The Pillars of the World (Tir Alainn Trilogy) (Paperback)

by Anne Bishop (Author) "Another road was closing.]..." (more)
Key Phrases: sun stallion, shadow hounds, wounded mare, Tir Alainn, Small Folk, Old Place (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
In Sylvalan, a witch hunt is in full force. As witches and innocents are brutally murdered, magic disappears from the land, and the roads between the worlds of humans and of faery vanish one by one. Ari's family has tended one of the Old Places for generations, keeping the magic alive and the land lush and fertile. But with the midsummer moon, Ari's life changes dramatically. She unknowingly takes a Fae lover, the Lord of the Sun, and immediately becomes suspect to faery nobility, who neither trust nor mingle willingly with humankind, except for the occasional caprice. But Ari's life and the future of the Fae depend upon the nobles' willingness to change their elitist ways. For the inquisitor Adolpho--the Witch's Hammer--has come to Ari's door, and only the Fae and the secret of Ari's bloodline can save her and the magic she protects. Bishop only adds luster to her reputation for fine fantasy. Paula Luedtke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
National bestselling author Anne Bishop's novels have been praised as "genuine gems" (SF Site) and "lavishly sensual" (Library Journal). Now, she unveils an exciting new universe in her most powerful, provocative story to date...

The young witch Ari finds herself torn between the world of mortals and the world of the Fae-for the roads between the two lands are vanishing into thin air...

"A storyteller of stunning intensity." (Romantic Times)

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Roc (October 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451458508
• ISBN-13: 978-0451458506
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,044 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Tir Alainn Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars In a Word: Ick., March 25, 2005

By	Eon (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

I loved Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy so much. But it took me a long time to pick up this book, because it just didn't sound terribly appealing.

And it wasn't appealing in the least. The one character I did like was portrayed as a cold, possessive jerk by the end of the book. The mysterious Lucien is shunted aside for the "sweet" Neall who has about as much depth as a puddle. And Ari, as a heroine, is a joke. There was nothing to like about her at all.

The Fae storyline was tragically typical. They're arrogant and uncaring, so now their world is disappearing. Can't we have some Fae that aren't high and mighty? The only thing truly interesting about them was their positions which coincided with gods of ancient Greek and Roman myth, and their ability to turn into an animal representative of that.

Anne Bishop is a great writer, but you couldn't tell by reading this book. It had none of the dark, edgy feeling of her first novels and feels like a cop out, as well as a whack over the head with strong feminist beliefs and the Wiccan religion.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Amazing Book!, October 14, 2001

By	Emily T. Heath (Hartford, WI USA) - See all my reviews

I've read all of Anne Bishop's books, and I've loved every single on of them. Sense this book is set in a different world then all of her other books, I was wondering if she would be able to create a world just as interesting and with characters that could live up to her previous work. Well, Pillars did. The details of the book were very solid and the characters were all very well written. The plot was also very well done. It was interesting even when they were only dealing with minor characters thinking. Ari the main character is a young witch living all alone after the death of her mother and grandmother. She gets intangled with the Fae due to a trick played on her by the local gentry that forces her to look for a lover on Summer's Moon. She ends up meeting one of the Fae in his other form. Eventually you also learn that there are Witch Hunters moving through the land, and they are slowly coming towards Ari. Eventually you do learn what the Pillars are and I promise that everything is wraped up very nicely. It's good from start to finish, and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Fae stand alone ..., July 26, 2006

By	C. Alegria "mediterranean_wookiee" (Arizona USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was prepared to be disappointed with this title; I had read that the World of the Fae paled in comparison to the Realms of the Blood. Like many other Bishop fans, I was obsessed with the Black Jewels trilogy and longed for more of Bishop's writing. The thought of reading something less gratifying than the Black Jewels novels didn't appeal to me; but, I soon ran out of Bishop material and decided to give the Tir Alainn trilogy a shot. Here's what you need to know: the World of the Fae IS NOT the Realms of the Blood; literally. I don't think it's reasonable to expect the two to be exactly alike. What would be the point if they were? The World of the Fae is not as dark as the Realms of the Blood. It is not as sensual. It is very different; but, that shouldn`t discourage you from reading the Tir Alainn novels. The Fae are intricately complex characters; they are both endearing and contemptible ... especially Dianna and Lucian. They have very little respect for humans and treat them as playthings. The humans in the tale are fantastically flawed, morally lacking, and exceedingly naïve (which can be a good thing; it makes them all the more interesting). Ari (the central character), though likeable, is sometimes frustratingly foolish. At one point in the story, I was so outraged by her stupidity that I had to put the book away for a little while. However, Morag more than makes up for any other character disappointment. Though Fae, she stands distinctly apart from the other members of her race; she is deeply empathetic towards humans, but maintains the distance characteristic of her people. She is enigmatic, complex, and terrific literary company. Overall, "Pillars of the World" is surprisingly rewarding. It does get off to a slow start; but, once you get past the basic character and plot development and into the meat of the story, it becomes extremely engaging; so much so, that I bought the remaining novels in the trilogy and am genuinely looking forward to reading them. If you are a fan of Anne Bishop's, or a fan of female-directed fantasy, this title is well worth the effort.