Alexander’s Legacy: To The Strongest
Alexander’s Legacy: To the Strongest is the first book in a new series by Robert Fabbri, author of the Vespasian series. After Alexander the Great’s death in Babylon in 323 BC, the young Macedonian Empire splintered into rival kingdoms as competing generals vied to be the new great man. Fabbri has chosen some fascinating if frustratingly limited source material to work with by writing historical fiction set in this period, a mostly unexplored timeframe despite the Game of Thrones-style showdown. While some knowledge of Alexander the Great is fairly common, that of his successors, aka the Diadochi, is much less so, even though the successor period is arguably more interesting and definitely more complex. One might question why Alexander did not clarify the succession, but from a literary perspective one enjoys the unfolding drama.
To the Strongest is a highly dramatic novel that, unlike most works of fiction, does not have a single protagonist. If there were one, it would be Perdiccas, but the story flits between characters and settings through many short chapters. Given all the contemporaneous events and important characters, this is understandable, although hard to follow for those unfamiliar with the period. Like the action, the characters are highly dramatic. It will appeal to those who enjoy a good drama about a messy, confused succession.
