The Fire of Ares

Spartan Warrior #1

by Michael Ford

Lysander, a young Helot slave, knows little about the mysterious pendant he wears round his neck—the Fire of Ares. When after a chance meeting, he learns that he is of noble heritage, the pendant takes on new meaning as the link to his father's life and death. Suddenly Lysander is thrust into the life of a Spartan warrior and must struggle to prove himself worthy. But when the pendant is stolen, he must fight to retrieve it, and fulfill its powerful destiny before it is too late.

This action packed tale of honor, glory and epic battles in Ancient Greece will appeal to even the most reluctant readers, and Lysander's rise from slave to Spartan warrior will leave them thirsting for more.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Adventure

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2008

About the author

Michael Ford was born in 1980 in the north of England, and studied Classics and English at Oxford University.

He worked in a variety of publishing roles before becoming an editor of adult fiction. He has written several novels and non-fiction books for children, including the SPARTAN series for Bloomsbury UK.

He lives with his wife in London.


Librarian's Note: This author is Michael^^Ford. There are authors with similar names on Goodreads:
Michael Ford - general, catch-all profile
Michael Ford - Religion and Spirituality
Michael Thomas Ford - Gay & Lesbian, Humor, Young Adult
Michael Curtis Ford - Historical Fiction

Reviews

[Julie Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this book at the library and picked it up for my 10-year old who is obsessed with all things Greek; since it wasn't the tween section, I thought I would read it before I suggested it to him.

For a tween book, it was a fast read with few surprises for those of us familiar with the coming-of-age archetype. Still, the historical aspects were fun and the future King Leonidas even makes a cameo ("This is Sparta!") I'm sure my son will love it, as will most young readers. As a plus, I think it could be a good bridge to historical fiction for those who love Percy Jackson.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pleasantly surprised at this fun read. Lysander, a Helot boy in ancient Sparta possesses a pendant called The Fire of Ares. Because of this, an Ephor, Sarpedon, reveals himself to be the boy's grandfather. One of his sons is Lysander's father and his mother is a Helot woman. Lysander and his ailing mother are now taken under the protection of Sarpedon and Lysander enrolled in the agoge, the Spartan educational system. Lysander undergoes brutal treatment as a mothax [half Helot/half Spartiate sponsored by someone] and finds out who his friends and who his enemies are through bitter experiences. He overcomes bullying and prejudice with the aid of his friends. We see him grow from boy to man and also, his developing self-confidence. Soon after reading, I boghut this for my 10-year-old grandson for his birthday.

Written for young people, this novel gives a glimpse into Spartan society and scattered all through are facts on that culture.
I liked the fact there was a moral: through his speech to Helots, Lysander puts down a Helot revolt without bloodshed. The wrestling match and the Games were exciting. I don't care if the novel was probably clichéd: the underdog overcoming horrendous odds, the sick mother....it was still worthwhile reading.

Highly recommended.

[Matt, A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it showed a young boy (Lysander) starting out at the very bottom rank as a slave, rise up and train to become a fierce Spartan warrior after his grandfather revealed to him that his father was once a ferocious Spartan warrior and that he once bared the mysterious pendant "The Fire of Ares." When the Fire of Ares had been stolen, Lysander saw his golden opportunity to rise out of his boring slave life and to bring honor to his dad's name. Overall a fantastic fictional book, along with some historical facts about ancient Sparta and Greece. I recommend this book to any person who likes action/fighting books. Looking forward to reading the second and third book to this series.

[Hazel West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts on the Overall Book: Go Sparta! Okay, first off, I couldn't pick this book up without thinking of the Horrible Histories Spartan School song, but apart from that, I thought it was a pretty good book, and was a good look into the Spartan lifestyle. I really liked how the reader is presented with 'both sides of the story' about the Helots (the slaves) and the Spartans who are their masters. I like stories where boundaries in rank are crossed and this was interesting to me. I don't know a lot about Spartan history (though I have always enjoyed learning about them) and I imagine the author did a good amount of research into it and that there really were half Spartan, half Helot warriors.

Characters: Lysander (Love that name!) was a good protagonist, I liked him. The reader can sympathize with him. I also liked Timeon, his Helot friend and Orphus, his Spartan friend. The bully characters were good too, realistic and I imagine it was quite natural to have nasty bullies in Spartan school ;) I also liked Sarpedon quite a bit though you don't get to see him a lot. I'll not give his role away because of spoilers, but I did enjoy him as a character. I'm also curious to see if the young Prince Leonidas in this is the famous leader--which I suspect is likely true.

Writing Style: There's nothing really special about the writing style. It doesn't stand out to me, but neither was it bad. It was third person from Lysander's perspective which is good because you need to get the feel of his inner thoughts. It could have been first person, but I have no problem how the author wrote it.

Problems/What bothered me: I did have a few technical problems with this book. The story itself was good, but I think it could have been longer and gone on to explain some things more. Some parts seemed a little hurried, though not so much that they are a distraction. The one thing that really bothered me that the author seemed to do on several occasions was that there was to me a few timing problems. It seemed in parts that a week or two must have passed, but yet, it is mentioned that only two or three days have. I don't know if this was just misunderstanding on my part (which, not to sound bigheaded or anything, doesn't happen a lot) or the author might have pieced bits of the story together after editing wrong or something. Especially given all the times Lysander was wounded, it would seem to me that he would need a few more days of recovery than he was alloted to be able to do what he did within a day or so. Even if he was a Spartan.

Conclusion: 3 stars. I enjoyed this book. It wasn't the best I have read, but it was a good quick read and I look forward to reading the others in the series. It reminded me a bit of Simon Scarrow's YA novel Fight for Freedom

Recommended Audience: I'd say it's a guy read more than a girl read unless for girls who enjoy guy reads =) It's geared more toward 12-15 age range but older teens would enjoy it as well. Anyone who liked Historical adventure stories would like it.

[Noah Oakley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Fire of Ares written by Michael Ford. The book has 245 pages. With a Lexile of 690. It was published in 2008. The fire of Ares is a Fiction book.

The book’s overall main idea has to do with Lysander, a young Helot slave, who knows very little about the necklace/pendant that his mother gave him many years ago-the Fire of Ares. After a great meeting with the Ephor (an Ephor is a spartan king) Lysander finds out what the pedant means, and the history behind it. With the history of it Lysander finds out more about his father's death and life. When Lysander learns all of this he is brought into a new lifestyle. The lifestyle of a Spartan warrior. But when the pendant is stolen Lysander must fight to retrieve it and fulfil its powerful destiny, before it's to late.

The audience that is being addressed is one that will like adventure and friendships. Throughout the book it hits the fact that no matter what friends are gonna be there to help, they will be there even if they are not there right away. The adventure part of the book is everywhere. It seems like every chapter is a new one to discover. One kind of audience that may not like the this book is the kind that doesn't like history. The book takes place in Greece, and Greece has a lot of history that the book hits on.

The book had some nice positives throughout the whole story. The flow of the story is a big thing because I believe that's what keeps a reader reading. Another positive to the story was the ability to make surprises. In some of the chapters, there were things that would make the reader go “oh my gosh, are you serious?” but with positives also comes negatives.

There were very few negatives to this book. One negative though were the names that were used. Many of them were hard to pronounce. Someone could turn away but overall it wasn't that big concern. A bigger con that was seen was the same use of ideas. Within each chapter, the book would keep touching on the idea of Lysander feeling hurt due to his spartan practice. When the book keeps milking out this idea it may cause readers to back away because a reader doesn't want to keep hearing the same thing over and over again.

Overall the book is very good and is recommended to anyone that loves a good adventure or well-built friendships. It's a great adventure read. I feel as thou the book would not be read much because many people will judge the book by its cover. I recommend not judging this book by its cover because it is very good.

[Sean Frawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action: 9.2
Characters: 7.5
Plot 8.0
Overall: 7.6
Struggling Reader Score 8.9

*All scores out of a possible 10

The grass is not always greener on the other side, especially on the dusty plains of Sparta where there isn’t much grass anywhere. Lysander, a young Spartan slave, not only must fulfill his own obligations as a slave, or helot as they are called, he must somehow earn enough extra rations to care for his ailing mother as well. Ford does an excellent job of showing just how miserable a Helot’s life can be when Lysander must choose between being whipped mercilessly for the overseer’s enjoyment or a reduction in his rations. In this brutal caste system where helots are the lowest possible rung, life offers little aside from misery and suffering.

Fortunately for Lysander, he soon discovers that even though his mother is a helot, his deceased father was a Spartan warrior. He enters into the academy to begin his training to become a Spartan warrior like his father. A few humiliations and several beatings later, Lysander quickly learns that his new life isn’t any easier than his former one. With one foot in both worlds, he no longer truly belongs to either one. Alone, facing challenges he never knew possible, he must draw on his strength as a helot to pull him through. Will he go on to achieve the greatness of his father? Or will he disappear into the mountains never to be heard from again, like the only other half-breed ever to enter the academy before him?

The Fire of Ares is a very quick read with loads of gory action. This is an engaging tale that sets the reader into the brutal existence of first a Spartan slave and then a Spartan warrior. The characters are strong, and the setting is richly drawn. It is the classic underdog/ fish-out-of-water tale with a strong and likeable protagonist. There is much to enjoy here. If it weren’t for the ending, I would give this story a much higher rating. Since I do not want to be a spoiler, all I will say is that the book’s Disnified ending felt ridiculous when set within the savagery of the Spartan culture that the author has just spent an entire book developing.

Still, boys will enjoy this book, as will anyone with an interest in the historical side of ancient Greece and Sparta. This is especially true for those who crave a less fantastical tale than Rick Riordan’s latest offerings.

[Frankie Rufolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to mistake this book for a cheap Percy Jackson knock-off, but it's actually a pretty good modern work of historical fiction.
One of the first good thing I noticed was that I really cared about the protagonist, Lysander. He's working especially hard to earn food for his really sick mother, even taking a whipping from his sadistic overseer for her. His friend Timeon is supportive and loyal and quite likeable. As the book goes on, Lysander finds out more about his father's family who he's never met; there's some really good character development. Even the bully characters have redeeming features.

The story is fairly intriguing and the drama and twists really surprised me. The description was fairly good. I've read a bit of Henry Treece and classics like his are hard to live up to when it comes to the writing, but with the Mediterranean setting you get a fairly nice picture in your head anyway. That said, when the author describes a character's appearance he does it quite well. On top of that, the fight scenes were pretty well-written. Reading them, I winced because there was a surprising amount of blood and brutality, it SOUNDED painful!
If you're a parent, don't let that put you off. There is a lot of educational value. The author used to write non-fiction history books, so there are no big inaccuracies.

If I had to find fault in it, Timeon could have had an interesting character arc, but he did seem a little bland. Also, the book's ending lost a bit of its brutal realism and rather let it down. There was a big reveal and a really good dramatic climax between just two characters, but then a big uprising got squeezed in at the last minute and ended with a big "two wrongs don't make a right, make peace" speech.
To be honest though, I'd rather have an unrealistic ending than a bad beginning or a mundane middle. It's a really good middle-grade book, better than Alex Rider. I got more than what I paid for and I want to try out some of Michael Ford's other books. Give it a read.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fun formulaic YA hero stuff. Slave kid cares for his sick mother, but dreams of more, discovers the shocking secret of his birth, rises up as underdog through warrior school facing persecution and intrigue, might is not always right, improbably wins big competition, etc. The historical information about Sparta makes this more interesting than a pure fantasy as the setting is teaching me more about the basics I knew of Sparta, and the ending has an interesting if extremely implausible twist. I'll read more in the series maybe sometime.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

My name is Lysander and being a slave to the Spartans makes it difficult getting medicine and food to keep my mother alive. I don't know anything about my father, but my mother has told me to always protect the pendant hanging around my neck. The Fire of Ares has belonged to our family for generations, and I can feel its power surge when I need strength. However, I was in the market earlier today when someone held a knife to my throat and stole the pendant from me. I can't let my mother know, but what can I do now? Then, a former Helot slave came to our home, and my world was flipped upside down. He told me that I'm the grandson of Ephor Sarpedon, a leader of the Spartan people. Even though I'm a half-breed, he wants me to train as a Spartan warrior. I've decided this will be the best way to take care of my mother, and I intend to make my grandfather proud.

This book told the underdog story of a Helot slave trying to uphold the memory of his deceased Spartan father. While Lysander knew nothing beyond the stories he heard, the Spartan people remembered his father as a courageous hero. The plot was based on prejudice and slavery, and it effectively described the atrocities suffered by the Helots. The irony of it all was that there ten times more Helots than Spartans. The Spartans knew they needed to instill fear and hopelessness in the Helots in order to keep them from rebelling. The plot followed Lysander, as he tried to survive the warrior training. Being half slave and half son of a Spartan hero created an interesting twist, as other characters weren't sure how to treat him. His courage, strength, and perseverance slowly earned him a couple friends, but he still faced constant prejudice and physical attacks due to his Helot upbringing. This created constant tension for the character and reader. Underlying everything was Lysander's search for the lost pendant, the Fire of Ares. While he thought it gave him power, and his mother said it did, it still wasn't clear if this actually happened. I could chalk it up to increased adrenaline due to his belief in the pendant's power. I guess we'll see in the sequels. Overall, this book was an entertaining story of an ancient culture, and I recommend you give it a shot.

[Tyler Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is about this kid named lysander. his dad died before he was born so he didn't know him but his dad gave him this thing called the fire of ares but he didn't know what it was for. but little did he know that it could train spartens. lots of people want it so lots of people were trying to get it and he almost died a lot. but at the end he end up going to war but in stead he diced to spare them.
two caterers in this book are lysander and timeon. well lysander was their to make action and to make the book not fall apart and to have the story line. timeon was their to protect lysander. and timeon he was their to be a side caterers. the are both big parts in the book. some times in life we have to fight for the then that we love and charsh. just like lysander did in the fire of ares to protect the fire of ares so it would fall in to the bad hand. and to rember his father even though he never meet him. i didn't like this book i thout it was boring. i found my self day dreaming a lot when reading this. it kinda reminded me of persey jackson i dont know why maybe because of Greek stuff. but i didn't like the book.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book, with an interesting plot that mixes historical with fantasy.

Lysander, our main character is a Helot, which in ancient Sparta means he is a slave with no riches, except for a pendant called The Fire of Ares. An event causes Lysander to lose his pendant and in the adventure to get it back his life changes, forcing him to adapt to a reality he only dreamed of. Throughout the story we see Lysander make friends, make enemies, we see him grow and we explore the Spartan society with him.

There are some moments that others may claim to be cliché but they are enjoyable and we must remember that this is a book written for a younger audience.

I truly recommended this book for everyone that may want something easy to read and follow, it's fast passed during some points but we don't get lost in the plot. And the main character remains true to himself during the story.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fast moving, interesting and with a wealth of historical detail. Aimed at younger readers, I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is fast enough and action packed enough to satisfy the demands of its intended audience too.

Set in the glory days of ancient Sparta, the story follows a boy born of a Helot mother and Spartan father, who gains the opportunity to leave his life of drudgery for the hard Spartan warrior education. His friendship with a certain prince Leonidas will suggest where this series is heading to students of history, but for anyone else, read it for the moment. Perfect action adventure.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

i though that the book was really good at explain lysanders life in detail and how he used to be a slave and was whipped when he was one and how one day he proved him self good enough to join a spartan training camp no one liked him util he meet one friend who could not always help lysander out because he was a past slave the only problem i had with the book is that it was a little slow to start but i get because they need to explain his life and how to get through camp and all the small things that makes a good character .

[Anne Patkau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different morals, but courage triumphs. Spartan men from age 8 train hard, to point of injury, or death. At 12, half-slave hero loses inherited jewel, sent to school of bullies by new-found noble grandad.

[Maddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book for a class. Lysander was such a boring main character, he didn't have any personality traits besides being "brave and responsible." There were lots of things I had issues with, but I don't want to add any spoilers. Do not read.

[Brian Bodell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well paced good read for YA; the end is firmly grounded in 21st century values.

[Clare Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The story was really exciting and the characters were well developed. I am definitely going to read the next in the series.

[Jai Mutreja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the book was very interesting. Although I wish there were fewer bullies in his life. I also wish the book was longer.

[Chris W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing 10/10

[Ditalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good start to a amazing series

[Collin]

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[Ponytaorponyboy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is no "The False Prince" but the premise was somewhat nice and the writing was all right, especially if youngsters are supposed to be reading this.

The characters are all right also, but I'm left perplex as to Timeon's role in this rebellion business. Will we be discussing that later on? I mean, wasn't he a part of it but not a part of it at the same time? Is Strabo*Sarpedo relationship a direct mirror to what Lysander*Timeon will become in the future, or is it a glimpse of what it COULD be? I don't really think Timeon could be going through that transformation but who knows?
I also would like to know more about Orpheus. I like that character. And I want Dema-what's-his-face to become fast friends with them now. No more use of bullying please.
Speaking of characters, I liked the development between Helot Lysander and Spartan Lysander. I like that he's not yet taken a stance and that he's continuing on his journey to self discovery. That's what all characters do when they're half-half on both sides of a conflict, yes?

What will the next book be about? I can't wait to devour that one also...

[Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fire of Ares is a Greek Mythology book about a boy who finds out he is descended from spartan warriors. He has a medallion of his father's, a spartan, called the fire of ares,but it is stolen. The book is about his journey to get it back. My criticism of this book would be that the plot was a little hard to understand. At some points,the only way I could understand parts of it was to re-read it until it until I could memorize what happened, so that when I get farther in the book I could make sense of it. It was enough to know the general story line but reading this book confused me. On the other hand, I enjoyed the action parts at the end of the book when there were a lot of battles. The book was well written the keep the reader entertained. There were a series of twists and turns that kept me from putting the book down. Overall I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes Greek Mythology books.

[Punax Maro]

The Fire of Ares
This book takes place in ancient Greece.The Fire of Ares is about a slave boy named Lysander who has a neck less called the Fire of Ares. Lysander's mom is sick from the beginning and Lysander doesn't know if she will die or not. Lysander is heroic because he saved a free-dweller from a gang of Spartens, he also fights for his mother and his and his mother's most prized object, the Fire of Ares. Lysander is also brave, strong, kind, and respectful towards his mother. His mother is very sick, but always faithful to the gods and was very loving to Lysander. Lysander's mother is also kind, and honest. This is a good book if you are looking for a quick and easy action read. The author put a lot of action in this book, but unfortunately this plot is a little predictable. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a fun action book, but doesn't care if they can guess the ending.

[Connor Mccormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author Michael Ford addresses issues of social justice and war through interesting stories from ancient history. This book, The Fire of Ares, takes place in ancient Greece, specifically in the city of Sparta. The main character, named Lysander, is born a slave, forced to work much longer than others to help his sick mother. After work one day Lysander is trapped and attacked by a group of Spartans. Critically injured, he is saved by a noble Spartan, and is eventually sent to a Spartan school because he is half slave, half Spartan. He is abused and bullied because he is half slave, and goes through many hardships to uncover his destiny, and find a lost artifact imbued with mystical powers.
This book should be highly enjoyed by people who crave action, adventure, and history. It contains a bit of drama, and different problems for the reader to dive into. Definitely a must read for any person who identifies with the styles of writing I listed above.

[Ziah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book The Fire of Ares by Michael Ford is a surprisingly good book for all ages full of action, adventure, and lessons on the hardships of life. It teaches us that there is no straight path. When I first took the book from the library, I needed something to read, I ended up enjoying the book as much as I do the Percy Jackson series. The Fire of Ares is without a doubt one of the best books I have read so far. I love Roman mythology or any book that has something to do with ancient mythology. I love the Percy Jackson series, when I read the first book I wanted to read the next until I eventually finished the series. The Fire of Ares is the only book I have read so far that comes near sparking my interest the same way. The 2 hours spent looking for a book was worth it.

5 stars, highly recommended.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! I could really feel what was going on and I knew how all the characters felt. Especially when Lysander's mother died. I could feel the emotions swelling inside me and it made me realize I wouldn't be able to live without my mother, let alone my mother AND father. I also found anger swelling inside me both when Diokles nearly stomped on Lysander's head and when he gave Drako one hundred lashes across the back.

This would definitely be a great Historical-Fiction book for anyone. It has a very good plot-line and I learned a lot about Sparta that I had never known before.

This book is also a book I would read again. Definitely a must-read for any age-type, though elementary-aged kids should be wary. Some violence does appear, though it is not entirely graphic.

[Jennell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best "boy" book that I've read in a long time. In the first chapter, you get this great description of Lysander's father getting knifed in the back. He looks down and sees the knife coming through. Not told in gruesome detail, but it got my attention.

The story is strong and I loved the amount of historical detail that the writer included. It made me want to go back and research the real history of the Spartans and their relationship with their slaves.

Can't wait for the next book!

I recommend this book for 5-7th grade boys; although girls would enjoy it. Would work nicely for Adventure and survival units.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this book was a weird introduction to the series. I'm currently reading the last book in this series "The Legacy of Blood" It's about a boy named Lysander who discovers that he is actually half Spartan and Hellot. Hellots are, well slaves, and (of course) Spartans are the almighty warriors who own the Hellots. The Fire of Ares is actually a pendant that his father's war partners gave to him as his fathers last request. His father died on the battle field by getting a spear shoved through his right lung. And slowly, this book reveals how he is related to a great Ephor (Very powerful and experienced Spartan warrior) named Sarpedon.

[Jonathan Da-silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lysander,a young helot slave,who has a shiny,and mysterious jewel called the Fires of Ares. His mom,who is very ill,told him to keep and defend the pendant. When Lysander finally knows about its worth and he loses it,he must find and claim back the pendant.

This book was an interesting book to me because it was about twelve year old boy who was trying to find out about the mysterious pendant the his mom gave to him when he was a little baby,and Lysander goes on a lot of interesting adventures. I would recommend this book to people who like how it was in the past,or people who are ingested in Sparta.