Author: Faye Turner

ISBN: 0976250039

The wife of Philip of Macedonia is pregnant with a child whose birth, as a son, will let Philip continue to rule his land. A secret web of conspirators is on its move against the destined scene of a great leader’s birth and the one person who can save the true prince is someone who can question the paternity of the coming child. After Brown’s Da Vinci Code, Faye Turner takes her turn of reinventing history through her latest historical novel Traces: Birth of Alexander the Great (Ki Eea Key Press, Tennessee, 2006). In 400 pages, Turner reconstructs the events that were at play at the time of Alexander’s birth, giving voice to a new view of the great leader’s arrival in the face of hostile circumstances.

The mystique introduced at the novel’s beginning does not permeate the book’s whole length as we look at the scene of the ancient Greek land through the eyes of a fictional character, the physician Daneion Pelos. Readers are not conveyed the precise historical time of the events and this partly adds to the sense of living in a mythological sphere. Yet, there is a deep feeling of thoughtfulness in the protagonist’s narration as he struggles to cope with the prevalent hunger and disease among the natives and also tends to his own position in the coming birth of, apparently, Philip’s child.

As a writer and researcher, Faye Turner shows her skill in taking care of historical issues other than Alexander’s birth. She drives attention to the financial equality and competition over resources among the different local groups, the superstitions of the masses, the family structure and organization, means of travel, and several issues that a modern reader can compare with his/her own society. A generalized map precedes the novel’s beginning and cast of characters along with transliteration of significant Greek words at the book’s end help the reader with enjoying the story better. 

As the novel approaches the end, the author allows a few empathetic tears to go with the protagonist’s benevolent soul. We can not be mistaken in realizing that the work is not about Alexander the Great. It relates to some arcane character(s) whose magnanimity paved the way for making Alexander’s name history.

 For lovers of historical fiction, Traces is a worth reading publication.   

 The above review was contributed by: Ernest Dempsey,  pen name of Karim Khan from Pakistan is a Research Associate in Geology writes fiction, nonfiction, and book reviews. To read more of Karim's Review CLICK HERE