Bring Down the Sun (Alexander the Great) [Paperback]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Series: Alexander the Great | Publication Date: May 26, 2009

Alexander the Great ruled the greatest Empire of the ancient world, but he was ruled by his mother, called Olympias. There are as many legends about this powerful Queen as there are of her famous son, and the stories began long before she even met Philip of Macedon.

 

Priestess of the Great Goddess, daughter of ruling house of Epiros, witch, and familiar of Serpents...she was a figure of mystery, fascination, and fear even during her own lifetime.  Author Judith Tarr weaves the legends into an intensely romantic fantasy novel set in ancient Greece and Macedon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ancient history and violent religious myth collide in this romantic fantasy-tinged biography of Myrtale, the imposing, powerful mother of Alexander the Great. Tarr (Queen of the Amazons) opens with a weak segment on the queen's early days as Polyxena, an impossibly beautiful and rather childish acolyte of the Mother goddess. Once she seduces Philip of Macedon, who calls her Myrtale (crowned one) and promises her a kingdom to go with her queenly new name, the story becomes far more compelling and suspenseful. As temples and kingdoms plot and quarrel, Myrtale mercilessly wields the authority of the retiring goddess and her own sexuality to further her ambitions for her husband and her son. (The book ends with Alexander's birth, leaving unmentioned the complex and bloody intrigues of Myrtale's later life as the dowager empress Olympias.) Occasionally confusing but often vibrant, this romantic story warms into a strong narrative about a fascinating woman. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Tarr excels at bringing historical events to life."  --Publishers Weekly on Queen of Swords

“This well-written novel about loyalty, passion, and the search for understanding between different kinds of people showcases Tarr’s ability to create fascinating, passionate characters and to bring their unique cultures to life. Highly recommended.”  --Library Journal on White Mare's Daughter

“Seduction, power and politics are the order of the day.”  --Library Journal on Throne of Isis

“Tarr spins an entertaining and often enlightening tale...In keeping with the distances she must travel, historical and otherwise, Tarr travels light. Her prose is lean and powerful, and she exerts admirable control over an impressive cast of characters.”  --Washington Post Book World on Lord of Two Lands

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (May 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765303981
• ISBN-13: 978-0765303981
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,253,704 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

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Wow'd, August 20, 2008

By 

K. Kochevar "lady_stardancer" (Cary, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bring Down the Sun (Hardcover)

The book cover got my attention and the write-up about this story sounded like it would be a great read. I was really disappointed.

Ok, I have to admit I just finished reading the final book in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiels Legacy trilogy (awesome!), and I was hoping to find a similar caliber of story and quality of writing style in Bring Down The Sun. That didn't happen. Didn't even come close.

The story had moments of good momentum which I kept hoping it would maintain. But often I would get lost in the much too detailed thoughts of the main character or in descriptions of what was going on during a magical event and the story lost steam. I just had to work too hard to get through this book.

2.0 out of 5 stars Bring down the sun, April 10, 2011

By 

Valerie Gracechild "vg" (amherst, Mass) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bring Down the Sun (Alexander the Great) (Hardcover)

Disappointed .... Loved Lord of the Lands and was looking forward to reading the "prequel" ... But it didn't have the characters or story line of Lord of the two Lands ...too much magic, not enough action. Alexander is fascinating, his parents not so much.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging biographical fiction, June 15, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bring Down the Sun (Hardcover)

The flirtatious Polyxena knows she is a beauty and acts accordingly though that is not normal behavior of an acolyte of the Mother goddess. When Philip of Macedon meets the enticing playful Polyxena, he is enchanted by her beauty and her sexual lure. He calls her Myrtale the "crowned one" and pledges to make her his queen when he becomes king.

No longer using the name Polyxena, Myrtale ruthlessly uses her sexual appeal and her connection to the Mother goddess to further the ambitions of her now husband Philip. Her plan is to do likewise when her unborn son the heir is old enough. No one will stand in the way of Myrtale as she plots power and greatness for her family.

The power behind the throne of Philip is his ambitious cunning wife; that is the essence of this engaging biographical fictional account of the mother of Alexander the Great. The story line actually ends with the birth of Alexander; so expect a sequel when her son becomes the ruler and her ambition is as strong as ever. Although the opening sequence when she is still Polyxena pales next to her as Myrtale, fans will appreciate this deep look at a woman the history texts ignore, but proves as powerful in her way as her more famous husband and son.

Harriet Klausner