20th January 2013

Poseidon's Spear - Christian Cameron

The last couple of decades have brought forward a generation of truly first class historical novelists and in the front rank of this phalanx is Christian Cameron.  His latest novel continues the adventures of Arimnestos of Plataea who has already seen more action than most men have had hot dinners.   Arimnestos is a real man in the sense that he has faults, he makes mistakes and some times his actions are less than honourable but despite all this he still comes across as the classic Homeric hero.   As the book opens Arimnestos is returning home lauded as a hero of the battle of Marathon but finds that his beloved wife Euphoria has died in childbirth.   Distraught he attempts suicide by throwing himself into the sea but is picked up by a Carthaginian ship and enslaved by it's sadistic captain Dagon.   I will not attempt to summarise his escape and following adventures but rather recommend that one reads this excellent book.   The two preceeding volumes of Arimnestos' adventures are Killer of Men  and Marathon and whilst Poseidon's Spear can be read alone I would suggest that more pleasure will follow reading the entire series.   Christian Cameron has written nine novels of which I have read eight and "every one a little gem" as Arthur Askey used to say.   I eagerly await the further adventures of Arimnestos.