Empire of Ashes: A Novel of Alexander the Great

by Nicholas Nicastro

In the aftermath of the death of the conqueror Alexander the Great, the late emperor's friend Machon offers a stunning and tragic take on Alexander's meteoric rise to the heights of power and his ultimate collapse and early death. Original.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

364 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

Nicholas Nicastro was born in Astoria, New York in 1963. His education includes a B.A. in English from Cornell University (1985), an M.F.A. in filmmaking from New York University (1991), an M.A. in archaeology and a Ph.D in psychology from Cornell (1996 and 2003). He has also worked as a film critic, a hospital orderly, a newspaper reporter, a library archivist, a college lecturer in anthropology and psychology, an animal behaviorist, and an advertising salesman. His writings include short fiction, travel and science articles in such publications as "The New York Times", "The New York Observer", "Film Comment", and "The International Herald Tribune". His books have been published by Penguin, St. Martin's, and HarperCollins.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had this book sitting on my shelves for the last four years, and I've made as many attempts in the past to read it, but was always distracted by something else. While it is a novel of Alexander's reign, there is a realness to it in that it sticks to what we know of the real man, while as always taking a novelist's liberty. We cannot know for sure the true life of Alexander or who was ultimately responsible for his death, but we can recognize him as one of the greatest figures to emerge from our history. Nicastro's telling of Alexander through the eyes of Machon, a soldier and historian, allows us to see the man in the third dimension and find fault in his choices as well as celebration in his victories.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems that Nicastro does not really care for the subject of his book, the opening is a bit of an uphill struggle to get into. It also contains minor flaws from a person who dislikes inaccuracy in history or film, this is rich considering he once worked as a critic on the subject. I'm sorry, but I have to come to the conclusion that Mr Nicastro is not quite so clever as he thinks himself to be, despite his collection of letter's for academic achievement. An uninspiring read.

[Abhinav Suryawanshi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely laborious read. It seems authors only intention was to demean any achievement of Alexander and in his efforts to do so he stoops to so low that at one point when he has run out of new things to blemish alexander he falls to portraying Alexanders horse as self centred arrogant animal who would take on other just cause the horse somehow knew that he is royal horse.

Alexander had his flaws but this book probably was written by a person who would provide opposing view to everything just to say I gave fresh perspective when they obviously know they are wrong, but they will continue argument for sake of argument.

[Daniel Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a few years ago so some of the details are a little bit hazy and I hadto read the description to remember it properly, but the second I opened it I remembered. This is an excellent book, it's written in a way I had not seen before this point, I want to say more, to describe the things I liked about it but anything I say would only ruin bits of it for anyone reading this who may buy and read it. But after this I went straight to the kindle store and bought another of his novels. I would hope that says enough

[Adam Chandler · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novelization of Alexander the Great's life where a lot of it is left to the author's assumptions of what Alexander would be like instead of trying to reason out who he was from the various records on Alexander--one of the ancient personages we know the most about. While nice to have something less dry than a straightforward history book, there is a lot of poetic license, a relatively thin plot (since the author has to move through a lot of history), and an overreliance on sexuality in a couple places in an obvious ploy to try to grab the reader's interest.

[Sonia Reyes · Rating 1 out of 5]

What?!

[K.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. Told from the viewpoint of Machon, a Greek soldier and historian in Alexander’s Macedonian army, it’s an inside look at Alexander’s life in Asia and his mindset.

[Tyler Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh! Made myself finish; 2 stars for story effort

[Joshua Fryar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing fucking book. The people in these comments lack the ability to appreciate art

[Jassy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anybody who reviews this book based on the sex hasn't read beyond the first 10 pages, because there isn't any beyond that! The book isn't about Alexander the great, it's about the LEGEND of Alexander the great. Who invented it? Based on what? For what purpose? It's a fascinating story, about history itself as the stories we like to believe about history. Don't be fooled by the paperback format and the subject. It's a serious book taht shouldn't be taken the same way as airport pap.

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

At the risk of repeating myself, let me just say again how much I HATE entire chapters (or large sections of chapters) in italic type. If that's the only way the author can figure out to differentiate speakers/time changes in the book, he/she is not a very good writer of character voice/sequencing.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took too long to get started, had some historical inaccuracies, was unkind to some good historical figures, but did tell the story fairly concisely once it got going. I didn't hate it but didn't really enjoy it.

[Marita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting tale, too bad it is so R rated.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book kind of went on and on and on. I found it boring after awhile.

[Jeffrey Rasley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A waste of time, but needed a book to read crossing the Pacific by plane. Bad history & bad sex.

[Steven Raszewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

More good stuff.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story.....Different approach to telling the story of a legendary leader.