Rating: 
Summary: An outstanding tale.........
Review: After having had this book in my library for years, I finally picked it up and began to read. And, then, I didn't stop. Excluding the short breaks that are necessities in life, I consumed The King Must Die in one enchanted reading. Renault's effort here ranks with the best of historical fiction as it grabs it's reader and does not let go. Theseus, the child of a Peloponnesian priestess and an absent Athenian king, sets out to find his lot in life, overcoming obstacles through sheer perservence, exuberance, and derring-do. His courage is palpable, his conviction invincible, as he navigates the customs, conflicts, and contradictions of ancient Greece and it's surroundings. Renault tells a masterful and utterly absorbing story and I look eagerly forward to the the ultimate book in the series, The Bull from the Sea. If you delight in historical fiction, this is a treasure you shouldn't ignore.
Rating:
Summary: The King Must Be Inundated Under A Slew Of Literary Devices
Review: Age. 14, and I *didn't* read this for school. I found the Alexander books to be much better. Alexander is charismatic and magnetic, even 2000 years after his death. Theseus is just a MORON. Also, first person narrative isn't my cup of tea. Despite those two grudges I hold, Mary Renault still managed to keep my interest and enjoyment throughout the hold book. That said, you will enjoy this book after the first hundred pages or so in which Theseus rants about his childhood. Read it for Crete. You won't be able to put it down once the ship sets out from Athens, and you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite books.
Review: All people who review this book should first declare their age. (32) Simply put, this is perhaps my favorite book. Beyond words really. I recommend it to anyone with an IQ over 120.
Rating:
Summary: Take The Bull by the Horns
Review: Although on the surface this book is about Theseus and the legend of his life prior to becoming King of Athens, the book is much more fundamentally an adventure tale featuring all of the most desirable male adolescent fantasies. If you read it as the latter, you will be thrilled. If you read it as historical fiction, you will be disappointed because the potential to develop the historical side is clearly subordinated to the adventure tale. The classical story about Theseus features his slaying of the Minotaur. In this book, by contrast, the central theme is Theseus fulfilling his fate, as decreed by the gods. The primary backdrop is the conflict between "the old religion" of Mother Dia and "the new religion" of the Sky Gods (all sired by Zeus). Theseus brings about a reconciliation between the two sets of beliefs by honoring both, while rejecting the practice of routinely sacrificing the king (Kerkyon) as a fertility offering. The book has enough material in it to be four books. The first story is about Theseus as a young man growing up with his mother, Aithra, without knowing who is father is in the household of his grandfather in Troizen. The second story starts with his finding that he is the son of the King of Athens and continues through his becoming King of Eleusis. The third story starts with leaving Eleusis to meet his father, King Aigeus, and continues through writing his name on the lot that selects him as a bull dancer slave as tribute for the Cretans. The fourth story begins with his leaving Athens for Crete through his return. Although each of these stories is exciting and interesting, the fourth one is the best. Bull leaping entailed running toward and grasping the two horns of a live Cretan bull and performing gymnastic feats, like one does today by vaulting using a pommel horse. Naturally, it was a lot more dangerous than vaulting is. Theseus revels in the danger and excitement. He also feels committed to keeping his fellow slaves from Athens alive, in a team that he has named the Cranes, for a dance that they do in the bull ring. Some of the many adventure themes that will resonate with young male readers include being specially selected by the gods for an exalted purpose, being the unknown son of a king, being sought out by powerful and beautiful women, unlimited sexual access, being a popular hero with other males, successful conquests of animals, leading successful battles with men, and being invincible in all endeavors. I cannot remember a book with so many of these themes packed into one. Placing the book in these ancient times gives you a fresh perspective on our own world. What are the proper roles for men and women in society? How should they relate to one another? What is the role of piety? What is the purpose of life? How can we contribute to one another? If you ask and answer these questions after you finish, you will have gotten much benefit from the book as well as much pleasure from the adventure tales in it. Take the bull by the horns to accomplish more!
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting! Really holds your attention
Review: Although this book covers so much of Theseus's life, it's never tedious to read. The characters' personalities are clearly described and they never do anything out of character. The whole story was really an adventure and I know that I'll read it again.
Rating:
Summary: earthly, beautiful and well-crafted
Review: First published in 1958 and Renault's second historical novel, The King Must Die is, I think, among her finest. Her language is beautiful and the story well-crafted. I can't say how many times I've been frustrated with other writers who try to write "prettily" without giving a story, ideas, or emotion; I compare them to Renault, and they all fall embarrassingly short. Her heroes are strong, human, and have a real sense of honor; you can see her already thinking of Alexander, whom her Theseus resembles "in his precocious competence, gift of leadership, and romantic sense of destiny." I wonder at the other readers who weren't able to empathize or care for any of the characters, but to each his own taste, I suppose. I can see where the style and language of the story might be off-putting: it's different, and has a rhythm of its own which takes getting used to. Where others find it to be "cooly intellectualized", I find it speaks to me, and I'm drawn in.
Rating:
Summary: Theseus saga of Greece retold without the myths
Review: For fans of ancient Greek myths this is well worth reading - I loved it and it is very compelling read. It is told in first person style by Theseus himself and Renault has clearly done her research on the period and on Ancient Greek and Cretan culture and legends. The book de-mythologises the story of Theseus and carries it off with great conviction. No longer is the god of the sea, Poseidon an active participant in the tale, but rather the myth of his parenting of Theseus explained in a convincing manner. In this same way the other vital keys to the tale have mortal and plausible explanations. For those who don't know the myth, the story of Theseus is explained in the notes, as are the basis for many of her selections for what Theseus looked like, and the art of bull jumping which was popular in Cretan art in this period. While I do enjoy the Greek myths it was a nice to read something that gave a possible explanation to the stories. Renault writes well, and I would certainly be interested in following up any more of her novels.
Rating:
Summary: People Who Complain About This Book Are Probably Dumb
Review: Having not read anything about Theseus was probably a good way to start this book. Having no annoying preconceived notions of how it should be told made it possible for me to enjoy this as a story like any other - so I could let it win me on its own merits, instead of accordance with other versions, which it did completely. I know just for myself that it affected me really strangely when I finished it; I started feeling the flame and passion of my youth, just like the story's Theseus does, which certainly has to do with the intelligent way Renault wrote the book. There are admittedly a few convoluted sentences, but nothing one can't figure out; and that didn't disqualify it in my mind at all. This is a good book by any but the worst priggish standards, and I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes something of a classic.
Rating: 
Summary: this book was horrible
Review: How many people picked up "The King Must Die" and put it back thinking it was another hackneyed palace-plot historical novel? The title has the unfortunate punch of a spy novel. But for those who've read it . . . again and again, "The King Must Die" is the best of Mary Renault's novels of ancient Greece, and the best account of the Theseus myth. Extensive research and exquisite talent combine in recreating Bronze Age Greece, down to the women's spangled skirts and the atmosphere in the smaller Greek cities. Theseus himself springs forward from the first page, a boy of reckless courage and pride whose belief that he is the son of a god is coupled with an intuition of coming earthquakes. When his parentage is revealed to be human, Theseus sets off to find his father--and Renault takes us deep into ancient spirituality and the forms of king and queenship. From the first we understand that Theseus' people believed not in the divine right of kings, but the divinely-ordained duties of kings; the title is taken from the concept that a king might be called at any time to lay down his life for his people, or else lose his right to rule. The society Theseus moves in has not yet moved completely away from matriarchies, but is not entirely patriarchal either. Women hold power and no matter who the woman is, she is a presence, from Aithra (Theseus' mother) to Ariadne (the princess of Krete). Nor are all the men chauvinistic boors, a fatal flaw in more than a few recent historical novels (at least those seeking to show the ancient world from a woman's point of view). From Theseus' grandfather Pittheus to Minos of Crete, the men of "The King Must Die" are by turns honorable, lust-driven, wise and attuned to the demands of the societies they live in. They are all flawed--there are no stainless heroes here, only fully-rounded characters with complex natures and needs. The only flat villain is Asterion, Minos' heir, but through Renault's power of description he has a strong presence for what time he appears in the book. The style is perfect. Renault wastes no words, and every scene fits together seamlessly. Characters, even the flat ones, evoke response from the reader; the narrative voice never veers into anachronisms, nor loses that sense that Theseus is there at your shoulder, telling you his story. Descriptions are rich without being overwritten, something most authors fail to do today. If you've never read one of Mary Renault's historical novels, "The King Must Die" is an excellent one to start with.
Rating:
Summary: Bringing The Myth to Splendid Life
Review: How many people picked up "The King Must Die" and put it back thinking it was another hackneyed palace-plot historical novel? The title has the unfortunate punch of a spy novel. But for those who've read it . . . again and again, "The King Must Die" is the best of Mary Renault's novels of ancient Greece, and the best account of the Theseus myth. Extensive research and exquisite talent combine in recreating Bronze Age Greece, down to the women's spangled skirts and the atmosphere in the smaller Greek cities. Theseus himself springs forward from the first page, a boy of reckless courage and pride whose belief that he is the son of a god is coupled with an intuition of coming earthquakes. When his parentage is revealed to be human, Theseus sets off to find his father--and Renault takes us deep into ancient spirituality and the forms of king and queenship. From the first we understand that Theseus' people believed not in the divine right of kings, but the divinely-ordained duties of kings; the title is taken from the concept that a king might be called at any time to lay down his life for his people, or else lose his right to rule. The society Theseus moves in has not yet moved completely away from matriarchies, but is not entirely patriarchal either. Women hold power and no matter who the woman is, she is a presence, from Aithra (Theseus' mother) to Ariadne (the princess of Krete). Nor are all the men chauvinistic boors, a fatal flaw in more than a few recent historical novels (at least those seeking to show the ancient world from a woman's point of view). From Theseus' grandfather Pittheus to Minos of Crete, the men of "The King Must Die" are by turns honorable, lust-driven, wise and attuned to the demands of the societies they live in. They are all flawed--there are no stainless heroes here, only fully-rounded characters with complex natures and needs. The only flat villain is Asterion, Minos' heir, but through Renault's power of description he has a strong presence for what time he appears in the book. The style is perfect. Renault wastes no words, and every scene fits together seamlessly. Characters, even the flat ones, evoke response from the reader; the narrative voice never veers into anachronisms, nor loses that sense that Theseus is there at your shoulder, telling you his story. Descriptions are rich without being overwritten, something most authors fail to do today. If you've never read one of Mary Renault's historical novels, "The King Must Die" is an excellent one to start with.
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