Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating story of a man destined to lose everything
Review: In this tale Ford uses the voice of Mithradates son, Pharnaces, which is more intriguing than the voice of Xenophon's companion in the Ten Thousand. I knew little of Mithradates except what I had read in Colleen McCullough's series of Roman novels. He turns out to have been an admirable leader of his people but rarely able to lead them effectively against his main enemy, Rome. His people are brave but, in spite of Roman trainers, he is never able to turn them into the disciplined force he needs to fight Sulla, Lucullus and Pompey.
Rating: 
Summary: Splendid Novel on Rome's scourge Mithridates Eupator
Review: Michael Curtis Ford, along with Steven Pressfield, is among our finest contemporary story tellers about the Graeco-Roman world during the latter half of the First Millenium B. C. I haven't read Ford's novel on the Greek general Xenophon, but have no doubt that it is as riveting as "The Last King: Rome's Greatest Enemy". I've been familiar with the saga of Hellenicized Persian King Mithradates Eupator of Pontus for years, finding remarkable how he managed to hold off Rome for decades, inspite of devastating defeats which would have caused lesser men to sue for peace with Rome.
Here Ford recounts this remarkable tale, told from the unique perspective of Pharnaces, Mithradates' bastard son, who seeks to emulate his father's success on the battlefield and earn both his love and trust. Through Pharnaces' eyes, we see the successive rise and fall - and back again, not once, but several times - of Mithridates' military fortunes, as he fights against leading Roman politicians and generals such as Lucullus, Sulla and Pompey. Indeed, this novel's emphasis is on Mithradates' life and battles, and there are hardly any intrigues mentioned inside the Pontian royal court. We also see how Mithradates sought to create a "New Greece" in Asia Minor as a cultural alternative to the Roman Republic's rapidly expanding empire, paying homage not only to Alexander the Great, butalso to Mithradates' own royal Persian ancestors, most notably Cyrus the Great and his son, Darius I.
My only complaint is one voiced by one of the editorial reviewers; namely that much of the speech, especialy those by the Romans, is cast in a contemporary 21st Century light. But I suppose that it was the author's intent to show how tersely worded the Romans were, and will grant him at least that bit of artistic license. Maybe more questionable is depicting Mithradates almost as a human equivalent of Heracles (Hercules), who endures successfully in both body and spirit, while witnessing his armies being slaughtered by the Romans (And yet I did not find this objectionable, recognizing it as artistic license employed by the writer, though others may.). Still, despite these flaws, I strongly recommend this novel as among the finest of its kind.
Rating:
Summary: Third Time's the Charm
Review: Mithridates Eupator VI, was the king of Pontus and one of Rome's most formidable and successful enemies.
In a time when husbands and sons were killed by other members of the royal family to gain or maintain political power, Mithridates, as a teenager, went into hiding with his friends in the harsh mountains and canyons of his homeland to ensure his survival. At the ripe age of 21, he claimed his birthright to the throne of Pontus, only to find it nearly bankrupt and deeply indebted to Rome as a result of his mother's questionable administration. He married his sister Laodice to produce offspring, and sired Pharnaces (the book's narrator) with his favorite concubine. Mithridates was ambitious, and sought to expand his kingdom, to restore the lost glory of Greece. This brought him into direct conflict with the mighty Roman Empire. Mithridates employed his exceptional military skills to defeat or frustrate a number of Roman generals (including Sulla, Lucullus and Pompey) in ceaseless battles over a span of nearly 40 years.
"The Last King" is as brilliant and engrossing as Ford's first two books, "The Ten Thousand" and "Gods and Legions".
I am impressed at how Ford transports you into the first century world as seen through the eyes of one of Rome's greatest enemies. The detail to the physical world, the colorful inhabitants, the tangled realm of royal politics, and the furious action of ancient warfare, were so natural that you wouldn't care whether this or that was historically accurate or the product of creative license; you would simply enjoy it.
For example, in one scene, Mithridates returns to the throne city of Sinope astride a magnificent golden horse. The beast was so magical that it could turn its own turd into something precious - a golden nugget.
This book is a superlative piece of literature - a must-read, a must-purchase.
Ford's eloquent storytelling and mastery of ancient military history give this book a solid five-star rating.
Rating:
Summary: ancient intrigues writ in blood & dust
Review: Rebeccasreads recommends THE LAST KING as the final book in Michael Curtis Ford's trilogy: THE TEN THOUSAND & GODS AND LEGENDS. You will be wiping blood from your eyes & blowing dust from your nose for a week after pulling your head out of this author's world. THE LAST KING is an awesome read about the time of legends, when men were men, women were women & slaves were slaves. The intrigue of the day makes our present-day politicians wimps in comparison. Fathers kill sons, sons kill fathers, brothers kill brothers, mothers kill sons -- all with one aim -- to remain on the top of the heap, for as long as possible. Mithridates the Great is the archetypal warrior king whose place in our psyche resonates down the ages: a boy who inherits a kingdom; whose mother is a woman of particular evilness while she rules in his stead. At his majority he steals the key from her, & the rest, as Michael Curtis Ford writes, is ancient military history at its best.
Rating:
Summary: ancient intrigues writ in blood & dust
Review: Rebeccasreads recommends THE LAST KING as the final book in Michael Curtis Ford's trilogy: THE TEN THOUSAND & GODS AND LEGENDS. You will be wiping blood from your eyes & blowing dust from your nose for a week after pulling your head out of this author's world. THE LAST KING is an awesome read about the time of legends, when men were men, women were women & slaves were slaves. The intrigue of the day makes our present-day politicians wimps in comparison. Fathers kill sons, sons kill fathers, brothers kill brothers, mothers kill sons -- all with one aim -- to remain on the top of the heap, for as long as possible. Mithridates the Great is the archetypal warrior king whose place in our psyche resonates down the ages: a boy who inherits a kingdom; whose mother is a woman of particular evilness while she rules in his stead. At his majority he steals the key from her, & the rest, as Michael Curtis Ford writes, is ancient military history at its best.
Rating:
Summary: Harriet Klausner
Review: The above reviewer reviewed 8 books in 5 days. How is that possible? I want honest reviews not fluff or lies. I would not have ordered the book after seeing that.
I loved The Ten Thousand" bogged down in "Gods and Legions" although the middle was very good and have ordered the above book. I will edit my review after I finish it.
Rating:
Summary: Good tale of overlooked King
Review: To be honest, I would rate this book a 3 1/2, but I had to round up. Its a well told story. The characters and scenes are well painted by Ford, but it never grabbed me. I didnt get that usual 'cant put the book down' feeling. It was an enjoyable read, but definitely not a book I will pick up again and again. The story is told through the eyes of King Mithridates bastard son, Pharnaces. This gives the story an interesting and compelling storyline throughout, but I wanted more of Pharnaces own thoughts and feelings to come out. Through his eyes we see the great King in his conquests, defeats, loves and losses. Its an interesting way to tell this tale. The descriptions of battles and weaponry is well done. The visions the author is able to provide you are excellent. He truly excels in this area. Lacking are the insights into Mithridates' psyche, but that is a sacrifice made when you have a narrator tell the tale.
Rating:
Summary: Good tale of overlooked King
Review: To be honest, I would rate this book a 3 1/2, but I had to round up. Its a well told story. The characters and scenes are well painted by Ford, but it never grabbed me. I didnt get that usual 'cant put the book down' feeling. It was an enjoyable read, but definitely not a book I will pick up again and again. The story is told through the eyes of King Mithridates bastard son, Pharnaces. This gives the story an interesting and compelling storyline throughout, but I wanted more of Pharnaces own thoughts and feelings to come out. Through his eyes we see the great King in his conquests, defeats, loves and losses. Its an interesting way to tell this tale. The descriptions of battles and weaponry is well done. The visions the author is able to provide you are excellent. He truly excels in this area. Lacking are the insights into Mithridates' psyche, but that is a sacrifice made when you have a narrator tell the tale.
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