I have enjoyed Judith Tarr's books for a number of years. She has a talent for writing historical fiction. Some are pure historical works while others bring in a touch of a fantasy element to them.

This is her most recent book and focuses on the tale of Alexander the Great's mother Olypias. When the story starts, she is a priestess for the Mother, a traditional goddess of her people, and goes by the name of Polyxena. She is a princess and a niece of the current king of her land. Her aunt has a great deal of concern about her abilities, which she believes may lead to a troublesome downfall of the natural order.

She is sent to serve as part of a rite on what I can only assume is Crete because of its ties to the Minotaur. It is while she is there that she meets her future husband Philip of Macedon and falls in love. This sets her on the path to a future that will change Western history.

The novel is broken down into three sections, each titled with her name, which changes throughout her ever evolving life. She definitely has a tie to a great deal of magical powers, which she devotes to the Mother, and we get a glimpse at her love of snakes.

This book is one which focuses primarily on her own personal, internal development as she evolves into one of the most powerful and influential women in ancient history. We get a strong glimpse at the role of women in her culture, which leaves the reader outside of much of the action that usually provides a great deal of interest for those who study the time period.

There are some moments when the books could move a little more quickly, and I would have liked to see it continue further in her life, but I think that has been left to a sequel that has yet to be written.

The biggest fault I found in the book was a complete lack of an Author's Note to present Tarr's research and how those sources presented the woman that takes on the central role in the book. It would have been interesting to read a bit about the real Olympias and how Tarr adapted history or certain individuals when presenting this dramatic version of history.