Stealing Fire

Numinous World #2

by Jo Graham, Chet Williamson (narrator), Crossroad Press (publisher)

Alexander the Great's soldier, Lydias of Miletus, has survived the final campaigns of the king's life. He now has to deal with the chaos surrounding his death. Lydias throws his lot in with Ptolemy, one of Alexander's generals who has grabbed Egypt as his personal territory. Aided by the eunuch Bagoas, the Persian archer Artashir, and the Athenian courtesan Thais, Ptolemy and Lydias must take on all the contenders in a desperate adventure whose prize is the fate of a white city by the sea - and Alexander's legacy.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fantasy, Egypt, Mythology

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Gedankenlabor · Rating 4 out of 5]

>>...Ich habe geliebt und ich habe verloren, und ich bin mit gestohlenem Feuer in einem verborgenen Sarg nach Ägypten gekommen und dabei mit Göttern gewandelt. ...<<

4. Jahrhundert vor Christus: Nach dem Tod Alexanders des Großen, fernab der Heimat, erteilt die Göttin Isis Ptolemaios den Auftrag, Pharao von Ägypten zu werden. Nach der Übernahme gebannt er ein freies Ägypten aufzubauen und betraut seinen eng Vertrauten Lydias mit einer wichtigen, aber auch sehr gefährlichen Mission, nämlich den Leichnam Alexanders nach Ägypten zu bringen und seinen geist zu befreien.

"Der Hüter des Feuers" von Jo Graham ist ein historischer Roman, in den Jo Graham feine mystische Fäden hinein geflochten hat. Liebe, Krieg, Kämpfe, Vertrauen, Hass, List und Bilder eines Landes, dessen Mythos immer wieder das Interesse weckt bringt sie hier in eine, wie ich finde sehr schöne und spannende literarische Form!
Mir hat die Geschichte sehr gut gefallen und auch der Aspekt einer Liebesbeziehung zwischen zwei Männern war für mich innerhalb dieser Zeit einfach auch mal etwas ganz wunderbares, vor allem, weil Jo Graham es für mich geschafft hat, diese greifbar mir als Leser näher zu bringen.
Ich habe sehr mit Lydias mit gefiebert, habe Isis' Auftritte innerhalb der Geschichte unglaublich gern gelesen und die Kämpfe beim Lesen wirklich vor Augen gehabt.

>>...Eine Seele ist ein einzigartiges Quantenmuster, von physikalischer Energie geformt und entstellt. ...<<

Fazit: Für mich ein weiteres Buch aus Jo Graham's Feder, das mich in vielerlei Hinsicht gut unterhalten hat und in eine Zeit, an einen Ort geführt hat, die ich persönlich einfach sehr sehr interessant empfand! Ich hoffe in Zukunft noch ganz ganz viele weitere historische Romane der Autorin lesen zu können!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good but I prefer more Alex in my Alexander the Great books. Lydias was a super great protagonist for what this is.

Recommended for fans of:
- Ptolemy
- Hephaestion
- Thais (!!!!)
- Bagoas


Not recommended for fans of:
- Perdiccas
-Kraterus
- Olympias

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stealing Fire showed somewhat unexpectedly in the mail and when I opened it, I just got hooked from the first page and I stayed way too late that night to finish it, though I reread it the following day to both savor it at leisure and get its finer points I may have missed on my first "need to find out what happens even if my eyes are closing" read.

The main strength of the novel is the first person narration of Lydias. He is a character you cannot help but root for and both his actions in the present of the novel and his reminiscences of the past show a "honorable" person who essentially worships his benefactor and later commander Hephaistion and by extension Alexander too, while being respectful as half-Greek/half-"barbarian" of Alexander's new companions of the East like Bagoas or his comrades in arms like the Persian Artashir.

Lydias' short-lived marriage with the young Indian widow Sati that ended in tragedy on the terrible desert retreat from India in 326 BC and which keeps haunting him illustrates Alexander's vision - whether pragmatic or idealistic or both - of an "universal" world not divided into West or East, European or Oriental, Greek or Barbarian and adds to Lydias' depth as a human who finds himself also attracting the attentions of the Gods.

The supporting characters from Ptolemy to Thais, Bagoas and Artashir are also very well done and quite believable and the novel shines everywhere in the characterization aspect. But there is action galore, from a desperate ride to secure a fortress ahead of the news, to ambushes, cavalry battles and even crocodile encounters so "Stealing Fire" fits comfortably in the adventure mode of storytelling.

The "numinous" aspect that involves reincarnation and mystic dreams, encounters with Gods, prophecies and foretelling puts Stealing Fire firmly in the fantasy camp but the relative faithfulness to historical record as the big picture goes, grounds also the novel in "reality". The fusion of "fantastic" and "real" in almost perfect balance is another superb achievement of the author.

Stealing Fire (A+) is the best of Ms. Graham's work to date and a novel I strongly recommend to both lovers of historical fiction and fantasy adventures as the "perfect crossover".

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever had a meal that was absolutely exquisite, but the portion was so small that your stomach was still rumbling afterward? My experience with Stealing Fire was much like that.

Jo Graham’s Numinous World series is best described as “historical fantasy” and revolves around a core group of characters who are reincarnated at various points in history. The protagonist of Stealing Fire, Lydias of Miletus, lived previously as Gull in Black Ships, and will later live as Charmian in Hand of Isis.

Alexander the Great has died, and his empire has fallen into chaos as his nobles fight amongst themselves for power. Lydias, a soldier who feels emotionally adrift after losing everyone he loved, chooses to accompany Ptolemy to Egypt. Trouble follows Lydias, both in the form of political/military danger from Alexander’s other generals and in the form of restless spirits. Alexander had been crowned as Pharaoh, and the spirits of Egypt will only be appeased when Alexander is given the proper funeral rites and a new Pharaoh enthroned. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Alexander’s body lies in the hands of Ptolemy’s enemy, and besides, Ptolemy doesn’t want to be king, wishing only to hold the throne in the name of Alexander’s infant son.

Interspersed with this plotline, told in flashbacks, is the story of how Lydias rose from slavery to his current position. The scenes narrating Lydias’ adolescence are some of the most moving in the novel. You can’t help but love this gutsy, idealistic young man.

Graham’s work is, as always, meticulously researched and beautifully written. She immerses the reader in the place and time: the often-foreign-to-us attitudes, the smell of the food, and most of all, the sense of upheaval. We have the benefit of hindsight and know how things turned out, but Graham shows us just how uncertain the situation was at the time. It must have felt like the end of the world.

Stealing Fire is a compelling yarn, a love letter to Egypt, and a meditation on how best to govern a diverse realm. (And how not to govern one.) Graham’s political background shines through as the characters discuss what makes a great leader. Her gift for humor is in evidence, too:

He looked at me and his eyes twinkled. “Besides, is politics so different than dealing with horses?”

I laughed. “I suppose not,” I said. “Only we cannot geld for bad temper!”

“I’m considering it,” Ptolemy said.

Yet, as I said above, I was left hungry for more. As in Hand of Isis, I felt there was a lot of story that hadn’t made it into the book. In Hand of Isis, I craved more scenes of Iras; in Stealing Fire, what seemed too brief were the relationships and the fantasy elements. Lydias has several partners over the course of the book, and some of these relationships could have benefited from more page time. As for the fantasy elements, we only get a few scenes showing the destruction wrought by the restless spirits. For various reasons, it takes several years for Lydias and Ptolemy to implement their solution, yet we don’t get a sense of mounting danger as time passes (from the spirits, anyway; there’s plenty from Ptolemy’s rivals). True, Lydias spends much of this time away on campaign, but a few more scenes before his departure and after his return might have made his mission seem more pressing.

In fantasy, there are lots of great short-story ideas that get stretched into long novels, great novel ideas that become bloated trilogies, and great trilogy ideas that become long, plodding series. With that in mind, maybe I shouldn’t complain that Stealing Fire feels like an 800-page book compressed into 300 pages. After all, Jo Graham left me wanting more, and there’s something to be said for that. I’d gladly read the 800-page version, though!

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck, this one snuck up on me. Ahem. Dusty in here, innit?

[Serofina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der Hüter des Feuers war für mich wie ein Liebesbrief an das Land Ägypten und all seine Myhten und Legenden. Durch die, meiner Meinung nach, kunstvoll platzierten Rückblicke in Lydias Leben in Alexanders Gefolgschaft, ging diese Liebe für Ägypten mit einer Reise durch Alexanders Großreich einher, die mir unterhaltsame Einblicke in die griechische, persische und indische Kultur gewährt hat.
Lydias langsames Wiederentdecken seines Lebenswillens, hat mich sehr berührt und zum Nachdenken angeregt.
Ein handwerklich gut geschriebenes und unterhaltsames Buch, das mir Lust auf mehr Bücher von Jo Graham macht.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just gets better and better and I'm totally reading it out of order...it doesn't matter!

If you like...

historical fiction
historical fantasy involving the actions of gods, and reincarnation
well-developed characters
a touch of romance that isn't always entirely straight...

You will really love this series. Gillian Bradshaw fans would probably like it too. Recommend!

[Joss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to read the others in this series, but after this, I'm now eager to get my hands on them. This novel is classed as fantasy due to the presence of gods and goddesses interacting with mortals, but the author never plays fast and loose with the historical content. I'm no expert on the period, but there was nothing that jarred for me.

Jo Graham's prose is deceptively simple - she keeps description to a minimum but brings her characters and landscapes evocatively to life. I had vivid images of Egypt and the Nile painted in my head. Despite the novel beginning only after the death of Alexander, the prior lives of the characters are unfurled through a series of flashbacks, which allow you to get to know them gradually without in any way being disorientating. Gripping from the very beginning, I couldn't wait to finish it - it now deserves a re-read! Wonderful!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to just love this as much as Graham's first two books - as it was, I just liked it well enough. I think a good part of that is due to my utter inability to follow battle scenes, and this book does have a lot of that sort of action. I liked the characters (Lydias, Hephaistion, Bagoas), but didn't fall in love with them quite the way I did with Charmian and Gull and Xandros and some of her earlier characters. In short, a good book that didn't speak to me as strongly as I'd hoped - but I am looking forward to what Graham does next.

[Seolhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first heard about this book, I felt like it was written for me, and pretty much as soon as I started reading I knew I was going to love it.

First and foremost, I loved the characters and their relationships so, so much!
For such a short book, the characters are fleshed out and believable. The many different relationships, both platonic and romantic, were so compelling, even when given only a very small place in the story.
The friendships between Lydias and Ptolemy and Artashir respectively were lovely. The blooming relationship between Lydias and Bagoas was so sweet. I love what little we got to see of Lydias relationship with his now dead wife, same with what little we got to see of Ptolemy and Thaïs. I really, really wanted to see more of Artashir and his wives, because what little we got was just so adorable. Really, I could gush about the characters and relationships for a long time, because they really made me so happy.

As a historical fantasy, I felt that the balance between history and fantastical elements was just right. The fantasy elements never overpowered the story, and the historical setting was rich and immersive. You can definitely tell that the author did her research.
The story was compelling, and I felt the pacing was really well set. I never felt like the book dragged, but it didn't feel rushed either, which is especially impressive considering the length of this book.

And that's really my only major issue with this book, it really would've benefitted from being at least 100 pages longer (I actually think it could've easily been in the 500+ range).
There are so many things that could've been even better given more space, and we could have gotten even more of all the elements that made this book so enjoyable.
Like, for an example, we only get tiny glimpses of Lydias' past in flashbacks, and I would have loved to see more. Important relationships (like that between Lydias and Hephaestion and Lydias and his wife and son) only exist in these flashbacks and could have been better fleshed out.
Also, with so many wonderful characters I would have loved to see more of them and their interactions.

Still, I really, really enjoyed this, and I'm so glad it found its way into my life.

To balance things out, here are some nitpicks and small details that had me squinting a bit:
- The threat of the spirits roaming through Egypt felt like it didn't really go anywhere.
- Not sure how I feel about the author having Hephaestion cheat on Alexander with her OC :/
- The scene where Alexander speaks through Lydias left me a bit uneasy, but I can't quite put my finger on why.
- I couldn't help but feel like the author painted Egypt as intrinsically more divine and magical and superior to the rest of the world, which just... didn't sit entirely well with me.
- Related to the previous point, this especially bothered me because there is literally only one actually Egyptian character in this book and all of the men chosen and loved and proclaimed special and important by the actual Egyptian Gods (Alexander, Lydias and Ptolemy) are all non-Egyptian.
- I just don't buy that Alexander's body would look perfectly lifelike after being dead for 3 years.
If his body was embalmed in an Egyptian fashion, as he is in this book, he would be deseccated and mummified. The author, however, describes his body as perfectly lifelike, as if sleeping, only perhaps a bit waxlike, which sounds much closer to modern embalming, a process involving a lot of harsh and dangerous chemicals that only really got started in the 19th century.

[Nico]

Dies ist ein solides, gut recherchiertes und fesselndes Stück historischer Fiction. Es erzählt die Geschichte von Lydias, einem General der Armee von Alexander dem Großen, der mit dem Chaos nach seinem Tod zurechtkommen muss. Mir gefiel, wie die Autorin mit den Charakteren umging - sie wirkten sympathisch, obwohl ich mir bei einigen von ihnen mehr Tiefe gewünscht hätte, und ich bin nicht unbedingt mit allen Charakterisierungsentscheidungen der Autorin einverstanden. Die Geschichte war fesselnd, mal rasant und actionreich, dann wieder nachdenklich und sehr emotional. Ich fand diese Abwechslung sehr willkommen. Mir hat auch gefallen, wie die Welt dargestellt wurde. Die Landschaften waren lebendig und schön. Ägypten wurde mit viel Liebe und Detailreichtum beschrieben, mit einem Hauch von Mystik. Am Anfang fand ich den Mystizismus etwas unpassend, aber das ist wohl Teil des Worldbuildings für die ganze Serie, nicht nur für dieses Buch. Besonders gut hat mir gefallen, wie Alexandria beschrieben wurde, wie es im Laufe des Buches zum Leben erwachte und wuchs, was der Protagonist bei seinen mehreren Besuchen in der Stadt beobachten konnte.

Mir gefiel auch die Idee der Numinos-Welt-Reihe, zu der dieses Buch gehört. Sie beschreibt die Leben und Abenteuer ein und derselben Seele in ihren verschiedenen Inkarnationen. Der Hüter des Feuers ist das einzige Buch der Reihe, das ich bisher gelesen habe, aber es wäre interessant, die anderen zu lesen und die Protagonisten zu vergleichen - was ist an ihnen gleich ist und worin sie sich unterscheiden.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid, well-researched and engaging piece of historical fiction. It tells the story of Lydias, a general of the army of Alexander the Great who has to deal with the chaos of the aftermath of his death. I liked how the author dealt with the characters - they felt relatable, although I'd have liked more depth to some of them, and I don't necessarily agree with all the author's characterization choices. The story was captivating, at times fast and full of action, at others contemplative and deeply emotional. I found this alteration very welcome. I also liked how the world was shown. The sceneries were vivid and beautiful. Egypt was described with much love and full of detail, with a touch of mysticism. I found the mysticism a bit off at first, but then it's probably part of the worldbuilding for the whole series, not just this book. I especially liked how Alexandria was described, how it came to life and grew throughout the book, which the protagonist observed in his several visits to the city.

I also liked the idea of the Numinous World series, which this book is a part of. It describes the lives and adventures of the same soul in its different incarnations. Stealing Fire is the only book in the series that I've read so far, but it would be interesting to read the others and compare the protagonists - what is the same about them and how they are different.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the depiction of the time period and the respectful handling of the historical characters, particularly since these are people I know and love. I didn't think the fantasy aspects fit here as well as they did in Black Ships, but they were ok. I could have used a fuller historical note at the end. Overall well done.

[Lindsey Rojem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite slow, and not much exciting happened. It was just interesting enough that I was able to read it in a few days, but it read more like a history book than a novel. It was neat that it it covered the time after Alexander, not during like most books.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Greek historical novel with just the right amount of fantasy.

[J. Milius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only a human take on the rich history of the Ancient World, but one with a focus on outsiders, LGBTQ relationships, and those touched by the gods. Tickles the same part of my brain that loves fantasy, only set in the world that was. You can see the evolution in Graham's writing since Black Ships and I'm happy to keep on following her down this path.

[Eneida Paulo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but I was mostly hoping for more of an account of a live Alexander. Still, it was enjoyable and very well written.

[Kyle Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining yarn about the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death and thd founding of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. If you're a nerd about the Hellenistic Period, I highly recommend.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first: I've read this book without having read the first one, so some details may have been lost to me. Nonetheless I think that it can totally stand on its own and the story is perfectly understandable anyway.

I personally bought this book, because I buy every historical fiction book featuring Alexander the Great in a prominent role that looks appealing to me. I knew Alexander would be dead from the start, but also that there were going to be flashbacks.
I also knew that the main character would have a deeper connection to Hephaestion than the king, which was a welcoming thought, too.
Otherwise I did not expect anything and to my delight found myself enjoying the whole book - present and past alike.

The writing style was easy to read and engaging. I especially liked the descriptions of the Egyptian cities and landscape.

The main character was also easy to like, if a bit too perfect in places. Same with Ptolemy, who was basically the second most important character. I also liked Thais very much.

Alexander was more of a plot device than an actual character, but what we do see of him is engaging enough to believe that all those people would follow him and even be devoted to him after his death.
I liked that Hephaestion was shown as the competent man he was, also deserving of praise and love. It was a change from other books, that the main character was actually in love with him, instead of Alexander. So that was cool. Same with acknowledging that him and the king were actually lovers.
The only thing that I found pretty weird was
Lydias having sex with Hephaestion one time. It happened out of grief (the wedding with Roxane) and how it was written, it had some weird flavor of modern sensibilities... BUT since it happened, I for one would have liked for Alexander to find out and see his reaction. Basically the scene and how Hephaestion sometimes looked at him after simply added more to the "a bit too perfect" aspect of Lydias.
Otherwise it was how it should be: Hephaestion and Alexander are soulmates.

The character who really susprised me was Bagoas. I was actually dreading him, because I have some beef with the jealous youth from "The Persian Boy" by Mary Renault, but I really liked him here. He was probably my favorite character. He was written not only as beautiful, but also as intelligent, witty and having dignity. The relationship between him and the main character was lovely. I was actually rooting for them to grow old together in the newly built Alexandria and in my head they did.
Related to that, there was only one thing that truly bothered me right at the end:
What about Bagoas? Lydias randomly gets a wife the reader barely knows (but not dislikes) and it's mentioned that they have children. No word about his relationship with Bagaos. Lydias thinks about what he'd do with a lover AND a wife earlier in the book but there is no conclusion. Bothered me.

Beyond the personal relationships, this book is full of horsemanship, battles and gods. I found all those things to be well written and interesting to read.

I was also delighted to read that the author's favorite Alexander fiction books are Lord of the Two Lands by Judith Tarr and A Choice of Destinies by Melissa Scott - plus of course the obvious Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault - which I fully endorse! I'm going to put this book next to those on my shelf.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story, especially the contrasting present against past scenes. There are a few little minor detail errors, but overall, I appreciated the obvious familiarity with the ancient sources, not just in details, but in how the people think, which, to me, is extremely important. I know this is not her first foray into historical fiction, and that her Black Ships received a fair bit of praise, so her deftness with the ancient world is perhaps to be expected, although I’ve been disappointed by some critically acclaimed novels that fell down for me on understanding and presenting the history side (The Golden Mean).

She owes a lot to Mary Renault, although her tone is different, more down to earth (which I appreciate), and the genre is historical fantasy. In that, it reminded me of Judith Tarr’s Lord of the Two Lands, including her focus on Egypt, and Egyptian magic. Her narrative flows in an easy way, with some sparkling turns of phrase here and there. I particularly liked the mystic scenes, although the last one (won’t give it away, as it’s a spoiler) fell a little flat. The best one, imo, was the incident when Lydias is lost in the desert.
I'm not a huge fan of Bagoas as Renault portrayed him, but I really liked how he's written here. And, whatever my historical issues, in these times of increasing transphobia/hostility, I appreciate how he's handled. She centers him in the morēs of the time, and he winds up with a great deal of dignity, more actually, to my mind, than Renault achieved in The Persian Boy.

The main character of Lydias is fiction, but allows the reader to see into another side of Alexander’s campaign by not being part of the “top brass.” In fact, he starts out as a groom and slave of Hephaistion’s. But by using him, Graham is able to show how Alexander’s army allowed those with ability to rise based on merit, not just birth—something that’s historically accurate, after Gaugamela. So if Lydias’s story got a bit of a fictional boost, it’s not at all outside the realm of possibility.

Of the historical characters, the two who stood out most for me were Ptolemy and Hephaistion. In both cases, she painted very sympathetic pictures of honorable men. I know we’re seeing them through the eyes of Lydias, who was the officer of one, and had a crush on the other, but aside from Bagoas, they’re the most likable. If anything, Ptolemy may be a little too honorable, compared to the historical man. But again, we’re seeing him through the eyes of Lydias.

I especially enjoyed the battle scenes and military detail. I know nothing really about horses, so can't comment on the accuracy of that, but it seemed good to me. The description of the battle for Egypt between Ptolemy and Perdikkas near the end was especially good, elaborated in realistic ways. I actually went to check it in Diodoros and was quite impressed. She takes some liberties; we’re not really told how/who killed Perdikkas, but it’s one of those “read between the lines” moments.

While the book only partly treats Alexander’s reign—I’d call him a tertiary character—it’s still well worth reading for Alexander fans, and has one of the most appealing Hephaistions out there. He’s charming, and has jobs of his own. It helps that her protagonist is part of his entourage, so we see Alexander through Hephaistion instead of Hephaistion through Alexander.

[Dirk D · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the death of Alexander the Great, the empire he forged via conquest fragmented almost immediately as his heirs, his mentally damaged brother, powerful generals, and political leaders back in Greece all tried to grasp at the whole thing in a mad array of shifting alliances and power grabs.
Only Ptolemy thought it through and decided that Egypt would be big enough for his faction to seize and hold. The story unfolds through the eyes of Ptolemy's cavalry commander Lydias, as he relates the audacious tale of seizing a country and settling Alexander's legacy at his namesake city by the sea.
This same story has also been told (and admittedly better) by Mary Renault in her brilliant novel "Funeral Games". So why recommend this retelling of the same story?
Partly because the focus is on Ptolemy's part of this historical period whereas Funeral Games covers all the heroes and villains of Alexander's legacy (many of whom don't fare well).
As the main character Lydias is likeable and engaging. Though his role is a lesser one he nonetheless plays an important part in many of the events that follow. The story is well-written and fun to read.
I tried this author out on a whim but I think I'll be reading more of her stories in the future!

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Graham's first novel, BLACK SHIPS--overall there I was impressed with how Graham drew from recent archeological and historic scholarship to bring to life the Late Bronze Age world--but I'm afraid I find STEALING FIRE less successful.

With historical fiction, I want to enter that other world, feel and think for a while as an Ancient Greek or Egyptian would. With fantasy, I want magic and world-building that places us in another world entirely, even if there's a historical basis. But STEALING FIRE doesn't for me excel as either fantasy or historical novel

I felt Graham was anachronistically superimposing her own modern New Age, egalitarian, and feminist values on her characters. It doesn't help that in this novel her first person narrator, Lydias, is made out to be also the author's past and future reincarnated protagonists from BLACK SHIPS and HAND OF ISIS. It's like that old joke that everyone was Marie Antoinette in another life. So life after life a guy gets to hang out with the rich and famous? Aeneas, Cleopatra and Alexander?

Moreover, Lydias isn't at all disturbed at the revelation he was once and will be a woman; he doesn't have to struggle to see women as equals as would a man of that time. I understand an author wanting to bend historic attitudes to make a character more sympathetic to modern readers, but it might have worked better if Lydias had more of an arc where I could understand why his mindset is different than his contemporaries beyond his origins as a slave--or if his visions themselves touched off a a revolution in his thinking. And after all, a visit from a deity should be life-changing, not the almost casual thing it is in this novel; the novel doesn't convey the awe and terror the characters should feel at being confronted with the divine.

The elements of the magical in this novel are I feel too thin to really consider it a fantasy, yet are also harder to rationalize as hallucinations or such in the same way as they were in BLACK SHIPS, breaking any sense of historic realism. Overall though the book felt to me more historical novel than real fantasy, but on those terms doesn't work for me because of the problems delineated above.

Despite my criticisms, this is an enjoyable book overall, stylistically clean, a good, fast read with likable characters, but it doesn't make me feel I've sunk into the Hellenistic world just after the death of Alexander--I keep comparing it in my mind to the same ground covered by Mary Renault in her Alexander books: FIRE FROM HEAVEN, THE PERSIAN BOY and FUNERAL GAMES. I'm afraid STEALING FIRE suffers from the comparison.

[Carrie Slager · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have some mixed feelings about the second book in Jo Graham’s so far awesome Numinous World series. I mean, I’ve already read Black Ships and Hand of Isis, which were both great. But I’m just not feeling this one.

Lydias was a great, well developed character. He had a fascinating past that made his chosen path feel a little more believable and his actions throughout the novel are fairly consistent. I like how we learn his tragic backstory little by little and it really does bring some depth to the character rather than simply hinting at what happened and not letting the reader experience it as he did. Yes, it does slow down the plot but that wasn’t really my main beef with this book.

My main problem was not that I couldn’t relate to the main character, but rather that I couldn’t relate to the plot. The plot was slow, which would have been okay except for the fact that it was also a boring plot. As in pretty much nothing happened throughout the whole book. Ptolemy and Lydias arrived in Egypt after Alexander’s death. Ptolemy was crowned Pharaoh so Alexander’s spirit could be set free and Egypt could prosper once more. And yet this all took 300 pages? Truly, I just wasn’t feeling the plot like I did with Hand of Isis, where Charmian’s relationship with the gods had a more urgent, important feel to it.

Aside from the boring plot, I found that Jo Graham’s novel was pretty well researched and I learned a lot about the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death. Of course from my Egyptian history I already knew that Alexander’s empire had been split into three pieces between his generals and their supporters, but I never really knew how long it took. Yes, they had already started squabbling before his body could cool, but I didn’t know it had taken them that long to solidify their new empires. It was fascinating to see how the politics of the time would affect Charmian in Hand of Isis later on as she remembered her previous life.

Stealing Fire certainly wasn’t a bad book, but it definitely isn’t one of Jo Graham’s best books. If you already have read books in the Numinous World series, go ahead and read this one. But if you’re just starting out I’d highly recommend either Black Ships or Hand of Isis. Chronological order isn’t really an issue.

I give this book 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads rating purposes.

[Carol March · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stealing Fire by Jo Graham is the story of a fictional soldier who served with Alexander the Great, in Hephaistion’s Ile, as a member of the Companion Cavalry, on his sweep through Persia and beyond.
It follows Lydias, who was sold into slavery by his father and became a groom, as he escapes from his master when Hephaistion buys his favorite horse.

The story starts with the day of Alexander’s death and alternates between present and past, as we learn about the chaos that ensued after the death of the king and how Lydias rose to be a general to Ptolemy.

The main action occurs as Ptolemy plots to steal Alexander’s body and return it to Alexandria. With the help of Bagoas, the eunuch who was beloved of Alexander, Lydias leads the military operation that ends with Alexander’s corpse safely entombed in Egypt.

All these scenes are depicted in other novels, but Graham does an excellent job of making them come alive. Military scenes are never my favorite, but she managed to make them interesting and not overly prolonged. But the real heart of this book is the character of Lydias, who is very human and engaging. His hopeless love for Hephaistion, his reverence for Alexander and then, his relationship with Bagoas, one of my favorite characters in this drama, is well-told and, in parts, very moving. I found the book hard to put down.

How Lydias grows from a stable boy to a man who comes to understand that he has lived many times, and has abilities he has never dreamed of, is conveyed in a way that makes what could be difficult material seem completely natural. I admire the skill with which the author incorporated the metaphysical elements into the relationships and the action.

Graham handles the m/m relationships tastefully and with respect, a nice discussion of gender without being heavy-handed.

She manages the various relationships beautifully; I am still reverberating from some of the lines near the end. Well researched, this book is a must for anyone who enjoys historical fiction especially that of ancient Greece.

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book of the Numinous Series is narrated by Lydias, who was Gull in the Black Ships, and is in this life a slave turned soldier. It takes part in Alexander the Great's era and Lydias is one of his soldiers.
First I thought I wasn't going to enjoy this because it was so completely different than the setting from the first book and besides the main characters were all men. There was hardly a woman in the story besides the Goddess and a few wives. That's usually a reason for me to not like the book at all.
But...Lydias just sucked me in. Just like Gull, he had this sensitivity about him and the energy of this book is pure melancholy, it's that feeling of an aching longing and it completely fascinated me. Lydias was so likeable - even though he's a soldier, most of the time his voice sounded more like that of a young priest, mixed with some sensibility that would fit a young girl who doesn't quite know who she is. That's probably part of the genius of Jo Graham - how she manages to write both men and women so well, and mixing together all sorts of personality traits that these characters have in all of their lives.

Spoilers ahead...

The focus of Lydias' life was Hephaistion, who is reincarnated Neas, and their story was again bittersweet. Although I loved Xandros and Gull in the first book, I always felt like Gull and Neas shared a deep bond, some kind of understanding because both are gods touched - and it was kind of disappointing that nothing ever happened between them. In this life, it's like Gull's longing becomes that much stronger because she was the one who kind of turned Neas away before. At least that's how it felt to me.
Lydias' path is so interesting and even though the story focuses a lot on stuff that I'm usually not drawn to - like war strategy and fights - it was so awesome. I felt like I was there. I can't really explain it better than to say that the energy of the book took over and I was completely sucked into the time of Lydias and Ancient Egypt.

I think it was almost my favorite so far.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction with some fantasy elements. To be honest, the fantasy part of it was kind of not very well developed. Supernatural threats and situations are introduced here and there, and then mostly dropped or left dangling. But I felt that this was ok in this case, since the narrator is an uneducated former slave from the ancient Mediterranean. The half-baked fantasy world building (or I guess "numinous world," since that's what the series is called) might seem jarring to a modern reader of this mostly historical novel. But actually, considering how superstitious people were back then, this is probably as realistic as account as you're likely to get from someone who had no formal philosophical training but did have a bit of an overactive imagination. So, paradoxically, by being vaguely supernatural-y, the story actually ends up being more realistic and more true to its time period.
Another thing I liked is that for once, the focus is not on Alexander the Great but on one of his generals, Ptolemy. Why isn't he called "Great"?! I think he's so much more interesting than Alexander, personally... He was so sensible and competent. And not a megalomaniac, which is always a plus.
What I didn't like was that the character of Bagoas was lifted straight out of Mary Renault, and his whole storyline here felt like 'Persian Boy' fanfiction, of the "that book was so sad let's fix it" variety. I guess it's just my bad luck that it just so happens that I read the Persian Boy. If I hadn't read it, I probably wouldn't have had any objections.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this as much as Graham's first two novels. I think part of this is that she does not excel at writing male characters as well as female ones - at least not here. Lydias always felt feminine to me, which seems wholly at odds with being an ancient warrior.

Because of Lydias' background, there is less focus on the mystical or arcane in Stealing Fire, and I feel that is a negative point. Part of the appeal of the first two novels was their foreignness, a disconnect from a modern way of viewing the world. Stealing Fire also seemed to be less descriptive to me; the focus was more on action than world-building. Lydias states that he loves Egypt, but there's not that sense of being enthralled by the (even then) ancient land and its religion that Charmian has in Hand of Isis.

Lydias also seems like an odd character (in addition to not feeling stereotypically masculine to me) in that he randomly starts to miss his dead wife and son, but for the majority of the story you forget they even exist.

It wasn't a bad novel, but I think in being compared to her earlier work, it suffers. I would reread the first two; I would not reread this.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Different beat than Black Ships but as good for me. Of course, it's full of little Alexander things that are wonderful. If you are a fan of Mary Renault's Alexander, of Alexander history, Stealing Fire is fun. I like the "demi-teinte" rhythm of the narration. How Lydias' life is on pause since his wife and child passed and the most important person in his life, Hephaistion, is no more too. Getting Egypt free of Persian rule and helping Ptolemy becoming the ruler he is meant to be is all that is left for Lydias.

The battle scenes are engaging and I found them interesting without being tedious. Hard to do. Graham succeeded in drawing an engaging, yet not bing, bang, thank you mam battle scenes. I especially liked the stealing of the hearse battle.

A very good addition of the universe Jo Graham is building. It's fun identifying who is whom book to book. Gull/Lydias is still a wonderful, intriguing and compelling character.

[J. Else · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graham unveils the depth of her main character well. I think I also read hints to other stories upcoming? Graham is an excellent storyteller. At times, the minor characaters can get jumbled because tehre are so many of them and names from ancient times are hard to read and remember. Graham adds more in this book in terms of battle scenes. Overall, they have been hinted at or done away from the main characters in previous books because of the main characters role in society. Graham shows growth as an author and heightens the eslightly distracted wondering what had happened to the horse Lydias had an almost spiritual connection with. What I really enjoyed was the work to make Alexader's vision reality in Alexandria. It was the "melting pot" of the ancient world. This book has everything to it: excellent historical basis, enchanting narrative, strong characterization of the main characters, heafty action, and character growth. I think this is her best novel yet. Her novelization of gods and historical figures is very well thought out and researched.

[Ann Hinch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jo Graham has a way of presenting history of the Old World in a readable, modern voice while describing what things were like around the characters from historical accounts, yet adding fantasy elements as well. She always picks a sideline character to tell the story surrounding a famous figure or event, and it's usually before or after what we'd consider "the big event" we know about that person or thing.

In this novel, she uses a male POV for the first time, but there's still plenty of references to driving female characters. Lydias is one of Alexander's higher-ranking soldiers, telling about how his troops and advisors split after his death, some supporting his widow and others making a new life in Egypt, ultimately stealing his body from the "other side" to take to Egypt for interment, in order to bind him and his people to the land for protection of spirits. There's rich description of battle and injuries, as well as politics and the accepted same-sex relations among Alexander's followers.