Grab By The Sword (Spoils Of Olympus, #1) Written By Christian Kachel Viewable As Hardcover

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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 sitelinkThe 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 welldrawn.
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.
A very skillfully crafted historical fiction novel which is well deserving of the sequel yet to come.
Lots of juicy actionpacked scenes that is laced with gorgeous backdrops, Christian Kachel's debut to a riveting and energetic read with a unique and creative prospective brings to life, the time era ofBC 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, 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 hairraising battle and warrior scenes.
Looking forward to Christian Kachel's next novel! I originally reviewed this for the Historical Novel ,

It isBC and the Macedonian Empire is reeling in the wake of Alexanders 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 selfrecrimination he catches the eye of an agent who is part of a secret brotherhood dedicated to the preservation of Alexanders 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 Macedons conquered realm.
It is thoroughly researched, and it has the undeniable authenticity of a soldier Kachel writing of a soldiers 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.
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