Michael A. Dimitri
Daughter of Neoptolemus
Alexandra Publishing, c1993, ISBN 1884191010
[no cover to reproduce]
This review by Teresa
 

The author dedicates this book, his first novel,  to Myrtale.  Anyone familiar with the title character knows it is but one of the names of Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great (known as Alexsandr, for some reason, in this book).  The author states on the reverse of the title page, "Great care was taken to maintain historical accuracy in this novel.  Any theorizing by the author was done purely for scholarly speculation, continuity and/or entertainment."  I believe this is a nice way of saying my story is not historically accurate and I know it.

Olympias is in effect co-ruler with Philip of his empire and desperately needed by her confused, adoring son who seems to have a hard time thinking himself out of a paper bag without Mom's help.  Alexander names her Regent and she's supposed to co-rule with Antipater in his absence (I'll bet Antipater was surprised about that one.) The infamous Olympias killing Cleopatra and daughter is handled thus, "Attalus, his niece Cleopatra who had been Philip's final wife, and a few of their family members were executed according to Macedonian law.  Regrettably, an overzealous soldier loyal to Philip (!) had executed Cleopatra's newborn baby with her."   Of course it was the male relatives who were extirpated by Macedonian law, not the females.  He has Barsine, mother of Herakles, as a daughter of Darius among other historical mistakes that don't really lend themselves to speculation, continuity or entertainment.

Dimitri can write but the story is not compelling, the characters rather shallow, and it drags, even for an Alexander fanatic like myself.  Olympias (also known as Polyxena in this book) can do no wrong. On the plus side, there's a lot more of Philip than in most novels involving Alexander and his cohorts.  My advice, take it out of the library, but don't read it as being historically accurate by any means.