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Avaryan Rising #4
Arrows of the Sun
Judith Tarr returns to her created world of mages in this fourth volume of her Avaryan Rising series. The Sunborn's heirs have ruled the two empires for four generations, but the latest heir to the thrones of Endros and Asanion does not sit easily. Estarion saw his father die in the golden palace of Asanion, victim of mage-wrought poison and the enduring hatred of a conquered race. On the very day of his enthronement, after long years of regency, Estarion is forced to agree to return to Asanion - and he vows that even if he must rule that accursed land, he will never love it.
With the new Golden Emperor travels his beloved, Vanyi, the mage-born priestess who can never be Empress. She was born a common fisherman's daughter, but gifted with great power - more, perhaps, than the Emperor himself wields.
And waiting for them In the Golden Palace of Asanion is plot and intrigue, conspirators who would kill the son as they killed the father. They would place their own creature on the throne of empires, and their own God in the seat of the Sunlord.
With the new Golden Emperor travels his beloved, Vanyi, the mage-born priestess who can never be Empress. She was born a common fisherman's daughter, but gifted with great power - more, perhaps, than the Emperor himself wields.
And waiting for them In the Golden Palace of Asanion is plot and intrigue, conspirators who would kill the son as they killed the father. They would place their own creature on the throne of empires, and their own God in the seat of the Sunlord.
510 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1993
9 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Judith Tarr
121 books419 followersAKA Caitlin Brennan, Kathleen Bryan.
Judith Tarr (born 1955) is an American author, best known for her fantasy books. She received her B.A. in Latin and English from Mount Holyoke College in 1976, and has an M.A. in Classics from Cambridge University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale University. She taught Latin and writing at Wesleyan University from 1988-1992, and taught at the Clarion science-fiction-writing workshops in 1996 and 1999.
She raises and trains Lipizzan horses at Dancing Horse Farm, her home in Vail, Arizona. The romantic fantasies that she writes under the name Caitlin Brennan feature dancing horses modeled on those that she raises.
Judith Tarr (born 1955) is an American author, best known for her fantasy books. She received her B.A. in Latin and English from Mount Holyoke College in 1976, and has an M.A. in Classics from Cambridge University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale University. She taught Latin and writing at Wesleyan University from 1988-1992, and taught at the Clarion science-fiction-writing workshops in 1996 and 1999.
She raises and trains Lipizzan horses at Dancing Horse Farm, her home in Vail, Arizona. The romantic fantasies that she writes under the name Caitlin Brennan feature dancing horses modeled on those that she raises.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 7, 2025
The author works so hard to give her cast of sun gods, light and dark mages, descendants of the lion-born, Olenyai warriors, and even an undead Queen who had once been a man, some semblance of real lives and meaning. The result is a novel in which much of the 460+ pages of text is given over to explanations of why each character is doing what they are doing, leaving the plot plodding along at a pace that does not suit a tale of high adventure in a land of magic, swords and spells.
One thing that enlivens the proceedings is the relationship between Estarion, the emperor of the dual kingdom of Endros and Asanion, and Korusan, a descendant of the lion kings of the old independent Asanion. Why the enlivening? It involves not only quite serious male on male bedroom activity - nothing wrong there if is one is reasonably broad-minded - it is just that, as the author points out earlier in the story, while Korusan may be a one man killing machine when roused he is also only fifteen years old. While I suppose a sun god can do anything he wants when you come down to it, perhaps the author could have given the young man a year or two's grace before loosing the rumpy-pumpy on adolescent territory.
The pace of the adventure picks up toward the end as the mages open a gate between worlds and launch an attack which draws the main players into a life or death struggle for supremacy. However, overall I found it a little too slow, while being very well meaning and at times literary.
One thing that enlivens the proceedings is the relationship between Estarion, the emperor of the dual kingdom of Endros and Asanion, and Korusan, a descendant of the lion kings of the old independent Asanion. Why the enlivening? It involves not only quite serious male on male bedroom activity - nothing wrong there if is one is reasonably broad-minded - it is just that, as the author points out earlier in the story, while Korusan may be a one man killing machine when roused he is also only fifteen years old. While I suppose a sun god can do anything he wants when you come down to it, perhaps the author could have given the young man a year or two's grace before loosing the rumpy-pumpy on adolescent territory.
The pace of the adventure picks up toward the end as the mages open a gate between worlds and launch an attack which draws the main players into a life or death struggle for supremacy. However, overall I found it a little too slow, while being very well meaning and at times literary.
May 26, 2019
9/10
Power, love, hate, duty... author Judith Tarr weaves these universal themes into a story both beguiling and cruel, bittersweet for the characters and the reader alike.
Power, love, hate, duty... author Judith Tarr weaves these universal themes into a story both beguiling and cruel, bittersweet for the characters and the reader alike.
April 7, 2023
I love this series, and each book catches me. Gave this one a 4, though, because it was harder to get into than the others, perhaps because of the change on characters. It took me for a plot twist or two, and ended amazingly.
February 28, 2015
Generations ago, two empires were united through the union of their respective scions. But the latest incumbent hates one-half of his heritage and so the lines of Sun and Lion are splintering. Unbeknownst to the rulers of the empire, in secret, a Lion heir has been protected and prepared to take back his throne.
I found this book heavy going. I struggled to distinguish the differences between the two main characters - Estarion and Korusan - until they met. Then, I found the book interesting again for about the middle third. But then I found the last portion of the action heavy going. I'm not sure why I struggled with this one - whether the plot was too predictable or the characters too uninteresting. At times, I enjoyed it, but overall it disappointed me.
I found this book heavy going. I struggled to distinguish the differences between the two main characters - Estarion and Korusan - until they met. Then, I found the book interesting again for about the middle third. But then I found the last portion of the action heavy going. I'm not sure why I struggled with this one - whether the plot was too predictable or the characters too uninteresting. At times, I enjoyed it, but overall it disappointed me.
April 17, 2015
This book (and I gather series) reverses the general trend of much fiction centring on white characters. The main character and his family (half of his empire in fact) are black to brown, the other half of the empire appear to be East Asian inspired.
The characters are frequently described by themselves and others so it is hard to forget that they are mostly not white, that said there is only a brief mention of the racism that exists, which makes some sense given the book is about the emporer, not regular people for the most part.
The sex scenes are brief, sometimes amusing, and could have been done a bit better.
Overall I'd recommend it
The characters are frequently described by themselves and others so it is hard to forget that they are mostly not white, that said there is only a brief mention of the racism that exists, which makes some sense given the book is about the emporer, not regular people for the most part.
The sex scenes are brief, sometimes amusing, and could have been done a bit better.
Overall I'd recommend it
June 27, 2013
I love this author's writing, and the 1st 3 books in this series, so when i saw this one in a 50 cent bin, i snapped it up. Tarr's writing as always sucked me in, and i have read and reread it many times, every time swearing i won't do that again, as she has so many other, better books. And yet this is the one that is RIGHT THERE, on my shelf, so...
November 9, 2024
I actually started here. One of my favorites of the entire series. But it was so good I went back and started from the beginning. The entire series does not disappoint altho the conclusion has its problems
March 31, 2011
Fast paced, well written, hard to put down & get to work or sleep
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews