Fall of a Kingdom (Farsala Trilogy) [Hardcover]

Hilari Bell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 16, 2004 | Series: Farsala Trilogy (Book 1)

Who was Sorahb?

Stories are told of a hero who will come to Farsala's aid when the need is greatest. But for thousands of years the prosperous land of Farsala has felt no such need, as it has enjoyed the peace that comes from being both feared and respected.

Now a new enemy approaches Farsala's borders, one that neither fears nor respects its name and legend. But the rulers of Farsala still believe that they can beat any opponent.

Three young people are less sure of Farsala's invincibility. Jiaan, Soraya, and Kavi see Time's Wheel turning, with Farsala headed toward the Flames of Destruction. What they cannot see is how inextricably their lives are linked to Farsala's fate -- until it's too late.

In Flame, the first volume of The Book of Sorahb, Hilari Bell introduces readers to a world of honor, danger, and magic in this spellbinding tale of self-discovery.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 6-10. Here's a rousing start to a new series, The Book of Sorahb, from the author of A Matter of Profit (2001) and The Goblin Wood (2003). Steeped in Persian mythology, the story is set in Farsala, a peaceful land now targeted for invasion by the Hrum, who have already conquered 28 other countries. As the enemy advances, routing the overconfident Farsalan army, three young people caught up in the fray move inexorably toward new futures in which they will play leading roles in the outcome and aftermath of the war. They are Soraya, the spoiled daughter of the Farsalan army's high commander; Jiaan, the high commander's peasant-born bastard son; and Kavi, an itinerant peddler and sometime con artist. Intrigue builds upon intrigue, with a history of Farsala woven into the story's main events. Once again Bell proves a master at crafting distinctive societies and characters, and readers will eagerly await the promised future installments. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

School Library Journal, starred review Adventure, mythology, politics, military tactics, and intrigue combine in this sweeping fantasy that draws its underpinnings from ancient Persian poetry and the relentless march of the Roman army.

Tamora Pierce An amazing tale of adventure, fear, magic, conquest, and rebellion! --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (November 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416905456
• ISBN-13: 978-1416905455
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,386,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Me the writer--a loose, not-really-biography of Hilari Bell.

A lot of writers will tell you that they've been writers from the time they were children--well, I'm not one of those people. I was always a reader. There's nothing better than falling into the world of a book and just living there till the story's over...and even then, it stays in your head and heart. At least, the best ones do. But writing came a lot later, in school assignments--which I enjoyed, but still, assignments. Homework no less.

I started writing seriously when I first got out of library school. I'd been reading picture books preparing to do storytimes, and I thought, "Picture books. They're short. They're for little kids. How hard could it be?" Several years and dozens of unsold--and unsalable--picture books later I'd found out how hard they could be! Picture books are harder to write (a good one, anyway) than anything except poetry. And they're harder to sell than anything but poetry, too.

One of the things I've learned about writing over the years is to never say never, because whenever I've said "I will never write XYZ" within a few years I end up writing it. Some true examples: I could never write a novel. I could never write a young adult novel. I could never write science fiction. I could never write an adult novel. I could never make those books a romance. (OK, so I haven't actually made them into a romance, but a lot more romantic elements are creeping into my writing.) I should probably say, I could never write a best seller, just to see what would happen... Hmm. I could never write a best seller!

OK, Murphy's Law being what it is, that probably won't work. If for no other reason than that, primarily, I write for me. This is something I probably shouldn't admit, but I don't really care that much about my audience. (Sorry, audience.) I write the books I want to read. I tell the stories that I want to tell. And I write to make the story the best it can be...because the story is what I care about it. I love it when other people care about my stories too, but that's not my primary motivation. Which is the other reason "I could never write a best seller."

(I know it probably won't work--but it doesn't hurt to try, now does it?)

--Hilari

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fall of a KIngdom, January 24, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Fall of a Kingdom (Farsala Trilogy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Fall of a Kingdom

By: Hilari Bell

*Main Characters - There are three main characters in Fall of a Kingdom, Jiaan, Kavi, and Soraya. Jiaan is a nineteen-year-old boy that has brown, curly hair and brown eyes. He is loyal to his country, Farsala, and is the Chief Commander Merhab's assistant. Kavi is a sixteen-year-old with brown hair and eyes also. He has a hurt right hand and makes a living as a peddler on the road. Soraya is a fifteen-year-old with black hair and brown eyes. She is Commander Merhab's daughter and is usually very spoiled.

*Plot - The land of Farsala is preparing for an attack from the mighty Hrum. But while this is happening, the Farsalan high priests demand a sacrifice of Commander Merhab's daughter, Soraya. Soraya is exscorted out into the mountains and left alone, but there are still Farsalan spies watching her. The Commander sends Jiaan, his son and assistant, to rescue her and hide her.

Once the high priests believed that Soraya was sacrificed, Farsala begins to practice their charge for their battle with the Hrum. But the Hrum have spies that inform them of Farsala's plans. So the Hrum construct lances to kill the charge, then they will try to defeat the Farsalans with their mighty infantry and stronger swords. The fate of Farsala lies in the hands of its leaders' wisdom.

*Setting - The setting is in the land of Farsala. Farsala is a country with deserts, forests, and high mountains. Fall of a Kingdom takes place in what would be medieval times.

*Theme - The theme in the book is "Never Give Up". There are a couple of things that show this. After Farsala is beaten and Jiaan has nothing left, he still gathers up what resources his country has and plans to attack the Hrum. The second example is when Soraya hears that her father is dead, she embarks on a long journey to save her mother and brother from the Hrum. The last example is when Kavi sees the Farsalan slaves, he tries to figure out a way to free them even though he could get killed.

*What I Think - I think this was a five-star book. It contained action, some mystery, politics and military tactics. You could follow the book easily, but it still had you guessing. If you are into fantasy or war, or you're just looking for a good book, this is something you'll want to read.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Start, October 16, 2005

By 

Cheesehead (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fall of a Kingdom (Farsala Trilogy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Probably the best thing that this book did for me is to make me read the sequel. I applaud the way this book is structured because it set the stage for a fast paced, truly inspiring sequel. That being said, on it's own this book is choppy and very puzzling. You must understand that if the sequel had not answered my questions and filled out the characters a bit, this would be a very different review. Kavi is very dislikable, and Jiaan is a goody-two-shoes, but they both evolve in the next book (Thankfully so does Soraya). My advice for all the people reading this book: purchase a copy of the next book and read them together. You will see the reason I am giving this 5 stars.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast read, captivating., June 9, 2009

By 

Gold - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fall of a Kingdom (Farsala Trilogy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had some trouble getting in to this book. I was not particularly thrilled with the main female lead, Soraya. I got the point that she was rich, stuck up, mean, self centered, snob. I did not need to be beaten over the head with this fact.

I'm glad I got over that, because setting Soraya aside for this first book, and the fact that most of the male names and other made up names sound awful (Seriously, if the djinn are gods, why make up a name for them like djinn? Or ghan, deghan, and deghass for the ruling hierarchy?) I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced, and easy to read. Yet the characters are still vivid, and the plot is not simple or dull, once you get past the initial set up.

I have been a bit disappointed so far with the trilogy (I'm on book two) with the way it incorporates magic. About halfway through the first book, I'm flipping to the back cover going, "it DID say it had magic, didn't it?" I mean, if there's no magical element, what makes it fantasy? It does eventually get to it, but it is never a big part of the first book, and I get the impression it never will be a focus point.

So why a five star if I had some disappointments? Well, anything that I can read for three hours and look up at the clock and go "Holy crap! When did that happen?!" is a five star book in my opinion. So I highly recommend this book to anyone who is not obsessed with showy, unnecessary, grandiose, pompous language and plot, and just enjoys an interesting, fun, captivating, easy read.