Equal of the Sun

A Novel

By: Anita Amirrezvani

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Iran in 1576 is a place of peace, wealth, and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah's daughter and closest adviser, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess's maneuvers to instill order after her father's sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her trusted servant, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry of secrets and information that reveals a power struggle of epic proportions.

Based loosely on the life of Princess Pari Khan Khanoom, Equal of the Sun is a riveting story of political intrigue and a moving portrait of an unlikely friendship between a princess and a eunuch. Anita Amirrezvani is a master storyteller, and in her lustrous prose this rich and labyrinthine world comes to vivid life with a stunning cast of characters, passionate and brave men and women who defy or embrace their destiny in a Machiavellian game played by those who lust for power and will do anything to attain it.

©2012 Anita Amirrezvani (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A dazzling historical novel of ancient Persia, a fairy tale of universal resonance." (Gina Nahai, author of Caspian Rain)

Culturally Different Historical Fiction

Most historical fiction I find is from Western Civilization. It is much harder to find any from other cultures. I really enjoyed listening to this novel about the Iranian government and royal family from Elizabethan times. The palace intrigues and layers of officials are intriguingly placed within the sparce historical figures depicted in this tale.

I usually hear Simon Vance speak in his native English accent. He used a quite believable Arabic intonation throughout this performance.

Do yourself a favor !

I absolutely adored this book! I also really enjoyed the narrator he was right up there with the guy who did game of thrones , the story in its self is beautiful and had me on a storm of heart ache and true feeling for the characters . I have never read a story such as this and I truly loved it

Gripping

Fantastic narration! Started slow to develop characters, then was very hard to pause the book. excellent story telling, weaving truth and fiction to create visuals that made you feel like you were there, and gain a better understanding of life in those times.

A Woman in a Man's World

The story is told by the eunuch, Javaher, closest advisor to the Princess Pari. Javaher is uniquely positioned to navigate the treacherous political pathways of Iran’s 16th century court intrigue. While her father lives, Pari is in an unusual position of power and influence. After her father’s murder, her influence within the court decreases drastically.

This was an interesting look at historical events and a culture that are completely unknown to me. So, I can’t speak to how much this fiction conforms to fact. As a novel, this book was enjoyable reading. The descriptions were very rich and the action was well plotted. I was drawn into the conspiracy and the trauma of the story. I liked the major characters and I was saddened by the tragic events of the story. Clearly it was as dangerous to be female in the Iranian royal family as it was to be a female relation of 16th century English monarchs.

Simon Vance handles the accents and varied voices with his usual expertise. His performance goes a long way to set the exotic atmosphere of the story.

Stick with it

I personally found it hard at first because of the various foreign names and thought of not finishing only after a few chapters. But then the poetry and charm of the narrator took a hold of me and I began to love the cadence and rhythm of everything. I was eventually sad for it to end and immediately tried to find something more by the same author or narrator. If you can, be patient as this nothing you have ever experienced before. I'd give it six stars if I could!

very difficult to follow, probably better to read rather than to listen to

it's challenging to keep track of who is who and to follow the characters because the names are unfamiliar, and some are very similar.
sometimes, the rich florid style is interesting, but like baklava, a little goes a long way- afterwhile, it's a little bit too rich.

I made it over 2/3 of the way through, but then it started to feel repetitive, and I realized I wasn't enjoying it at all.

Loved it!

I really enjoyed the performance. The story wasn't predictable. It was a great read. Would read again!

Great historical story

This is one of those books that is hard to find when specifically looking. It is a well written as a story, based on true events and is read by a great narrator. Highly recommend.

Fascinating Historical Fiction!

It was so interesting to follow the inner workings of a politically savvy historical female. A strong woman leader who was very influential in a world and culture dominated by men.

One of the best I read in a while

This is such an exhilarating story! Love that it's set in Iran and you get to know the history and experience the culture at that time. Not a romance novel and not quite a history book, but I was hooked!