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Dolk van Sparta
Van alle Griekse stadstaten spreekt Sparta het meest tot de verbeelding. De ijzeren discipline, moed en de aan waanzin grenzende toewijding aan oorlog voeren, zijn al talloze malen beschreven en verfilmd. Tot nu toe echter nog nooit zo nauwkeurig, meeslepend en levensecht als in Dolk van Sparta.
In de 4e eeuw voor Christus had Sparta het leeuwendeel van Griekenland veroverd en nergens was deze heerschappij wreder dan op eigen grondgebied. Drie eeuwen eerder hadden de Spartanen de
heloten overwonnen en elk jaar herinnerden ze hen aan hun onderwerping door jonge soldaten eropuit te sturen om weerloze slaven te vermoorden.
Op een van deze avonden ziet de heloot Protos hoe zijn ouders als dieren worden opgejaagd en vermoord. Hij weet ternauwernood te ontkomen en doodt daarbij een van zijn achtervolgers. Daarmee zet Protos een reeks gebeurtenissen in gang die het lot van Griekenland voor altijd zullen die jongen die hij doodde was namelijk een Spartaanse prins. De Spartanen jagen Protos dag en nacht op, maar hij blijkt een niet te onderschatten tegenstander.
Dankzij een mysterieuze Egyptische vrouw weet Protos naar Thebe te ontsnappen, dat op het punt staat het Spartaanse juk van zich af te werpen. Door een daad waarvan de heldhaftigheid grenst aan zelfmoord, lukt het Protos Thebe te bevrijden. En daarmee komen de twee machtige stadstaten, Thebe en Sparta op een ramkoers te liggen waar maar een van de twee als winnaar uit zal komen.
In de 4e eeuw voor Christus had Sparta het leeuwendeel van Griekenland veroverd en nergens was deze heerschappij wreder dan op eigen grondgebied. Drie eeuwen eerder hadden de Spartanen de
heloten overwonnen en elk jaar herinnerden ze hen aan hun onderwerping door jonge soldaten eropuit te sturen om weerloze slaven te vermoorden.
Op een van deze avonden ziet de heloot Protos hoe zijn ouders als dieren worden opgejaagd en vermoord. Hij weet ternauwernood te ontkomen en doodt daarbij een van zijn achtervolgers. Daarmee zet Protos een reeks gebeurtenissen in gang die het lot van Griekenland voor altijd zullen die jongen die hij doodde was namelijk een Spartaanse prins. De Spartanen jagen Protos dag en nacht op, maar hij blijkt een niet te onderschatten tegenstander.
Dankzij een mysterieuze Egyptische vrouw weet Protos naar Thebe te ontsnappen, dat op het punt staat het Spartaanse juk van zich af te werpen. Door een daad waarvan de heldhaftigheid grenst aan zelfmoord, lukt het Protos Thebe te bevrijden. En daarmee komen de twee machtige stadstaten, Thebe en Sparta op een ramkoers te liggen waar maar een van de twee als winnaar uit zal komen.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
16 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Guild
24 books73 followersNicholas Guild was born in Belmont, California in 1944. He graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. in English in 1966 and from the University of California at Berkeley with an M.A. in Comparative Literature (1968) and a Ph.D. in English (1972). Since then he has divided his time between teaching and writing. He currently lives in Frederick, MD.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 29, 2019
A gripping, easy to read novel set in the 4th century BC for a period of about 20 years against the backdrop of the subjection of the helots to Sparta and the war of Thebes against Sparta in which Spartan power and grip on the helots, begins to weaken. Two twin Spartan brothers are members of the krypteia, the secret organization which keeps tight control on helots and to which the most promising future military leaders are admitted. The youths seek out and kill the family of Protos, a helot. Protos kills one brother and takes his xuele knife: the "Spartan dagger" of the title. He and the other brother, Eurytus, want to take revenge on each other. Protos escapes Eurytus and other Spartans who come after him. He has a natural affinity for knife-throwing. He meets an Egyptian "witch" and healer, Nebit, who, throughout his life with her, guides him with her dreams and prophecies. He meets Epaminondas, a Theban general, and together with Pelopidas and their men, set off to destroy Sparta. He conceives the desire to free his people. The Thebans first weaken Sparta at Leuctra, where Epinamondas' unusual oblique formation is used successfully against the Spartan phalanx. This battle puts steel into the spines of the Thebans and allied city-states and they know they can defeat the Spartans: maybe not right away, but eventually. Much of the novel consists of either battles or a cat-and-mouse game between Protos and Eurytus. Sometimes the two are forced by circumstances to be temporary allies. But there is a final duel between the two.
The character development was outstanding; each of the main characters grew in maturity. For Protos, it was from vengeance to the larger goal of freeing his people and for Eurytus, in spite of his fear, shame, and self-doubt, although badly injured with the loss of his left hand, fighting in spite of them, to restore his honor. I wondered at the mention of Pelopidas with **NO MENTION** of the Sacred Band. Historically, they were pairs of male lovers under his command. Although Protos seemed too perfect and learned the techniques of war as well as reading and writing so quickly, he did suffer one wound where he lay near death and did take a long time to recover under Nubit's loving care. Usually similar novels have the badly wounded hero recover miraculously. Leuctra was given short shrift for its importance in history; for an excellent detailed fictional account of the battle I recommend The End of Sparta by the historian, Victor Davis Hanson.
Highly recommended.
The character development was outstanding; each of the main characters grew in maturity. For Protos, it was from vengeance to the larger goal of freeing his people and for Eurytus, in spite of his fear, shame, and self-doubt, although badly injured with the loss of his left hand, fighting in spite of them, to restore his honor. I wondered at the mention of Pelopidas with **NO MENTION** of the Sacred Band. Historically, they were pairs of male lovers under his command. Although Protos seemed too perfect and learned the techniques of war as well as reading and writing so quickly, he did suffer one wound where he lay near death and did take a long time to recover under Nubit's loving care. Usually similar novels have the badly wounded hero recover miraculously. Leuctra was given short shrift for its importance in history; for an excellent detailed fictional account of the battle I recommend The End of Sparta by the historian, Victor Davis Hanson.
Highly recommended.
January 24, 2017
In the 4th century B.C., a few moments of violence set two young men on a collision course with one another.
One, a Helot slave with much to avenge, escapes to join the Thebans who would throw off Spartan rule. The other, a Spartan, will move up in the ranks of diplomacy while seeking to atone for the shame of cowardice.
This is the root of “The Spartan Dagger,” a new historical novel by Nicholas Guild. The personal duel of mind and body between these two plays itself out against the backdrop of the war years between Sparta and Thebes. Guild, a cunning storyteller, shows us the cultural influences that shape both men, and the reader likely will sympathize with both. In a sweeping tale of intrigue, war and assassination plots, the author weaves in the personal stories of these two men and other richly drawn characters. You learn about both the tough business of ancient war and the details of marriage and daily life, all while being tugged along by a plot that makes you want to know What Happens Next. And the deeper into the novel you get, the harder it is to guess where the story will go.
One, a Helot slave with much to avenge, escapes to join the Thebans who would throw off Spartan rule. The other, a Spartan, will move up in the ranks of diplomacy while seeking to atone for the shame of cowardice.
This is the root of “The Spartan Dagger,” a new historical novel by Nicholas Guild. The personal duel of mind and body between these two plays itself out against the backdrop of the war years between Sparta and Thebes. Guild, a cunning storyteller, shows us the cultural influences that shape both men, and the reader likely will sympathize with both. In a sweeping tale of intrigue, war and assassination plots, the author weaves in the personal stories of these two men and other richly drawn characters. You learn about both the tough business of ancient war and the details of marriage and daily life, all while being tugged along by a plot that makes you want to know What Happens Next. And the deeper into the novel you get, the harder it is to guess where the story will go.
April 6, 2017
I always love historical fiction and Spartan Dagger didn't disappointed me. The story is about the social injustice, cruelty, barbarism done with the Slaves-Helots by mighty and arrogant Spartans blinded by their lame customs. But they never knew one slave-Protos would be enough to destroy them and make them choose death over shame. Interesting novel which keeps you bound with the story.
February 21, 2018
Excelente libro…¡primero que leo de este autor y me pareció fascinante!, ya quiero conseguir El Asirio, Estrella de Sangre y El Macedonio…también me motiva leer El Herrero de Galilea 👍🏼😉😀
January 18, 2020
Wonderful, easy to read, and made me cry at parts. Very well done.
March 18, 2023
Me despido de los espartanos con esta novela. Me ha gustado muchísimo aunque el final me ha provocado algo de tristeza.
No le pongo cinco estrellas, porque me parece que Protos es un súper héroe invencible. Creo que nunca pudo existir un personaje con esas características.
No le pongo cinco estrellas, porque me parece que Protos es un súper héroe invencible. Creo que nunca pudo existir un personaje con esas características.
June 15, 2017
3.5 IMO--a solid historical tale of revenge with plenty of adventure, nice historical detail, and a little romance
January 19, 2017
A caveat: I studied ancient history in college, and have always been fascinated with the Classical and Hellenistic eras, so I started "The Spartan Dagger" with a built-in bias -- but then again, I'm very familiar with the history, so sometimes I will know what's going to happen when another reader might not which can spoil the fun.
But the first thing Nicholas Guild does is not make it clear when exactly "The Spartan Dagger" takes place, though there are somewhat obscure historical figures mentioned as part of the plot. Ah yes, the plot ... Protos is a Helot, the slave race that served the Spartans. He is spurred into revolt when two young Spartan brothers are sent to kill a Helot each -- in cold blood -- in order to qualify for an elite group of warriors. (This is true, and as far as I can tell, Guild does an excellent job of nailing historical details.) Protos exacts his revenge, and his quest is twinned with the rest of the Greek world's attempts to puncture the myth of Spartan invincibility.
Protos is a little too perfect as a protagonist (and he ironically is more Spartan than his Spartan foil) but his development adds depth to the story. All in all, "The Spartan Dagger" was an excellent read, and it appears Guild left the door more than a little open for a sequel. I hope it arrives soon ...
But the first thing Nicholas Guild does is not make it clear when exactly "The Spartan Dagger" takes place, though there are somewhat obscure historical figures mentioned as part of the plot. Ah yes, the plot ... Protos is a Helot, the slave race that served the Spartans. He is spurred into revolt when two young Spartan brothers are sent to kill a Helot each -- in cold blood -- in order to qualify for an elite group of warriors. (This is true, and as far as I can tell, Guild does an excellent job of nailing historical details.) Protos exacts his revenge, and his quest is twinned with the rest of the Greek world's attempts to puncture the myth of Spartan invincibility.
Protos is a little too perfect as a protagonist (and he ironically is more Spartan than his Spartan foil) but his development adds depth to the story. All in all, "The Spartan Dagger" was an excellent read, and it appears Guild left the door more than a little open for a sequel. I hope it arrives soon ...
February 14, 2023
A great setting - the crypteia (i.e. right of passage for young Spartiates -- a kind of Spartan "walkabout", going out with just a dagger to live off the land and killing helots). It begs for a great novel. So I had great hopes for it.
And Guild writes good prose -- the introductory section about the two Spartiate brothers's education was well written. But the story is predictable and the hero unbelievable. Here is a 14 year old peasant boy who watches his parents murdered but experiences no emotional upheaval beyond grim determination to take revenge, who turns out to be a genius knife thrower with a knife he had never held in his hand, who feels no fear and who hunts and kills like he's been at it for thirty years.
A bit of a waste, really, of material and writing skill. With a little extra work, Guild could have written a better book. Had he done so, it might still be selling today. :(
And Guild writes good prose -- the introductory section about the two Spartiate brothers's education was well written. But the story is predictable and the hero unbelievable. Here is a 14 year old peasant boy who watches his parents murdered but experiences no emotional upheaval beyond grim determination to take revenge, who turns out to be a genius knife thrower with a knife he had never held in his hand, who feels no fear and who hunts and kills like he's been at it for thirty years.
A bit of a waste, really, of material and writing skill. With a little extra work, Guild could have written a better book. Had he done so, it might still be selling today. :(
April 11, 2017
I found this book very predictable. A story that has been told many times before.
April 23, 2022
The writing in The Spartan Dagger was really well done. The author's representations of life in ancient Sparta, ancient Thebes, and other city-states in the ancient world were really accessible. He also maintained steady pacing that kept me engaged for the 20-some years the story spanned. I was quite interested in the story of the helot boy Protos and his years long quest for vengeance against both Eurytus, the Spartan youth who murdered his family as part of a coming-of-age ritual, and Sparta's authoritarian society overall. I appreciated how their relationship evolved over the years away from "eye for an eye" retribution to grudging respect, wariness, and recognition that all the success they'd come to achieve as men was owing to their brutal first encounter when they were young.
Protos was presented as indestructible to an unrealistic degree for a (formerly) enslaved farm boy who'd received no formal military training, but I could overlook it, as well as his subsequent rise within the inner circle of Theban elites, for the male power fantasy it represented. I also enjoyed the dramatization of Thebes's revolt against Spartan subjugation in the 4th century BC, which included the famous Battle of Leuctra, where the supposedly unbeatable Spartans, whose long-standing protectionist and oppressive practices already had them in the early stages of societal collapse, were sounded defeated and their already diminishing numbers of citizen men reduced that much further.
The lack of any mention of the Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite force within the Theban army comprised of 150 pairs of male lovers, is a telling absence, though. How are you going to writes a story about Thebes' rise to power and their crushing of Spartan dominance while ignoring the Sacred Band, who played such an instrumental role, especially during the Battle of Leuctra? Even the Theban general and statesmen Epaminondos, who is a major character in The Spartan Dagger, famously never married, and maintained a lifelong friendship with a fellow general-statesman Pelopidas (who also appears in the novel), and had two other men who were named his lovers, according to Wikipedia. This seems like a deliberate case of straight-washing to me (for all that ancient Greeks did not recognize sexuality as an orientation where one is “straight” or “gay” in the modern sense).
I also didn't like how Protos's long-time female lover Nubit didn't have a story of her own, and that literally every scene they appeared in together either started or ended with sex. Despite Nubit also being a former slave (from Egypt), a seer, herbalist, and purported witch—all very interesting characteristics—she had no personal goal or doings that didn't directly facilitate Protos's journey—right up to the point that she wasn't needed anymore, and then she was just...gone, magically and inexplicably. Three-and-a-half stars rounded down to three.
Protos was presented as indestructible to an unrealistic degree for a (formerly) enslaved farm boy who'd received no formal military training, but I could overlook it, as well as his subsequent rise within the inner circle of Theban elites, for the male power fantasy it represented. I also enjoyed the dramatization of Thebes's revolt against Spartan subjugation in the 4th century BC, which included the famous Battle of Leuctra, where the supposedly unbeatable Spartans, whose long-standing protectionist and oppressive practices already had them in the early stages of societal collapse, were sounded defeated and their already diminishing numbers of citizen men reduced that much further.
The lack of any mention of the Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite force within the Theban army comprised of 150 pairs of male lovers, is a telling absence, though. How are you going to writes a story about Thebes' rise to power and their crushing of Spartan dominance while ignoring the Sacred Band, who played such an instrumental role, especially during the Battle of Leuctra? Even the Theban general and statesmen Epaminondos, who is a major character in The Spartan Dagger, famously never married, and maintained a lifelong friendship with a fellow general-statesman Pelopidas (who also appears in the novel), and had two other men who were named his lovers, according to Wikipedia. This seems like a deliberate case of straight-washing to me (for all that ancient Greeks did not recognize sexuality as an orientation where one is “straight” or “gay” in the modern sense).
I also didn't like how Protos's long-time female lover Nubit didn't have a story of her own, and that literally every scene they appeared in together either started or ended with sex. Despite Nubit also being a former slave (from Egypt), a seer, herbalist, and purported witch—all very interesting characteristics—she had no personal goal or doings that didn't directly facilitate Protos's journey—right up to the point that she wasn't needed anymore, and then she was just...gone, magically and inexplicably. Three-and-a-half stars rounded down to three.
December 6, 2017
Yes, as a fiction about the Spartans' oppression over the Helots is OK, but as a historical fiction it forgets completely about things like The Sacred Band, the elite of the Theban Army composed by pairs of male lovers. To say that Epaminondas remained single because he was 'married' to Thebas is a deliberate way to try to conceal his sexual orientation. Is the author afraid of telling the way Greeks faced the relation between men?
January 31, 2021
Nice narrative of a turbulent period în pre-Macedonian Greece, with an interesting overview of the battles of Leuktra and Mantinea and the end of classical Sparta. I personally expected more in-depth character development, it seemed to me all flat, lacking any bound with any of the personages. I gave it an honest 4 stars for the narative, but I found it more a 3.5 for the thin line that kept me to finishing it
August 28, 2018
Una de mis grandes pasiones es la historia militar griega (especialmente la espartana) pero este libro muestra con inteligencia el ocaso de la civilización de los soldados del Peloponeso. Personajes interesantes y una trama donde se mezclan ficción e historia, hacen de este un libro muy entretenido.
August 28, 2019
Si buscas un libro donde haya mucha acción léetelo porque vas a disfrutar. eso es todo, el protagonista directamente no hay ni por donde cogerlo, he leído novelas de fantasía con personajes con poderes que eran más creíbles que esté. Vamos esta criatura debe de ser el padre o el abuelo que Rambo y konan juntos.
October 8, 2025
Me encantan las historias de aventura histórica que narra Nicolas Guild. Ésta me ha parecido muy entretenida, como siempre, aunque mi favorita suya siempre será "El asirio". una novela para pasar un buen rato y con desarrollo "satisfactorio".
August 15, 2022
Un 3'75. Está bastante bien, bien ambientado y descrito el panorama político griego. Obviamente desde una visión del siglo XX en lo relativo a la esclavitud pero cumple el objetivo de entretener
May 28, 2023
ALAB (All Lacedaemonians Are Bastards)
August 24, 2025
Una historia de aventurillas con mucha acción. Poco más.
Esperaba mucho más del autor del Macedonio y el Asirio. Salgo un poco decepcionado de la lectura. 😞😢
Esperaba mucho más del autor del Macedonio y el Asirio. Salgo un poco decepcionado de la lectura. 😞😢
January 22, 2024
Como todos los libros que he leído de este señor, resultó ser un gran libro.
Abarcando la guerra entre Tebas y Esparta y el fin de la hegemonía espartana sobre el mundo griego, nos presentan a Protos un ilota, cuya vida da un giro cuando pierde a sus padres quienes son asesinados por jóvenes espartanos, en un acto indolente e irracional. Sin embargo, enmarcado en las tradiciones espartanas.
A raíz de esto, se embarca en una vida de venganza contra los que arruinaron su tranquila vida y convirtieron en un guerrero prodigioso.
Bien narrada y ante todo con un trasfondo interesante que no presentan todas las novelas históricas y que Guild siempre rescata en sus novelas y es dar luz a ciertos aspectos que la historia a veces pasa por alto o no le da la relevancia que merecen.
Abarcando la guerra entre Tebas y Esparta y el fin de la hegemonía espartana sobre el mundo griego, nos presentan a Protos un ilota, cuya vida da un giro cuando pierde a sus padres quienes son asesinados por jóvenes espartanos, en un acto indolente e irracional. Sin embargo, enmarcado en las tradiciones espartanas.
A raíz de esto, se embarca en una vida de venganza contra los que arruinaron su tranquila vida y convirtieron en un guerrero prodigioso.
Bien narrada y ante todo con un trasfondo interesante que no presentan todas las novelas históricas y que Guild siempre rescata en sus novelas y es dar luz a ciertos aspectos que la historia a veces pasa por alto o no le da la relevancia que merecen.
February 27, 2017
I loved the writing and the prospect of war. Protos was a Helot slave who witnessed his mother and father being murdered by Spartan soldiers. The story featured numerous meetings between himself and one of the Spartans, Eurytus, who committed the murders. Protos, due to his willingness to kill, became a legend in this novel. He returned to his roots after years of fighting. I was sorry that he lost his only child with Nubit to a miscarriage. He adopted a few slave girls after committing murder himself. He eventually saw them married off. I thought the novel was historically accurate and awesome in detail.
January 14, 2017
A wickedly exciting cat and mouse game set in Ancient Greece!
As young Protos and his parents leave his dying uncle’s house, two young Spartan soldiers emerge in the dark with no other intention to kill them for sport. At his father’s command, Protos runs away as his parents are slaughtered by the two soldiers. One of the soldiers than takes off for him, but he is careless and Protos manages to knock him out and then steal his dagger. When he wakes up, Protos then kills him. When the other soldier finds that his brother has been killed, he declares that he will find this boy and hunt him down. His name is Eurytmus. The next day, Eurytum and four more Spartans return to find Protos and go to his uncle’s house. When they cannot tell him where he went, the Spartans murder the entire family just as Protos returns to witness. He then leads the soldiers into a trap where he single handedly relieves them of their heads and throws them at Eurytums. Now a personal battle between the two has been waged.
As time goes on, Protos moves onto Thebes where he becomes one of Sparta’s main enemies. Throughout assassination attempts, battles, and quarrels, Protos and Eurytmus come to understand and respect one another. They are not friends, but neither of them can imagine life without the other. The thought of a future without looking forward to vengeance fills empty. But no one can live forever and someone must win the battle between the two.
If a book could play chess against itself, this would be a master game. The strategy that is set up in this book between Protos and Eurytmus is very well played out by both of the characters. It is always one of them makes a move and the other counters and then so on and so forth. I was engrossed within the book very quickly and enjoyed the entire story. The historical setting and characters played out interestingly for history too. Specifically the diplomats of Thebes. If you’ve never read a book about this location in this era, your eyes may be opened. If really gets into great, yet disturbing, detail on many aspects of the way of life. Even so, the back and forth between the two main characters was great. With many of the movies today that depict Ancient Sparta, you find yourself rooting for them. However, that is not the case in this book. For once, I was rooting against them and for a common slave that was a natural born warrior, but reluctant leader. But aren’t those the best kind?
There was very little foul language in the book. However, there was a lot of graphic violence. Also, there was a lot of implied sex and sexual activity throughout the book. Nothing really graphic, but enough that some readers will get uncomfortable, especially the parts with underage kids. However, I understand that this is what went on in that time and to be historically accurate, some of it has to be depicted, even if it gives some shock value.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
As young Protos and his parents leave his dying uncle’s house, two young Spartan soldiers emerge in the dark with no other intention to kill them for sport. At his father’s command, Protos runs away as his parents are slaughtered by the two soldiers. One of the soldiers than takes off for him, but he is careless and Protos manages to knock him out and then steal his dagger. When he wakes up, Protos then kills him. When the other soldier finds that his brother has been killed, he declares that he will find this boy and hunt him down. His name is Eurytmus. The next day, Eurytum and four more Spartans return to find Protos and go to his uncle’s house. When they cannot tell him where he went, the Spartans murder the entire family just as Protos returns to witness. He then leads the soldiers into a trap where he single handedly relieves them of their heads and throws them at Eurytums. Now a personal battle between the two has been waged.
As time goes on, Protos moves onto Thebes where he becomes one of Sparta’s main enemies. Throughout assassination attempts, battles, and quarrels, Protos and Eurytmus come to understand and respect one another. They are not friends, but neither of them can imagine life without the other. The thought of a future without looking forward to vengeance fills empty. But no one can live forever and someone must win the battle between the two.
If a book could play chess against itself, this would be a master game. The strategy that is set up in this book between Protos and Eurytmus is very well played out by both of the characters. It is always one of them makes a move and the other counters and then so on and so forth. I was engrossed within the book very quickly and enjoyed the entire story. The historical setting and characters played out interestingly for history too. Specifically the diplomats of Thebes. If you’ve never read a book about this location in this era, your eyes may be opened. If really gets into great, yet disturbing, detail on many aspects of the way of life. Even so, the back and forth between the two main characters was great. With many of the movies today that depict Ancient Sparta, you find yourself rooting for them. However, that is not the case in this book. For once, I was rooting against them and for a common slave that was a natural born warrior, but reluctant leader. But aren’t those the best kind?
There was very little foul language in the book. However, there was a lot of graphic violence. Also, there was a lot of implied sex and sexual activity throughout the book. Nothing really graphic, but enough that some readers will get uncomfortable, especially the parts with underage kids. However, I understand that this is what went on in that time and to be historically accurate, some of it has to be depicted, even if it gives some shock value.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
February 16, 2017
Two brothers seek to claim their manhood by “wetting” their swords in an ancient Spartan rite of passage. They attack a traveling family, killing the mother and father. The couple’s son, Protos, evades the attack and manages to kill one of the Spartans. He keeps the dead man’s dagger and seeks revenge upon the other brother, Eurytus. Protos, whose name means “destined,” is a Helot, and his people have been oppressed by the Spartans for centuries. As Protos grows to manhood, all the while in a cat-and-mouse game with the Spartan brother he seeks to kill, he discovers that while avenging his parents’ murders, he can also help others who fight for liberation against Spartan rule.
Oddly, the first part of this novel loses its suspense as it goes along. There is never a shift in character dynamics; Protos always has the advantage, and Eurytus is always looking behind him in fear of Protos’s revenge. Protos’s superhuman abilities—to completely sneak up on warriors (trained since childhood), to dodge javelin throws, and to teach himself to throw swords and daggers with precision—all come across as almost unreal. It is the “will of the gods.” This appears to be a plot device used in Guild’s earlier novels, serving to explain Protos’ dynamic abilities. However, giving Protos a few character flaws would have made him more relatable to readers.
Guild expertly examines the price of vengeance as it consumes a person’s life. I was impressed by how the author brings the main conflict to a close. There are a lot of personal discoveries and examples of character growth in the last third of the book. The time period is well captured by Guild’s settings and characters. Overall, a satisfying read.
Review posted via the Historical Novel Society (HNR Issue 79 (February 2017)) at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
Oddly, the first part of this novel loses its suspense as it goes along. There is never a shift in character dynamics; Protos always has the advantage, and Eurytus is always looking behind him in fear of Protos’s revenge. Protos’s superhuman abilities—to completely sneak up on warriors (trained since childhood), to dodge javelin throws, and to teach himself to throw swords and daggers with precision—all come across as almost unreal. It is the “will of the gods.” This appears to be a plot device used in Guild’s earlier novels, serving to explain Protos’ dynamic abilities. However, giving Protos a few character flaws would have made him more relatable to readers.
Guild expertly examines the price of vengeance as it consumes a person’s life. I was impressed by how the author brings the main conflict to a close. There are a lot of personal discoveries and examples of character growth in the last third of the book. The time period is well captured by Guild’s settings and characters. Overall, a satisfying read.
Review posted via the Historical Novel Society (HNR Issue 79 (February 2017)) at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
November 10, 2016
I always enjoy stories set in the ancient world. While The Spartan Dagger wasn't a bad book, it wasn't particularly fabulous either. It follows a slave, Protos, whose parents are killed by Spartans. From that moment forward Protos makes it his life's mission to destroy Sparta. Years of war go by, and among them is the back-and-forth between Protos and the Spartan boy who killed his father. The Spartan Dagger is a relatively engaging read good for fans of historical fiction set in ancient times.
December 20, 2016
As implausible as a Hollywood blockbuster and just as entertaining. I'd love to see it made into a film.
August 27, 2021
I have read this twice was a good ride.
April 7, 2025
Entretenido
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