Paton Walsh wrote an adult novel about Themistokles entitled Farewell Great King (1972). Written as a letter from Themistokles to his lord Artaxerxes on the night before he takes his own life, this work is much longer and more difficult than Children of the Fox, but it reveals more of Themistokles's character and motivation. It is interesting to compare the historical insight gained from this complex work and the one gained from reading stories the author consciously crafted for a younger audience.

Another of Paton Walsh's challenging pieces of historical fiction is The Emperor's Winding Sheet, which recreates the fall of Constantinople. Winner of the prestigious Whitbread Award, this novel, intended for a young adult audience, is also more complex than Children of the Fox.