She did not speak, and often seemed not to even see the people around her. And it was true that she was like no other child alive. The girl had been born, so the Priestesses said, without a soul. They were not isolated - travelers came and went through their territory, bringing news from the west, and carrying tales of the warrior women back home with them.īut the Queen had a great grief in her life: her daughter and heir was a strange child. She ruled as war leader and high priestess of a scattered tribe of women warriors who had dwelt on the high plains to the north and east of Persia for time out of mind.

Hippolyta was Penthesilea, or Queen of the Amazons. 'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.Judith Tarr returns to the always fascinating character of Alexander the Great in this fantasy novel that springs from the legend that the Queen of the Amazons came to meet him in Persia, and became his friend. Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. Ultimately, the fate of the world hinges on the outcome of a battle between the forces of darkness, led by Pepin and Ganelou, and the forces of light, championed by Roland and his Grail mages.Solid, more than a tad stolid: Tarr's historical expertise puts flesh on some rather ordinary fantasy bones. A favorite of Charles, who refuses to dismiss him, Ganelou beguiles and corrupts Charles's deformed young son, Pepin. Roland's true foe is the devil incarnate, whose human guise is Ganelou the monk. Instead, Roland wins the sword, but Charles agrees to the deal anyway. Sarissa hopes Charles will win and become their champion. She creates a dazzling magic sword and arranges a competition among the Franks, the winner to take the sword. With the Moorish delegation is Sarissa, beautiful healer and powerful magician. Outside Merlin's enclave, Roland serves Charlemagne, King of the Franks, who's being offered a deal by a Moorish faction to invade and occupy part of Spain in exchange, Charles must agree to treat his Muslim subjects fairly. With his powerful magic, Roland vows one day to free Merlin. Merlin, still unable to escape the magical trap prepared by his perfidious lover, Nimue, is visited by his descendant, Roland. Tarr's latest fantasy ( King and Goddess, 1996, etc.) combines medieval French romances and the historical Charlemagne in a post-Arthurian yarn.

Kingdom of the Grail by Judith Tarr