Champion of the Dead [Hardcover]

Patrick Hatten (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2003

Lamachus the Golden was a man ready to ascend to greatness. The champion of Athens, the finest boxer in the games, was appreciated for his grace, his melodious voice, and his athletic skill. All anticipated his match with the "'Bull of Corinth", a brutish boxer whose huge bulk had proven to be a challenge for Lamachus. When Lamachus drops to the ground, no one can believe it. The greatest boxer to grace the games knocked out by the merest tap from his brutish opponent. But in fact, it is even worse- Lamachus is dead-poisoned! But how could a young man in his prime be poisoned mid-match? Who would want to kill the "Champion of Athens"?

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patrick Hatten grew up in Tucson, AZ. He entered SFSU's creative writing program and earned a BA in 1981. He wrote several science-fiction novels during this time, but was more successful at publishing his poetry. Later, at Sonoma State University, he submitted for his master's thesis a long historical novel set in France during the era of the crusades. His next historical novel was Champion Of The Dead. Patrick now lives with his family in northern California. In 2002 he founded a publishing company to bring out his Survival Planet series for young readers. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Hilliard & Harris Publishers (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591330408
• ISBN-13: 978-1591330400
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,774,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic historical fiction, January 30, 2004

By 

Sonya (Oceanside, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Champion of the Dead (Paperback)

This is a great book for those who want a hands-on ancient Athens experience. If you're looking for literary immersion, which feeds you the sights, sounds and smells that make you feel you are actually in the Agora market place, the everyman's sparring gym and establishments that range from a brothel to most elite homes of the city, this is your book. Hatten is *extremely* knowledgeable of the setting, customs and period. Though his attention to detail may very briefly seem daunting for non-"Greek geeks", like myself, this passes very quickly. The author clearly explains his references in a subtle, non-condescending type of way. What also makes this book intriguing is that the protagonist, Idas, is a metic (half-citizen), though well educated and a successful merchant. This status, however, allows him to acquaint and involve himself with a wide breadth of characters, from the privileged to servant class, which makes for very interesting reading.

As for plot, Idas is a very honorable man, whose objective is to seek the killer of his boxing mentor and idol Lamachus, the Champion of Athens. In the process of his quest, Idas discovers that his hero was not quite as noble as his façade implied and wrestles with the ideas of both political and personal motives for the murder. I highly recommend this book, particularly for those who love historical fiction.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars delightful, September 18, 2004

By 

cordellia - See all my reviews

This review is from: Champion of the Dead (Paperback)

This book took me back to early days of summer reading, when life was full of meaning and potential, and each classic became a path to discovery. The history in this novel is rich and mysterious, an alien world to my own, but handled with such integrity that it became easy to adopt Idas as a hero.

All those who are curious about the Greek culture will revel in the detailed descriptions. I am giving it four stars because of a slight verbal tightness at the start. It was a joyful and informative book.