The Rainbow Abyss (Sun-Cross, Book 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara Hambly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 13, 1991

When Rhion the banker's son met the Master Wizard Jaldis, Jaldis said, "Come." Rhion came, leaving everything behind to answer the call in his blood. And through long years of drudgery and persecution, he had no regrets. Thus he became a wizard.

A noble burned out Jaldis' eyes to please some god; Rhion made magic glasses so he could see. Together, they opened the dark well to the Abyss between universes, and a cry for help came from a world that had lost all magic. Could that happen to their world? Though forced to flee again, Jaldis was determined to reach that world through the Abyss, to help and to find how the magic was lost.

Rhion had nightmares over that. Jaldis was blind without magic. Rhion could not let him go alone. Yet the Abyss terrorized Rhion. Guided only by a voice without magic, they might land on the wrong world or drift forever in the hell of the void. And how could they ever return?

The idea made Rhion shudder to the depths of his soul. Yet he was sure that someday the nightmare must come true!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A blind, crippled and mute wizard named Jaldis--who can see only by virtue of his magic--and his pupil Rhion discover a world on the other side of a Dark Well in which magic does not exist. This concept frightens the two mages for, while wizards are pariahs in the alternate world they inhabit, magic is very much a part of it. ("It's an element," says one of their fellow wizards, "like the light of the sun, like the air we breathe!") Suddenly exiled from their home, the two wizards are forced to abandon the Well, and it is seven years before they make contact again. This first volume in a new series is typical Hambly ( Dragonsbane )--too much narration and not enough dialogue--and the closing cliffhanger, in which the Jaldis and Rhion land in the magicless realm, is more of a curbhanger. The unidentified world is obviously our own Earth, so the mystery of the finale is diluted. However, the alternate world, in which wizards are considered without souls (killing them is no more or less an offense than killing an animal) yet are constantly sought in secret by people wanting assistance (usually a love potion), is fascinating, and Rhion is a very likable protagonist.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Barbara is a fabulously talented writer who can write well in any genre.” —Charlaine Harris

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (August 13, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345371011
• ISBN-13: 978-0345371010
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,278,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting universe plan here..., September 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rainbow Abyss (Sun-Cross, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I really liked this book and am eagerly awaiting a sequel... someday... please? The main character is intriguing, and I hope he learns to get over his feelings of inadequacy. I very much want to see how he applies what he learned to events in his home universe, where he is sorely needed!

It is a real shame that this is out of print.

This is another universe-changing story; the characters move from their own universe into another where the laws of magic are different. A reference indicates that this is the same "universe" as the Ingold books but is otherwise unrelated.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unfinished trilogy., June 9, 2002

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rainbow Abyss (Sun-Cross, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book and its sequel were good reads. But it has been ten years! since she published the second book. Apparently she will never finish the story. So I can't recommend reading or buying either of the Sun Cross books.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this so you can read the sequel!, November 16, 2009

By 

Pulchritude - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rainbow Abyss (Sun-Cross, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Rainbow Abyss is a piece of fantasy fiction involving magic in an alternate universe. As always, Hambly's characters are interesting, the details of the universe are enchanting, and the book is very well-written. However, this book lacked the compelling plot of some of her other novels. The main characters are forced from their home and one meets his love interest, but there was no central issue pulling the novel to a close. I found that I had no trouble setting the book down at night; there was no driving compulsion to keep reading.

That said, it is certainly a pleasant read and the lack of pull makes it an excellent before-bed book.

I highly recommend reading this book so you can read the sequel, which kept me reading for hours. I looked forward to getting home at night so I could continue reading the sequel, which has all the plot twists, anxious moments, and compelling story lines that make a novel a compulsive read.

Sex: The main character does sleep with his love interest. It is not described in any detail, nor are any of the sexual encounters referenced.
Violence: Torture is referenced often. One of the main characters is described as having had his tongue cut out and eyes gouged out. At some point in the novel, the other main character comes very close to being tortured. Nothing is discussed in too much gory detail.
Cursing: No curse-words, but I believe that the book contains some unfavorable terms for sexually-promiscuous women.