The king must die ; The bull from the sea / Mary Renault ; with an introduction by Daniel Mendelsohn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Renault, Mary, author.

Contributor:

Mendelsohn, Daniel Adam, 1960- writer of introduction.

Series:

Everyman's library (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.) ; 409.

Everyman's library ; 409

Standardized Title:

Novels. Selections

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Theseus, King of Athens--Fiction.

Theseus.

Hippolyta (Greek mythological character)--Fiction.

Hippolyta.

Hippolytus (Mythological character)--Fiction.

Hippolytus.

Phaedra (Greek mythological character)--Fiction.

Phaedra.

Fate and fatalism--Fiction.

Fate and fatalism.

Self-sacrifice--Fiction.

Self-sacrifice.

Hippolyta (Greek mythological character).

Hippolytus (Mythological character).

Phaedra (Greek mythological character).

Theseus, King of Athens.

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Fiction.

Historical fiction.

Physical Description:

xliii, 584 pages ; 22 cm.

Other Title:

Bull from the sea

Place of Publication:

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2022.

Summary:

"In her inventive novels of ancient Greece, Mary Renault performs the alchemical feats of fashioning from the myth of Theseus a convincingly flawed hero and of weaving a thrillingly plausible account of the events that inspired the fantastical tale of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur. The King Must Die follows young Theseus from his mystery-shrouded birth and youthful insecurity about his small size, through his growing strength and ingenuity to a dawning belief in his destiny. When teenaged Theseus sets out to join his true father, the King of Athens, he is delayed by unforeseen adventures: first by a perilous forced sojourn in the matriarchal society of Eleusis and next when he volunteers to join the annual tribute of Athenian youths sent to be sacrificed to a bull-worshipping cult on the island of Crete. Once trapped in the labyrinthine palace of King Minos, Theseus enlists the help of the high priestess Ariadne in a daring plan to free the Athenians forever from the dominance of Crete. The Bull from the Sea begins after Theseus's triumphal return to Athens, where he finds that his father has died and he is now king. But his confidence in his divinely ordained destiny will be shaken by the adventures yet ahead of him: a life-changing encounter with Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons; the birth of a son who will insist on choosing his own path; and the tragic results of his wife Phaedra's treachery. Combining her deep understanding of the cultures of the ancient Greek world with inspired speculation, Renault brings the heroes and monsters of legend enthrallingly to life."-- Provided by publisher

Notes:

"this is a Borzoi book" -- title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references.

Contains:

Container of: Renault, Mary. King must die.

Container of: Renault, Mary. Bull from the sea.

ISBN:

9780593535639

0593535634

OCLC:

1289233992