Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was the King of the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon in the 300's BC. He was a great military man, having virtually no losses in battle. Alexander conquered Persia in the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. A lot of cities were named after him and becoming one of the most influential men in history.
Hephaestion, the son of a Macedon nobleman, was Alexander's friend and close advisor and he plays a pivotal role in this story. Hephaestion and Alexander were friends throughout their lives. He married Drypteis and became part of the royal family.
Drypteis was the daughter of Stateira I and Darius III of Persia. Her family which included her mother, her sister Stateira, and her grandmother Sisygambis were captured by Alexander and kept with him for a great period of time. Even though Darius III tried on numerous occasions to ransom his family, he was not successful.
Roxana was a Bactrian princess and wife to Alexander. It was rumored that she killed Stateira II. After Alexander's death, she gave birth to Alexander.
Olympias was queen consort to Phillip II and Alexander's mother. She was a very influential woman of her time.
Thessalonike was a princess of Macedon and step daughter of Olympias who raised her after her mother died, therefore, she was also a half-sister to Alexander.
These characters from history along with many more make this novel a treat to read, it brought back a lot of memories of Greek history to me as I had alway loved this period in history. I read a lot of Greek history in high school. This novel is impeccably researched by the author and she is definitely well versed in this time period. I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel that I have read of Stephanie Thornton and intend to read more.
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