I've always been a fan of sweeping , grandiose tales and the Tamuli trilogy fits the bill !! The characters are richly developed and completely believable. I hated to se the series end.
Series: Tamuli Series, #2
From the Publisher
Years past, the Child-Goddess Aphrael had hidden Bhelliom, the Stone of Power. It rested at the very bottom of the deepest ocean, that nevermore should its awesome power sing temptation to mortal men. Now Sparhawk, Knight and Queen's Champion, must retrieve that Sapphire Rose from its briny sleep. For only with the might of Bhelliom could he hope to thwart the fiendish schemes directed against the Tamul empire, and against his own homeland. Sparhawk's journey to recover Bhelliom would be fraught with peril. Only with Goddess' help could he hope to recover the stone. And that would only begin his quest, for the forces of evil sought to capture the gem for their own diabolical ends. Sparhawk and his loyal companions must keep Bhelliom safe from those who sought to steal it, as well as from the horrors which those evildoers had already loosed upon the world. Most feared of all the monsters that terrorized Tamuli were the Shining Ones: dreaded, glowing beings whose merest touch could melt human flesh from bone. All too soon, Sparhawk and his allies found themselves stalked by those fell creatures out of myth. For the Shining Ones, too, had designs on Bhelliom - designs that would change the very shape of the world... David Eddings launches a triumphant new chapter in his bestselling saga, The Tamuli, an astonishing quest ranging across majestic continents and among strange peoples. Once again Eddings weaves his unique and compelling brand of magic into an unforgettable tapestry of men and women and Gods, of sorcery and valor, and of an ancient world on the brink of cataclysm.
From The Critics
Publishers Weekly
Sir Sparhawk and his wife, Queen Ehlana of Elenia, encounter ever more sinister plots in the second book of The Tamuli , following Domes of Fire , as they try to help the emperor of Tamuli take a firm grasp of the government. In a world of many gods, whose powers depend on the number and fervor of their worshippers, the royal couple find themselves pawns in the struggle of one entity to free his followers, albeit bloodthirsty and un-neighborly, from constraints placed upon them eons previously. Unrest spreads throughout Tamuli, with indications of sorcery and meddling by various gods, prompting the goddess Aphrael, reincarnated as the royal couple's young daughter Danae, to retrieve the powerful sapphire-rose jewel Bhelliom, hidden a few years earlier after being used to destroy the evil god Azash. While Sparhawk, Aphrael (now in the guise of the child Flute) and various companions race through a hostile countryside, encountering the mythical and abhorred Shining Ones, the queen and emperor play a more stylized game to keep the enemy at bay. Neatly blending simplicity and complexity, this tale of comradeship, dastardly doings, multiple gods, strange races and noble and ignoble humans is vintage Eddings. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Years past, the Child-Goddess Aphrael had hidden Bhelliom, the Stone of Power. It rested at the very bottom of the deepest ocean, that nevermore should its awesome power sing temptation to mortal men. Now Sparhawk, Knight and Queen's Champion, must retrieve that Sapphire Rose from its briny sleep. For only with the might of Bhelliom could he hope to thwart the fiendish schemes directed against the Tamul empire, and against his own homeland. Sparhawk's journey to recover Bhelliom would be fraught with peril. Only with Goddess' help could he hope to recover the stone. And that would only begin his quest, for the forces of evil sought to capture the gem for their own diabolical ends. Sparhawk and his loyal companions must keep Bhelliom safe from those who sought to steal it, as well as from the horrors which those evildoers had already loosed upon the world. Most feared of all the monsters that terrorized Tamuli were the Shining Ones: dreaded, glowing beings whose merest touch could melt human flesh from bone. All too soon, Sparhawk and his allies found themselves stalked by those fell creatures out of myth. For the Shining Ones, too, had designs on Bhelliom - designs that would change the very shape of the world... David Eddings launches a triumphant new chapter in his bestselling saga, The Tamuli, an astonishing quest ranging across majestic continents and among strange peoples. Once again Eddings weaves his unique and compelling brand of magic into an unforgettable tapestry of men and women and Gods, of sorcery and valor, and of an ancient world on the brink of cataclysm.
From The Critics
Publishers Weekly
Sir Sparhawk and his wife, Queen Ehlana of Elenia, encounter ever more sinister plots in the second book of The Tamuli , following Domes of Fire , as they try to help the emperor of Tamuli take a firm grasp of the government. In a world of many gods, whose powers depend on the number and fervor of their worshippers, the royal couple find themselves pawns in the struggle of one entity to free his followers, albeit bloodthirsty and un-neighborly, from constraints placed upon them eons previously. Unrest spreads throughout Tamuli, with indications of sorcery and meddling by various gods, prompting the goddess Aphrael, reincarnated as the royal couple's young daughter Danae, to retrieve the powerful sapphire-rose jewel Bhelliom, hidden a few years earlier after being used to destroy the evil god Azash. While Sparhawk, Aphrael (now in the guise of the child Flute) and various companions race through a hostile countryside, encountering the mythical and abhorred Shining Ones, the queen and emperor play a more stylized game to keep the enemy at bay. Neatly blending simplicity and complexity, this tale of comradeship, dastardly doings, multiple gods, strange races and noble and ignoble humans is vintage Eddings. (Sept.)
The adventures of Sparhawk and his Queen as they search for the Stone of Power.*****
