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Harry Turtledove
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The Golden Shrine (Opening of the World Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Harry Turtledove (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

From a Hugo Award–winning author, a tale of war at the dawn of time concluding the alternate-Bronze-Age epic trilogy begun in Beyond the Gap.

The glaciers came and covered the world with ice. Now they are in retreat. North of the city of Nidaros, north of the forest, north of the steppes where the nomadic Bizogots hunt, a gap has opened in the ice-wall. And down through that gap come the men who call themselves "Rulers."

Their terrifying cavalry rides wooly mammoths. Their bows can shoot arrows farther than those of the southerners. Their wizards wield power that neither the shamans of the Bizogots nor the wizards of Raumsdalian Empire can match, a magic that can melt the stone beneath a man's feet, call down blasting fire from the sky, or decimate a tribe with plagues that have no cure. Scattered survivors of the Bizogot tribes hide from the Rulers. The Empire is shattered. The feckless Emperor Sigvat II is in hiding.

Against the Rulers stands Count Hamnet Thyssen and his small band of friends. Jarl Trasamund of the Three Tusk Bizogots. The adventurer Ulric Skakki. And, most important, Marcovefa, the female shaman of a cannibal tribe that lives atop the Glacier itself. Marcovefa has magic that the Rulers cannot counter.

But there are many Rulers, and they have many wizards. Marcovefa is but one.

Perhaps Hamnet and his allies can save their lands from the Rulers. But first they must seek out the legendary Golden Shrine—and the Golden Shrine has not been seen by human eyes since the time before the glaciers came.

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  1. Book 3 of 3
    Opening of the World
  2. Print length
    446 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Tor Books
  5. Publication date
    August 25, 2009
  6. File size
    3.7 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Master alternate historian Turtledove stumbles with his third novel set in a parallel Bronze Age. Picking up shortly after the events of 2008's The Breath of God, the book continues the exploits of Count Hamnet Thyssen and his allies as they struggle to defeat the mammoth-mounted Riders, who are aided by powerful wizards. The count's ace in the hole is Marcovefa, a cannibal and shaman whose magic enables his forces to hold their own. The skirmishes with the enemy and the quest for a legendary Golden Shrine that holds promise for repairing their world form the bulk of the plot. Anachronistic word choices (You say the sweetest things, darling) consistently undercut suspension of disbelief, and while the imagined universe is accessible to newcomers, there's little to make readers rush out and read the earlier or future books. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Turtledove has proved he can divert his readers to astonishing places. He's developed a cult following over the years; and if you've already been there, done that with real-history novelists Patrick O'Brian, Dorothy Dunnett, or George MacDonald Fraser, for your Next Big Enthusiasm you might want to try Turtledove. I know I'd follow his imagination almost anywhere."
– San Jose Mercury News

“Vivid!”
– Publishers Weekly on The Breath of God

“Beginning a new alternate history series with this tale of two eras on the brink of catastrophic change, Turtledove brings an era to life.”
– Library Journal on Beyond the Gap

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002MSDRLW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; Reprint edition (August 25, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 25, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 446 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0765356406
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

About the author

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Harry Turtledove

Harry Turtledove

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Harry Turtledove is the award-winning author of the alternate-history works The Man with the Iron Heart; The Guns of the South; How Few Remain (winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Novel); the Worldwar saga: In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, and Striking the Balance; the Colonization books: Second Contact, Down to Earth, and Aftershocks; the Great War epics: American Front, Walk in Hell, and Breakthroughs; the American Empire novels: Blood & Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and Victorious Opposition; and the Settling Accounts series: Return Engagement, Drive to the East, The Grapple, and In at the Death. Turtledove is married to fellow novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters: Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
77 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a good read, with one mentioning it's an all-nighter. The story receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as compelling. Customers appreciate the book's readability and interest level, with one noting there are no boring distractions.

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9 customers mention "Readability"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a very good read and part of a good series, with one customer mentioning it was an all-night read.

"...For me this was another all night read, had to force myself to put it down. Lots of people interactions and I wonder what's going to happen now...." Read more

"...No. Is this some of Turtledove's best work? No. Is it worth a read? I think so." Read more

"...Other than that it is an interesting book that held my attention throughout and I would certainly recommend it!" Read more

"A good third book in the series. I enjoyed the first two so I wasn't surprised when I liked the third...." Read more

5 customers mention "Interest"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, with one mentioning it maintains interest without unnecessary distractions.

"...Turtledove doesn't slow down one bit, keeps your engrossed right up to the last page...." Read more

"...The book held my attention from beginning to end, and when I finished I felt like all of my questions were answered...." Read more

"It's a long series, but it mostly kept your interest! I've read this series twice now and most likely do again in the future!" Read more

"...Other than that it is an interesting book that held my attention throughout and I would certainly recommend it!" Read more

3 customers mention "Story quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with one describing it as compelling.

"...The story line was good however the Kindle version had many typos that interrupted the flow of the action." Read more

"Very good voice acting. A compelling story. Part 3 in a three part series. What more can you ask for?" Read more

"What a storyteller!!!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • OBH
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Shrine
    Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Finishes the story begun in Beyond the Gap (for now) and continued in The Breath of God. Turtledove doesn't slow down one bit, keeps your engrossed right up to the last page. For me this was another all night read, had to force myself to put it down. Lots of people interactions and I wonder what's going to happen now. If you like Turtledove's writing style you'll not be disappointed. Being a "Action/Adventure" junkee these three books were "great."
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  • Fantasy Fan
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Ending
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    First, I will point out that I am a big fan of Harry Turtledove's alternate history novels, and have read them all. This though, was my first foray into his fantasy.

    I think that the main purpose of this novel was to defeat the Rulers (the bad guys who come to conquer the good guys' homeland) and tell us what the story with this Golden Shrine is. In terms of winning the war, I liked his ending, even though it was a bit easy. As far as the Golden Shrine goes, other reviewers seemed to disapprove, but I was rather impressed. It is EXTREMELY difficult to come up with acceptable mysticism which a reader can actually buy without rolling his eyes. Most authors who make the attempt do much worse than Turtledove did. We live in a very rational society (at least ostensibly so) and it is hard for us to take seriously some sort of magic-based religion which involves a supernatural shrine. This is a common part of fantasy literature, and Harry Turtledove did a fine job of explaining it and not making my eyes roll. He was not trying to insert any sort of political message, and did not rely on trite plot motifs which have been done by dozens of authors. This already places this story into the top 10% or so of fantasy novels, at least in terms of explaining something magical or theological. He kept it simple, which made it more palatable.

    The book held my attention from beginning to end, and when I finished I felt like all of my questions were answered. Is this going to become a classic? No. Is this some of Turtledove's best work? No. Is it worth a read? I think so.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Feldmar Twomblebee
    5.0 out of 5 stars If he wasn't such a good writer how would you explain this
    Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Turtledove continues his habit of giving you alternating points of view for multiple characters on either side of an issue. The book reads smoothly and each chapter, while rather long, is broken down into parts such that these points can be brought forward as the plot thickens.

    I have 90 Turtledove hard cover books. If he wasn't such a good writer how would you explain this?
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  • Kennetn Sloan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good series
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    It's a long series, but it mostly kept your interest! I've read this series twice now and most likely do again in the future!
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  • B. Boyington
    2.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Shrine - or whatever
    Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Not one of Harry Turtledove's best ventures. I have read over 20 of his works, and this one, is a disapointment. It starts off well, and seems to be building momentum; but then begins to fall apart, and starts to be very predictable. The manner of finding of the "golden shrine" is a major disapointment, a riddle which is best left unsolved. The reference to the 5th chapter of Daniel makes very little sense, leading to the ending and a potential sequel which would be best unwritten. Mr Turtledove seemed to lose interest in the story, and needed a way out.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Ron Pietro
    3.0 out of 5 stars The Golden AShrine
    Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I selected this book/series because of previous books by the author. The story line was good however the Kindle version had many typos that interrupted the flow of the action.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sisyphus48
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is the second time I read this book and it is not bad the second time around. I have no idea where the book falls in Harry Turtledove's writing career but it, while good, does not equal his World War books. The only real complaint I have about the Golden Shrine is his tendency to repeat characteristics of the main players in the books over and over. Other than that it is an interesting book that held my attention throughout and I would certainly recommend it!
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  • Jerome Goodman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great series
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Good book couldn't put it down.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    As with the other turtledove series, the attention to detail is what really draws me in. Whether it's the tanks of WW2, pleistocene creatures or byzantine politics, I always learn to love some new nerdy aspect of the world.
    Report

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