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The Bull from The Sea

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The Bull from The Sea

By: Mary Renault
Narrated by: Kris Dyer
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About this listen

This second instalment in the story of the legendary hero begins with Theseus' triumphant return from Crete after slaying the Minotaur.

Having freed the city of Athens from the onerous tribute demanded by the ruler of Knossos - the sacrifice of noble youths and maidens to the appetite of the Labyrinth's monster - Theseus has returned home to find his father dead and himself the new king.

But his adventures have only just begun: He still must confront the Amazons; capture their queen, Hippolyta; and face the tragic results of Phaedra's jealous rage.

Piecing together the fragments of myth and using her deep understanding of the cultures reflected in these legends, Mary Renault has constructed an enthralling narrative of a time when heroes battled monsters and gods strode the earth.

©1962 Mary Renault (P)2015 Audible, Ltd Historical Fiction Fiction Royalty Tear-jerking Greek Mythology Ancient Greece Ancient History King

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Critic reviews

"Miss Renault has no equal." ( New Statesman)
"Excellent entertainment." ( New York Times Book Review)
All stars
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Another good reading even though I kept thinking of Julian Clary. I listened and read as part of a course on the author

Dolphin weather

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Well read and enjoyed the story however dragged compared to the previous volume. Worth reading again though.

Classic heroics

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Renault allows the reader to stay in the vivid world that never was, her vision of the epic Bronze Age. A world that is so beautifully detailed that her creation breathes, and you would swear to it’s reality even when you know better.

This is the tale is the second half of the Greek mythological hero Theseus’ life. Well known characters and episodes from Ancient Greek mythology will show up - you will be able to recognise famous plays, artworks and general mythological stories in the plot.

The story alternates between stirring action and a bittersweet nostalgia for a lost past. Most unforgettable is the part is the story of the Amazon. Prepare to weep..!

Are there no flaws then? Compared to the first Theseus book this story hasn’t got the unstoppable sweep towards a resolution which makes The King Must Die such a juggernaut. Yet it’s absolutely worth reading - and full of quotes that really should show up on mugs and T-shirts: We Are What We Are first among these.

Very nicely performed.

Bittersweet historical fantasy

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Humans and Gods all intertwined in this beautifully written story of war, power and love.

Beautiful

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Excellent story by Renault. I felt I was inside the mind of a bronze age king. The reader has a slightly light voice and mispronounced some classical names and there was a sentence repeated about half way through. But overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Ancient history brought to life

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Very much enjoyed this sequel to The King Must Die. Unlike the former, a lack of clear goal to the plot does make it more of a biopic than a escape/heist type story but it’s no worse as a result. Richly textured and beautifully narrated.

Wonderful sequel, beautifully told

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I’ve realised - too late (having just finished both Mary Renault’s Theseus books) - that there is another, older version on Audible read by Michael York. Even from listening to the preview, I would recommend that over this version. At times, the performance gets in the way of the writing.

Brilliant writing, slight shame about the performance

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