Spring, 266 BC. When Isokrates, helmsman of the Rhodian warship Atalanta, encounters a pirate vessel off the Lycian coast, he finds himself caught up in affairs of state more deadly than the naval battles hes accustomed to. Among the pirates victims is a beautiful woman, the mistress of a king, who is fleeing to her lovers enemy with news that will start a war to engulf the whole of the east . .
I love all of Gillian Bradshaw's historical fiction. Her characters are always very human and compelling. I read her books in one sitting and The Sun's Bride was no exception! Despite having no knowledge of maritime maneuvers, I was able to comprehend and envision the battles on sea and all the characters that created this amazing story. My favorite is still Beacon of Alexandria and The Sand-Reckoner, but I was definitely not disappointed with this book.
great historical fiction
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
The Sun's Bride Gillian Bradshaw writes great historical fiction. My favorite book of hers so far is "The Sand-Reckoner," about Archimedes, but "The Sun's Bride" is also a fabulous read. I don't know anybody since Mary Renault who comes up with such interesting characters and plots set in ancient Greece.
Enjoyable but...
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I am a huge fan of Gillian Bradshaw's historical fiction, and always enjoy her books, but I have to say that the titles she has published since she moved publishers to Severn House have not been as solid as some of her earlier novels. One of the problems is that they are shorter than some of her earlier books, and the stories just don't develop enough. On the other hand, her characters are as engaging as ever, and there is no writer to match her for evocation of a far off time and place (here, the ancient maritime power of Rhodes). Four stars really is a little bit high for this particular book, but I would still recommend it as a more than reasonable piece of historical fiction.
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