The Conqueror's Wife by Stephanie Thornton

[Alexias]

This novel deserves to be wider known than it appears to be, and I would recommend it. Published in 2015, it is narrated in turn by Thessalonike (Alexander's sister), Drypetis (Hephaestion's wife), Roxana, and Hephaestion. Alexander isn't a central character, but he is the pivot around which the whole narrative revolves, so we don't really get to know him, apart from him seeming a little unhinged in the beginning, becoming something of a tyrant, and then brought back to Hephaestion by the death of Bucephalus. Unaccountably, he also seems to be something of a pyromaniac.

Hephaestion is portrayed as a bear of a man, a lover of Pindar and a good wine, and the only one who can divert Alexander's mood. He comes across as rather lovable, but exactly why he and Alexander love each other isn't really gone into.

The three young female narrators at first come across as different versions of the same person - tempestuous, independent, and craving more from their life. This makes the shift between the different points of view easier in the earlier part of the novel, but gradually Drypetis emerges as the most sympathetic, and Roxana as a complete b****.

The novel is written with rather broad brushstrokes and the style is a little bit comic bookish at times, plus it is not 100% historically accurate, but that doesn't really matter as the author manages to tell a really good story. No mean feat when you already know the plot.

One thing that I don't understand though is this need to put Questions for Discussion at the end of the novel. Who is this aimed at? Students? Reading Groups? Or to convince us that this is a 'serious' novel?

[Jeanne Reames]

FWIW ... the questions are typically a decision made by the publisher. I don't know who they're aiming it at, but I was asked to provide some for mine. I expect she was, as well. I doubt it's often an author's decision any more than cover choices, back-matter, or (occasionally) even the book's title. Publishers control a lot.

[Alexias]

Ah, right, thank you, that makes more sense if it is a marketing ploy to convince you you are getting more value for your money, like DVD extras, to maybe get you to buy the physical copy of the book rather than the ebook. There were also other things such as an interview with the author and a preview of a forthcoming book, but the questions were also in the Jo Graham book, which made me think I was missing some hidden agenda.

[Jeanne Reames]

Yeah, the agenda is the publisher hoping book clubs pick up the novel. Ha.