Arrows of the Sun [Paperback]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1995

Estarion, the embittered heir to the Endros empire, grieves over the murder of his father while journeying to the Golden Palace of Asanion, where conspirators wait to kill Estarion before he can claim the throne. Reprint. AB. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tarr's fourth installment in the Avaryan Rising series takes place nearly a century after the union of the empires of Keruvarion and Asanion. When Prince Estarion's father was poisoned in Asanion, Estarion destroyed the mage responsible, in the process losing his own magic and gaining a profound loathing for Asanians. Now, a decade later, as Estarion comes of age to take the Imperial throne, a deadly challenge to his power rises again in Asanion, amid the flaring of rebellion and renegade magic. Estarion is obliged to visit the heart of hostile territory to avert civil war; as he navigates the bewildering protocols of this contemptuous nation, he must learn to embrace Asanion and forge a lasting bond between his two very different lands. With elegant prose, Tarr beautifully conveys splendid regal settings, realistic politics, convincing cultural details--and cultural clashes. Even when they wield awesome magic energies or manage empires, her appealing characters remain captivatingly human. This is a sweeping saga, spiced with exciting, unexpected plot twists.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Sequel to Tarr's Avaryan Rising trilogy--concluded with A Fall of Princes (1988)--about Mirain the Sunborn and the forcibly united empires of Asanion and Keruvarion. Four generations have passed since Mirain, but Estarion rules Asanion, the western portion of his empire, with unease: his father was murdered there by mage-wrought poison, and so terrible was Estarion's revenge that he expended much of his godlike power. But the rift must be healed, so Estarion will marry an Asanion woman, and learn to understand a people he hates and despises. His lover Vanyi is a mage who knows she must give him up for the good of the empire; his opponents are the secretive and powerful mages of Asanion, and the mysterious Olenyas warrior-clan who guard the throne. Among the Olenyas is Korusan, last of the Asanion royal bloodline. As Estarion is soothed and befuddled by the Asanion mages, so he and Korusan become lovers. Slowly, a great conspiracy emerges: the Asanion mages belong to a hidden Guild that spans the magical Gates between worlds; the conspirators intend to force Estarion through the Gate leading to the Tower of the Sunborn, where Mirain sleeps: woken, Mirain's sun's fire would burn and shrivel Estarion. Even if Estarion can overcome his love and slay the murderous Korusan, Vanyi must still defeat the Guild-mages if Estarion is to survive. Other than the proper names, which sound as if they've wandered in from Tolkien's Beleriand: persuasively produced, thoughtful and modestly inventive, a considerable, newcomer- friendly improvement on the rather stodgy original trilogy. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 469 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (February 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812550609
• ISBN-13: 978-0812550603
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,791,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have a lot of academic credentials (PhD from Yale, MA from Cambridge University, AB from Mt. Holyoke) and taught writing and Latin at Wesleyan University in Connecticut--before I ran away from it all to live on a mesa in Arizona. I breed and ride Lipizzan horses, read and study history (and make up my own alternate and fantastical versions), and write--novels, short stories, articles. I teach writing online (details at http://capriole.smoe.org) and blog on the livejournals as dancinghorse. My alter ego is author Caitlin Brennan, who also has a plog on amazon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, August 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Arrows of the Sun (Avaryan Rising) (Hardcover)

For anyone who enjoyed the first three volumes of Avaryan Rising, this is a must read. Judith Tarr continues to write a captivating story that keeps you enthralled from start to finish. Just like the first three, you want to keep reading until you reach the end. And when you get to the end you want to start all over again! (From the very first volume!!)

4.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, August 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Arrows of the Sun (Avaryan Rising) (Hardcover)

For anyone who enjoyed the first three volumes of Avaryan Rising, this is a must read. Judith Tarr continues to write a captivating story that keeps you enthralled from start to finish. Just like the first three, you want to keep reading until you reach the end. And when you get to the end you want to start all over again! (From the very first volume!!)

4.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, August 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Arrows of the Sun (Avaryan Rising) (Hardcover)

For anyone who enjoyed the first three volumes of Avaryan Rising, this is a must read. Judith Tarr continues to write a captivating story that keeps you enthralled from start to finish. Just like the first three, you want to keep reading until you reach the end. And when you get to the end you want to start all over again! (From the very first volume!!)