Heroes in the Dust
By Jennifer Macaire 

     The "poor little rich girl" turned time traveller Ashley is back with another chapter of her extraordinary adventures. Now Alexander's wife and true love she travels with his conquering army, desperate to rejoin her baby son who has been kidnapped by Bessus, the satrap of Persia. On the way, she has many tales to tell about the places they visit and of her deep love for the doomed Alexander, for which time is running out.

Other writers have time travellers going back in time to observe prominent historical figures, but Jennifer Macaire has gone one further and made her character marry one. When I first read what the series was about I had my doubts as to whether it would work, Alexander being at once very famous and elusive; we know more about his exploits than we do about the actual man. As with the first volume in this extraordinary series to describe what this book is about comes out as a brief bald sketch. It is true that this portrait of Alexander does make him out to be somewhat more pleasant than he must have actually been, but it does convey his infectious charisma and makes his power over those around him seem believable. Is this a romance in the true sense of the term? I think it has appeal to a much broader audience for although this is a highly romantic tale of the love between two people (spiced up with plenty of varied sex) it is Ashley's evocative descriptions that make it stand out. With the eye of a modern person at large in a strange and exotic time she describes everything and everybody she encounters, giving a tangible picture of what life in the ancient world might well have been like. My one main criticism is that Alexander does not seem quite ruthless enough to be the mighty conqueror he must have been. Sharpen this up and this will be even more of a series to reckon with but this notwithstanding, is a highly unusual and readable series. When is the next one coming out?