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Bring Down the Sun
Ancient history and violent religious myth collide in this romantic fantasy-tinged biography of Myrtale, the imposing, powerful mother of Alexander the Great. Tarr opens with a weak segment on the queen's early days as Polyxena, an impossibly beautiful and rather childish acolyte of the Mother goddess. Once she seduces Philip of Macedon, who calls her Myrtale (crowned one) and promises her a kingdom to go with her queenly new name, the story becomes far more compelling and suspenseful. As temples and kingdoms plot and quarrel, Myrtale mercilessly wields the authority of the retiring goddess and her own sexuality to further her ambitions for her husband and her son. (The book ends with Alexander's birth, leaving unmentioned the complex and bloody intrigues of Myrtale's later life as the dowager empress Olympias.) Occasionally confusing but often vibrant, this romantic story warms into a strong narrative about a fascinating woman.
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2008
4 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Judith Tarr
112 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 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 4, 2016
Judith Tarr writes wonderful historical fantasy. She takes real characters, places and times, and tells a story that builds on is known about them, imbuing the tale with the mystery of gods and magic.
In Bring Down the Sun, Tarr tells a story about Olympias (also known as Polyxena and Myrtale), the mother of Alexander the Great, following the outlines of her life as recorded by Plutarch, several centuries after her death. The magic enters the tale from the beginning, with the young Polyxena being raised to be a priestess in a Triple Goddess cult and the hints we gather from the elder Priestesses that Polyxena carries within her some powerful but unexplained gifts. Polyxena later is initiated into the Dionysian mysteries (taking the name Myrtale at this point) where she meets and forms a bond – part sexual, part magical – with the young Philip of Macedonia, who seeks her for his (fourth) wife. The story continues up to the birth of the young Alexander, with Myrtale facing intrigue from Philip’s other wives and from various magical sources, including the cult she served as a young girl and a cult of “Thessalonian witches” – priestesses of yet another ancient mystical tradition who are aware of Myrtale’s hidden power and seek to bring make her one of their own.
What I found frustrating about this book, despite my enjoyment of the story, the magic, and the strong women characters, is that it seems unfinished. I had hoped it was the first in a series, but so far there’s no sign of a sequel on the horizon. There is still so much of the past that Tarr has imagined for Myrtale that remains hidden, and so much more that is known of Olympias’ life past the birth of Alexander, that the book does not address. I will just have to keep looking to see if Tarr returns to this story.
In Bring Down the Sun, Tarr tells a story about Olympias (also known as Polyxena and Myrtale), the mother of Alexander the Great, following the outlines of her life as recorded by Plutarch, several centuries after her death. The magic enters the tale from the beginning, with the young Polyxena being raised to be a priestess in a Triple Goddess cult and the hints we gather from the elder Priestesses that Polyxena carries within her some powerful but unexplained gifts. Polyxena later is initiated into the Dionysian mysteries (taking the name Myrtale at this point) where she meets and forms a bond – part sexual, part magical – with the young Philip of Macedonia, who seeks her for his (fourth) wife. The story continues up to the birth of the young Alexander, with Myrtale facing intrigue from Philip’s other wives and from various magical sources, including the cult she served as a young girl and a cult of “Thessalonian witches” – priestesses of yet another ancient mystical tradition who are aware of Myrtale’s hidden power and seek to bring make her one of their own.
What I found frustrating about this book, despite my enjoyment of the story, the magic, and the strong women characters, is that it seems unfinished. I had hoped it was the first in a series, but so far there’s no sign of a sequel on the horizon. There is still so much of the past that Tarr has imagined for Myrtale that remains hidden, and so much more that is known of Olympias’ life past the birth of Alexander, that the book does not address. I will just have to keep looking to see if Tarr returns to this story.
September 17, 2017
Judith Tarr has written a highly entertaining and readable mythological account of the mother of Alexander the Great. There is just enough fantasy and mystical elements to place the narrative in that liminal space between genres. This is a world where Thessalian witches fly beneath the face of the moon and priestesses of ancient deities work magical rites and deliver oracles. Where the children of heroes like Achilles are born under auspices and omens that foretell their destinies. Where the mystery traditions of Samothrace offer more than just a night of wine-induced ecstacy; they bring down the gods that shape the fates of mortals to walk among the newly initiated.
Considering that there is hardly any source material available about Polyxena/Myrtale/Olympia, I think Tarr did a fantastic job in crafting her protagonist and the ancient world. Then again, maybe it was the dearth of material that enabled her to stretch out her vision and craft this tale.
In other words, don't read if you're looking for historical accuracy! Do read if you're in the mood for a story about a strong, intelligent and powerful heroine, and you like your historical fiction with a side of the fantastic.
Considering that there is hardly any source material available about Polyxena/Myrtale/Olympia, I think Tarr did a fantastic job in crafting her protagonist and the ancient world. Then again, maybe it was the dearth of material that enabled her to stretch out her vision and craft this tale.
In other words, don't read if you're looking for historical accuracy! Do read if you're in the mood for a story about a strong, intelligent and powerful heroine, and you like your historical fiction with a side of the fantastic.
June 20, 2017
A little too Freudian, if you get my meaning. Not to mention the magic system made no sense whatsoever. Literal Fetus Alexander the Great doing magic in his mother's womb was the definite camel back-breaking straw.
April 28, 2024
Ick. I have read,and loved, several Judith Tarr novels. This isn’t one of them. The main character, who undergoes several name changes as the story progresses, isn’t likable. Nor are any of the other characters, for that matter. I suppose that Tarr melded myth, fantasy and history here; but the result, to me, was a hodgepodge of ick. In particular, the magic had no rules or boundaries, and just didn’t make any sense. Reading this book was time not well spent.
January 5, 2021
It's been awhile since I could find any books by Tarr. I enjoyed what books of hers I read in the past: mostly historical fantasy. This was a bit of a disappointment. The characters just didn't come to life.
March 3, 2016
I was so excited when I discovered this. Olympias is once of my favourite characters from the world of Alexander and criminally overlooked - While she features in most novels about her son I can't think of another where she is the protagonist (I can think of 6 with his wife Roxanne as the heroine) but none with Olympias - one of the strongest female personalities of the Ancient world. So imagine my glee when I found this!
Sadly I was very disappointed. I was really annoyed at the way the characters kept changing their names - Our heroine starts out as Polyxena, becomes Myrtale before finally becoming Olympias in the last line. Her aunt starts out as Nikandra and becomes Timarete - it's confusing and unnecessary. Yes it marks the three stages of her life but there are better ways to do this.
I hated the writing style. It's very airy-fairy. Most of the book is grounded in the real world but the very rushed ending leaps into dark fantasy – it’s very unbalanced in tone. The magic is not explained as we are not even given the definitive prophesy that they make so much about. I didn't feel this was a particularly good evocation of the ancient world either - I just wasn't feeling it. And as for the lack of Greek Mythology – there’s so much to be drawn from – not just Zeus, but Ammon (whom Olympias claimed was the father of her son.... that little snippit never gets a mention here) and of course the darker witch goddesses. All we get is ‘The Mother’ – too much like modern paganism and never properly defined or explored with regards to her ancient worship.
I also disliked the characters – Not only did Olympias or Philip not come across how I pictured them (fair enough, an author’s allowed their own take on a character), but they didn’t come across as particularly realistic or believable either. You can clearly feel the bias of the author coming through as a goddess worshipping feminist. All well and good, but that doesn't gel with how I picture Olypmias from the biographies of Alexander and as for the 'fairytale' love story between her and Philip. Ugh. We know they had an acrimonious relationship from the sources. We see Philip neglect his wife, sleep with other women... and boys in the novel – yet never does Myrtale questions her love of him or take him to task about it. Also although Philip is taken aback by her snakes when she offers to get rid of them - he says no. This completely contradicts what I recall from my history.
The author has also failed to add any historical note or cite any of the sources she has used. We don’t get any dates or grounding in the real history.
For more fantasy based accounts leading to the birth of Alexander you’d be far better off checking out David Gemmell’s duology Dark Prince/Lion of Macedon and Michael Moorcock’s novella “The Great Conqueror” in The Singing Citadel – while they don’t offer the female protagonist as here, they blend fantasy & the history of Alexander far more successfully than Bring Down the Sun which was disappointing on almost every level.
Sadly I was very disappointed. I was really annoyed at the way the characters kept changing their names - Our heroine starts out as Polyxena, becomes Myrtale before finally becoming Olympias in the last line. Her aunt starts out as Nikandra and becomes Timarete - it's confusing and unnecessary. Yes it marks the three stages of her life but there are better ways to do this.
I hated the writing style. It's very airy-fairy. Most of the book is grounded in the real world but the very rushed ending leaps into dark fantasy – it’s very unbalanced in tone. The magic is not explained as we are not even given the definitive prophesy that they make so much about. I didn't feel this was a particularly good evocation of the ancient world either - I just wasn't feeling it. And as for the lack of Greek Mythology – there’s so much to be drawn from – not just Zeus, but Ammon (whom Olympias claimed was the father of her son.... that little snippit never gets a mention here) and of course the darker witch goddesses. All we get is ‘The Mother’ – too much like modern paganism and never properly defined or explored with regards to her ancient worship.
I also disliked the characters – Not only did Olympias or Philip not come across how I pictured them (fair enough, an author’s allowed their own take on a character), but they didn’t come across as particularly realistic or believable either. You can clearly feel the bias of the author coming through as a goddess worshipping feminist. All well and good, but that doesn't gel with how I picture Olypmias from the biographies of Alexander and as for the 'fairytale' love story between her and Philip. Ugh. We know they had an acrimonious relationship from the sources. We see Philip neglect his wife, sleep with other women... and boys in the novel – yet never does Myrtale questions her love of him or take him to task about it. Also although Philip is taken aback by her snakes when she offers to get rid of them - he says no. This completely contradicts what I recall from my history.
The author has also failed to add any historical note or cite any of the sources she has used. We don’t get any dates or grounding in the real history.
For more fantasy based accounts leading to the birth of Alexander you’d be far better off checking out David Gemmell’s duology Dark Prince/Lion of Macedon and Michael Moorcock’s novella “The Great Conqueror” in The Singing Citadel – while they don’t offer the female protagonist as here, they blend fantasy & the history of Alexander far more successfully than Bring Down the Sun which was disappointing on almost every level.
July 23, 2008
I have enjoyed Judith Tarr's books for a number of years. She has a talent for writing historical fiction. Some are pure historical works while others bring in a touch of a fantasy element to them.
This is her most recent book and focuses on the tale of Alexander the Great's mother Olypias. When the story starts, she is a priestess for the Mother, a traditional goddess of her people, and goes by the name of Polyxena. She is a princess and a niece of the current king of her land. Her aunt has a great deal of concern about her abilities, which she believes may lead to a troublesome downfall of the natural order.
She is sent to serve as part of a rite on what I can only assume is Crete because of its ties to the Minotaur. It is while she is there that she meets her future husband Philip of Macedon and falls in love. This sets her on the path to a future that will change Western history.
The novel is broken down into three sections, each titled with her name, which changes throughout her ever evolving life. She definitely has a tie to a great deal of magical powers, which she devotes to the Mother, and we get a glimpse at her love of snakes.
This book is one which focuses primarily on her own personal, internal development as she evolves into one of the most powerful and influential women in ancient history. We get a strong glimpse at the role of women in her culture, which leaves the reader outside of much of the action that usually provides a great deal of interest for those who study the time period.
There are some moments when the books could move a little more quickly, and I would have liked to see it continue further in her life, but I think that has been left to a sequel that has yet to be written.
The biggest fault I found in the book was a complete lack of an Author's Note to present Tarr's research and how those sources presented the woman that takes on the central role in the book. It would have been interesting to read a bit about the real Olympias and how Tarr adapted history or certain individuals when presenting this dramatic version of history.
This is her most recent book and focuses on the tale of Alexander the Great's mother Olypias. When the story starts, she is a priestess for the Mother, a traditional goddess of her people, and goes by the name of Polyxena. She is a princess and a niece of the current king of her land. Her aunt has a great deal of concern about her abilities, which she believes may lead to a troublesome downfall of the natural order.
She is sent to serve as part of a rite on what I can only assume is Crete because of its ties to the Minotaur. It is while she is there that she meets her future husband Philip of Macedon and falls in love. This sets her on the path to a future that will change Western history.
The novel is broken down into three sections, each titled with her name, which changes throughout her ever evolving life. She definitely has a tie to a great deal of magical powers, which she devotes to the Mother, and we get a glimpse at her love of snakes.
This book is one which focuses primarily on her own personal, internal development as she evolves into one of the most powerful and influential women in ancient history. We get a strong glimpse at the role of women in her culture, which leaves the reader outside of much of the action that usually provides a great deal of interest for those who study the time period.
There are some moments when the books could move a little more quickly, and I would have liked to see it continue further in her life, but I think that has been left to a sequel that has yet to be written.
The biggest fault I found in the book was a complete lack of an Author's Note to present Tarr's research and how those sources presented the woman that takes on the central role in the book. It would have been interesting to read a bit about the real Olympias and how Tarr adapted history or certain individuals when presenting this dramatic version of history.
November 19, 2008
I like Judith Tarr although some of her reviews dis her writing style. She has to be a Goddess worshipper or at least a feminist.
Finally finish this short book and was very please. Appealing to Goddess Worshipers. Alexander the Great's Mother has often been turned into a wicked, harpy, witchy woman in both anime and other fantasy novels. This view is very much like "Moon Under Her Feet" where Olympias is a strong woman reared as a priestess in the Temple of the Mother and the equal to Alexander's father, Philip. She is the type of woman who is no longer desired by the Greeks, and labeled Witch.
[quote]
"You should have been a man," he said [Philip]
"Why would I want that?"
She had taken him aback. "A man is... A woman..."
"Ask yourself," she said. "Are men so weak that women's strength is a threat to them?"
"So it is true," he said. "You're one of the old kind. I thought they were gone from the world."
"Not yet," she said.
Finally finish this short book and was very please. Appealing to Goddess Worshipers. Alexander the Great's Mother has often been turned into a wicked, harpy, witchy woman in both anime and other fantasy novels. This view is very much like "Moon Under Her Feet" where Olympias is a strong woman reared as a priestess in the Temple of the Mother and the equal to Alexander's father, Philip. She is the type of woman who is no longer desired by the Greeks, and labeled Witch.
[quote]
"You should have been a man," he said [Philip]
"Why would I want that?"
She had taken him aback. "A man is... A woman..."
"Ask yourself," she said. "Are men so weak that women's strength is a threat to them?"
"So it is true," he said. "You're one of the old kind. I thought they were gone from the world."
"Not yet," she said.
June 1, 2011
To attempt to write a biography of Alexander the Great's mother is to do so without having much, if any, factual information about her at your disposal as she lived so very long ago. Hence, Judith Tarr has taken the religious myths of the time and written a very fantasy-based account of the period of her life up until Alexander is born. Myrtale, as she becomes known, is a young priestess of the Goddess. The myth of the Mother or Goddess having powers to protect the earth from the dark forces has been an enduring theme of these ancient times. Myrtale dreams about a man who also takes the form of a bull and so she goes to Samothrace for an initiation. There she meets the 'bull', Philip, King of Macedon, and soon after a wedding ensues. She has to contend with the dark forces here in the form of bad witches who know the child will change the world when he is grown and so they want to control him. This is a very light and easy read and enjoyable if you are into this Goddess stuff.
May 12, 2012
I hadn't read Judith Tarr since I was a teenager, and I had very fond memories of her books being great historical fantasy romance novels, the kind geeky girls read for a little dirtiness. So when I came across this book I of course had high expectations of titillation. Unfortunately the only feeling I got was shock that the book was so bad. The book is about Polyxena, an acolyte of the Mother Goddess, who eventually becomes Olympia, the mother of Alexander the Great. Her sexual energy gives her super powers like charming snakes, healing people, mind-fighting witches, and "bringing down the sun." The whole book is about her being a harbinger for the new world of misogyny, when the time of the Great Mother sets and time of men worship is the norm. The best I can say is the book is kitschy fun, like the Alexander the Great movie starring Colin Farrell and Angela Jolie. In that since the book fits wonderfully as a prequel to that mess of a movie.
June 17, 2011
A very slow start to this one. I like the idea of witchcraft and goddess worship in the ancient world, and think there's an appeal to pairing that with the mother of Alexander the Great. The protagonist is an interesting, at times creepy, young woman. Creepy in a good way, mind. There was something a little off with the perspective, which would jump here and there to other characters in a way that took me out of the story. Still, the book is a world I enjoyed being in for a little while, and it is slender enough and paced well enough to be worth the read. Excellent cover, too.
November 26, 2008
This was my first Judith Tarr book and I was a bit disappointed, I had really built her up and expected to adore this book - ancient Mother-goddess priestesses and naked witches flying on broomsticks - heck yeah! But her writing was nothing special and there was so little characterization that the protagonist was very hard to relate to. That said, I'll definitely read some of her other work as I can't say no to goddess magic stories, however ho-hum they may be.
August 30, 2011
She was the wife of Philip, and mother of Alexander the Great. Her father was a king and her sister a great queen. There are rumors and legends about her. Judith Tarr spins these legends into a fantastic tale of Polyxenia's life, from being an accolade to the Mother goddess to her marriage to Philip. It stops just short of Alexander's birth.
It is a short novel and brings a bit of fantasy into the historical knowledge of what we know of Polyxena.
It is a short novel and brings a bit of fantasy into the historical knowledge of what we know of Polyxena.
January 14, 2012
I really like Judith Tar for some of the other hist fic that I've read. I grabbed this book at a sale, but wasn't sure what to exoect since its just over 200 pages. Any HF fans know that those books tend to be looong. This was a well written story, while a little codensed for my taste. I liked the imperfect heroine, who fully recognized her flaws and also the way the setting and background was so beautifully described. The land itself took on a magical air.
November 7, 2008
It was not the best book by Judith Tarr, she is the only fantasy writer that I like. This one did not touch anything in me. The previous one "Queen of the amazons was much better", not to mention my favourite ones such as “Daughter of Lir" and "White mare's daughter".
January 9, 2011
This was such a good story. I loved the fantasy and magic associated with the story. My only complaint was it was too short. Tarr writes women so beautifully making them stand out against the whole and this was no different. I just wanted more of these characters. It was very similar to Marion zimmer Bradley, a favorite of mine.
August 13, 2011
Fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley's 'Avalon' books should enjoy this look at Alexander the Great's mother, as much of the story deals with magic and religion. There isn't as much dialogue, though, and it serves for a quick but likable read.
April 26, 2012
A disappointing prequel to one of my favourite Tarr books, Lord of the Two Lands, in which her prose, though lyrical as always, is frequently impenetrable and circular, and for me the characters never really came to life. Still, a quick read, and even sub-par Tarr is better than many authors' best!
February 16, 2022
Very interesting build of a powerful woman who becomes Alexander the Great's mother. Great mood and hints of mysticism. I love the author's style and the most vivid scenes remain in my memory. Ir's a short reads but quite very powerful.
July 19, 2016
Such gorgeous prose!
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January 9, 2010Amazon received
January 25, 2010
The lyrical prose you expect from Tarr, but most of the characters remained oddly 2-dimensional. As did the world of ancient Greece, which was a bummer.
October 25, 2011
Give me that real old time religion with a hefty dose of intrigue.
February 16, 2017
Note to Judith Tarr: You are not Marion Zimmer-Bradley. Give it up.
July 21, 2016
Read my review here.
April 28, 2017
Wow! Witches verses Priestesses, um, yes please! This book was amazing! There are many people who don't make the differentiation between those two groups of people yet there is a subtle yet strong difference between the two I have felt and been taught. I was so excited that there was this powerful face off. I loved how the main character gradually grew in understanding her magic and how to use this subtle force. I loved the descriptions of magic in the book - and there were some hazy trance states I could relate to because I've been in them in my personal work.
This is a fast read, simple in writing and also very enjoyable. It is a book I feel late teens and adults could enjoy though there is some explicit sex scenes in the book. This book ties together legend and history with interesting characters to match. Great book.
This is a fast read, simple in writing and also very enjoyable. It is a book I feel late teens and adults could enjoy though there is some explicit sex scenes in the book. This book ties together legend and history with interesting characters to match. Great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews