East of Midnight [Hardcover]

Tanith Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1978

Having exchanged identities, a ruler's consort and a slave discover they seem doomed to die in their new roles.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Tanith Lee restores one's faith in fiction as the expression of imagination and original thought.' -- THE GUARDIAN LAW OF THE WOLF TOWER 'The fresh, first person diary captures the confusion and immediacy of adolescence ... Tanith Lee creates alternative societies vividly and sets them in astonishingly visual landscapes.' -- THE GUARDIAN 'A feast for fans of fantasy. For those long winter nights by the fire, this will make compulsive reading.' -- THE BOOKSELLER --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Tanith Lee is an award-winning, highly-rated fantasy writer here and in the United States (adult books in Headline: EVA FAIRDEATH; WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT). With 17 children's books, 43 adult novels, 8 short story collections and several awards to her name, she also writes for radio and television. Her book LAW OF THE WOLF TOWER was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Book Award. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031222494X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312224943
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,943,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "It Died Eight Times My Love. After that, Love Stays Dead..", December 9, 2004

By 

R. M. Fisher "Raye" (New Zealand = Middle Earth!) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: East of Midnight (Hardcover)

Tanith Lee once again proves herself a master of Young Adult fantasy with this wonderful (but apparently little known) story of the battle of the sexes. Set in a gloriously created world where women ride horned lions and rule over mankind, "East of Midnight" is a book that is easy to read, yet raises a range of questions on the differences between man and woman and the way in which we interact with each other.

At the beginning of the story, Lee herself writes where the inspiration for it came from: "Old legends have it, before men were kings, women ruled large areas of the world. They were as powerful and ruthless as any of the man-ruled states which came after. Indeed, the harshness of men towards women in many early societies was, they said, due to the cruelty the female societies - matriarchies - had already displayed toward men.

"And so what happens if a young man from a male-dominanted world gets thrown into a world of matriarchy? Fascinated by this thought, I set out to explore the whole thing in this novel."

Dekteon is a young runaway slave who is miraculously saved from his former master when he's transported into another world by the magician Zaister. But things are not quite as simple as that. Zaister is the husband and consort of King Izvire - the stunning woman who rules over a matriarchal city. Every five years she takes a new husband - because the former one must be sacrificed in order to ensure the natural balance of the world.

Zaister has long plotted his escape, and his rescue of Dekteon (who is his double in another world) was merely so the two could switch places. Now whilst Zaister finds that freedom in Dekteon's world is not all it's cracked up to be, Dekteon finds himself amongst the beauty of Zaister's world with only a month left to live before he's sacrificed.

But Dekteon does not have the same fear of women ingrained in him that the rest of the men of this world do, and begins a campaign against them that no once else would dare. Up against Izvire, his mother-in-law Kyrast and his daughter Vesain, Dekteon attempts to escape his death-sentence and stop the needless deaths of the king's consorts.

The story races along on every page, being continually colourful, fascinating, exciting and nerve-wracking as the countdown to Dekteon's death creeps closer. Lee not only vividly describes the matriarchal world where women are dominant and men subservient, but takes a deeper look at what makes these opposing genders tick. Far from taking the women's side, Lee portrays them as hard, merciless and sexist rulers, who nevertheless feel true remorse and loneliness when their husbands are killed. There are no true good-guys or bad-guys here.

The men Dekteon and Zaister are our main protagonists, and have very different views on women and how they are to be treated by them. Though by the end of the story Zaister gets away with far more than he rightfully deserves, together their attitudes form an insightful way of looking at the world and the roles of men and women.

"East of Midnight" is a rich, exciting, poignant read that deserves more recognition than it appears to have. With strong and realistic characters, a beautiful visual landscape and a problematic situation that can be overcome only by the two sexes working together, this is in every particular a great book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A young adults book, March 21, 2000

By 

Devon Bleak (Los Angles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: East of Midnight (Magicquest No 15) (Paperback)

I love this book, and have read it several times. It is about two worlds, one of them ours, in the days of slaves. The other a world where women are dominant. It flicks back and forth between the two. It was an incredible read, I thoroughly recommend reading it if you can get your hands on a copy. I think Tanith Lee is a great childrens writer.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and brilliantly written, June 1, 2006

By 

Obsessed_With_Haku "Yaoi Fangirl since 2001" (South Cali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: East of Midnight (Silver) (Paperback)

'East of Midnight' is quite an underestimated book, but when I first saw it on my cousin's bookshelf I knew it was special. It presents concepts and ideas little thought of in any time or place, even fancifully, and in a manner which draws you in with the reality of it all. Beautifully contrived with a flowing plotline, 'East of Midnight' is a book you'll want to read from start to finish. I was, in fact, nearly run over by a car at the airport in a rather stupid attempt to cross the street with my head buried in the book. Be careful not to let this happen to you, as anyone who reads it is liable to fall under the book's woven word tapestry of a spell and do some fairly unintelligent things with their head stuck in the clouds. The concepts in the book are thoughtful and mature, but the book itself is an easy read. I recommend this book to anyone.