The Songs of the Kings

“Intricate and gorgeous. . . . Impossible to read without feeling an immediacy both unbearable and profound.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Beautiful storytelling. . . .[A] focused combination of epic drama and smart political satire.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“[Has] an immensely sophisticated grasp of politics, economics and psychology, of how the world works.” —Los Angeles Times
 
“Breathtaking. . . . Rich and vivid.” —The New York Times

“A bold, modern tale with cynical riffs on the themes of duty and power, truth and fiction.” —The New Yorker

“Masterful. . . . Timeless. . . . Funny and sad, poignant and frightening.” —The Seattle Times

“Fascinating. . . . A song in its own right.” —The Boston Globe

“Remarkable. . . . Unsworth brilliantly conveys the dark feel of Calchas’ spiritual gift as well as the very earth well of vain, thuggish soldiers stuck in camp. . . . A sense of doom fills this novel.” —The Dallas Morning News

“Intellectually agile, thrillingly stylish. . . . The Songs of the Kings effortlessly proves that modern life is the stuff of ancient myth.” —The Guardian

“A rich novel, sharply plotted and layered with subtle nuances. . . . A beautifully measured entertainment given gravity by how accurately it reflects the present political zeal to control the media. . . . Teas[es] out the politics and intrigue that govern a thousand restless soldiers.” —The Independent (London)

“Wonder-provoking. . . . Unsworth’s writing is unrivaled. . . . His novels are close to perfect in an imperfect literary world.” —Ruth Rendell, author of End in Tears

“Pure gold. . . . One of the best books by this most versatile of writers.” —Penelope Lively, author of The Photograph

“Gorgeously detailed, astute. . . . The word of Homeric epic and Euripidean tragedy is brought sharply to life.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Beautifully descriptive. . . . Provocative and subversive. . . . An audacious blending of myth with sharp contemporary resonance. . . . Unsworth’s narrative method is as daring as his message.” —Publishers Weekly