Michael Ford read English and Classics at Oxford University, before a stint teaching English in Greece. He worked in children's non-fiction publishing for several years before becoming an editor of adult fiction in West London.

'The strength of the book is the positive example of the main character, Lysander. He confronts his weaknesses, temptations and prejudices and triumphs through integrity and courage. His endurance is just what I want the boys in my class to emulate ... I have to agree with my son's verdict that this is a gripping page turner. The scary bits are tense and well spaced through the novel'

'Packed with authoratitve detail and with a galloping plot, this is a tale about identity as much as it is war and daring'

'A strong sense of place and sturdily created characters ensure that this trilogy remains a real page-turner from the first volume to the last'

'Back to the violent land of Ancient Greece with this one, and you can almost taste the strong wine and smell the dust ... this is real Boy's Own adventure stuff - just the thing for a snowy night in front of the fire'