I'm a GERMAN woman who had found A Fall Of Princes by incident. Since I'm not lesbian, it's been an interest of mine long ago. What makes me a little bit sad is that in this worls, Judith Tarr describes, almost everything should be possible, so why has one of the male lovers to become female. This is a question I'd really like to have been answered from the author herself. Besides this, great stors and great describtions of the word she put her "actors" in. I hope the novel "Arrows O The Sun" which I'm going to order right noe here, is as good as "The Fall...".

Thanks a lot, Gabi Meder (gabi.meder@t-online.de)

Judith Tarr has written an exotic and unusual fantasy in His Majesty's Elephant. The plot centers around one of Charlemagne's daughters, Rowan, the new elephant Abul Abbas given to Charlemagne, the elephant's caretaker Kerrec, and a talisman supposedly containing a splinter of wood from Christ's crucifix. When the talisman falls into the wrong hands, Charlemagne and his empire are threatened. A reluctant Rowan must recognize the magical powers given to her from her witch mother and combine them with Kerrec and Abul Abbas' to save the kingdom from destruction.

Quite an entertaining little fantasy with an intriguing backdrop and engaging characters. The interaction between Rowan and Kerrec is particularly amusing. However, it is on the slight side; one wishes Judith Tarr had put a bit more detail into the setting and clarified the climactic magical battle. Nevertheless, a definite contrast to the all too common generic sword-and-sorcery tale pervading the shelves; recommended for fans of YA fantasy, history, or elephants.

Ailanna

Judith Tarr continues her Avaryan Rising saga with another fine addition. It is a must have for a true fan of the previos novels, and works well by itself to introduce new fans to the series and inspire them to seek out the earlier Avaryan Rising novels. While it may not be quite as powerful as the originals, Spear of Heaven is still an excellent read and should not be missed by anyone who has read any of the first four volumes.

This is a long book, too long (about 600 pages), but it is useful for those interested in history. This is the first collaboration between these two novelists, and it is about twice the length that either of their novels usually run. Go figure!

Tarr has a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale, and has published a dozen or so historical novels. Turtledove is best known for writing novels of "alternative history." His most widely read book is about the south winning the US Civil War.

The main character in HOUSEHOLD GODS is a lady lawyer, divorced, with two kids, working for an L.A. law firm. One day everything goes wrong, and that night she prays to a statue of a couple of gods that she bought in Austria on her honeymoon. The prayer is that the gods will take her away from her problems and send her into a simpler time. They do it.

Next morning, she awakens in Carnuntum, a city of the Roman Empire. It was the capital of its province, but was also an outpost of the Roman Empire on the Danube. Her new life is in the person of "Umma," widow of a Roman soldier with two kids, owner of a slave girl, and owner of a tavern. In L.A., she was a teetotaler and an advocate of women's rights. She is upset to be selling alcohol, to be owning a slave, to be in the position of having kids who respond only to corporal punishment, to the standards of hygine in Carnuntum, etc.

She witnesses the local animal show, survives a plague, survives a barbarian invasion, survives the Empire's defeat of the barbarians, and has dinner with Emperor Marcus Aurlius during which she discusses with him certain legal theories. She fights with Umma's family for the right to set her slave free, she frees her slave, she learns to love a retired soldier who had been Umma's lover and doesn't know what has happened to her.

This lady is never very introspective and has never examined her own values. She is the sort of selfish person of whom Henry David Thoreau wrote when he said, "The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation." In other words, she is not really a very sympathetic character, yet we cannot help feeling sorry for her and her lack of awareness.

Besides the encounter with the Emperor, this novel is important for a history student because the life-style protrayed is the life-style everyone lived until sometime around 1800, and much of this life-style didn't change until 1900, or, in some respects, 1950! In other words, it's not just ancient history. It's amazing how much the world has changed in the past 50 years.

As I say, the book is way too long. It could have been written in 400 pages at most, maybe 300, but it is pretty well written.

By the way, Carnuntum is now a living history museum outside of Vienna, Austria.

Normally I cringe when I see two people writing a book together. I've read some of Turtledove's work before and wasn't quite sure of what I could expect here.

I didn't hear much of Turtledove's voice in the book, but his logic was definitely there.

This book is a long read, but very worthwhile. The main character, Nicole, is given the chance to go "go back to an easier time" by praying to the god and goddes Liber and Libera. She learns how to live during the Roman era, no easy feat at all. Throughout what seems to be a highly accurate portrayal of what life would have been like with the sensibilities of a person from the 20th century, Nicole realizes just how much she takes for granted.

The book is though provoking and not so gently directs the reader to observing what is truly important in life.

This is the story of a SoCal yuppie who wishes a little too hard for the 'good old days' and gets them, warts and all.

The strengths here are the depth and accuracy of research, the interesting and complex characters, and the many little touches that show that Tarr and Turtledove really gave serious thought to life in an ancient Roman provincial town. I don't see how anyone who enjoys ancient Roman fiction could go wrong here, and those with no experience in the genre will get some worthwhile grounding in the non-military aspects of second-century provincial Roman life. (Special kudos to the authors for not simply plopping the protagonist in Rome, which would be the easy way.)

So what's not to like? Well, rather, what's to like a little less. For someone so intelligent, the protagonist has an extremely difficult time letting go of her cultural assumptions and expectations. It's still believable, if one assumes her to be pretty narrow-minded, but she's awfully bright to take such a long time to realize that the rules are different 'here'. The whole 'a conservative is a liberal who's just been mugged' political bent is taken a little too far (though some of it is germane to the protagonist's experiences). The ending is no great surprise nor is it especially climactic.

The negatives don't even come close to outweighing the positives of the book. You are much likelier to enjoy it if you have an interest in ancient Roman fiction or if you've got a strong appreciation for attention to historical detail.

Judith Tarr mixes Merlin, the *Song of Roland* and the myth of the madman of the forest together in a romance that is more romantic than historical. This gives her the chance to create several Rolands: warrior, lover, shapechanger, Carolingian loyalist, madman of the woods, and reluctant champion-king. Character motivation is weak, especially for the distrust of Sarissa (who would not be allowed the freedom she exhibits in a real Carolingian setting). Nor would a woman of her time necessarily sleep with someone she does not trust completely. A slow read, it picks up in spots, and she has a gift for description, but I had to push myself to finish. Why is Tarr considered a queen of historical fiction? I don't see it. She offers a mish-mash of ill-defined magic, over-romanticized characters, and idealized history with a New Age bent.

This book was an interesting weave of the Merlin story and the "Song of Roland." The last half of the book occurs after the "Song of Roland" and what could have happened if Roland had been a descendent of Merlin.

The magical elements in this book are wonderful. Tarik is so entertaining. The author leaves some things hidden until the very end, which makes it a satisfying conclusion.

However, there were parts of this book that just drug along. The romance was ok, but the whole "who is he?" "who is she?" nonsense against a larger backdrop was inconsequential.

All in all, I think this is a good book that deserves a read, however, be prepared to have to dig through some not very exciting parts to get to the good stuff.

Though never counting the years, centuries have passed since his former lover trapped Merlin in a magical forest that living things including birds avoided. However, one day, a boy Roland, visits the incarcerated magician. Obviously having much magical abilities or else he could never have arrived at the forest prison, Roland vows to find the means to free Merlin.

Years later, Roland is a knight loyal to King Charlemagne, but has not worked at his magic. Roland wins a contest that gives him possession of the sword Durandel, but not the trust of its former owner Lady Sarissa. Still, Roland remains faithful to his liege as they set out to fight a demon that has corrupted the monarch's son with a world at stake. However, his side needs Roland to complete his oath by freeing Merlin and gaining the support of the Grail mages to triumph over their evil enemy and his allies.

Judith Tarr is known for her wonderful historical fantasy tales that blend real persona and events into a mythical story. Her latest release, KINGDOM OF THE GRAIL, combines remnants of Camelot with the Song of Roland into an exciting story. The key to the plot is Ms. Tarr's uncanny ability to make her primary and secondary players seem so real that both the fantasy elements and the historical perspective appear genuine. The novel will charm fans of the Arthurian and Roland legends and medieval epic adventures.

Harriet Klausner

Alexander the Great comes to Egypt, while Egyptian princess Meriamon and Macedonian soldier Nikolaos strive to forge a relationship.

Tarr's writing flows well and her description is occasionally lovely. I found the plot a little short on action, but generally well-structured. Characters are reasonably appealing, though Tarr's Alexander lacks the sheer fire of Renault's classic portrayal, and the relationship between Meriamon and Niko never quite coalesces for me. It amused me that Egypt's rebelliousness gets sympathetic treatment, while city-states resisting Alexander are perforce black-magic practitioners and baby-sacrificers. Touches of magical elements here are sometimes a bit nebulous, though Meriamon's Anubis-shadow is a nice image.

I bought this book on a whim at an antique store because I *love* anything to do with Egypt. Usually, I don't read all the novels I get for months or years after I get them, but for some reason I started reading this one the night I bought it.

And it was wonderful. I had very many late bedtimes thanks to this book, and Tarr's delightful characters. In fact, I just finished it today, and could not have been more satisfied with the story. The interaction between Niko and Meriamon is very tempting and gives away just enough info at a time to keep the story moving. And the magic isn't too overdone (though at times could drift from historical fiction to fantasy) and is faithful to the Egyptian pantheon. All in all I thought it was an excellent book, even though it's not "the best" book of historical fiction I've seen. I heartily recommend it to anyone looking for some magic. :)

This book is an absolute jewel. The author's literary style is one of a kind. It is unique in its exquisiteness in the use of the language, colorfulness of expressions, narrative flow in which the events are told as they are follow the internal mental work-about s of a female ancient mind...within another time, a time at which neither logic nor material issues were able to fight the imperial and absolute status held by superstition and perhaps Magic.

I have never read a Judith Tarr novel before; but I had read good reviews of her other works, so I was looking forward to reading an entertaining, meaty epic.

I was very disappointed.

For one thing, there is no serious action going on until almost two hundred pages into the story. All I kept seeing was Sarama, daughter of the Chief of the White Horse People and newly made Servant of Horse Goddess, doing little more than trotting around on her white mare and thinking about how glad she was not to be like all the other women of the tribe: veiled, submissive, and permanently shut away in their tribal tents.

Once in a while, a hint would drop about Old Woman, the previous Priestes and Servant of the Mare who took the infant Sarama and trained her for succession; but there was absolutely no real information about Sarama's life with her. Tarr could have at least devoted one chapter to Sarama's actual upbringing with Old Woman.

Agni, Sarama's twin brother, was more interesting. At least Tarr took the time to develop him into a person. Sure, he's arrogant and short-sighted and thinks that being king is the ultimate calling; but at least he DOES something. The scenes where he captures and trains his own stallion are interesting. When he follows his sister westward, with every intention of subduing the matriarchal culture beyond the Great Wood, Agni actually has to think outside his tribal box and consider the political and strategic ramifications of his actions.

Anyone who has read Sjoo or Gimbutas will find the matriarchal cities very familiar. The women rule, the men serve, and to every query that anyone posits comes the reply: "the Lady wills it". I found that to be as annoying as any Fundementalist tract. The gods in this book (whether it is the Lady, Horse Goddess, or Skyfather) are just as removed as they are in "real life". I read about people worshipping their respective deities and, while the women in the Western cities may have felt some temporary bliss, it seemed to me that they were just going through the motions. There is a good scene where one of the characters relates to Agni about how the women would braid their hair to keep it out of the way. Soon, the fashion became tradition. That's how I viewed the spirituality in this book. The core of faith had long since faded and now it was all just a matter of procedure.

Anyway, I hope to read something better of Judith Tarr in the future.

An interesting read, reminiscent of Jean Auel's Earth Children series, Valley of the Horses and The Mammoth Hunters in particular.

This book is set somewhere between 6,000-10,000 years ago and shows the clash of matriarchal and patriarchal cultures. It focuses on a handful of characters, though the main characters are a twin brother and sister who are the last of the matriarchal line in their culture. The sister, Sarama, goes west to seek cultures that still treat women with respect. She finds these people and tries to build a life for herself. Her brother finds himself excommunicated from his people and decides to follow his sister to these lands where women rule, goods are plentiful and there is no war.

This book starts out quite slowly and it's not a quick read. I've seen a review that says that action doesn't start until about page 200 or so; I think it depends on how you look at "action". I enjoyed the slow start to the book because it set the scene quite nicely.

This is quite honestly one of the best books I have ever read. I have been reading Tarr for awhile now, and had dicovered that most of her novels are exactly the same, just in different time periods. But I read this one, and was blown away by it. Not only is it masterfully written, but it is completely unlike anything she has done. The power conveyef in her words is astonishing, and I grew to love the characters. Read this book, you will not regret it!!

Judith Tarr's version of Hatshepsut's life is more fictious than Pauline Gedge's in "Child of the Morning". If you are interested in learning more about one of the greatest women that ever lived, avoid "King and Goddess", I suggest picking up "Child of the Morning" by Gedge. This version is more historically correct and doesn't build up as much an the strange facts that are known about Hatshepsut...

I really like historical fiction, and especially Egyptian historical fiction. It's amazing that we know so much about a people whose dynasties were contemporary with biblical history.

But Judith Tarr's version of the life of Hatshepsut, the female Pharoah, is so far from the historical "facts" that it is less satisfying as a novelized history than just a fiction story. However, if you ignore the lack of historical basis, you can enjoy a nice novel about life in an ancient palace, with intrigues, poisoning, secret lovers, ambitious courtiers and all the other things that make for a good "beach book." While not the best Egyptian historical novel I've ever read, "King and Goddess" was exciting and pleasant for casual reading.

I liked this book. I know that maybe Ms. Tarr did rearrange some facts and/or leave/embellish some information, but that doesn't diminish the story for me. This is a story about a young woman, who knows what she is capable of doing, and then does it. That young woman is Hatshepsut. She is married to her half-brother, whom she despises and whom she knows does not have the skills needed to be a good king. She suffers, not always in silence, because of this. Senenmut is her chief scribe and is visible throughout the story, not only as her friend and advisor but also as her lover. I thought that it was a very touching love story.

The story is filled with people who are intelligent and care deeply about the queen. I felt like I knew the characters, they were so well written. I guess it doesn't bother me about any historical inaccuracies, as long as the story is told well.

There were weak moments--the Puta expedition was one that stuck out in my mind. But overall an interesting book. I will have to look up "Child of the Morning" and see how it compares, since it is getting such good recommendations here.

Enjoy.

Judith Tarr writes well. Her language flows, and that's what keeps this book readable.

On the other hand, to me what keeps it from being a really good book is the fact that very little of interest (to me, anyway) happens. Romances and the upbringing of children take up a vast portion of the lengthy text. Battle scenes get only tantalizing hints. The portrayal of magic is intriguing but too often veers into the silly (as in the childbirth scene, which I found laughable).

I'm not an expert on the period; what I see here seems accurate enough to me. I think it's important to remember that even though characters portrayed in historical fiction are "real people", in the context of literature, they're still fictional characters--and Cleopatra's ugliness or beauty is a matter of great indifference to me. The characters as written here are sufficiently vivid; the problem is that they don't get more active roles to play.

Throne of Isis is an interesting book about Egypt during Cleopatra's reign. There are a lot of things the book can be faulted for, but it is neither a bad story nor is it poorly written. The key is to remember that it is not trying to tell Cleopatra's story, but about the time and circumstances surrounding when she lived.

The main character, Dione, is a remarkable woman, a priestess known for her ability to be the voice of the goddess Isis and her commitment to Egypt and its illustrious queen. Cleopatra's relationships with Caesar and Antony provide the background for the story: the ancient empires and their inner conflicts. These conflicts include the problems of expansionism, the values of the different societies, war, and the role of women (valued in Egypt and considered property in Rome).

With this in mind, Dione's story comes is that of a woman, mother, wife, and priestess who must reconcile all of these aspects as the historical events unfold around her. She is a daring feminist who breaks social rules when she marries a Roman, Lucius Sevillius.

Many aspects of this story are touching, and reveal Judith Tarr's understanding of human nature. Many of the situations and emotions the characters experience are just as vivid in the novel as they are today. Dione is as amazing as she is unusual for her time--with the exception of the strong, calculating Cleopatra. And to Tarr's credit, her descriptions of Antony's battles on land and by sea are well-researched and thoughtfully written.

This book deserves a chance. No, it is not THE defining book on Cleopatra. Rather, it is a story of hope, love, miscalculation, and beats with the heart and spirit of ancient Egypt. It is not a book that will appeal to all and probably not to Egyptologists, but it will appeal to anyone looking for a decent piece of feminist historical fiction. The book will not disappoint, but the reader cannot place too many expectations on the author to resurrect Cleopatra on paper.

I read this book about a year ago. Ever since then it has entraped me to Cleopatra. I have read many books since then about her. Many people know her for her love affairs with Marc Antony and Julius Cesar. But they do not know all of the good she did for Egypt. The libraries and colleges she built. She was an amazing woman in a world ruled by men. The only reason she was an enemy of Rome was because she was a WOMAN! Men condemed women that ruled because they ruled men! With that in mind they continued to hate her, due to the powerful men she was able to seduce. I don't know much about the author but I think it was an amazing book. And I believe Cleopatra was an amazing woman, a BEAUTIFUL woman, a buisness woman. In my eyes there will never be another, greater than, Cleopatra!