Iggulden doesn't just describe the ancient world, he takes you there.
The second installment in his Athenian series is just as gripping as the first. From the salt spray and the sea battles of Salamis, to the blood and dust in the middle of the phalanx as the Greeks fight to preserve the western world, this is historical fiction at its very finest.
Conn takes famous names from the ancient past and brings them back to life, their flaws and their triumphs laid bare upon the page, he has a unique ability to make them feel real. You understand their motivations, feel their frustrations and sense their doubt.
Having previously read Christian Cameron's Arimnestos series covering the same ground, I was a bit indifferent when I first picked up Gates of Athens, wondering if I would enjoy journeying a road I had already walked. But the two books in the series so far have been fantastic, and I can't wait for the next one.
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