Eleanor Herman has been writing about royal drama, conspiracies and romance for many years... so it only seems natural that she would channel that into a novel involving those same topics. 
 Specifically, a historically-derived fantasy about the youth of the legendary Alexander the Great, mingling ancient Macedonian history with a heavy dose of magic, conspiracy and bloody battles. Think a Greek-derived "Game of Thrones" for a slightly younger audience. Some of the scenes sweep by a little too fast, but the complicated cast of characters and their twisting, silvery web of secrets, lies and ambitions make it a powerful, gripping read, right to the cliffhangery end. 
 Despite being the crown prince of Macedon, Alexander is often treated like a child by his powerful father Phillip. He and his best friend Hephaestion want to go on a quest to find a healing spring that can fix his leg, but they need some money -- and their scheme to win some goes awry when a powerful rural fighter, Jacob, manages to triumph in the Blood Tournament. Alex encounters Jacob's foster sister Kat, and immediately feels a strange connection to her that neither of them can identify or understand. 
 But unbeknownst to Alex, devious plots are winding around the palace. Kat is there to assassinate the cruel queen Olympias, who murdered her own mother years before. His devious half-sister Cynene is determined to turn Heph against his best friend, since a "true betrayal" can give her access to a forgotten dark magic. A Lydian princess named Zofia is told that she will marry Alex... which is a problem since she is already in love with a brave young soldier. And Jacob is determined to prove himself to win his beloved Kat... but the only way for a lowly potter's son to reach exalted heights is to join the Aesarian Lords, a militaristic group who are determined to stamp out all magic. Even worse, they are determined to topple the royal family -- and Alex may be the city's only hope. 
 The world of "Legacy of Kings" is essentially that of 350 B.C., but with a sheen of fantasy placed over the reality -- from animals (like the hellion, a sort of winged panther) to a system of magic based on divine blood (Kat's ability to communicate with animals). And these two halves of the story complement each other beautifully: the weight of reality gives an added richness to the story, since it's rooted in actual history, myth and culture, but the fantastical elements add an otherworldly quality, and a freedom to tell a new story rather than simply regurgitating Alexander's real youth. 
 And Herman drapes her world in the ambience of that time -- olives, cool breezy nights, linens and the dust of arenas -- with lots of rich details and descriptions, but without bogging it down with too much explanation. The many intertwined storylines keep things moving at a brisk pace, as Herman can slip easily from one story to another, one character to another. And she writes it all in a robust, sensuous, ornate style that sweeps the reader into the experience, with a fair portion of nimble violence, some offscreen sex, and some rather dusty, bloody death scenes. 
 If there's a problem, it's that some important events -- journeys, small-scale battles and fights -- sometimes whip by too fast, and could have used another page or so. For instance, the excellent moment where Alex finally holds his own as a regent could have used more back-and-forth dialogue, and Kat's journey to Ada seems pretty short. 
 But her characters are all well-rounded and likable. It must be difficult to write one of the greatest military leaders in history as a teen, but in Herman's hands, Alex has the budding charisma and spirit of a future king and conqueror. Fierce, magically-adept Kat is the other side of the coin, less naive and more ruthless, unwinding the secrets of her past and why Olympias wanted her and her mother dead. The other characters -- handsome Heph, romantic Zofia and the struggling Jacob -- all have flaws and strengths, such as Heph's pride and insecurity, or Zofia's naive belief that she could just scamper out to a military outpost without encountering trouble. 
 On the more villainous end of the scale, Cynene is given development as well -- she's a cold, cruel murderer who is trying to turn Heph against his closest friend, but we also see her desperate hatred of Olympias that has driven her to seek forgotten magics. Even Olympias is studied in depth, showing the obsession and ambition that has ruled her life in every way, causing pain to everyone around her. 
 "Legacy of Kings" is a rich, ambitious fantasy story that rings with the echoes of history -- and it's very clear at its end that Eleanor Herman's saga of pain, love and ambition is not even close to being over. A powerful read for fans of both fantasy and history.