Fire from Heaven
- Author
- Mary Renault
- Narrator
- Kris Dyer, Roger May
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Publish Date
- 15 October 2026
- Run Time
- 18 hours 28 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
THE ANCIENT GREEK STAGE BROUGHT THRILLINGLY TO LIFE BY THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION, PERFECT FOR FANS OF THE WOMEN OF TROY AND THE ODYSSEY
'The Alexander Trilogy contains some of Renault's finest writing. Lyrical, wise, compelling: the novels are a wonderful imaginative feat' SARAH WATERS
'The Alexandriad is one of the twentieth century's most unexpectedly original works of art' GORE VIDAL
In the first novel of her stunning trilogy, Mary Renault vividly imagines the life of Alexander the Great, the charismatic leader whose drive and ambition created a legend
Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother and father, Olympias and King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. Hephaistion's love taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations. At age twelve, he killed his first man in battle; at sixteen, he became regent; at eighteen, commander of Macedon's cavalry; and by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.
'This is not just a novel: it's also the best imagining we are ever likely to have of a man who tore up history' EMILY WILSON, GUARDIAN
'The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the twentieth century' ANTONIA SENIOR, THE TIMES
Critics Review
-
Renault's skill is in immersing us in their world, drawing us into its strangeness, its violence and beauty . . . a literary conjuring trick . . . so convincing and passionately conjured
The Times
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Mary Renault
- Narrator
- Kris Dyer, Roger May
- Duration
- 18 hours 28 minutes
- Release Date
- 15 October 2026
- ISBN
- 9780349022758
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Little, Brown Book Group
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Classic fiction: literary and general, Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Historical fiction
Synopsis
<b>SHORTLISTED FOR THE 1970 LOST BOOKER PRIZE, INTRODUCED BY TOM HOLLAND</b><br><br><b>THE ANCIENT GREEK STAGE BROUGHT THRILLINGLY TO LIFE BY THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION, PERFECT FOR FANS OF <i>THE WOMEN OF TROY </i>AND <i>THE ODYSSEY</i></b><br><br><b>'The Alexander Trilogy contains some of Renault's finest writing. Lyrical, wise, compelling: the novels are a wonderful imaginative feat' </b>SARAH WATERS<br><br><b>'The Alexandriad is one of the twentieth century's most unexpectedly original works of art' </b>GORE VIDAL<br><br><i>In the first novel of her stunning trilogy, Mary Renault vividly imagines the life of Alexander the Great, the charismatic leader whose drive and ambition created a legend</i><br><br>Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother and father, Olympias and King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. Hephaistion's love taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's <i>Iliad</i> fuelled his aspirations. At age twelve, he killed his first man in battle; at sixteen, he became regent; at eighteen, commander of Macedon's cavalry; and by the time his father was murdered, Alexander's skills had grown to match his fiery ambition.<br><br><b>'This is not just a novel: it's also the best imagining we are ever likely to have of a man who tore up history' </b>EMILY WILSON, <i>GUARDIAN</i><br><br><b>'The Alexander Trilogy stands as one of the most important works of fiction in the twentieth century' </b>ANTONIA SENIOR, <i>THE TIMES</i>
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.