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Writing the biographical novel "I, the Sun" was one of my greatest challenges and joys. When I read the first-person annals written by this king, he spoke to me like no other. My greatest satisfaction, once the work was done and sold to a publisher, came in a letter from ORM Gurney, who remarked to my then-publisher, Bantam, that "The author must be a student of Gutterbock's. She is familiar with every aspect of Hittite culture."
This book brought me more than a challenge in scholarship. Suppiluliumas was a brilliant leader, strategist, tactician; a passionate lover who fathered more than 40 "kings." His story brought the ancient world to life for me, and I hope it will for you. I have written, created, and edited mover 40 books, and I, the Sun remains a favorite.
Reviewed by Sarah Stuart for Readers' Favorite
With I, the Sun, Janet Morris comes close to a biography of the Hittite king, Suppiluliumas, whilst creating a captivating story, and that is a brilliant achievement in fiction where only one character, Titai, a slave girl, is fictitious. At the opening, Tasmisarri, heir to the dead ruler King Arnuwandas, is shown as a rebel, determined to go his own way despite brutal punishment, and it is that resolve which carries him forward to kingship. Tasmisarri/Suppiluliumas survives assassination attempts before he is of an age to rule, and he becomes a mighty warrior conquering forty nations to expand his empire. He marries, takes concubines, and records the births of many children, but will he ever win the woman he truly loves?
The fascination of I, the Sun is an intriguing, beautifully-written story with a basis in historical fact. It is a representation of an era unchallenged by modern morality, and it is that which will attract fans of both historical and literary fiction. To read it is to dip more than a toe in the water; it’s total immersion in a period almost fourteen hundred years before the birth of Christ. Acts of courage are tempered by injury, agony, and death. Women live according to their station, anything from queens to sex slaves. However, the Hittite king has his softer side. “Titai, only say that if you behave with love in your heart toward me, you will come to my aid.” I, the Sun by Janet Morris is a treble five-star novel.
