Customer Reviews

Alamut

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Judith Tarr is the queen of historical fantasy! Magical creatures and the mundane world blend seamlessly in this novel set in the time of the Crusades: occasional appearances are made by kings, warriors, and even Saladin himself! One can almost believe that the world was once like this, and that we are unimaginably diminished by the loss of the magic and wonder that once was a part of everyday life. This novel has mystery, romance, adventure, and some of the most fascinating and memorable characters in all fiction. I've read this book over twenty times, never tiring of it, and loving it each time more than the last

It's well written, not cliched. It shows the Arabs to be just as human as the European crusaders...and more civilized and advanced, as they were during those times.

I first read this book when I was in high school, working as a page in the local public library. I read it several times, often enough that I would locate it by its location on the shelf rather than looking up the author in the now defunct card catalog.

Years later I could remember the plot, the color of the cover and elements of the graphical layout of the cover but had forgotten the author or the title. It took me a bit of sleuthing, but thanks to persistence and my degree (by then) in library and information science I tracked it down in a database and had the joy of rediscovering it.

Judith Tarr, in Alamut, created a world in which the boundary between historical events and magic was very thin, and handled the characters beautifully. This book was wonderful to rediscover, and I highly recommend it to fans of historical fantasy. I give it five stars for being one of those stories that embedded itself into my consciousness and never let go.

Judith Tarr has apparently written a lot of romance novels. After reading this rubbish, I'm fairly certain she should stick to them. If you're looking for absorbing historical fiction dealing with the Crusades you'll have to look elsewhere. Tarr melds pseudo-medieval imagery with corny sword and sorcery. One of her main characters is a demon-like female assassin named Morgiana who dutifully serves as the proto-feminist going around showing everyone just how wrong medieval institutions are in viewing women as the weaker sex. Not only that, but the plot is virtually nonexistent. The male lead, Aiden, goes around chatting with historical figures like William of Tyre, Usamah ibn-Mundqidh, and Saladin, all of whom discuss various episodes from their lives which basically do nothing to advance the story (and I use the term "story" loosely). You could in fact skip the entire middle of this book and really miss nothing. Don't waste your time.