Ruler of the Sky [Hardcover]

Pamela Sargent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 1994

An epic of love, cruelty and betrayal in the age of Genghis Khan, written by the author of "The Shore of Women" and the futuristic "Venus" trilogy.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The ruthless 13th-century warrior Genghis Khan, who built a vast empire in his drive for world conquest, is the subject of this workmanlike historical novel, a panorama of warfare, intrigue, sex and betrayal. In Sargent's ( The Shore of Women ) somewhat romanticized portrayal, the Mongol ruler is a schizoid figure capable of both monstrous savagery and saintly humility and forgiveness. We see Genghis Khan through the eyes of women who loved and manipulated him. His doting mother, Honelun, stirs his lust for vengeance by telling tall tales of his father's poisoning. His chief wife, Bortai, is bitter over his neglect of her. Another wife, Ibakha, rashly attempts to convert the ruler from worship of the sky-god Tengri to Christianity. Still another spouse, Ch'i-kyuo, a ladylike Chinese princess, has lesbian trysts with a Han concubine. Genghis Khan himself enjoys simultaneously bedding two additional wives, Tatar sisters Yisui and Yisugen, and we also read of his homosexual relationship with a friend whom he later orders to be hung. Sargent's flat prose is plodding and ridden with cliches, but it helps anchor the exotic excesses of the violent world she describes.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Sargent, the author of numerous sf novels, has produced a neatly crafted work that manages to provide a panoramic view of the charismatic leader Genghis Khan while at the same time presenting the background mosaic of warring Mongol tribes in enough detail to keep the reader from getting hopelessly confused. A nice touch is Sargent's telling the conqueror's story from the viewpoint of the women in his life--mother, wives, and daughters. This technique makes it possible to introduce considerable domestic detail and prevents the novel from becoming a mind-numbing catalog of battles. Even so, the last 200 pages are so mired in accounts of conquests that they drag a bit, and the multitudinous characters--only a few developed in any depth--blur together. Still, the exotic setting and inherent drama of Genghis Khan's life make this an appealing novel to fans of historical fiction.
- Beth Ann Mills, New Rochelle P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (October 18, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517131765
• ISBN-13: 978-0517131763
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,003,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Novel as History, January 18, 2004

By 

Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ruler of the Sky (Hardcover)

Pamela Sargent is generally thought of as a science fiction writer but she has actually written for several genres. One wonders why she chose Ghengis Khan as a subject but regardless of the reasons, I am glad she undertook this thankless task. Most Americans are unfamiliar with the great conqueror or are unaware that his empire was the largest empire in the history of the world.

The remarkable thing is that Temujin, his real name, was born in the desert of Mongolia without privelege. Over the years he transformed Mongol riders into killing machines and began an exapansion that for a time threatened to engulf the entire European-Asian landmass. It is hard to generate empathy not to mention sympathy for such a character but he was a reflection of his times - ruthless, loyal, brave, resourceful.

The novel begins when he is a child and follows his rise through the ranks by crafty politics, deal-making and fighting skill. The story captures the mood, the scenery, the pulse of life within the inner circle of the leader. The battles are detailed as are the geopolitical discussions. The action is in turns exciting, tender and mesmerizing. When he died his empire was divided among his sons and eventually fell apart. Today, less than 3 million Mongols eke out a subsistence living in the middle of Asia.