167 ratings | 39 reviews | avg rating:4.54

Jeanne’s Year In Books

Jeanne’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Jeanne’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Jeanne’s 2025 Year in Books

Jeanne Reames’s Followers (95)

Jeanne’s Bookshelves

to-read (117)
currently-reading (4)
read (169)
did-not-finish (0)

Jeanne’s Friends (53)

Chel

252 books | 10 friends

Amber J (Thereadingwitch)

2,895 books | 1,578 friends

Scott

191 books | 494 friends

Icarus

339 books | 85 friends

Catherine Richmond

1,070 books | 358 friends

Zach Jacobs

298 books | 46 friends

Sarah E Hanks

872 books | 15 friends

Elena Mauro

456 books | 264 friends

More friends…

Jeanne Reames

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

https://jeannereames.net/Dancing_with_the_Lion/...

Twitter

Jeanne_Reames

Genre

Historical Fiction, History, Science Fiction

Influences

Toni Morrison, Louise Erdich, Sherman Alexie, Iris Murdoch, John Irvin ...more

Member Since

May 2012

edit data

Mother, writer, history professor, Homer fangirl and Alexander the Great geek. Interviewed expert for The History Channel's "Ancient Empires: Alexander the Great." ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Jeanne Reames questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Hey, I really enjoyed your Alexander books and the way you interpreted the character of Alexander. I was wondering, how did you discover him and what was it about him that fascinates you so? Also what non-fiction would you recommend to a beginner Alexander the Great geek like myself? (:

Jeanne Reames Hi, Saimi! First, let me apologize for the slight delay in my reply. I teach full time and I'm also heading overseas shortly, so I've been a tad press…moreHi, Saimi! First, let me apologize for the slight delay in my reply. I teach full time and I'm also heading overseas shortly, so I've been a tad pressed for time. :-o

Also, before I get started, let me note that I have a website about the novels with a lot of extras--including a couple extra and cut scenes--plus Vlogs, how to pronounce names, etc. It's all here:
https://jeannereames.net/Dancing_with...

In addition, I keep a blog (which I think Goodreads does link to?), but in case not, you can find it here, that might have a number of topics of interest in short entries (usually 1-3 pages, a few longer, and images *grin*):
https://awomanscholar.blogspot.com/

Now... to your question: Why Alexander and how I discovered him? Waaaay back in the middle/late 80s (yes, I'm old) I was getting my masters in Theological Studies, and the professors kept mentioning this guy "Alexander the Great" as if all the students ought to know who he was. Well, I'd *hated* history in school (I blame bad teachers) so got through both high school and college with not a single world history class. Had no IDEA who "Alexander the Great" was. Deciding maybe I ought to learn, given how pivotal he seemed to be, I hiked over to the Emory Univ. library, and checked out two books at random. Fatefully, they were N.G.L. Hammond's Alexander the Great: King, Commander and Statesmen; and Peter Green's, Alexander of Macedon (which I read in that order).

I couldn't have picked two more divergent views if I'd tried! I became fascinated by this guy who loomed so large, but who excited such *differing* views. I started reading, and as I seem incapable of doing anything by halves, I eventually wound up pursuing a PhD in the subject. But prior to that, I had the idea for a novel about his youth. (I was unaware of Mary Renault's Fire from Heaven, at the time.)

So in December of 1988, I opened a file and started a novel about a run-away boy (Hephaistion) who landed in Pella and ran into the prince after getting the better of another page. (The scene between Hephaistion and Kassandros at the opening of chapter 2 is all-but-unchanged aside from correcting some details.) Almost from the beginning, Hephaistion was formed. He sat up in my head and started dictating, and I had to take notes. ;-) Alexander was slower to coalesce. I had to write my way into understanding him. But yes, the novel has always been their story, and Hephaistion has always been as important to it as Alexander. (That I later did my PhD dissertation on Hephaistion is probably not a great surprise.)

As for where you, as a new fan of Alexander (*grin*), might begin, if you read it, in the back of Book 2 (Rise) I have an author's note about my choices, but also, a list of sources, with some of the better known names in Macedonian and Alexander studies (et al.).

But let me offer my textbook list from the undergraduate class I teach on Alexander, here at UNO:

Before Alexander: Constructing Early Macedonia, Eugene N. Borza
Shorter, cheaper intro to Macedonia by the author of In the Shadow of Olympus.

Alexander the Great and His World, Carol Thomas
Similar to the above, but looks at the wider Greek world as well and more aimed at ATG.

Alexander the Great: Legacy of a Conqueror, W. Lindsay Adams
Short, to the point and reflects recent work on Macedonia itself.

Into the Land of Bones, Frank Holt
Adams’ text above doesn’t deal much with Afghanistan; I want to spend a bit more time here.

Secondary Texts: Recommended

Conquest and Empire, A. B. Bosworth (required for grads)
Longer biography with more detail, but 1988, so less on recent Macedonian advances

The Persians, Maria Brosius (required for grads)
A good, brief introduction to Alexander’s chief adversaries and the land he invaded

The Wars of Alexander the Great, Waldemar Heckel (required for grads)
Nice, brief little resource focusing on ATG as military leader with lots of good illustrations.

The Original (Primary) Sources: All of these are available in cheap Penguin or Oxford translations.

Arrian's Anabasis and Indica (Alexander the Great)
Curtius Rufus' A History of Alexander
Plutarch's Life of Alexander (The Age of Alexander)
Diodorus Siculus' World History, Loeb book 17 (Philip and ATG)
Justin on Alexander (Yardley's translation)(less)

flag

2 likes · like
Comment

See 1 answer from Jeanne Reames…

Combine Editions
Jeanne Reames’s books

Average rating: 4.11 · 980 ratings · 221 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	Becoming (Dancing with the Lion #1) 4.03 avg rating — 623 ratings — published 2019 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rise (Dancing with the Lion #2) 4.21 avg rating — 317 ratings — published 2019 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bundle: Dancing with the Lion: The Complete Collection 4.64 avg rating — 33 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Macedonian Legacies: Studies in Ancient Macedonian History and Culture in Honor of Eugene N. Borza by Jeanne Reames (Goodreads Author) (editor), Timothy Howe (Editor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Macedon and Its Influences: Narratives of Politics and War in Honor of Edward M. Anson by Jeanne Reames (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Graham Wrightson (Editor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2024	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Jeanne Reames…

45 posts
Jeanne Reames's Blog

Clothing and Hairstyles of Ancient Greece & Macedonia

Clothing and Hairstyles in ancient Macedonia

(this is a repost of something from 2019 that disappeared)

Ancient Greek and Macedonianclothing was relatively simple, in terms of not requiring much stitching. It usuallyamounted to a large, rectangular piece of cloth that was then folded, pinned,and tied in various ways.

Women wore one of two primarygarmets: the peplos (both left below) or the kh

Series by Jeanne Reames

Dancing with the Lion (2 books)
by

Jeanne Reames (Goodreads Author)

4.09 avg rating — 940 ratings

Jeanne is Currently Reading

Jeanne is currently reading

Isle of Winds (The Changeling, #1)

by James Fahy

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Sep 11, 2023 11:39PM

Jeanne is currently reading

Sneak Peek for Witch King

by Martha Wells (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Aug 18, 2023 09:18PM

Jeanne is currently reading

Black Wings (Fiction Without Frontiers)

by Megan Hart (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 12, 2023 02:06AM

rss
Jeanne’s Recent Updates

Jeanne liked chloé's review of Becoming (Dancing with the Lion #1): "I’d like to thank Jeanne Reames for getting me out of a reading slump. "
Apr 17, 2026 10:00AM · see review
Jeanne liked Berethil's review of Becoming (Dancing with the Lion #1): "Probably my favourite novel about Alexander so far! I picked this up after being left unsatisfied by the Renault trilogy. This time I wasn’t disappointed. I love how Reames writes Alexander and Hephaestion. Alexander feels human rather than like a shin" Read more of this review »
Apr 17, 2026 10:00AM · see review
Jeanne liked Berethil's review of Rise (Dancing with the Lion #2): "I enjoyed this an unhealthy amount. I love how Reames writes these historical figures and breathes new life into them. She transports you back to ancient Macedonia but at the same time lets you empathise with the characters, as far removed as some of " Read more of this review »
Apr 03, 2026 06:00PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Rise by Jeanne Reames. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rise by Jeanne Reames <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jeanne wants to read Son of Nobody by Yann Martel	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 31, 2026 07:04PM · like
Jeanne entered a giveaway Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1) by Tomi Adeyemi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 01, 2026 10:08AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jeanne liked M K's review of Becoming (Dancing with the Lion #1): "A rich story of both Greek history and early budding of romance. Beautiful writing style."
Feb 23, 2026 10:14PM · see review
Jeanne rated a book it was amazing The Jesus Thief (The Jesus Thief, #1) by J.R. Lankford (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 05, 2026 04:36PM · like
Jeanne made a comment on Icarus’s review of Becoming (Dancing with the Lion #1) " Thank you. I do hope you enjoy the second! "
Jan 18, 2026 08:55PM · see review
Jeanne rated a book it was amazing Two Hearts One Piano by Catherine Richmond (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A Romance with Teeth, and Heart .... Richmond tackles the tough stuff: date-rape drugs and unwanted pregnancy, and how that torpedoes a young woman’s life and career plans. Women bear the brunt of blame as well as responsibility for any offspring the ...more
Oct 03, 2025 05:05PM · 1 like · like · see review
Jeanne wants to read Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2025 09:30PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">