Good day everyone, thanks to be here on Alessandro III di Macedonia, the blog about Alexander the Great and Hellenism! I’ve a new paperback publication to announce you an historical novel about the time after Alexander’s death and Antigonus, set at the beginning of the Hellenistic era:
Chares and the Colossus
by Xenos Odious
(Seven Wonders Out Yonder Series #1)
Monticello Publishing, 2021
In the year 305 BC, the death of Alexander the Great brings turmoil to the empire because he left no heir. Having faithfully served their Macedonian ruler for many years, his top generals turn against each other to claim the empire for themselves. Caught in the middle of that power struggle is the island of Rhodes, and when Antigonus declares himself the rightful heir, he demands the Rhodians swear their loyalty to his rule. Upon their refusal to align with the self-proclaimed king, Antigonus sets siege upon the island.
When word reaches Rhodes that King Antigonus has sent a massive army, most men of the island, including an ambitious young sculptor named Chares, are sent to the front lines to fight for their home and peaceful existence. With no natural skills or experience as a soldier, Chares must learn quick if he is to survive the year-long siege. And while the invading army destroys the city walls, Chares’s personal life is also under siege.
Kindle edition exited on October 23 (ASIN code: B09K6JYPXT) but paperback edition will come out on December 15, it will have 326 pages (ISBN code: 978-0578953670). You can find the book on your favorite Amazon using the ASIN or ISBN code. I reached out the author and he was kind to write and told me something more about his book. Let’s read his words directly!
I always been fascinated with history. I have a strong knowledge in American history (Civil War, Old West, Revolution, Native Americans etc…) and also European history during the industrial revolution and WW1 & WW2. My father is Hungarian and my ancestors left the Austrian- Hungarian Empire for United States shortly before WW1. I also enjoy (but have a much to learn) about ancient Greek and Roman History. I also am a singer/guitar player for a Band and many of my lyrics have historical and Greek mythology references. So, whether its music or books my love for history shines through!
When writing Chares and the Colossus the first thing I did was order several books to learn about life in ancient Greece. I had already made my mind up the story would be heavily fictional. However, there were certain things I wanted to be historical. For instance, the sequence of events leading to the siege of Rhodes. The siege itself I also wanted to be accurate. Such as the weaponry, ships, types of armies, Helepolis, and even each phase of the battle I wanted to follow the actual sequence of events. To keep the reader attached to the sculptor and the story of the Colossus, I decided to place him in the defenses of Rhodes so as his story plays out, the reader would learn of the actual attacks as they occurred.
Also, it was important to me the statue was historically accurate in size and the amount of time it took to build. During my research I found there was little information about the statue’s location, construction, or even about the sculptor himself. There are many pictures of the Colossus standing in the harbor where boats could pass through the legs. I found this to be a very unlikely location for the Colossus. I imagined it being placed on the acropolis (even though in my book the sculptor wanted to place it near the square for convenience reasons) so it would tower above the island and be easily visible by approaching vessels.
The characters in Chares and the Colossus are quite promiscuous.
With Zotikos, gymnosophist and nemesis of the sculptor, I wanted a character who would oppose not only the statue but also many other things of that time. Almost like a crazy genius or mad scientist. Zotikos had very little mention in the original manuscript. However, he became more interesting and you can see by the end of the book his impact is substantial to the Islands inhabitants.
Pythia, was another important character in Chares and the Colossus. In a time dominated by men, I wanted a woman who would give them a run for their money. Not only the wife of the sculptor but a strong, resilient, cunning, type of woman. Someone you would not want to grapple with.
Chares, I wanted to be easy going, friendly, and just an overall good guy. I wanted him to be “real” and struggle with all the daily stresses of building such an enormous statue. Also, someone quite ordinary that does something extraordinary. An underdog.
In the end, I wanted to make a fun to read book while offering some historical value.
Chares and the Colossus is mostly fictional and intended for mature audiences. The book centers around the siege of Rhodes and the construction of the Colossus. There are a few references to Alexander to set the stage and help the reader understand why the island is being attacked. I tried my best to keep the siege of Rhodes historically accurate while also keeping the reader entertained. The Colossus has always been of great interest to me. I am still amazed they managed to build something like that over two thousand years ago! I thought long and hard about how building a statue of that magnitude would affect the island. Then one day I started writing about it and the rest is history.
Chares and the Colossus is meant to be entertaining with a little historical substance. It’s my hope it will pique someone’s interest so they would reference other books with more historical value. I am not a professor or some intellectual, I am just a lover of history with my own beliefs and apprehensions of the world we live.
Although this book doesn’t talk about Alexander I’m interested in reading it because it’s set in Hellenism and is close to Antigonus, but after what the author told me I’m even more curious to read it! Reading the preview on Amazon I also saw that this should be the first volume of a series dedicated to the seven wonders of the ancient world, Seven Wonders Out Yonder, and this interests me a lot because if the author will write the other books in this series I know that there will be at least two others that will interest me!
I’d like to thank Xenos for his availability and kindness in sending me the pictures you find in this article and for telling me something more about him and his book. I hope it will interest you and stay tuned for the review of Chares and the Colossus! Have a great day,
Alessandro III di Macedonia 