The Last King of Lydia

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I will only discuss general aspects of the book rather than specific plot points and therefore consider it a spoiler-free review. The story is a gripping tale of ancient kingdoms, yet its central theme should give warning to any contemporary world leader, or greedy corporate fat cat.

The first chapter gives a strong sense of what's to follow: The guards had long since learned the way to make a royal prisoner docile.Croesus is depicted as a flawed leader, but Leach skilfully persuades the reader to keep rooting for him, despite his mistakes. It is a strange friendship that he strikes up with Isocrates as a fellow slave; an odd respect that he learns for his conqueror, the Persian King Cyrus. I heartily recommend "The Last King of Lydia" to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and anyone who has read and enjoyed Herodotus.

I thought this was a really wonderful modern retelling of Herodotus' account of Croesus, written in a simple but beautiful style that maintains a suitably classical feel while also importing some modern touches. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I found it to be a compelling story of the ancient world.Teetered between 4 and 5 but in the end concluded that the extra star was worth it for the originality. Leach puts these words in the mouth of a 5th Century BC ruler, yet I’m not sure I’ve read a more apposite phrase to sum up what’s wrong with modern society. HNS Awards have helped discover and launch the author careers of Michel Faber, Ruth Downie, Hilary Green, Martin Sutton, Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott, Nikki Marmery, Margaret Skea, Warwick Cairns, Katherine Mezzacappa and Elizabeth Macneal.

Croesus is not a man one might aspire to be like or be with, but his journey through life is a deep, varied and intimate one which I really enjoyed. and made offerings to Greek shrines, especially *Delphi; anecdotes attest his friendliness to Greek visitors and his wealth. So long as you allowed a king the illusion of servility he would go with your calmly, even as you led him to his death. By taking on the might of the Persian Empire in the quest for even more wealth, Croesus meets his match in Cyrus of Persia, an expert military strategist. There aren't a lot of novels that cover this period, so while I do applaud the author's efforts, I think the story fell flat.If you absolutely hate anything remotely like spoilers, you might want to stop reading now, although I don't think these will qualify as plot revealers. It's a book of philosophy as much as history, about what we can and should do to be happy, and perhaps a little about second chances to bring happiness to others. It was a fascinating read, a great story very well told, and makes me keen to read more about the ancient world. In the publicity for The last King of Lydia comparisons are made with among other authors, Mary Renault, who is still considered the best of historical novelists focussing on ancient Greece. It deals with the sort of intimate themes that would appeal to a child and, while it’s bigger than your average children’s novel, it’s not too long.