Childhood is over for the indomitable Alexandros. If he ever really was a child. With his father on the verge of war, Alexandros must step into the role of regent. He was born to be king and it seems that his father is finally giving him the chance to spread his wings. But Alexandros is inexperienced and mistakes will be made. He’s trapped between manhood and youth and the world around him seems to be in flux. The only constant is Hephaistion.

Hephaistion has no lust for power. He may be the only one in Alexandros’ life who values the man over the throne. But as Alexandros’ life begins to change, so must Hephaistion’s. They must re-learn their roles and accept a new place in one another lives. And when the unthinkable happens, Alexandros will need Hephaistion more than ever before.

Rise is the second in the Dancing with the Lion series and, at least for now, the last. The author mentions she plans on writing more about Alexandros and Hephaistion in the future, but there’s no book currently on the horizon. And that makes Rise slightly problematic. It is a very much an “in-between” novel. Alot of things happened in the first book, Becoming, and Rise ends with a pivotal event in the life of Alexander the Great. Which leaves the bulk of Rise dealing with the in between. There are things happening to be sure ,but it almost reads as filler, taking up the space between Becoming and whatever happens after Rise. And if there were another book in the series, I think it would be fine. It would make sense and have a purpose. But as the “end” of a series, it comes up short. The pacing is more scattered and events occur during leaps of time; weeks and months will pass between chapters. So it’s harder to measure continuity in Rise and, because of that, when the end comes it feels abrupt and jarring.

The historical aspect is still stellar. The author does an amazing job of building a credible and realistic world around Alexandros and his compatriots. There is a visceral believability to it all that I absolutely love. Alexandros and Hephaistion continue to read as nuanced and legitimate, which is no easy task given the nature of historical fiction. In Rise, we get more in depth with the social morals and expectations of homosexual men during this era of Antiquity. I think the idea that homosexuality was more tolerated by the Romans, Greeks, and Macedonians is generally well known, but tolerated isn’t always synonymous for accepted. And there were rules and social constraints put on male relationships and the realities of that would have affected Alexandros and Hephaistion. These men feel real and, as a result, the things they endure and the losses they suffer are affecting.

Rise is amazing book, but it suffers from being the second in a series that may or may not be continued. The writing is exceptional and Alexandros and Hephaistion are incredibly compelling. But the pacing is more awkward than in Becoming and it just isn’t as strong as the first book. If you liked Becoming, you will enjoy Rise a great deal. But if you’re like me, it’s going to leave you wanting more.

In college I took a Roman history course. It was a very detailed and in-depth study of Roman society and I LOVED it mostly because the professor sold it. They were into it and brought that energy to the classroom and it was infectious. I was actually excited to go to class, a rarity indeed during undergrad.

In my opinion, this book needs the author to tell it in person. It needs life and vitality and more fiction in this historical fiction. Alexander and Hephaistion are historical figures and while it's clear the author knows them inside and out I don't feel like I know them. Maybe it's due to an over reliance on the presumption that they are famous historical figures and therefore known but I would've liked to know Reames' version of them. Perhaps that's anathema or verboten but there it is.

What's clear is Alexander and Hephaistion care for, trust and love each other but they never achieved fully realized status in my mind, mostly owing to an abundance of head hopping. There were so many different POVs that not only pulled me out of the story time and time again but more importantly stymied my connection to them. Their chemistry as lovers never gelled. Best friends and confidantes, yes. Soulmates, erm?

Another hurdle was the ridiculous number of names dropped throughout this novel that came across as pedantic filler. It didn't advance the story and became tiresome. Case in point:

Those who'd awaited Alexandros hailed largely from the south or midlands: Ptolemaios and Marsyas or Eordaia, Harpalos and Derdas of Elimeia, and Attalos Andromenous from Tymphaia. Hephaistion, Nearkhos, and Erigyios didn't count. Yet both Krateros and Perdikkas of Orestis soon joined them, as well as Leonnatos of Lynkestis, Lysimakhos of Thessaly, and Hector, Parmenion's son.


If there were a test I would fail, BECAUSE I. DON'T. CARE.

In this same vein, too much time was spent stringing historical events together and incorporating a multitude of secondary characters all of which served to drain this story of its lifeblood. Capitalizing on Alexander and Hephaistion's inchoate connection would've given this story a soul but sadly that connection was only briefly touched on in erratic fits and starts. Even Alexander's relationship with his father Philip skirted something that could've been brilliant. Flawed characters offer a wealth of opportunities but unfortunately none of these onions were peeled.

Yet, something compelled me to finish it and that counts for something. Reames clearly has the intellectual chops and passion for this genre as well as an affinity language; translating all that passion into an engaging tale with characters that captivate and enchant me is where this novel fell short.

However, my opinions are my own and YMMV.

A copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dancing with the Lion: Rise is book 2 on the carefully researched and written life, love and politics of Alexander the Great by Jeanne Reames.

Detailed, compelling and additive reading. Enjoyed it very much.

I just reviewed Dancing with the Lion: Rise by Jeanne Reames through #NetGalley

This was a great continuation from the first book. Things are starting to heat up politically and there's plenty of problems getting in the way of love. The amount of research that went into this series is phenomenal. Even for those who aren't interested in this period in history, the story carry itself well!

Take this review with a grain of salt because any story that has a love triangle or even just main character having sex with someone else who’s not the love interest (even when they’re together) is not a story with me. I wish I had known it was going to be a realistic take on things. That being said, I enjoyed the writing. I would pick up from this author again. The characters were well thought out and she brought them to life nicely.

my review will be posted on my blog Sep 21, 2019

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This was a great continuation of the Dancing With the Lion series. This book brings the author back to the world of Alexandros as he is coming into his own as a leader, a man, and a partner. It’s so difficult to read a book like this and then come up with a succinct summary. Reames is a great writer, using detail when it’s appropriate and simply letting her main characters speak through their actions.

This book is just as much about family and friendship as it is about the general military history of Alexander the Great. There are a lot of differences between Alexandros and his best friend and sometime lover Hephaistion. The most pointed difference in my mind is the way they were raised. Hephaistion’s father was loving, familiar, stern when he had to be… and offered his son advice when he thought it warranted. As the son of a king, Alexandros had a distant relationship with his father. The King has politics and ruling forefront in his mind and his familial bond with Alexandros is fragile. Like Reames, I have no doubt that Philippos loved his son, he just seemed incapable of parenting a son rather than raising an heir. I’m simplifying this greatly in light of the wonderful way that Reames has written the complicated bonds between fathers and sons in this book.

What is clear in the book is that the relationships Alexandros has with all the people in his life are what shapes him into the leader he will become. While his father challenges him at every turn, Alexandros receives more gentle parenting from Hephaistion’s father, Amyntor. And again, Hephaistion… he is Alexandros’ best friend, his brother-in-arms, his lover and in many ways his teacher. The bond between these two characters is beautiful and complex. There are moments that are poignant without being over-the-top…. and I loved that. The bonding ceremony between Alexandros and Hephaistion is beautiful and symbolic of much of the depth of their relationship.

As these two young men mature and grow, their relationship morphs. They are lovers on occasion, friends always and unfailingly dedicated to one another. Hephaistion teaches Alexandros about weakness and true strength, the bonds of love and ultimately, the way to lead.

This series was a fantastic read. Yes, it’s historical, but Reames brings Alexander the Great back to life. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books, 4 stars from me!

"Rise" is a touching, moving, beautifully rendered conclusion to the Dancing With the Lion series. I adored the first book and feel they read more like one continuous book than a distinct Part 1 and Part 2, but nevertheless I appreciated the consistency of the storytelling, flow, and characterization between the two books, as well as the author's diligence with historical research and faithfulness to the time, location, and what we know (or think we know) about Alexander the Great, or Alexandros.

Reames draws us further into Alexandros's affair with Hephaistion while continuing to explore the themes of familial relationships, starkly contrasting Alexandros's relationship with his mother and father to that of Hephaistion's with his own parents, and how Alexandros gains a sense of family--and a blueprint for fatherhood--from Amyntor, far more than he does from Philippos. As a reader, I was as devastated by Amyntor's death as Alexandros or Hephaistion, but I was so moved by Amyntor and Alexandros's scenes together, especially when Amyntor reveals he is dying of cancer. I felt the loss as keenly as any of the characters, but was deeply appreciative that Alexandros has Amyntor's love and influence in his life.

While there is a sense of tragedy that Philippos and Alexandros never really repair their bond before Philippos's assassination, I enjoyed the emotion with which Reames describes their struggle to reconcile their deep-seated love for one another with Philippos's failings, especially those he's aware of, as a father, and Alexandros's undying need to gain his father's approval. It made me wish history had unfolded differently, but it sets the stage for the man, leader, and conqueror Alexandros will eventually become, and provides a beautiful thesis of sorts for his entire mythos.

And finally, it's impossible to ignore how lovingly Reames writes about Alexandros's relationship with Hephaistion, delving into many of the attitudes and themes of the time surrounding how men were allowed to be with each other, many of which continue to have lasting influences today. Seeing them break down those boundaries together as their relationship deepens was so gorgeous, and I applaud that Reames wasn't subtle about establishing just how meaningful and strong their bond was compared to many historians, who still equivocate on this point. The scene where Alexandros and Hephaistion swear the sacred oath of the Theban Band to one another, effectively pledging vows of marriage, was one of the most beautiful in the book for how it didn't veer too far into bubbly romance, but rather stayed firmly rooted in the context of the time and with a strong sense of the men themselves, navigating uncertain territory but sure of their love for each other.

While I would love to see more of Alexandros's life told with this author's gift for blending storytelling with excellent historical research, I was perfectly content with where the series ended and the justice she did to this gorgeous, sweeping tale of one of history's most impressive and lasting figures.