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32nd out of 80 books
—
86 voters
The Sunbird (The Lion Hunters #3)
by
Elizabeth Wein (Goodreads Author)
Telemakos is the grandson of two noble men: Kidane, member of the parliament in the African kingdom of Aksum, and Artos, the fallen High King of Britain. Telemakos is also an exceptional listener and tracker, resolute and inventive in his ability to discover and retain information. Now his aunt Goewin, the British ambassador to Aksum, needs his skill. Plague has come to Br
...morePaperback, 208 pages
Published
January 19th 2006
by Firebird
(first published April 12th 2004)
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Telemakos, a brilliant boy – but still a boy – volunteers for an absolutely harrowing spy mission in ancient Aksum (modern Ethiopia). It’s a great story, but very intense and angsty, the more so because Telemakos is so young.
Nov 15, 2011
Kim (magicsandwiches) Lawyer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
must-own-to-read-over-and-over
Megan Whalen Turner was once asked if there was one book she evangelized and she replied, "The Sunbird by Elizabeth Wein." After reading it, I know why.
My favorite of the Lion Hunter's series, The Sunbird is an amazing adventure story told through the eyes of Telemakos, an intelligent and nimble eleven year old boy. As a member of the royal household and one who often roams the palace freely, Telemakos fades into the background as a natural part of the landscape. Because no one takes notice of h...more
My favorite of the Lion Hunter's series, The Sunbird is an amazing adventure story told through the eyes of Telemakos, an intelligent and nimble eleven year old boy. As a member of the royal household and one who often roams the palace freely, Telemakos fades into the background as a natural part of the landscape. Because no one takes notice of h...more
Jan 13, 2013
Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) by:
Chachic
Third book in the series and could not put it down. Would not have thought the tale of an eleven year old boy would draw me in like this one did. But of course it is the continuation of a fascinating story, and I am already drawn into the lives around him. These books are very roughly based on the Arthur legend, particularly Mordred although he has a different name in these and is called Medraut. He also has a far different role in the story that began in The Winter Prince where the tense and an...more
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This is one of those series where you don't wish desperately that you hadn't dropped into the middle of it. Although it is related to some other books I haven't read, it stands alone pretty well.
Our protaganist is of the small, cunning variety, raised by people who value strength, cunning, and sneakiness. The setting is imperial Ethiopia, a sophisticated and world-ranging empire. The negusa nagast (King of Kings) finds him sneaking around and spying, and sets him a more difficult spying task. Wh...more
Our protaganist is of the small, cunning variety, raised by people who value strength, cunning, and sneakiness. The setting is imperial Ethiopia, a sophisticated and world-ranging empire. The negusa nagast (King of Kings) finds him sneaking around and spying, and sets him a more difficult spying task. Wh...more
Original review posted on The Book Smugglers
The Sunbird is the third book in Elizabeth Wein’s Arthurian/Aksumite cycle of stories which follows the descendants of King Artos of Britain and their lives in sixth century Aksum, Africa (present-day Ethiopia). Although part of an ongoing series, The Sunbird can definitely be read as a standalone (although I did have a few questions about previous happenings in the series, the most urgent one being: how and why exactly did the descendants of King Arth...more
The Sunbird is the third book in Elizabeth Wein’s Arthurian/Aksumite cycle of stories which follows the descendants of King Artos of Britain and their lives in sixth century Aksum, Africa (present-day Ethiopia). Although part of an ongoing series, The Sunbird can definitely be read as a standalone (although I did have a few questions about previous happenings in the series, the most urgent one being: how and why exactly did the descendants of King Arth...more
2 likes
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like
· see review
Not the first in the series, but it stands alone and it's my favorite (though I like them all). Ordinarily I think doing any kind of spin on the Arthurian legend is a bad idea, but Elizabeth Wein can handle it -- and anyway, The Sunbird is pretty far removed from the legend.
The writing is superb, Telemakos is one of my all-time favorite YA protagonists, the setting -- the African kingdom of Aksum -- is fabulous. But there is some grim, grim, grim violence in this book, some of the worst I've eve...more
The writing is superb, Telemakos is one of my all-time favorite YA protagonists, the setting -- the African kingdom of Aksum -- is fabulous. But there is some grim, grim, grim violence in this book, some of the worst I've eve...more
I absolutely loved this book -- I hardly know what to say about it at this point, except that it's amazing! I think everybody should read it....BUT I will add one caveat. I agree with Karen Healey --Parts of this book are really hard to read, and haunt you for ages after you've finished reading. Here's what Ms. Healey says:
The character torture is sickening and it made me feel physically ill....more
So if you are not a wimp like me and you can handle really very awful things happening to child protagoni
A great if somewhat harsh adventure story where the young protaganist becomes a spy to discover who is spreading plague in the kingdom. He is captured and tortured.
book 3 in the set. 3.5 stars
Telemakos, grandson of the former British king as well as of the grandson of a member of Aksum's imperial parliament, likes to test his abilities to hide and spy on happenings in the court. Finally the emperor decides that the best way to utilize Telemakos' skills is to send him on a mission. There is plague in the kingdom and someone is deliberately sabotaging the quarantine in order to make money in the black market. The plague is spreading due to this breach and mu...more
Telemakos, grandson of the former British king as well as of the grandson of a member of Aksum's imperial parliament, likes to test his abilities to hide and spy on happenings in the court. Finally the emperor decides that the best way to utilize Telemakos' skills is to send him on a mission. There is plague in the kingdom and someone is deliberately sabotaging the quarantine in order to make money in the black market. The plague is spreading due to this breach and mu...more
This is a *really excellent* book, so I point out once again that the star rating relates only to how much I like something, not how good it is.
Because it's really good! The plot is excellent! The setting is fantastic! The writing is technically proficient! The style suits the subject matter! The characters are really believable!
The character torture is sickening and it made me feel physically ill.
So if you are not a wimp like me and you can handle really very awful things happening to child pro...more
Because it's really good! The plot is excellent! The setting is fantastic! The writing is technically proficient! The style suits the subject matter! The characters are really believable!
The character torture is sickening and it made me feel physically ill.
So if you are not a wimp like me and you can handle really very awful things happening to child pro...more
I haven't read the other books in this series, and I'm not sure I want to -- what I liked most about this book was the character of Telemakos. This world is harsh and difficult, and I'm not sure I want to spend more time in it, but watching Telemakos is worth it. The best way I can describe the strength of his character is that while he has tremendous struggles, is subject to great pain and violence and cruelty, what bothers him most is loneliness and lack of love.Not the pain, but the silence,...more
I think the most important thing to say about these books is that they’re not The Winter Prince. They certainly build off of that story, and I would most definitely read it first. But The Winter Prince is one of those books that I don’t think you could write a real sequel to. Nonetheles, A Coalition of Lions and The Sunbird are both fascinating and well-written. Telemakos is a wonderful character who’s reminding me more and more of Megan Whalen Turner’s Gen. I’ve got the next one ordered and I c...more
Originally posted here.
Ms. Wein blends Arthurian legend and sixth century Ethiopian history in her books. Telemakos, the main protagonist of this book, is the son of Medraut (Mordred, Arthur's son). If you're a fan of Arthurian novels, I definitely recommend Ms. Wein's novels. But even if you aren't, I still recommend them! I haven't read a lot of Arthurian books and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Telemakos is such a talented child and so mature for his age. There were times when I was reading t...more
Ms. Wein blends Arthurian legend and sixth century Ethiopian history in her books. Telemakos, the main protagonist of this book, is the son of Medraut (Mordred, Arthur's son). If you're a fan of Arthurian novels, I definitely recommend Ms. Wein's novels. But even if you aren't, I still recommend them! I haven't read a lot of Arthurian books and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Telemakos is such a talented child and so mature for his age. There were times when I was reading t...more
This is the third in a loose series - following The Winter Prince and A Coalition of Lions. I say loose because while many characters repeat from book to book, and each one resolves but leaves you hanging a bit, like a good series, each one is unique in plot and mood. These are no cookie-cutter series titles, but filled with well-developed characters, intrigue, and fascinating settings. By this book, the story has moved fairly far from the Arthurian legend roots of The Winter Prince, but a few o...more
Wow! Young Telemakos is an absolutely amazing character, and Wein is an amazing writer. She packs such emotional, moral, and social complexity into this brief book. If you like historical fantasy in the Megan Whalen Turner or Hilari Bell mold, you must read these books! However, although the main character is a child, there are some really harsh scenes here - scenes I had trouble reading. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone below 12 or 13. Adults who give the series a chance may get a lot out of i...more
I think I liked The Sunbird best of the series so far. It goes even further from Arthurian myth -- the only character from the Arthurian canon is Medraut -- but in the process makes an enchanting narrative. Young Telemakos is growing up and showing all signs of inheriting his father's ability to stalk prey, but he uses his skills politically.
The story of his search for the figure called the Lazarus, and what happens to him there, are compelling. The darkness from the other stories remains here....more
The story of his search for the figure called the Lazarus, and what happens to him there, are compelling. The darkness from the other stories remains here....more
I can't figure out if I should label these as "Arthurian" now that we're so far removed from the original legend. I found this to be an improvement on A Coalition of Lions, but still lacking the tense focus of The Winter Prince. Telemakos here, and Goewin in the previous book, both lack the foil that Medraut had in Lleu. I liked how the Odyssey themes were played here, but wished here was more focus on Telemakos as himself rather than Telemakos has his father's son and aunt's nephew.
Re-read 8/1/...more
Re-read 8/1/...more
This book was very confusing at the beginning. Only at the end of the book did I discover that it was the 3rd in the series. :)
But overall it was wonderful. It's historical information wasn't told in a dull boring way, it sucked you into Africa.
It did get kinda intense for young children...so I would say for people 12 and up.
Definitally recomend it...and will be looking to get the first two.
But overall it was wonderful. It's historical information wasn't told in a dull boring way, it sucked you into Africa.
It did get kinda intense for young children...so I would say for people 12 and up.
Definitally recomend it...and will be looking to get the first two.
I am just more and more impressed with Elizabeth Wein. I've always loved Arthurian legend, but she has certainly taken it an interesting direction - and steeped in history that we rarely hear. Beautifully written, excellent characters. Love this series.
Intense, spare and vivid, this story builds, with subtle characterizations, and some sharply dramatic and painful moments.
I've recommended it to readers who like Megan Whalen Turner's work, and heard back that this was a successful pairing.
I've recommended it to readers who like Megan Whalen Turner's work, and heard back that this was a successful pairing.
Telemakos is a wonderful character. This is largely his story though of course characters from "Coalition of Lions" are still all there. Excellent storytelling throughout.
Now on to "The Lion Hunter".
Now on to "The Lion Hunter".
Excellent, terrific, wonderful, amazing, etc. I didn't know until recently that there were sequels to The Winter Prince, but I was so happy to discover this one.
This was an interesting book. It opened my eyes to a different world, and to me that's a valuable thing. I enjoyed reading it.
I definitely enjoyed this, but I'm very confused about the order of the books--is this the third book or the first book?
Arthurian legend with prehistoric Aksumite culture? Interesting
My paperback copy has only 189 pages, same cover.
Three point five, really.
SERIOUSLY WEIN WHY ARE YOU SUCH A BADASS.
Telemakos is the half-breed son of Medraut and an African noblewoman. He is good with animals and languages and no one notices him. His gifts bring him to the attention of the emperor to end a deadly plot to circumvent the quarentine on plague. Telemakos will have to draw on all his skill and cunning to survive the salt mines and report on the identity of Lazarus.
I think that this was my favorite book in this series by Elizabeth Wein. This is book 3/3 of the first series of the which actually continues with two more books that you can read separately (which I did but then I found out about the first three and went back to read them). Great story...kept me turning the pages. Fun to learn about 6th century Ethiopia!
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