the General and Army both Andrikos and Vettias work for.
There are some erotic scenes as well as explicitly graphic torture scenes, in an effort to obtain information from opposing operatives working for opposing Armies.
I found the book very compelling and enthralling after the initial hurdle of identifying the many characters who play a small role in the overall theme of the story line.
I liked the book and would recommend it to my friends but gave the book four stars out of five for the reasons stated and the abrupt ending which I believe is because of the author’s intention to write a follow-up. If he does follow-up, I will buy the book.
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book The Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword by Christian Kachel
I was recently invited to read the above book by the author and asked to provide my thoughts about the book because of some of the previous books I read and commented on. It took me several weeks to act on this request, because of other books on my list. I finally purchased this book in the Kindle format from Amazon and commenced reading this book. Initially it looked like it was going to be a daunting task because of all the characters initially introduced and their Greek names were not easy to follow.
Once I got through the initial chapters, I was able to follow the story line which occurs around 322 BC, which is the post Alexander, the Great conquests of the known world. Alexander has recently died and his former generals and Armies have been fractured by both distance and allegiances.
It involves the trials and tribulations of the first person narrator, Andrikos a Greek from the the outer stretches of the Greek empire. He is a near do well teenager trying to find his meaning in life. He is the son of a father who departed from the responsibilities of fatherhood only to appear in Andrikos’ dreams wherein he resumes his guiding paternal role.
Through troubles Andrikos gets into in his home town, his only alternative is to leave and join the Army where he becomes a phalangite in one of the phalanx companies and experiences almost sub human training and is eventually involved inn some of the most brutally described battle scenes.
After his initial training and before the final battle scenes, he is recruited by a staff officer named Vettias, who mentors Andrikos into the arts of espionage and spy craft. This is to weed out other spies and operatives who are in opposition to the General and Army both Andrikos and Vettias work for.
There are some erotic scenes as well as explicitly graphic torture scenes, in an effort to obtain information from opposing operatives working for opposing Armies.
I found the book very compelling and enthralling after the initial hurdle of identifying the many characters who play a small role in the overall theme of the story line.
I liked the book and would recommend it to my friends but gave the book four stars out of five for the reasons stated and the abrupt ending which I believe is because of the author’s intention to write a follow-up. If he does follow-up, I will buy the book.
March 9, 2015
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
Christian Kachel's Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword was one of those titles. I stumbled over it, thought the premise looked vaguely interesting and jumped on the tour bus. I liked the idea, but if I learned anything from The Queen of Sparta, it was not to get my hopes up. That in mind, it shouldn't surprise anyone to learn I opened Kachel's work with no expectation whatsoever, a fact which likely contributed to how thoroughly the novel managed to sweep me off my feet.
It's clear from the early pages of the novel that Kachel's understanding of the period and politics is extensive, but the fictional elements of the novel are equally well-drawn. The story is graphic and intensely descriptive, but I personally thought Kachel's depiction true to the history on which it is based and appreciated the author's dedication to authenticity.
The story itself centers on Andrikos and his coming of age in the chaos following the death of Alexander the Great which is something I liked for several reasons. Kachel's narrative captures a timeless concept in his illustration of a young man struggling with pressure and social expectations. What does it mean to be a man and how do you retain your humanity and sense of self in a world defined by death and destruction.
Andrikos' journey is augmented by several supporting cast members, but two stand out in my mind. The slave Mara brings a much needed feminine element to a heavily masculine narrative and staff officer, Vettias who serves as both mentor and friend to Kachel's protagonist. Both these individuals challenge Andrikos in different ways and I liked the contrast that brought to the larger story.
Refreshingly dynamic and scrupulously researched, Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword proved a profoundly compelling read, the kind of novel I'd easily recommend to fans of both military and historic fiction.
Christian Kachel's Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword was one of those titles. I stumbled over it, thought the premise looked vaguely interesting and jumped on the tour bus. I liked the idea, but if I learned anything from The Queen of Sparta, it was not to get my hopes up. That in mind, it shouldn't surprise anyone to learn I opened Kachel's work with no expectation whatsoever, a fact which likely contributed to how thoroughly the novel managed to sweep me off my feet.
It's clear from the early pages of the novel that Kachel's understanding of the period and politics is extensive, but the fictional elements of the novel are equally well-drawn. The story is graphic and intensely descriptive, but I personally thought Kachel's depiction true to the history on which it is based and appreciated the author's dedication to authenticity.
The story itself centers on Andrikos and his coming of age in the chaos following the death of Alexander the Great which is something I liked for several reasons. Kachel's narrative captures a timeless concept in his illustration of a young man struggling with pressure and social expectations. What does it mean to be a man and how do you retain your humanity and sense of self in a world defined by death and destruction.
Andrikos' journey is augmented by several supporting cast members, but two stand out in my mind. The slave Mara brings a much needed feminine element to a heavily masculine narrative and staff officer, Vettias who serves as both mentor and friend to Kachel's protagonist. Both these individuals challenge Andrikos in different ways and I liked the contrast that brought to the larger story.
Refreshingly dynamic and scrupulously researched, Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword proved a profoundly compelling read, the kind of novel I'd easily recommend to fans of both military and historic fiction.
June 12, 2015
I'll be honest - I thought this was a book I could get into because I like historical fiction. In reality, it was a little too much of a man's man type of book and I picked it up and put it down several times. The writing was style was good, with well developed characters, but I just didn't relate to the coming-of-age warrior story.
Then my husband found it in my stack of books to review and asked to read it. I told him I'd started it but he was welcome to read it because I was having a hard time getting into it. And that was the secret - he loves books about war and camaraderie and honor and obscure historical battles. He read the whole book in two days and raved about it!
He especially loved that this book had spying tradecraft, warfare and extreme warrior training, twists and turns in the plot, complicated, realistic characters, and historical accuracy about a time period he loves.
Richly researched, historically correct in details of this time period, this book took him to places he loves to go when he reads - deeply into the book and into the characters. In the past, whenever I've asked him to try a product or read a book so I can review it, I usually get three word descriptions. This book really struck him in the core because he went on and on about it. And even though it wasn't a book I was able to get into (my husband kept saying "but you didn't get past the first 50 pages - it really gets GOOD after that!") I'm happy to recommend it to anyone who likes ancient history, military details, espionage and coming of age stories.
I received this book from the author, free in exchange for writing an honest review. I wasn't asked to leave a positive review, nor was I paid or otherwise compensated for my review.
Then my husband found it in my stack of books to review and asked to read it. I told him I'd started it but he was welcome to read it because I was having a hard time getting into it. And that was the secret - he loves books about war and camaraderie and honor and obscure historical battles. He read the whole book in two days and raved about it!
He especially loved that this book had spying tradecraft, warfare and extreme warrior training, twists and turns in the plot, complicated, realistic characters, and historical accuracy about a time period he loves.
Richly researched, historically correct in details of this time period, this book took him to places he loves to go when he reads - deeply into the book and into the characters. In the past, whenever I've asked him to try a product or read a book so I can review it, I usually get three word descriptions. This book really struck him in the core because he went on and on about it. And even though it wasn't a book I was able to get into (my husband kept saying "but you didn't get past the first 50 pages - it really gets GOOD after that!") I'm happy to recommend it to anyone who likes ancient history, military details, espionage and coming of age stories.
I received this book from the author, free in exchange for writing an honest review. I wasn't asked to leave a positive review, nor was I paid or otherwise compensated for my review.
December 31, 2015
Firstly, my apologies for the lateness in this review. I hadn’t finished it by my date.
Now, let’s get straight to it. I’m forever looking for new interesting titles to read. I admit, I tend to stick with a certain type, however, I was intrigued by this title and the cover too. I rarely find novels that take place in ancient times that have my attention or have me wanting for more. This is certainly a surprise because at first, I was sort of ‘meh’, I didn’t think that I’d get into it as much as I did. I like being taken by surprise at times and I found myself reading at every opportunity. I really couldn’t get enough.
Our main character is one in need of a strong male figure in his life; he has no confidence in himself. Along with his friends, they’re headed down a bad path and it a twist of fate that leads Andrikos to join the military. The training he endured was almost destined for supernatural beings, I’m pretty sure. That he survived it all says a great deal about him, even if he doesn’t believe it himself.
Vettias selects Andrikos to mentor into spycraft and espionage and also provides him with the male role model he has always so desperately needed and wanted in his life.
This is a book heavy on description, so bear this in mind whilst reading and also that there are some erotic scenes. Battle scenes are graphic as well; so also think of that when selecting this. My only other gripe was the ending–it’s so blunt and it seems random. Beyond that–for a debut novel–bravo!
Now, let’s get straight to it. I’m forever looking for new interesting titles to read. I admit, I tend to stick with a certain type, however, I was intrigued by this title and the cover too. I rarely find novels that take place in ancient times that have my attention or have me wanting for more. This is certainly a surprise because at first, I was sort of ‘meh’, I didn’t think that I’d get into it as much as I did. I like being taken by surprise at times and I found myself reading at every opportunity. I really couldn’t get enough.
Our main character is one in need of a strong male figure in his life; he has no confidence in himself. Along with his friends, they’re headed down a bad path and it a twist of fate that leads Andrikos to join the military. The training he endured was almost destined for supernatural beings, I’m pretty sure. That he survived it all says a great deal about him, even if he doesn’t believe it himself.
Vettias selects Andrikos to mentor into spycraft and espionage and also provides him with the male role model he has always so desperately needed and wanted in his life.
This is a book heavy on description, so bear this in mind whilst reading and also that there are some erotic scenes. Battle scenes are graphic as well; so also think of that when selecting this. My only other gripe was the ending–it’s so blunt and it seems random. Beyond that–for a debut novel–bravo!
June 25, 2015
Alexander the Great is dead and those driven to succeed him begin their machinations towards seizing power. Amid the chaos is a young man named Andrikos. Like many young men without a purpose, his life consists mainly of drink and women and floating through life unchallenged. He gets mixed up with a group of ruffians where he gets into trouble and is forced to flee. He joins the army to avoid his past catching up to him. It is then that he is introduced to the brutalities of war, of training, of battles to the death, of treachery. And once enlisted, he cannot get out unless he is killed.
For a debut novel, this is exceptional. No stranger to battle and war, the author has written a vivid and compelling portrayal of what it means to be embroiled in action. The author holds nothing back, so be prepared for the brutality contained within this novel's pages. Some scenes can be disturbing to the feint of heart. Thankfully, I'm not one of them, so I was able to enjoy the book without hesitation. The author knows has seen war, and he knows the heart of a warrior and he is able to implant this into his characters. He also took time to describe how war affects the civilians and the hardships they face after the last battle cry is heard.
I love novels about Ancient Greece and this one had a wonderful storyline weaved among the hair-raising battle and warrior scenes. Looking forward to Christian Kachel's next novel!
For a debut novel, this is exceptional. No stranger to battle and war, the author has written a vivid and compelling portrayal of what it means to be embroiled in action. The author holds nothing back, so be prepared for the brutality contained within this novel's pages. Some scenes can be disturbing to the feint of heart. Thankfully, I'm not one of them, so I was able to enjoy the book without hesitation. The author knows has seen war, and he knows the heart of a warrior and he is able to implant this into his characters. He also took time to describe how war affects the civilians and the hardships they face after the last battle cry is heard.
I love novels about Ancient Greece and this one had a wonderful storyline weaved among the hair-raising battle and warrior scenes. Looking forward to Christian Kachel's next novel!
October 13, 2015
Alexander conquered the world but then the God-King died and the tumult resulting from his death is the backdrop to this very entertaining book by Christian Kachel. The protagonist, Andrikos, is a young man running with the wrong crowd in the town of Llandros. A night of murderous activity involving the underground criminal element forces Andrikos to leave home and seek out recruitment in the army. The author gives the reader an excellent look into the somewhat brutal training required of the recruits before they are accepted into the ranks of the Macedonian styled infantry, the phalanx. Unfortunately for Andrikos he has come onto the stage too late to take part in any conquests as Alexander's death sets off a furious war among his generals for control of the Macedonian throne. A serendipitous meeting with an officer who is a member of a secretive spy network instituted by Alexander, results in Andrikos becoming a spy and thus opens up a whole new world for an insecure young man and sets him on a journey of excitement, danger and self discovery. The author has crafted an interesting story of the various factions and the struggle to maintain the empire Alexander created. It is full of intrigue, changing alliances, battles of Greek versus Greek and the maturation of a young man who is desperate to find himself. 4 stars
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May 19, 2016
I was somewhat unsure about this book. Early on I realised this was more an action adventure story as opposed to a serious historical novel. However I really enjoyed it, let's face it the primary sources for the entire period of the "diadochi", the General's that fought for the remnants of Alexander's Empire are sparse to the point of ignorance so.... If based on little or no empirical evidence, the Secret Society of Alexander the Greats supporters appeals as the way it should have been. I loved it all, from the portrayal of Eumenes the Cardian as the prime guardian of Alexander's legacy whilst the true Macedonians fought like rabid dogs over the spoils of his Empire to the cloak and dagger elements amongst armies of Macedonians who don't seem to know whose side they are on anyway. The hidden enemy element was also interesting. Finally the story may well be wildly inaccurate historically I found the thought processes of the protagonists to be very plausible. Often historical fiction is guilty of placing modern emotions thoughts and actions into people and situations of which contemporaries of the period would have no understanding. I found the emotions and thoughts of Christian Kachels characters to be believable as those of Classical period Greeks. Who knows if we are right. Looking forward to the sequel, although sadly unless the next volume is too stray into the fantasy genre we know that the hero's faction is doomed. Yee Haa
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2015
The Spoils of Olympus is an epic undertaking on Christian Kachel’s part. Kachel has chiseled a well-thought-out, fully fleshed, immaculately structured story out of the ample raw material of the time period. As a former soldier himself, Kachel is at his strongest in describing the coming-of-age of military service and the perpetual wrestling of what it means to be a man and a soldier worthy of the title. It makes the book resonate far more than your average piece of historical fiction.
That’s not to say there aren’t rough patches. In the name of immersing the reader into the time period, Kachel sacrifices subtext, choosing to fully spell out each verbal nuance, geographical reference and political event. It weighs down the narrative and removes the reader too much from the emotional reality of the characters and the situations they find themselves, making for bumpy reading, especially in the first few chapters. That said, it is an easily correctable issue to feather the necessary details into the more fully into the narrative.
It is worth it to get over the bumps, however. Kachel has a story to tell – one that is more personal and relevant to today than most readers will find in the historical fiction genre. In fact, he takes the reader to more worlds than just post-Alexander Greece. It is more than worth a buy.
That’s not to say there aren’t rough patches. In the name of immersing the reader into the time period, Kachel sacrifices subtext, choosing to fully spell out each verbal nuance, geographical reference and political event. It weighs down the narrative and removes the reader too much from the emotional reality of the characters and the situations they find themselves, making for bumpy reading, especially in the first few chapters. That said, it is an easily correctable issue to feather the necessary details into the more fully into the narrative.
It is worth it to get over the bumps, however. Kachel has a story to tell – one that is more personal and relevant to today than most readers will find in the historical fiction genre. In fact, he takes the reader to more worlds than just post-Alexander Greece. It is more than worth a buy.
February 2, 2015
A very skillfully crafted historical fiction novel which is well deserving of the sequel yet to come. Lots of juicy action-packed scenes that is laced with gorgeous back-drops. Christian Kachel's debut to a riveting and energetic read with a unique and creative prospective brings to life, the time era of 322 BC in 'The Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword'.
It takes us into a world of a protagonist named Andrikos, a young Greek man from the city of Asia Minor whom flees his home town because of a murder and joins the opposing armies. Alexander the Great had died one year previous and Andrikos is eventually cast into a secret mission to save Alexander's family successors.
An epic tale of gripping battles, brutality, chaos, political intrigue with realistic proportions and what it takes to survive. What is equally fascinating about 'Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword' is that it weaves through historical references that is both educational and historically accurate with that of ancient time periodical era. Written smoothly and vividly with a great use of descriptive character play mixed together with a flawless developmental plot, it was an extremely entertaining read and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
I was given a copy for evaluation and an unbiased review.
It takes us into a world of a protagonist named Andrikos, a young Greek man from the city of Asia Minor whom flees his home town because of a murder and joins the opposing armies. Alexander the Great had died one year previous and Andrikos is eventually cast into a secret mission to save Alexander's family successors.
An epic tale of gripping battles, brutality, chaos, political intrigue with realistic proportions and what it takes to survive. What is equally fascinating about 'Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword' is that it weaves through historical references that is both educational and historically accurate with that of ancient time periodical era. Written smoothly and vividly with a great use of descriptive character play mixed together with a flawless developmental plot, it was an extremely entertaining read and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
I was given a copy for evaluation and an unbiased review.
December 17, 2015
I believe a good story will evoke an emotional response from the reader and this fast-paced historical fiction novel had me hooked! I felt every fear, pain and struggle of the protagonist, Andrikos, as he leaves his youthful delinquency behind to join the brutal Macedonian army, which is fractured between power hungry generals after the death of their beloved leader, Alexander the Great. Kachel's descriptions of the abusive training and graphic battle scenes had me wincing (which was wonderful!), but I also experienced suspense, intrigue, and even caught myself chuckling a few times! Overall, I was quite impressed with this new author. Kachel's writing style reminds me of Bernard Cornwell, with a first-person fictional character experiencing history in real-time. My only suggestion would be to add an Historical Note section to the book so the reader knows if the spy circuits, that were so central to this novel, were actually integral to the historical outcomes of these conflicts. Great job, C.K. I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel!
February 15, 2015
It is clear from the very first page that this author knows how to tell a story. What is more impressive is the author's description of the main character's motivations, doubts, and misgivings. In too many books about war, love, honor, and glory push characters forward, with a dash of doubt and hesitation. However, this author takes a more nuanced approach. Without breaking from the storytelling, Kachel dissects the insecurities present in all of us, which lends not only freshness to the storytelling, but a sense realism of that is uncommon in fiction. In a strange parallel to a story about loyalty, this book has inspired in me loyalty to a new author. I look forward to more of Kachel's work.
May 28, 2015
A strong debut historical fiction novel with flashes of brilliance. I don't think I've ever read a better description of the hardships of physical training - the imagery is incredible.
The author also is clearly invested in this period in history, which is sorely lacking in historical fiction. The wars of Alexander's successors don't get as much attention as his own exploits, even though the implications of the Empire's breakup lasted for centuries.
Overall imaginative, rich, and with loads of potential amid a few rough patches in dialogue and sheer density of detail that will likely smooth out as Kachel continues the series. A promising author, and definitely worth a read for any lover of historical fiction.
The author also is clearly invested in this period in history, which is sorely lacking in historical fiction. The wars of Alexander's successors don't get as much attention as his own exploits, even though the implications of the Empire's breakup lasted for centuries.
Overall imaginative, rich, and with loads of potential amid a few rough patches in dialogue and sheer density of detail that will likely smooth out as Kachel continues the series. A promising author, and definitely worth a read for any lover of historical fiction.
February 8, 2015
Christian Kachel is obviously an adept writer, he is also a knowledgeable historian. I say this because throughout the entire book he is able to not only get your attention but he manages to keep it!
A must for Greek history buffs desiring authenticity, and even for those who love a well written suspense story with characters you cannot help becoming attached to.
It's wonderful to be a skilled writer and historian, but Mr. Kachel has the extra element of knowing mens hearts and souls and it shines forth within these pages.
I hope there is more to come on the horizon!
A must for Greek history buffs desiring authenticity, and even for those who love a well written suspense story with characters you cannot help becoming attached to.
It's wonderful to be a skilled writer and historian, but Mr. Kachel has the extra element of knowing mens hearts and souls and it shines forth within these pages.
I hope there is more to come on the horizon!
July 25, 2015
This was a fun novel and a good read. Greek history is not my passion so I really cannot comment on the historical accuracy amidst the fictional story. The story itself was exciting and interesting. A small criticism is one that I see often in historical fiction. A person from the ranks and lower class ends up embroiled in intrigue of those in command. Something I find to be very unlikely historically. That being said, the protagonist's story is plausible and works to advance the story. Bottom line, this book is worth the read and I look forward to more from Christian Kachel.
May 3, 2015
I got interested in the book by the period that it covers. I am always looking for authors who stray from the well traveled roads! And that is the case with "By the Sword". The conflict between Alexander's generals is not depicted often in novels although it's clearly a period rife with intrigue and great battles. These were violent and unstable times and it shows in the book. Likable characters, good battles, interesting times make for a good read.
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