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Spartan Warrior #3
Legacy of Blood
After victory against the Persians, Lysander and the other young warriors from Sparta are weary from battle. But then a messenger brings news that Taras, a distant outpost of the Spartan empire, is under siege. Sparta is in danger of losing a vital trading port to a local uprising. Lysander and his barrack set sail immediately for southern Italy.
They quickly discover that the locals will not be easily beaten. In the midst of battle Lysander finds himself in front of the great statue in the main square, and is shocked to see that the figure is wearing the Fire of Ares. Is this Lysander's ancestor? He must find out his connection to this town and its people, and in so doing reveal more of his mysterious heritage, hidden from him for so long.
They quickly discover that the locals will not be easily beaten. In the midst of battle Lysander finds himself in front of the great statue in the main square, and is shocked to see that the figure is wearing the Fire of Ares. Is this Lysander's ancestor? He must find out his connection to this town and its people, and in so doing reveal more of his mysterious heritage, hidden from him for so long.
297 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2009
9 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Michael Ford
13 books49 followersMichael 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 24, 2016
After the death of his grandfather, Lysander feels lost and alone. He goes to the Delphic Oracle who prophesies this for him:
"You are a leader but not so.
You are a slave, but to yourself.
You must free yourself, child of two worlds.
The shackles that bind you are of your own making.
Fear not, your destiny is branded on your heart."
The novel, much darker and more intense than the other two in the trilogy, takes him with a band of youths from his flock to put down an insurrection in the Spartan colony of Taras--[the **only** Spartan colony: modern Taranto, Italy]. Sometimes fighting does get grisly. Through his leadership qualities and his nobility of character, he fulfills the prophecy and is entitled to again wear the Fire of Ares amulet, symbol of his heritage. We see his empathy for helots and his compassion. I took this whole trilogy as the author's conception of the youth of the historical Spartan admiral Lysander and how he might have dealt with prejudice, developed his leadership qualities, and why he went into the navy, rather than the usual infantry. We know nothing about his early life, so the author is wide open to speculation. Lysander was endearing, as well as his friends and cousin. The novel is worth reading by either young people or by adults, who might enjoy it as much as I did.
Very highly recommended.
"You are a leader but not so.
You are a slave, but to yourself.
You must free yourself, child of two worlds.
The shackles that bind you are of your own making.
Fear not, your destiny is branded on your heart."
The novel, much darker and more intense than the other two in the trilogy, takes him with a band of youths from his flock to put down an insurrection in the Spartan colony of Taras--[the **only** Spartan colony: modern Taranto, Italy]. Sometimes fighting does get grisly. Through his leadership qualities and his nobility of character, he fulfills the prophecy and is entitled to again wear the Fire of Ares amulet, symbol of his heritage. We see his empathy for helots and his compassion. I took this whole trilogy as the author's conception of the youth of the historical Spartan admiral Lysander and how he might have dealt with prejudice, developed his leadership qualities, and why he went into the navy, rather than the usual infantry. We know nothing about his early life, so the author is wide open to speculation. Lysander was endearing, as well as his friends and cousin. The novel is worth reading by either young people or by adults, who might enjoy it as much as I did.
Very highly recommended.
July 29, 2015
Got to the third chapter but I couldn't get into it, it bored me, War isn't my genre of books
March 7, 2021
My name is Lysander, and not much has changed since I saved Sparta by killing the Persian leader. I'm forced to keep the truth a secret, and I'm still treated as a Helot slave by many of the people I saved. My cousin and I have even lost control of our grandfather's estate, and I'm worried the slaves will be mistreated and tortured. Now, word has arrived that a Spartan outpost was overtaken, and Sparta can't afford to send any soldiers from its armies. However, the Council of Elders has ordered the trainees from my barracks to retake the outpost. Most of the boys have never been on a ship before, and the enemy will surely have fortified the town before we arrive. However, we Spartan warriors will return victorious unless we heroically and honorably die.
You should read the series from the beginning to fully appreciate Lysander's journey and transformation. The prejudice against non-Spartans was a common thread throughout all of the books. The Spartans were wary of a Helot uprising, but they refused to treat the slaves and free men as equal human beings. They'd use any amount of force to maintain their dominance. However, Lysander and some others knew this governing style was wrong and couldn't last in the long run. You should be aware that this book was full of fighting, blood, and gore, so it's not for the squeamish. These descriptions were appropriate for the series, as the Spartan culture strongly promoted fighting. Another thread in all the books was the Fire of Ares, also the title of the first book. This amulet was normally worn by Lysander, as it had been in his family for generations. Lysander often thought it gave him power, but in reality, it offered him confidence. This book revealed the potentially culture-changing history behind the amulet, but it felt anti-climactic. The truth was interesting, but its suppression made its effect on the characters minimal. Overall, I enjoyed the series and recommend you give it a shot, especially if you like ancient cultures.
You should read the series from the beginning to fully appreciate Lysander's journey and transformation. The prejudice against non-Spartans was a common thread throughout all of the books. The Spartans were wary of a Helot uprising, but they refused to treat the slaves and free men as equal human beings. They'd use any amount of force to maintain their dominance. However, Lysander and some others knew this governing style was wrong and couldn't last in the long run. You should be aware that this book was full of fighting, blood, and gore, so it's not for the squeamish. These descriptions were appropriate for the series, as the Spartan culture strongly promoted fighting. Another thread in all the books was the Fire of Ares, also the title of the first book. This amulet was normally worn by Lysander, as it had been in his family for generations. Lysander often thought it gave him power, but in reality, it offered him confidence. This book revealed the potentially culture-changing history behind the amulet, but it felt anti-climactic. The truth was interesting, but its suppression made its effect on the characters minimal. Overall, I enjoyed the series and recommend you give it a shot, especially if you like ancient cultures.
April 1, 2020
Legacy of Blood picks up from exactly where the last book left off. Lysander returns home victorious, but grieving at the loss of his grandfather but almost immediately news comes from the Spartan colony of Taras (modern day Taranto in southern Italy). The colony has been over-run by the enslaved population and foreign insurgents. Meanwhile old prejudices and power politics are at work, and the Spartan council is convinced to send Lysander's barracks back into action as the Spartan response to the rebellion.
This series continues to live up to its promise - packed with historical details and a plot that races along, making it ideal for its intended audience, and a very good read for anyone of any age. Lysander must come to terms with his own identity in this book, and there are still issues of prejudice and loyalty and enmity to deal with.
A wonderful series.
This series continues to live up to its promise - packed with historical details and a plot that races along, making it ideal for its intended audience, and a very good read for anyone of any age. Lysander must come to terms with his own identity in this book, and there are still issues of prejudice and loyalty and enmity to deal with.
A wonderful series.
June 9, 2017
This book ended up even better than the previous two to me.
There's a powerful message (a few actually) hidden in these pages, and I appreciated it.
Overall the story builds nicely and you watch the characters grow up. It was an honor to get to know them.
Honor the dead by caring for the living.
There's a powerful message (a few actually) hidden in these pages, and I appreciated it.
Overall the story builds nicely and you watch the characters grow up. It was an honor to get to know them.
Honor the dead by caring for the living.
March 9, 2020
slept various times. Non sense problems.
April 16, 2024
Never read the first two books but ok
September 11, 2015
I am upset that Orpheus died - I mean, okay, I sort of already had that feeling... but I still don't like that they let him die like that. Again, like before, I thought The Fire of Ares would be much more important, rather than only being treated like a family heirloom. Then again, I'm so used to them making stories where the Greek Gods and Goddesses were more present and made a physical appearance.
This book was all right, though. It was nice to see a less... blood-thirsty depiction of Spartans. I like that, throughout this series, Lysander became a bit more wise and, through the deaths of his loved ones [He still remembers Sarpedon, his mother and Timeon, and more recently Orpheus, which is good, I mean, some teenager/heroes would just forget about their previous supposed-loved ones and go back to their 'normal' lives as if nothing happened, so this did a good job of always making Lysander reflect] (sort of wishing Chilone would come back, because I liked them), he learns the ways of Sparta and adapts, making his own twist and refusing to follow the Spartan values that he doesn't abide to. That's a pretty good thing.
So yeah, this series wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst I've read.
This book was all right, though. It was nice to see a less... blood-thirsty depiction of Spartans. I like that, throughout this series, Lysander became a bit more wise and, through the deaths of his loved ones [He still remembers Sarpedon, his mother and Timeon, and more recently Orpheus, which is good, I mean, some teenager/heroes would just forget about their previous supposed-loved ones and go back to their 'normal' lives as if nothing happened, so this did a good job of always making Lysander reflect] (sort of wishing Chilone would come back, because I liked them), he learns the ways of Sparta and adapts, making his own twist and refusing to follow the Spartan values that he doesn't abide to. That's a pretty good thing.
So yeah, this series wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst I've read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2011
This is the third book in the Spartan Quest series about Lysander, a boy who grew up as a slave not knowing his blood was noble through his father. The series is a hit with sophomore boys in my building. There's lots of action, Lysander is likable, and the books read fast. This novel is set after Lysander has blooded for the first time in battle against the Persians and made something of a name for himself. Now a warrior who does not like the fact that a former slave is rising to glory sends him off to battle again, hoping Lysander will be killed defending a distant outpost of the Spartan Empire.
Lysander is a hero; he is compassionate because of his upbringing, he is smart and not afraid of speaking his mind, and he is an excellent warrior and strategist. This book can be read as a stand alone; one need not have read the first two to enjoy this one.
Lysander is a hero; he is compassionate because of his upbringing, he is smart and not afraid of speaking his mind, and he is an excellent warrior and strategist. This book can be read as a stand alone; one need not have read the first two to enjoy this one.
September 16, 2015
Originally rated G+ by A Stewart
After seeking the advice of the Oracle of Delphi, he returns to Sparta to find the Council of Elders ready to send the boys from his barracks off to take back the invaded colony of Taras. Lysander is sure that he will find his destiny there. In the end, he discovers where he came from and that Spartans are not so different from him. Though the story can be read on its own, frequent references to happenings in past books makes reading the series in order a better choice. Those with weak stomachs should be forewarned of the sometimes graphic violence as Ford goes into great detail during the battle scenes. For the most part, however, his attention to detail enhances this story with historical context, painting a vivid and accurate picture of life in ancient Sparta. An exciting, bloody adventure, but also a solid piece of historical fiction.— SLJ
After seeking the advice of the Oracle of Delphi, he returns to Sparta to find the Council of Elders ready to send the boys from his barracks off to take back the invaded colony of Taras. Lysander is sure that he will find his destiny there. In the end, he discovers where he came from and that Spartans are not so different from him. Though the story can be read on its own, frequent references to happenings in past books makes reading the series in order a better choice. Those with weak stomachs should be forewarned of the sometimes graphic violence as Ford goes into great detail during the battle scenes. For the most part, however, his attention to detail enhances this story with historical context, painting a vivid and accurate picture of life in ancient Sparta. An exciting, bloody adventure, but also a solid piece of historical fiction.— SLJ
December 11, 2016
After a fierce battle with the Persians, Lysander has proved his worth as a spartan and is now a hero. With him being famous however he has lost everyone he held dear. With people in the council plotting against him and him being lost in his destiny, can he find his destiny in a battle for land overseas? I liked this book a lot and thought that the plot and action was very well developed. I didn't like that there were a lot of names that all sounded the same and you can mix up characters easily.
May 28, 2010
lysander and his troop have survived the persian invasion, but must now travel across the ocean and recapture a spartan colony under siege. i liked this one just as much as the previous two if not more. lysander accepts his destiny by the end of the book, and im excited to read the next book.
May 4, 2011
As a finishing book to the Spartan Chronicle series. The final book "Legacy Of Blood" makes a strong finish, and ends up answering every question you had. Michael Ford has a way of writing to make the action follow each other like heart beats. Very good series
June 14, 2010
Third in series
definitely for boys grades 5 and up.
plently of fights and action
definitely for boys grades 5 and up.
plently of fights and action
Currently reading
November 4, 2010Its ok.
May 16, 2011
I did not find this one as enjoyable as the first two. I am thinking this is because there is so much more gore and violence in this one.
May 24, 2012
great!!!
June 6, 2013
I thought this book was kind of boring, because half of the book doesn't have anything interesting, but then there are some battles that Lysander, the main character, takes part in.
Read
August 25, 2011he became a true warrior in his next battle and finds himself
February 17, 2012
I really had a hard time understanding this...
June 2, 2016
The best of the three. It had me on the edge of my seat through out.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews