His Majesty's Elephant [Hardcover]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 1993

When Rowan, the emperor’s youngest daughter, discovers a magical plot to kill her father, she must overcome her fear of magic to save him. “An appealing work, lightly touched with genuine period detail but focusing more on a prickly preadolescent not-quite-friendship, family ties, and a girl’s reluctant awakening to magic.”--LOCUS

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sparkling and witty, Tarr's (the Hound and the Falcon trilogy) latest phantasmagory takes readers back to the Middle Ages and the court of Charlemagne as it never was (but probably should have been). Charlemagne's daughter, Rowan, teams up with Kerrec, a Breton boy with magical powers, and an equally magical elephant named Abul Abbas, a gift to the emperor from his friend, the Caliph Haroun al-Rashid. Together, this unlikely trio struggles to thwart a supernatural plot against the ruler's life. Tarr fills this novel with memorable heroes, dastardly villains and spine-tingling sorcery. Not to be missed by lovers of historical fiction and fantasy. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. The magnificent court of Charlemagne is the vivid setting of this novel by Tarr, a seasoned writer of fantasies for adults, who often draws upon medieval history for her settings. When her father is put under a deadly spell by a Byzantine sorcerer, teenage princess Rowan reluctantly joins forces with Kerrac, a stable boy from Brittany, and the emperor's enchanted elephant, Abul Abbas. Kerrac is an admitted witch who convinces Rowan that the only way she can save her father is to embrace the magical powers she inherited from her dead mother, the queen. The mystical battle between the forces of good and evil is rather confusing, but the dramatic ending is satisfying. Julie Corsaro

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (September 29, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152007377
• ISBN-13: 978-0152007379
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,187,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have a lot of academic credentials (PhD from Yale, MA from Cambridge University, AB from Mt. Holyoke) and taught writing and Latin at Wesleyan University in Connecticut--before I ran away from it all to live on a mesa in Arizona. I breed and ride Lipizzan horses, read and study history (and make up my own alternate and fantastical versions), and write--novels, short stories, articles. I teach writing online (details at http://capriole.smoe.org) and blog on the livejournals as dancinghorse. My alter ego is author Caitlin Brennan, who also has a plog on amazon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining fantasy, April 17, 2000

By 

Jennifer Mo - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: His Majesty's Elephant (Hardcover)

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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 12, 2007

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: His Majesty's Elephant (Hardcover)

A little known fact, that Charlemagne was once gifted with an elephant, becomes the basis for Tarr's deft blend of historical fact and fantasy in this novel. When the elephant arrives in what is now Germany, one of Charlemagne's daughters, Rowan, is instantly captivated. In the excitement over the elephant's arrival at court, another gift, a necklace said to bear a sliver of the cross of Christ, is hardly noticed. Except by Charlemagne's enemies.

A headstrong and stubborn girl, Rowan often sneaks off to spend time in the city or to ride her pony. It is on one of these escapes that she begins to suspect that an ambassador to her father's court may not be all that he seems. Not just a spy, but a sorcerer. When her visits to the elephant bring her into contact with Werrec, the elephant's proud and prickly keeper, Rowan forms an unlikely alliance to foil the sorcerer's plans.

Deftly avoiding many of fantasy's cliches, Tarr creates a richly detailed world populated by intriguing characters. Of particular note is how she stays true to the historical time period and yet makes the magic she envisions, and the solution to the challenges faced by Rowan and Werrec, an integrated part of this world. With a plucky heroine who must overcome her own fear of magic in order to save her father's life, and a hero desperate to prove himself and win back his family's honor, readers of both sexes will find something to enjoy. A fast-paced, shorter read highly recommended for younger teens.

Reviewed by: Dena Landon