Mary Renault became know for two things. One was her evocative novels of ancient Greece, written with a high ambition for historical accuracy. You can find reviews of all eight of them here. The other was as a pioneer of gay literature at a time when novels containing homosexuality were rarely published. Characters who blur the gender divide are also a feature. Her Alexander Trilogy highlight these threads of her career and may be considered the pinnacle of her work.
The trilogy – Fire From Heaven, The Persian Boy and Funeral Games – cover the life and legacy of Alexander the Great. These editions include an Introduction by historian Tom Holland, author of Persian Fire.
Tom Holland calls Fire From Heaven “the greatest coming-of-age story ever to double as a work of historical fiction”. It covers Alexander’s early life from childhood to his ascension to the throne. It is a very complex period of history which Renault delivers in a very readable form full of historical details, powerful scenes and dramatic relationships between the characters.
The Persian Boy continues the story of Alexander but told in the first person from the point of view of Bagoas – a servant to Persian King Darius II who watches the fall of the Persian empire, who then becomes servant to Alexander and witness to his tumultuous court as Alexander attempts to rule a conquered people while his generals have very different ideas of what it means to rule. The longest novel in the series, Renault’s portrayal of the clash of cultures as the Greeks try to rule the Persians is a highlight of the novel.
Alexander’s sudden death sends the ancient near east into violent turmoil as various factions fight for their slice of Alexander’s empire. The shortest novel in the series, Funeral Games is also the most action-packed. A tense and dynamic conclusion to the trilogy.
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