The King Must Die

By: Mary Renault

Narrated by: Michael York

Set in ancient Greece, a powerful novel about Theseus by Mary Renault.

This is the story of the young Theseus: Prince of Troizen, King of Eleusis and Athens, and slayer of the Minotaur. Acclaimed novelist Mary Renault weaves myth, legend, history, and fiction into the story of a young hero's search for his destiny and the countless challenges he faces. From Theseus's early life as a prince, to his leadership of a captive team of bulldancers in Crete—not to mention his thrilling encounters with Poseidon—The King Must Die captures the full force of adventure, battle, and an epic quest.

©1988 Mary Renault (P)1988 Phoenix Books, Inc.

Poetic and short

I purchased this somehow without noticing that it’s an abridged version. I caught on pretty quickly when some plot elements failed to make sense or align neatly with the previous narrative. The reading is rather poetic and sounds of the theater, but I tend to favor a more straightforward voice myself, which I find lends itself toward more ready digestion, especially if one is doing anything other than just listening. Overall, it’s enjoyable, but I recently purchased the unabridged version, and I highly recommend you go for that version over this one.