The Grain God Saga Of The Rah Volume 1 Susan Shepherd 9780692396766 Books
Download As PDF : The Grain God Saga Of The Rah Volume 1 Susan Shepherd 9780692396766 Books
In the spring of the year 1620 BC, the Minoan world is flourishing. At the height of its power it is the crossroads of the Bronze Age world, with Greece to the west, the Hittites to the north, and Egypt to the south. Into this world a beautiful boy from the Nordic peninsula is injected. Arriving on a slave ship and sold to the High Priest Mochlos, his exquisite feline features, his physical grace and strength, and his extraordinary ability to dance quickly make him the most prized slave in the city of Knossos. After a rigorous contest Mochlos wins the right to perform the ritual that transforms the boy into the Grain God, a human vessel for the god of fertility, the Rah. The magic unleashed by the boy's creation soon causes Knossos' crops and seas to flourish and neighboring king Cyrus, his own kingdom withering with drought, hires an assassin to kill him. But there is a greater evil brewing. And as the volcano that will become the greatest natural cataclysm in history smolders offshore, the man who was sent to kill him will become his savior. The SAGA OF THE RAH is a historical fiction. It begins on the island of Crete at the very end of the Minoan civilization. It revolves around a Nordic slave boy who, because of his unusual beauty and athletic ability, becomes a sensation when the high-priest who purchases him turns him into a slave-god, a living representation of the fertility god, Rah. The magic unleashed by the boy's creation appears to cause the crops and seas to flourish, and a neighboring king sends an assassin to kill him, for his own kingdom is withering with drought. But Rush The Assassin, a man more deadly than the volcano that brews offshore, finds himself unable to kill the boy, such is the youth's beauty. Instead, he sets to rescue him, from his fate, from his slavery, and ultimately from the greatest natural cataclysm in history. The second book of the series, SOUL OF RAH, journeys to the assassin's fortress in Anatolia, and continues to follow history as Rush installs Mursillis as king of the Hittites. The third book, CITY OF RAH, follows Rah's escape from the brutal love of his savior to ancient Babylon, which Rush the Assassin will ultimately take in order to recapture Rah. In 1605 the Hittites did in fact, and for no reason ever explained in the history books, conquer that city, and then abandoned it. The final chapter of the series, RETURNING RAH, will deal with Rah's flight from Babylon on the defeated King's golden stallion (the modern-day Akhal-Teke is the offspring of these amazing Babylonian horses) and his return to Crete.
The Grain God Saga Of The Rah Volume 1 Susan Shepherd 9780692396766 Books
This is a tour de force of a very unique kind, a unique voice. It reminded me in some ways of late Victorian popular fiction, like Lew Wallace's Ben Hur, as an historical reconstruction and a pop culture fantasy at the same time. It also reminded me of Doris Lessing's Shikasta series, an alternative sci-fi universe told through characters and history that reconstruct a mythic past which is the precursor of the travails of recorded history. The theme also resonates with Vampire fictions, timeless yet anachronistic creatures that repeat their mythic patterns through different eras. It even reminded me of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto and Temptation of the Christ. I'm thinking of his cinematic efforts to equate the archaic, practically preliterate society with the resonance of universal themesl. I'd like to see these characters go through a portal into modern history. What would happen to them in the nineteenth century or in the here and now, or in the twenty-second century? The potential for myth to take on different guises in different worlds - it will be very interesting to see where this talented, free-spirited. and original author goes from here.Product details
|
Tags : The Grain God (Saga Of The Rah) (Volume 1) [Susan Shepherd] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the spring of the year 1620 BC, the Minoan world is flourishing. At the height of its power it is the crossroads of the Bronze Age world,Susan Shepherd,The Grain God (Saga Of The Rah) (Volume 1),Amegan Press,0692396764,FICTION Historical General,Fiction - Historical,Historical - General,Historical fiction,FICTION Historical
People also read other books :
- Human Resource Management Lloyd L Byars Books
- Dasvidaniya edition by WL Liberman Literature Fiction eBooks
- DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Corsica DK Publishing 9781465411785 Books
- Jeff Palmer 2012 Jeff Palmer 9783867873543 Books
- Pants on Fire A Collection of Lies edition by Clayton Smith Literature Fiction eBooks
The Grain God Saga Of The Rah Volume 1 Susan Shepherd 9780692396766 Books Reviews
Terrible
If you are a fan of historical fiction, then give this book a shot. The writer did an incredible job of making you feel like you traveled back in time and were really part of the story. I can't wait to see what happens in book two!
I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of the books written by Mary Renault of an earlier generation. The tenor of the writing is similar and the setting is very similar to her novels, although she focuses on the myths of ancient Greece and this focuses on a natural catastrophe. The historical eruption of the volcano Thera forms the backdrop for this story of Crete. The characters draw you into the story and keep your interest as it progresses toward the final events. The Assassin---you love to hate him, at first. Toward the end you can see some small change in the expression of his feelings. Rah---the boy god, realistic as a 16 year-old slave enjoying his new-found importance in the context of the culture of ancient Crete. These are the two main characters, but the others draw you into the story also. Some are self-centered wicked men, and some are weak human beings trying to do their best under horrible circumstances. If I could rate it 4.5 points I would for two reasons the gory and violent behavior of the Assassin is almost too much to stomach sometimes; and the story begins to be dragged out toward the end. The final third of the book could be tightened up to make it more satisfying. However, I cannot give it 4.5, so I am happy to give it a five because of how much I enjoyed the book. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, The Soul of Rah. Since this is supposed to be a trilogy I am assuming there will be a third book coming soon. I hope so.
Interesting concept also a lot of History of the region on and near Crete during and after volcanic eruption.
Over the course of pages that you feel you can't turn fast enough - Susan Shepherd surprises us with qualities to the characters that we want to despise, and it creates a wonderful tension. The quick succession of scenes from one to the next and the rich and elegant imagery makes it a book you will not want to put down. I'm ordering the second in the series now!
I am hesitant to begin another volume, but probably will eventually. Reminds me of Shadowdance, though the writing there about the actual dancing was much more effective. I would like to see more character development rather than plot but intriguing enough with a rich sense of an unusual place to get me through many, many pages.
This book is so stunningly beautiful on so many levels that writing about it seems presumptuous. Still ...I intend to presume. In some ways, this is a relatively simple retelling of Beauty and the Beast" but with some profound differences. The "Beast" is not ugly but gentle, although neither is he as bestial as he would like to believe. What he yearns for is the completely unobtainable ...grace, innocence, laughter and sunlight ...and Beauty has them all. He is a child-man of such striking looks that he is a living assault upon every heart, male and female, with whom he comes into contact. He is a brilliant dancer, who seems to defy gravity, and he is innocence itself ..a kitten (as he is often called) or a dove. He is like something from another world, and because of his other worldliness, he almost seems impersonal and nearly inhuman. Gradually, as we come to know more of Rah's background and thought processes, though, we see him as a child, warped from baby hood by most of the people who have owned, abused, and even petted him. This is a love story, too ...and though there is little overt explicit sex, the entire book thrums with latent eroticism, beating like a pulse, just beneath the surface.
The author chooses Ancient Crete as her setting, and explores the Minoan civilization at its height. This is a fortuitous choice, because that culture is shrouded in mystery, and the little we do know, and the few artifacts we have, tantalize us and fire our imaginations in ways few other more known cultures can.
The writing is superb, and I came, very quickly, to like the use of the present active tense in telling this tale ..it lends a sense of immediacy and a feeling of being caught in each moment to this incredibly rich and varied story.
While reading this book, I had the sense that I was less reading than experiencing this multi-colored, infinitely varied, luxurious work of art, with every sense, and I reacted to it in many of the same ways I react to truly inspired music, or painting, or sculpture, with my whole being. My mind became as sensitive as an aspen leaf ...touched by every subtle change and variation. If I could give this book 100 stars, I would, and happily!
This is a tour de force of a very unique kind, a unique voice. It reminded me in some ways of late Victorian popular fiction, like Lew Wallace's Ben Hur, as an historical reconstruction and a pop culture fantasy at the same time. It also reminded me of Doris Lessing's Shikasta series, an alternative sci-fi universe told through characters and history that reconstruct a mythic past which is the precursor of the travails of recorded history. The theme also resonates with Vampire fictions, timeless yet anachronistic creatures that repeat their mythic patterns through different eras. It even reminded me of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto and Temptation of the Christ. I'm thinking of his cinematic efforts to equate the archaic, practically preliterate society with the resonance of universal themesl. I'd like to see these characters go through a portal into modern history. What would happen to them in the nineteenth century or in the here and now, or in the twenty-second century? The potential for myth to take on different guises in different worlds - it will be very interesting to see where this talented, free-spirited. and original author goes from here.
0 Response to "[GOL]≫ [PDF] Gratis The Grain God Saga Of The Rah Volume 1 Susan Shepherd 9780692396766 Books"
Post a Comment