Goodreads asked E.M. Thomas:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

E.M. Thomas I am a devout student of ancient history. As I expound upon in my website's blog, that passion has fueled everything I've written to date, be it fantasy or historical fiction. It's impossible to read more than hour or two of Greco-Roman history and not come away with a dozen characters dying to have their stories told, especially when the giants of the field so dominate the discussion - the Athenians, the Spartans, the Alexanders, the Julius Caesars, etc. Giving voice to the lesser known characters of history is a strong driving force, which ironically is the highest tribute one could pay to an Ancient Greek - their vision of the afterlife (such as it was) was heavily dependent on how their memory was kept alive by their descendants.

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