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The Way of the Gods #1
The Shadow of the Sun
Ellion would be a man of honor; but his taste for black magic has already destroyed his life. When the heir to the vacant Danaan throne is marked for death by a renegade wizard, protecting her may become Ellion's last chance for redemption--or his final descent into evil.
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
499 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2011
65 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Friend Ish
1 book15 followersWriter, publisher, slave of cats: Barbara Friend Ish is Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, and Wild-Eyed Visionary for Mercury Retrograde Press, which publishes Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Interstitial novels and novellas: a small press dedicated to unconventional authors and works that might undeservedly slip through the cracks at bigger houses. After earning a Bachelor's in English from Rice University, Barbara divided her time between working with small groups of entrepreneurs who didn't know any better than to start their own companies and swimming against the current of the publishing industry, eventually co-founding Be Mused, an author services company devoted to helping authors and small publishers develop books. She founded Mercury Retrograde Press in 2007. She is insufferably proud of the authors with whom she works, including multi-award-nominated Edward Morris, author of the transgressionist alt-history series There Was a Crooked Man; Zachary Steele, whose debut novel Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO was considered for the 2010 Sidewise Award; and talented fantasists Leona Wisoker and Larissa N. Niec.
Books edited by Barbara have been covered by Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, The Midwest Book Review, SciFiDimensions, American Freethought, Baby Got Books, SFScope, SFSignal, The Internet Review of Science Fiction, January Magazine and Green Man Review. She has been featured in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and on Baby Got Books and SF Signal, and has appeared at The Atlanta Book Show, RavenCon, Faerie Escape: Atlanta and Opus Fest.
For the past 22 years Barbara has been married to her one true love, one of the very first Cold-War-era Soviet émigrés. Together they have ridden the roller coasters of multiple start-up businesses (his and hers) and the raising of two children. Current projects include a garden entirely bereft of nutritional value and a search for the perfect bottle of champagne.
Books edited by Barbara have been covered by Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, The Midwest Book Review, SciFiDimensions, American Freethought, Baby Got Books, SFScope, SFSignal, The Internet Review of Science Fiction, January Magazine and Green Man Review. She has been featured in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and on Baby Got Books and SF Signal, and has appeared at The Atlanta Book Show, RavenCon, Faerie Escape: Atlanta and Opus Fest.
For the past 22 years Barbara has been married to her one true love, one of the very first Cold-War-era Soviet émigrés. Together they have ridden the roller coasters of multiple start-up businesses (his and hers) and the raising of two children. Current projects include a garden entirely bereft of nutritional value and a search for the perfect bottle of champagne.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 26, 2013
I don't usually write book reviews, especially not positive ones. It's a style thing -- I tend to come across too blunt because when I write a review I tend to focus on those things I would fix. I obviously like the story or I wouldn't spend the time and effort needed to write a review at all, so I hope my comments come across as more constructive than negative. I don't leave a review at all unless I think the author might read it, for just that reason, but in this case I'm fairly sure the author will read it, and much of what I have to say is positive.
"The Shadow of the Sun" is a classic fantasy set in a world based largely on Irish mythology. The male lead (Ellion) is an oversexed royal who is very talented in magic, but who has vowed to avoid magic and has retreated from his position to become a musician -- a harpist, to be exact. It's clear that something happened to make him retreat this way (we are eventually clued in, but not for a good part of the book), but it is a constant frustation to his friends and family. When the ruler of his land is killed, Ellion is presented with the opportunity to play an important role in the succession. His fears from his past drive him not only to decline, but to flee his home country and turn to the land of the mystical danaan (or tanaan, rather) on a quest he trumps up in order to escape.
This turns out to be a mistake, as the Tanaan are being affected by the same situation that his own people are, with an enemy targetting them both. Ellion is, he finds, the only person available to help certain important Tanaan people to survive. Along the way, he is repeatedly being drawn more and more into the temptation to break his oaths and use the very magic he fled his homeland to avoid using in the first place.
Ellion is harrassed throughout the book by undead enemies and seemingly immortal assassins. One of the criticisms I have is that he might be harrassed a bit too much by these guys -- he's attacked over and over again, and almost always by the same undead foes. I found myself craving for a little more variety in his attackers, and a little more respite between attacks so as to allow the story to progress a little faster. Overall, though, it is an enjoyable read. I found myself emotionally invested in several of the characters, and there are a number of mysteries I wanted the answers for. Still want answers for, in some cases -- this is the first book in a series, and some of those questions won't be answered until the sequels.
There are two other problems I had with this book, though, and they both involve character deaths. The first (which you'll know when you see it) is the sudden death of a large number of characters Ellion had been traveling with since early in the book. He'd been with them a long time, by that point, and we were JUST starting to get to know them -- and like them -- when they all died suddenly and unexpectedly. So suddenly I wasn't really sure they'd all been killed like that. Now, characters do need to die, but it's usually best if they either die quickly (as cannon fodder) or after we really get to know them (for emotional impact). I kind of felt as if these characters died in a period that straddled those two moments -- I found myself regretting their deaths, because I wanted to know more about them, but it didn't have the impact I would like.
The other "character death" did involve someone I had become much more attached to, emotionally -- Ellion's harp. Yes, his harp -- he had been lugging that thing around since the first chapter. He found he had gotten it wet at one point, and struggled to save it. It looked like he would, but at the end of the novel he'd neglected it too long and found it molded over and ruined. To me, treating a musical instrument like that is like kicking a puppy or a baby -- even though it's fiction, I'm just horrified this was allowed to happen to this poor harp!
Of course, I think my biggest complaint is that the next book isn't out, yet...
"The Shadow of the Sun" is a classic fantasy set in a world based largely on Irish mythology. The male lead (Ellion) is an oversexed royal who is very talented in magic, but who has vowed to avoid magic and has retreated from his position to become a musician -- a harpist, to be exact. It's clear that something happened to make him retreat this way (we are eventually clued in, but not for a good part of the book), but it is a constant frustation to his friends and family. When the ruler of his land is killed, Ellion is presented with the opportunity to play an important role in the succession. His fears from his past drive him not only to decline, but to flee his home country and turn to the land of the mystical danaan (or tanaan, rather) on a quest he trumps up in order to escape.
This turns out to be a mistake, as the Tanaan are being affected by the same situation that his own people are, with an enemy targetting them both. Ellion is, he finds, the only person available to help certain important Tanaan people to survive. Along the way, he is repeatedly being drawn more and more into the temptation to break his oaths and use the very magic he fled his homeland to avoid using in the first place.
Ellion is harrassed throughout the book by undead enemies and seemingly immortal assassins. One of the criticisms I have is that he might be harrassed a bit too much by these guys -- he's attacked over and over again, and almost always by the same undead foes. I found myself craving for a little more variety in his attackers, and a little more respite between attacks so as to allow the story to progress a little faster. Overall, though, it is an enjoyable read. I found myself emotionally invested in several of the characters, and there are a number of mysteries I wanted the answers for. Still want answers for, in some cases -- this is the first book in a series, and some of those questions won't be answered until the sequels.
There are two other problems I had with this book, though, and they both involve character deaths. The first (which you'll know when you see it) is the sudden death of a large number of characters Ellion had been traveling with since early in the book. He'd been with them a long time, by that point, and we were JUST starting to get to know them -- and like them -- when they all died suddenly and unexpectedly. So suddenly I wasn't really sure they'd all been killed like that. Now, characters do need to die, but it's usually best if they either die quickly (as cannon fodder) or after we really get to know them (for emotional impact). I kind of felt as if these characters died in a period that straddled those two moments -- I found myself regretting their deaths, because I wanted to know more about them, but it didn't have the impact I would like.
The other "character death" did involve someone I had become much more attached to, emotionally -- Ellion's harp. Yes, his harp -- he had been lugging that thing around since the first chapter. He found he had gotten it wet at one point, and struggled to save it. It looked like he would, but at the end of the novel he'd neglected it too long and found it molded over and ruined. To me, treating a musical instrument like that is like kicking a puppy or a baby -- even though it's fiction, I'm just horrified this was allowed to happen to this poor harp!
Of course, I think my biggest complaint is that the next book isn't out, yet...
June 11, 2013
This is high fantasy at it’s best. The book is balanced between action and character introspection. Ellion weaves his swordmanship with magic, creating a deadly force. Yet he is also doubtful about his rightful place in the world, having been a part of a horrible accident, having declared himself unworthy to the world at large. Letitia carries the burden of leading her people, but has not had the guiding hand of her mother during her key development years. The deities also come down from on high to tip the tide one way or another. Other magic users, plenty of swordwomen, nearly everyone is an accomplished rider, jealousies of power and people, and a touch of romance fill this book. The characters are complex, with no one being ultimate evil or ultimate good; in essence, real people populate these pages.
The writing itself flows easily, with carefully chosen phrases portraying the culture, setting, and social norms of the characters. Legends and myths are built into the world providing an ancient feel to the tale. The Tanaan’s world is crumbling due to lost knowledge after a great calamity. Ellion’s world is built on centuries of expectations. If I have any complaint, it is a mild one: Ellion repeated too often his self-doubts without explaining fully to the reader for several chapters.
*review updated after second reading in April 2013
The writing itself flows easily, with carefully chosen phrases portraying the culture, setting, and social norms of the characters. Legends and myths are built into the world providing an ancient feel to the tale. The Tanaan’s world is crumbling due to lost knowledge after a great calamity. Ellion’s world is built on centuries of expectations. If I have any complaint, it is a mild one: Ellion repeated too often his self-doubts without explaining fully to the reader for several chapters.
*review updated after second reading in April 2013
April 7, 2012
Marvelous.
A pleasant surprise, this find. . . . There is a grand scope, while being concisely penned. ...The characters are all vivid and relevant. The back-story is dramatic, but not overly mentioned. Interactions are very "human" and believable. . . . The story is set in a time of great change. Where a revolution is on the horizon, some people question and shift quickly - the mechanisms of society a bit more slow to adjust. ...The main character is a world-weary traveler; he comes back to his home-land [at a political high point], having spent many years in the far-off "elven" kingdoms. His journey is rediscovery and reclamation - bringing insight and wisdom from afar, while opening again his heart. . . . The systems of magick - their use and "feel" - are very well-described in a tactile sense. . . . There is a great sense of wonder that pervades the world; how that plays into the exponentiating conflicts of the next chapter, I will be curious to see.
A pleasant surprise, this find. . . . There is a grand scope, while being concisely penned. ...The characters are all vivid and relevant. The back-story is dramatic, but not overly mentioned. Interactions are very "human" and believable. . . . The story is set in a time of great change. Where a revolution is on the horizon, some people question and shift quickly - the mechanisms of society a bit more slow to adjust. ...The main character is a world-weary traveler; he comes back to his home-land [at a political high point], having spent many years in the far-off "elven" kingdoms. His journey is rediscovery and reclamation - bringing insight and wisdom from afar, while opening again his heart. . . . The systems of magick - their use and "feel" - are very well-described in a tactile sense. . . . There is a great sense of wonder that pervades the world; how that plays into the exponentiating conflicts of the next chapter, I will be curious to see.
December 19, 2010
Very intriguing beginning morphs into a by the numbers traditional fantasy somewhat similar to Carol Berg Flesh and Spirit series which is still on my reading pile after many tries to get into; this one as a debut got a higher priority and i finished it but it's not quite what i appreciate; I plan to take a look at the next volume and see if the book becomes more interesting for me; otherwise it is well written and not tedious so if you are into traditional fantasy, you may like it more
March 25, 2014
Loved it. It was a refreshing take on fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews