Customer Reviews

The Dagger and the Cross: A Novel of the Crusades

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Frankly, I don't understand how any of Judith Tarr's books can ever go out of print. I own everything of hers that I've been able to find, and I read them all on at least a yearly basis, sometimes even more frequently. The Dagger and The Cross continues the story of Aidan and Morgiana, who met in Alamut. Aidan is a prince from the West, and a Crusader; Morgiana is a Muslim, and a former Assassin. One of Ms. Tarr's most marvelous gifts is the ability to weave basic human conflicts into the fabric of history and fantasy, creating an incredible tapestry of wonder and truth. Aidan and Morgiana's problem, the difficulty of reconciling their enormously different belief systems and moral codes, despite their love for one another, lies at the heart of all relationships. This is historical fantasy par excellence; a book not to be missed.

Judith Tarr transports the reader back to the time of the Crusader States, in a riveting tale of love, betrayal, and magic. Towering characterizations of historical figures such as the Muslim general Saladin, King Baldwin III, his sister Sybilla, her feckless husband Guy de Lusignan, all in a slightly alternate universe wherein the Jinni are real, with terrible power, and offset by Tolkien-like Elves on the side of the Crusaders. The interwoven history is real, and Ms Tarr will have the reader believing in the fantasy as well, before this novel is half read.