GHOST EMPEROR

McDaniel’s historical novel tells a tale of political machinations in a brutal contest for succession after the death of Alexander the Great.

In 323 B.C.E., Alexander’s widow, Roxana, and others—including Perdiccas, a general; Eumenes, Alexander’s secretary; and Cassander, the son of a general—gather around him, shortly after his demise, to decide who will carry the body and where. Secretly, however, each schemes to be the next person to wield the power of the empire. Thus, the seeds of the Wars of the Diadochi are planted. Rival factions wield omens and rituals to create narratives that suit their causes, and the author layers rich description and portentous details to recreate the ancient world as he lays out the narrative stakes. Perdiccas spends two years crafting a cart to transport Alexander, a “shrine forged as a declaration of power.” Ptolemy travels to Egypt, preparing “to intercept the cart and claim Alexander for Memphis,” and Roxana poisons Stateira, Alexander’s second wife, clearing the way for her unborn child to rule. Later, Cassander maneuvers for power while Roxana and Eumenes wander, waiting for their moment to strike, and Ptolemy seeks deification by proxy, declaring Alexander’s rebirth through him. Alexander’s mother, Olympias returns to Pella to claim regency for her grandson with the resulting in a bloody purge. Cassander takes advantage of this, burning the histories and ruling in Alexander IV’s name as he hunts Roxana and her son. The complex historical underpinnings of the story are strong, and McDaniel’s terse and vibrant prose paints vivid images: “No architect had signed the plans—because there were none. Only sketches in sand, redrawn each morning with a jackal’s rib.” Fans of George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones (1996) and its sequels may enjoy the political maneuverings. However, atmosphere frequently triumphs over clarity, as when the author transports Plutarch briefly across time to chronicle the events of the story. The narrative also doesn’t always specify who’s taking what action in the myriad storylines. This first book in a series ends with several main characters converging toward one another, leaving a resolution for future books.

A lushly evocative, if sometimes confusing, tale of the aftermath of an empire.