Persian Boy is way less "war is glorious/glorious AND brutal" and more "war is brutal, and here's the POV of someone treated like a chess piece," altho Alexander is still the bee's knees. IIRC Olympias is also in it WAY less. I thought it was kind of more varied and open than FFH, if that makes sense? FFH at times almost felt claustrophobic, although it's been a LONG time since I read it and I think I only reread it once, maybe twice.