Equal of the Sun

A Novel

By: Anita Amirrezvani

Narrated by: Simon Vance

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.

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.