Stealing Fire [Paperback]

Jo Graham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2010

Alexander the Great's soldier, Lydias of Miletus, has survived the final campaigns of the king's life. He now has to deal with the chaos surrounding his death. Lydias throws his lot in with Ptolemy, one of Alexander's generals who has grabbed Egypt as his personal territory. Aided by the eunuch Bagoas, the Persian archer Artashir, and the Athenian courtesan Thais, Ptolemy and Lydias must take on all the contenders in a desperate adventure whose prize is the fate of a white city by the sea, and Alexander's legacy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Alexander the Great is dead, and his generals are fighting over his empire. One of them, Ptolemy, makes for Egypt, along with narrator Lydias, who worked his way up from slavery to Alexander's side and is present when the goddess Isis tells Ptolemy he must become pharaoh to protect Egypt against evil spirits and foreign invaders. As Ptolemy begins governing a free Egypt and building a diverse new society in Alexandria, he entrusts Lydias with a vital mission: stealing Alexander's body and bringing it to Egypt to release his spirit. Graham (Hand of Isis) drives a powerful current through subtle prose, weaving magic into the story rather than casting metaphorical fireballs. Lydias embodies perfect devotion, yearning to protect what he loves and mourning those he has failed, and his story will confirm Graham's place in the highest ranks of historical fantasists. (June)
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About the Author

Jo Graham lives in North Carolina with her family, and has worked in politics for many years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316076392
• ISBN-13: 978-0316076395
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Small but Exquisite Treat, May 19, 2010

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Stealing Fire (Paperback)

Ever had a meal that was absolutely exquisite, but the portion was so small that your stomach was still rumbling afterward? My experience with Stealing Fire was much like that.

Jo Graham's Numinous World series is best described as "historical fantasy" and revolves around a core group of characters who are reincarnated at various points in history. The protagonist of Stealing Fire, Lydias of Miletus, lived previously as Gull in Black Ships, and will later live as Charmian in Hand of Isis.

Alexander the Great has died, and his empire has fallen into chaos as his nobles fight amongst themselves for power. Lydias, a soldier who feels emotionally adrift after losing everyone he loved, chooses to accompany Ptolemy to Egypt. Trouble follows Lydias, both in the form of political/military danger from Alexander's other generals and in the form of restless spirits. Alexander had been crowned as Pharaoh, and the spirits of Egypt will only be appeased when Alexander is given the proper funeral rites and a new Pharaoh enthroned. This isn't as easy as it sounds. Alexander's body lies in the hands of Ptolemy's enemy, and besides, Ptolemy doesn't want to be king, wishing only to hold the throne in the name of Alexander's infant son.

Interspersed with this plotline, told in flashbacks, is the story of how Lydias rose from slavery to his current position. The scenes narrating Lydias' adolescence are some of the most moving in the novel. You can't help but love this gutsy, idealistic young man.

Graham's work is, as always, meticulously researched and beautifully written. She immerses the reader in the place and time: the often-foreign-to-us attitudes, the smell of the food, and most of all, the sense of upheaval. We have the benefit of hindsight and know how things turned out, but Graham shows us just how uncertain the situation was at the time. It must have felt like the end of the world.

Stealing Fire is a compelling yarn, a love letter to Egypt, and a meditation on how best to govern a diverse realm. (And how *not* to govern one.) Graham's political background shines through as the characters discuss what makes a great leader. Her gift for humor is in evidence, too:

"He looked at me and his eyes twinkled. 'Besides, is politics so different than dealing with horses?'

I laughed. 'I suppose not,' I said. 'Only we cannot geld for bad temper!'

'I'm considering it,' Ptolemy said."

Yet, as I said above, I was left hungry for more. As in Hand of Isis, I felt there was a lot of story that hadn't made it into the book. In Hand of Isis, I craved more scenes of Iras; in Stealing Fire, what seemed too brief were the relationships and the fantasy elements. Lydias has several partners over the course of the book, and some of these relationships could have benefited from more page time. As for the fantasy elements, we only get a few scenes showing the destruction wrought by the restless spirits. For various reasons, it takes several years for Lydias and Ptolemy to implement their solution, yet we don't get a sense of mounting danger as time passes (from the spirits, anyway; there's plenty from Ptolemy's rivals). True, Lydias spends much of this time away on campaign, but a few more scenes before his departure and after his return might have made his mission seem more pressing.

In fantasy, there are lots of great short-story ideas that get stretched into long novels, great novel ideas that become bloated trilogies, and great trilogy ideas that become long, plodding series. With that in mind, maybe I shouldn't complain that Stealing Fire feels like an 800-page book compressed into 300 pages. After all, Jo Graham left me wanting more, and there's something to be said for that. I'd gladly read the 800-page version, though!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical fantasy., August 18, 2010

By 

Holly Bird (Tampa Bay, FL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stealing Fire (Paperback)

Having read & loved most everything Judith Tarr has written, Jo Graham is my new favorite historical fantasy writer. _Stealing Fire_ is beautifully detailed and well-researched, set in the years after the death of Alexander the Great and the founding of his city, Alexandria. Filled with lovely moments that lift the hairs on the back of your neck alongside fast action, suspense and battle scenes. Flashbacks to develop the back story during Alexander's campaign are handled well and the characters are memorable: decent people working at the side of great ones, caught up in massive events. A terrific, satisfying read. Looking forward to more in the "Numinous World" series which also links _The Black Ships_ and _Hand of Isis_ in their reincarnated main characters

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great ancient historical fantasy, May 30, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stealing Fire (Paperback)

The Macedonian world conqueror is dead and his strongest supporters struggle with what to do in the aftermath as Alexander the Great was a man of epic proportions. Lydias of Macedon was with Alexander as he defeated all opponents, but he learns quickly that nothing will be the same as he leaves behind his ruler's corpse fleeing for his life.

Lydias joins the side of one of Alexander's top officers, General Ptolemy, who heads to Egypt to take control of the African nation. In country, Lydias meets other expatriates who pledge loyalty to Ptolemy. However, the Macedonian is shocked from those who come from beyond as the dead and the gods abet the general and his supporters in bringing Alexander's corpse and spirit to Egypt as his final resting place. However the biggest stunner for the honest Lydias is what Isis bestows on him.

This is a great ancient historical fantasy that brings to life the era just after Alexander's sudden death within a strong Egyptian mythos. Diogenes would have ended his search if he met Lydias who with a strong support cast serves as the center of the story line even as the real General Ptolemy begins a dynasty in Egypt. Stealing Fire is a terrific BC Egyptian thriller.

Harriet Klausner