Heaven

History, ideas, and that old reliable staple - adventure - all serendipitously combine in this riveting new novel from British writer Pownall (The White Cutter, 1989). Pownall, described by some as Britain's answer to Umberto Eco, specializes in writing novels that illuminate a particular historical period beset with intellectual and other challenges. Here, the story, set in sixth-century B.C., concerns a famous Greek diviner, Kallias, the Sphynx, who agrees to work for the ruler of the notoriously affluent and serf-indulgent city of Sybaris. Kallias, a worldly man, though descended from a long line of seers, accepts the job, not only out of curiosity but because he too is avaricious - in pitch darkness gold gleams brighter. Shortly after arriving in Sybaris - a city of such extreme luxury that its citizens go everywhere on horseback, spend their days carousing, and have lost their zest for any activity - Kallias meets Telys, the city's ruler, a wily and devious tyrant who wants to know how long the prosperity of Sybaris will last. A professional, Kallias will not be hurried, and indeed a great deal will happen before he learns the horrifying fate of the city - and himself. A neighbor of Sybaris is the city of Kroton, home to Pythagoras and his school, and here Kallias, once close to the charismatic Pythagoras, on a visit at Telys' insistence, is violently assaulted by his old friends' followers, who have their own plans for Sybaris. Kallias' quest involves many more adventures - including a descent into the legendary site of Hades, battle at sea and on land, and the gory end of Sybaris itself. But this quest also becomes a personal religious struggle as Kallias' faith in the old gods is challenged by Pythagoras and others who claim there is but one god. Eloquent testimony that ideas skillfully presented in vividly evoked settings and situations can be as exciting as nonstop derring-do. A riveting and provocative read. (Kirkus Reviews)