Customer Reviews

THE CONQUEROR

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"Mary Sue": a story in which the author (usually a female) puts too much of her own wishes/daydreams and physical attributes (or wannabe attributes) into a tale, allowing herself to become the heroine that "saves" the hero and--of course--wins his love in the end.

And a "Mary Sue" is exactly how to describe this book! It had me rolling my eyes so often I thought they were going to spin right out of my head! Much of the plot was laughable, with Roxanne needing rescuing far too many times, and Alexander's near obsessive attraction to her was simply unbelievable. Without revealing any spoilers, I will say that the author clearly projected herself into her Xena-like heroine, and stretched all plausibility by not only making her a fair-skinned redhead (like herself), but by also giving her far too much importance in Alexander's life, putting her front and center into very significant events where the real Roxanne probably played no role. (Of course, in all fairness, without this inflated role we would have a rather boring Roxanne-related book.) More often than not her Alexander wasn't a terribly likeable character, and I only found myself reading it to the end just to find out how many times the author would change known historical facts just to suit her plot. This is not a book I would place on an Alexander 'must-read' list, except for *really* die-hard romance fans, as the author did follow the usual schlock romance formula.

And Alexander was a blonde, so what's with the brunette on the cover?? Just one more historical inaccuracy that had me shaking my head!

I don't know how I'd classify this book. There were things I liked about it, but then again, there were things that just annoyed me about it.

When I saw the cover on this book my first thought was "gorgeous". But I found myself looking at the cover again and again as I read the story. As much as I like the picture of Cherif Fortin on the cover, it was completely wrong for the book since the hero, Alexander, was described as being a blond. One of my huge pet peeves...why can't the cover match the characters?

Another thing that bothered me was the constant bickering and planning the heroine did. Sure, she didn't want to be married to the hero, wanted to marry a cousin of hers but that didn't stop her from turning to putty each time the hero touched her. And always, right after they did, she would tell him she never wanted him to touch her and she hated him. Why do they do that? That's another pet peeve of mine...the love/hate relationship and the constant fighting.

At times the heroine acted like a spoiled little girl and I kept thinking the hero could probably find someone else much better than her. For me, Alexander made the book for me, even if the cover was all wrong. *G*.

Mad

Setting: Persian Empire, 4th Century B.C.

This novel about the alliance between Alexander the Great and Princess Roxanne of Persia is filled with colorful descriptions of opulent court life, the beauty of the area, the perils of war, and Alexander's military genius and his relentless passion for building his empire by conquering the world. At the heart of the novel is the sensual love affair that weaves a brilliant tapestry of history, love and adventure that keeps the reader enthralled from beginning to end. This is the kind of book you can't put down.

Ms. French paints a glorious picture of the times that brings history to life as she delves into the relationship between Alexander and Roxanne, Alexander's famous companions, Roxanne's family and followers and the treachery therein. Plots against Roxanne's life are numerous. After a while you will think the woman has nine lives. I loved the ending. There is no doubt in my mind that Judith French is one hell of a storyteller. THE CONQUEOR is a story that flows effortlessly and is highly entertaining as well as informative.

Suzanne Coleburn, Reader To Reader Reviews

Judith French has outdone herself again with this "broke the mold" romance novel! I've enjoyed her works for over ten years, and I must say, this one soars to my favorites list! Her imagery is incredible; I could visualize every nuance of a setting, character, clothing, etc. In addition, as history major, I was impressed with the time that she obviously placed into her research. I'm not sure that the random reader would recognize her accuracy and understand the amount of cross research done as well, so I laud her efforts. Although I love the romance genre as a method of escape from daily life, this does not mean that I want the exact same plot and ending in every story. Face it, we know what happens to Alexander and Roxanne as history indicates, but we've never had so much thrill and intrigue getting to that end. I was delighted with her ability to weave a romance that allows the reader to "know" Alexander and Roxanne intimately, in a way we would not otherwise have had the pleasure. Yet, Ms. French did not corrupt their compelling and tragic history with a trite, dime store novel fictional ending. Yes, Ms. French... kudos to you. You've worked a piece of history in a way that no other author I know can do.

As a history major in college I love to read the historical that you can tell the author took the time to research. Ms. French does know her stuff when it comes to Alexander the Great! This was a good story which is true to history (be prepared Alexander the Great died at the age of 32 and so too does our hero) and so I was reluctant to pick up a book that was based on an actual historic figuer such as Alexander. After all I want a happy ending right?

The problem that I had with the book was due to the fact that there were so many slow parts, and parts where our heroine was just so silly or "strong willed" that I simply could not like her. I did take into account the time period, the fact that she had been raised and allowed to think that even though she was a princess born she had the ability to be a prince, (not to say that women can't do it all) and then expect the conquering army to just leave her alone. She finally warms up to Alexander after he marries her, sired a child on her, and tells her that he loves her problem is she comes around not long before he dies. Of course by this time she realizes what a goose she's been but it's too late. Still over all Ms. French pens a very vividly descriptive tale that takes you back in time to a very unsettled period where armies did sweep steepes and seas in order to call a far off didstant land theirs. This book may not be for everyone but it's still worth reading and if your unsure if you want to spend a lot of money, borrow it from a friend or by it second hand.

The Conqueror by Judith French is a wonderful and romantic story. As a voracous reader who normally does not read romance, I was delighted to enjoy this novel so much. The history was amazing. The characters came alive for me. I find the author's storytelling to be much like that of sweeping English historical writers such as Anya Seton. No, this is not a typical romance. It is gritty and compelling, and I for one, could not put it down.

This book is so exciting, I could not put it down. It was like being there! The history and the passion all together. It is the best book I have read this year and in may years! Go buy it now or you will be at a loss!

I cannot reiterate enough how irritated this book made me. Honestly, she sees him with a concubine--i wanted to shoot them all. She walks into his room to find said concubine in his bed--slit throats. When she's pregnant, he gets married AGAIN--toss the book at a wall, scream in rage, tear out intestines. At the end, "I was never with them...." (NOT A REAL SENTENCE) SERIOUSLYYYYYYYYY??????? WHAT THE HECK? If you like jealousy, go for it. If not, don't even look. And i agree with some reviews, she is rescued way too much for an amazing heroine. The summary on the back is terribly misleading...don't believe it.

This book started out a bit intriguing and suspenseful, but after the heroine is conquered by "Alexander the Great", it fell rather short due to it being extremely far-fetched and unrealistic. The only positive to this book was the excellent vocabulary.

First and foremost, the historical events within this book were erroneous. Surely, authors can utilize historical events within their stories in order to depict the times and era the romance is taking place, but in this story, the author fails to deliver an all out realistic and romantic story. Alexander came out as a pampas fool and Roxana came out as being over the top too rebellious lacking femininity. The author set her sights on too high of a historical figure; an extremely political controversial figure whose sexuality until this day remains questionable. The author dismissed Alexander's sexual behavior as being simply just rumors and his beloved friends and army as mere Companions; Companions who managed to keep him away for weeks on end from his wife. On an overall basis, this relationship did not completely sell and the story could have been written differently with entirely different characters.

With the internet widely available today, savvy readers pretty much know the outcome of these two historical figures. Thus, reading a romance with rearranged historical events does not constitute an intelligent book and results as being way over the top and utterly mundane. The heroine's last minute realization that she did indeed love her Alexander upon his deathbed came out as being completely fabricated with no supporting evidence. The only thing going for these two was the intense sexual chemistry they shared. Naturally, what else could be expected of the great Alexander rumored to have had an elaborate concubine in addition to such a vastly diverse army.
In this book, I found myself rooting for the underdog (Kayan), who time and time again is repeated to really hold the princess' heart, to then at the very end is completely dismissed as a brotherly figure and menial love interest that disappears into the pages of fabricated history.

When I first read the back of this book I was hesitant to read it because I remembered my world history from high school and knew that Alexander the Great died at the age of 33. I tend to be the type of person that reads romance books because I love a happy ending. So, knowing Alexander was going to die I almost didn't buy the book. However, it was a wonderful story! I fell totally in love with Alexander and Roxanne. The book drew you in. I was totally engrossed with the story.