The Gates of Twilight (Bantam Spectra Book) [Paperback]

Paula Volsky (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bantam Spectra Book | Publication Date: February 1, 1996

In a fragile alliance, the natives are stirring uneasily under their foreign rulers. Rebellion is brewing, and at the heart of the conflict lies the bloody and powerful cult of the god Aoun, whose followers will stop at nothing to rid their land of alien domination. So civil servant Renille vo Chaumelle, scion of a proud, conquering line mingled with native blood, is conscripted as a spy and ordered to penetrate the fortress-temple known as the Fastness of the Gods. There he is to discover the secrets of the priests of Aoun and - if the chance presents itself - assassinate the lead priest, named in legend as the god's own son. But in the holiest depths of the temple, Renille finds there is more to the cult than his superiors suspect - far more than they will ever believe. What he learns leads him to the beautiful princess Jathondi, daughter of the native ruler, who is fated to be the crux of a violent confrontation between the fanatic followers of a flesh-hungry god and their arrogant overlords. Together, Jathondi and Renille must brave a whirlwind of revolution and apocalyptic magic that could shatter a nation, and open the long-sealed portal between heaven and earth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the sweltering Aveshquian city of ZuLaysa, a revolution is brewing, and the result is an uncommonly sophisticated fantasy by Volsky, author of the critically acclaimed Illusion. Foreign, western Vonahrishmen ostensibly rule this preindustrial eastern realm, but the mysterious, ancient cult of the god Aoun is growing in power daily. Renille vo Chaumelle, a westerner with native blood, is asked to infiltrate this cult and cripple it if possible. The assignment is full of unexpected dangers and surprising revelations, which keep the narrative moving quickly. Together with a beautiful Aveshquian princess, Renille must ultimately confront the gods themselves in order to contain the erupting national violence. Volsky does not neglect the traditional hallmarks of fantasy; the land of Aveshq is reminiscent of India yet enlivened by magic and such wonders as yahdeeni, ferocious sea-going beasts of burden, fields of pungent blue spice and the glorious Oodpray Palace. But the author's greater accomplishments lie in the depth of her characterizations and the subtlety of her portrait of the clash of dissimilar cultures. Some of Volsky's attempts at tension between the protagonists can be a little clumsy (conversations with schoolmates had "taught her that men were deceitful, selfish, and ruthless. No doubt exceptions existed, but dangerous folly to assume that Chaumelle qualified as such."). Still this is a quibble in a a captivating novel whose appeal should extend well beyond fans of the genre.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In a detailed, exotic land reminiscent of India under British rule, the native, fanatically religious Aveshquians rebel against their foreign Vonahrish occupiers. Civil servant Renille vo Chaumelle, a Vonahrish of Aveshq ancestry?and empathy?allies himself with Ghochanna Jethondi, daughter of a provincial hereditary ruler. Together they expose the high priest's deadly secrets. A realistic portrayal of another society; highly recommended for fantasy collections.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553373943
• ISBN-13: 978-0553373943
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #311,025 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 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Volsky book, June 29, 2000

By 

"pfmahoney" (Fort Collins, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gates of Twilight (Paperback)

The reviewers that said they were disappointed inspired me to write this because I completely disagree. Granted, different people like different books, but I truly think this is a great book. I like "Illusion" and "The White Tribunal", but I love "Wolf of Winter" and "The Gates of Twilight". Both of them gripped my imagination firmly and pulled me into Volsky's world completely.

Paula Volsky has a gift of being about to write in such a way that an exotic location becomes so lifelike that you feel like you are really there, and I never felt so completely drawn in as I did in this book. The story is intruguing, the characters are believeable, and the descriptiveness of the location is incredibly lifelike.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not her best, but not too bad, January 27, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Steubenville, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gates of Twilight (Paperback)

We return to the world of Illusion--old stomping ground--with Ms. Volsky's The Gates of Twilight; the time is a few generations after that wonderful novel (she does satisfy our curiosity about Dref and Eliste in a few placating sentences), the place a colony of post-revolutionary Vonahr. The setting is familiar to those who know about the English settlements in the Indies (any passing knowledge of the Jungle Book suffices) and the plot unsurprisingly touches on the injustices of imperialism thereof. The storyline is complete, unlike The Wolf of Winter, but feels sketchy in parts, unlike Illusion. Secondary characters, which in her previous works would have resurfaced somewhere within the novel to lend a sense of completeness and continuity, are dropped after a few limp scenes. Ms. Volsky also begins to develop her "planar" concept of God, which was hinted at with The Wolf of Winter's necromancy, and is more fully developed in The White Tribunal. On the whole, The Gates of Twilight is readable, enjoyable for an afternoon, but not a true indication of Ms. Volsky's talent.--Emily C. A. Snyder

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice try but not quite, May 3, 1999

By 

Angelina M. ([e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gates of Twilight (Paperback)

If you've read "Illusion" you know what I mean. The book is good, I like the settings of 18th century India at the time of the British settlement that were used as inspiration of the story, but the characters were too bidimensional. You never quite got to know them deep inside, its as if they're just actors playing a role, very unlike "Illusion" were you could feel the passion and see the souls of the characters. And the secondary characters were used as fillers, just to make it look complex. But even so, it's not boring, it's as deep a reading as the previous books and its quite entertaining, but it didn't leave me thinking like Illusion did at the end, which by the way was pretty easy to find out. But these are only my opinions, and I encourage people to find out by themselves, as I did with Illusion, which is still my favorite. This one might turn out to be yours.