{"product_id":"the-mask-of-apollo-by-mary-renault-9780349018591","title":"The Mask of Apollo","description":"\u003cb\u003eTHE ANCIENT GREEK STAGE BROUGHT THRILLINGLY TO LIFE BY THE QUEEN OF HISTORICAL FICTION\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Mary Renault has made the classical era alive'\u003c\/b\u003e GORE VIDAL\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Her books have stood the test of time'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eINDEPENDENT\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe artist flows into the mask the poet offers him; only so will the god possess him.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGreece, fourth century BC. The golden age of theatre may be over, but Nikeratos still lives and breathes the stage. Finding work with a group of travelling actors, he discovers amongst their dusty props an old, discarded mask of Apollo.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen a violent attack threatens the company mid-performance, the actors must go on: once the show ends, they know their lives are at stake. Seized by inspiration, Niko dons the golden mask and feels the powerful words of Apollo coursing through him - spurring the defenders to victory.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut Greece is racked by political struggles, and as his fame grows Niko finds himself caught in the crossfire, a pawn in a game of tyrants. And all the while, the mask gains power - becoming his conscience, keeper of his secrets and, ultimately, the maker of his gravest choice.   \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'To Mary Renault, we are all Ancient Greeks, and that is the secret of her novels' brilliance' \u003c\/b\u003eCHARLOTTE MENDELSON\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Renault has few peers in the art of reconstructing and making utterly convincing the people and places of classical times . . . a superbly controlled performance' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An important and wonderful writer . . . she set a course into serious-minded, psychologically intense historical fiction that today seems more important than ever' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eGUARDIAN\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288944427244,"sku":"9780349018591","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/d59b1a57a7a3a630910443ecbee14075.jpg?v=1770602802","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-mask-of-apollo-by-mary-renault-9780349018591","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}