Review: Breaking the Foals by Maximilian Hawker

Breaking The Foals by Maximilian Hawker

Publication Date: April 26, 2018

Unbound Digital

Paperback; 272 pages

The Troy of myth was a real city and it was called Wilusa. This is its story... Hektor's life of privilege is forever changed when a man, allegedly possessed by the sun god, inspires revolution among the oppressed people of Wilusa. For Hektor, son of the city's despotic ruler, social equality contradicts every principle he has been taught. And his obsession with duty is alienating him from his own young son, Hapi, with whom he has a fractured relationship. But when Hapi's life is threatened, Hektor is compelled to question his every belief as he rebuilds his relationship with his child through the breaking of a foal. As Wilusa collapses into political violence and the commoners rise up, Hektor must finally decide whether to defend the people and lose his identity, or remain loyal to his irrational, dangerous father.

My Review

5 Stars

This year I challenged myself to try books outside my usual comfort zone, and I am sure glad that I did!

Breaking the Foals is set in the real city of Wilusa, more commonly known as Troy, and tells the story of Hektor, son of the King, and his struggle between his role as a father and his responsibility as heir.

The first line of the book was a doozy, and it certainly caught my attention! It took me a little while to get used to the writing but I quickly acclimated and it made the experience that much more immersive. You can tell that the author did his research and his passion for it shone through.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading Breaking the Foals. The character development, the politics, familial duty, and Hektor's inner conflicts proved to be a truly remarkable read.

I will definitely be looking for future books from Mr. Hawker and I am grateful for Anne Carter of Random Thing Through My Mailbox for the chance to read this fabulous book!

About the Author

Maximilian Hawker is a 30-year-old writer who lives in Croydon, South London, with his wife and two daughters. He is author of the novel Breaking the Foals, due to be published with Unbound in March 2018. An alumnus of Kingston University, he has a postgraduate degree in English Literature and has worked in education, editorial and design. Currently, he works in frontline children's social care for Croydon Council, providing a service for care leavers and also runs a YouTube channel for looked after children and care leavers called formeR Relevant, which he aims to eventually promote at a national level. He has had poetry and short stories - occasionally nominated for awards - appear in publications run by Dog Horn Publishing, Kingston University Press, Arachne Press and Rebel Poetry, among others. He also aims to see the word 'asparagi' added to the English Dictionary, as its absence troubles him

Twitter @MaxHawker
Website: http://www.maximilianhawker.com/
Facebook Author Page

Available on Amazon UK