The Heretic
Andrew Feder
Reviewed by Diane Kasperski
Jerry Fletcher is having dreams that he doesn't understand.
Most of them are about ancient Greece
and they are becoming more frequent. He is back in L.A.
after being in Nevada
for a while
(When The Angels Have Risen). While at a museum he runs into his
ex-girlfriend,
Joanne. In the course of their conversation he tells her about some of
the
weird dreams he has been having. Joanne tells him about a psychic,
Yonah, that
she feels is awesome. Jerry is skeptical but she is so sure that this
woman can
help him - on a whim he goes and sees Yonah.
Yonah puts Jerry in a deep trance where he sees himself on a
beach. He wonders through time first as an Indian, a knight, and an
infantryman
and finally as a young Spartan, Aias, in Greece.
The Heretic is Aias's story. King Phillip saw Aias in a
competition and requested him to come train his son, Alexander, in
horsemanship
and war tactics. Both Alexander and Aias studied under Aristotle who
called
Aias "The Heretic" because Aias believed in one God and did not believe
that men should worship all the different gods that the Macedonians
believed
in. Despite the differences in beliefs King Phillip, Alexander and Aias
became
very close. They all wanted a united Greece
and were willing to go to any lengths to accomplish this.
Aias was known by many names, The Heretic, The Decapitator
as well as a great lover amongst Grecian women. Alexander was sure that
he was
Aries reincarnated. This is his untold story. Originally he was written
in
Alexander's journals but he himself rewrote the journals after
Alexander died
so that his name was omitted. The original journal was found and his
story
told.
Andrew Feder did a great job of creating Aias persona. He is
cocky, conceited, skillful, loyal to his friends, family and country.
There are
exciting battles throughout as well as great love scenes. The Heretic
also
tells of a man who despite being ridiculed for his beliefs stands
strong. When
The Angels Have Risen was good but The Heretic is even better. It will
be
interesting to see what is in store for Jerry Fletcher next.
Author Web Site
Review: When Angels
Have Risen
Author Interview