Horses of Heaven [Mass Market Paperback]

Bradshaw Gillian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1992

The marriage of Mauakes, the elderly king of Ferghana, to Heliokleia, a beautiful, young Bactrian princess, unleashes fateful dark omens of tragedy, passion, turmoil, and downfall. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British novelist Bradshaw ( Imperial Purple ) has created a richly detailed, absorbing historical novel of the ancient world, with strong, well-developed characters and all the right plot elements: love, war, courtly life and the magic of the gods. In 140 B.C., narrator Tomryis, age 18, is chosen by Saka King Mauakes of Ferghana (now Afghanistan), to attend his new wife, Heliokleia, a Greek from the kingdom of Bactra. The marriage is a political alliance, and Mauakes makes it clear that beautiful, intelligent Heliokleia is to have only limited powers. The aloof queen decides to seek her soul's release by being the perfect ruler. Mauakes's grown son Itaz, devoted to his father, is sensitive to both the king's isolation behind the mask of power and Heliokleia's emotional suffering. Eventually Mauakes falls in love with his wife, but he can't demand her affection, which has settled on Itaz. Aided by their sun god patron, Heliokleia and Itaz must confront the paranoid, embittered Mauakes and endure a horrible confrontation with a supernatural creature. Well-researched, interesting details on the cultural and religious customs of the period provide background for the noble characters, who fulfill the promise, good or evil, of their true natures.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A fine story, set in Central Asia 200 years after the time of Alexander the Great. Warring barbarians want their rulers to conquer and rule as Alexander had once done. Faction against faction sets the region on fire with war. One ruler, stronger and smarter than the others, tries to secure his borders by treaties and royal marriages. His Greek border is peacefully aligned to his kingdom by his marriage to the sister of the Greek ruler. All is fine until she arrives; not only is the princess mounted on elephants that terrify even the soldiers and their horses, but she is beautiful, too. The tale begins as the aging ruler, amidst great pagentry, marries the young princess. His lack of personal hygene offends her, but loyalty to her people and a great sense of duty keep her from fleeing or killing herself. The story takes on new dimension when the son of the king falls in love with his stepmother, and she with him. Colorful ceremonies and romance set against antiquity's landscapes make this involving historical fiction. --Linda A. Vretos, West Springfield High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Spectra (July 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553297961
• ISBN-13: 978-0553297966
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,095,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Familiar theme beautifully treated, August 22, 2000

By 

Sophia (the Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Horses of Heaven (Hardcover)

In "Horses of Heaven," acclaimed writer Gillian Bradshaw goes far into the past to tell the story of Heliokleia, a beautiful, Bactrian (pre-Greek), Buddhist queen, and her marriage to the elderly Ferghanan king, Mauakes. Mauakes has a grown son from a previous marriage, Itaz, who detests and fears the Bactrians. This is a fairly typical Tristan-and-Isolde theme: what saves it from the commonplace by Ms. Bradshaw's beautiful writing, her clear, subtle world-building, and her creation of layered, multi-leveled characters. Elements of the supernatural are introduced in a low-key and fairly believable way (insofar as having conversations with ghosts are "believable.") A very good, well-written, engaging story, with intriguing glimpses into the pre-Christian world.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars buried masterpiece, October 1, 2009

By 

Lisa Walter - See all my reviews

This review is from: Horses of Heaven (Mass Market Paperback)

It is still my favorite book after 15 years. Babygirl keeps churning out the books on the regular but in my opinion this is still the best, and if she never wrote one that was better it wouldn't matter because this one is a masterpiece. Two things that I love about the writing are the development of the characters -- seamless beautiful transitions from distrust and dislike to love as well as well-crafted shifts on the timeline (flashbacks) that give the reader insight into the situation and the characters. My favorite parts however are when the characters discuss philosophy. Within the content of the conversations b/t characters there are incredibly thought-provoking statements that I haven't seen in any of her other books and is what really sets this one apart. Also, the historical aspect of the plot is fairly simple and easy to follow but still exciting in the telling. Plots in later books get a little complicated and rushed. I've always wanted to see this made into a movie.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent historical fantasy/fiction, August 8, 2011

By 

Jem (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Horses of Heaven (Hardcover)

This is the novel that made me a fan of Bradshaw's historical fiction. Set in the ancient world (present day Afghanistan), it has a rich tapestry of setting, well-developed characters and an exciting story. The author has obviously done her research as the book is filled with intricate details on clothing and locations, and the story comes alive because of it.

King Mauakes of Ferghana makes a political alliance by marrying Heliokleia, from the Greek kingdom of Bactra. The story is told by her new handmaiden, Tomryis. Heliokleia is almost completely isolated in this foreign land, until she begisn to fall in love with Mauakes' son, Itaz. Though both are loyal to the King and would not betray him, Mauakes is paranoid and begins a reign of terror against them. Though this is historical fiction, it does have a slight supernatural element often found in very ancient history (like the gods in the Illiad and Odyssey).

I have read a LOT of historical fiction over the years, and this is still one of my top five. A real shame it is out of print.