“Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. She shows us their strangeness; discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us.”—Hilary Mantel    

In The Bull from the Sea, the story of Theseus resumes with the hero’s return from Knossos. In the wake of his father’s suicide, Athens is now Theseus’s to rule. With his close friend Pirithoos, Theseus sets out for the land of the Amazons, falling in love with their beautiful leader, Hippolyta. Her boldness and sense of honor match his own, but though they’re happy and bear a son, tragedy lies ahead. The Athenians mistrust the foreign Hippolyta, and Theseus is forced to marry Phaedra, his betrothed. War wracks the land, and brings with it death that will change the Athenian king forever. As the darkness gathers, a valiant hero’s life draws poignantly to a close.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary Renault including rare images of the author.

Review

“Excellent . . . Mary Renault breathe[s] life and light into the faces of heroic personages.” —The New York Times 

From the Inside Flap

In this sequel to The King Must Die Theseus defies the Gods? and claims the throne of Athens a move that culminates in the terrible, fateful destruction of the house of Minos -- the Minotaur.