House of War [Paperback]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2003

National bestselling author Judith Tarr returns to the world of her critically-acclaimed Devil's Bargain as the sorceress Sioned and her half-brother King Richard once again face the Old Man of the Mountain, an evil sorcerer determined to destroy them...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of Tarr’s historical fantasies will welcome this action-packed sequel to Devil’s Bargain (2002). Richard the Lion-Hearted’s reign is threatened by the return from the dead of Sinan, the Old Man of the Mountain. In the Holy Land, it’s no-holds-barred and full magic ahead when Richard’s half-sister, the druidess Sioned, confronts Sinan. After refusing to give back to Sinan the magical Seal of Solomon, which she stole from Sinan and used to kill him, Sioned steals back from Rome the supernaturally powerful sacred Ark, which the now-returned Jews employ to restore their ancient Temple while taking care not to harm the nearby Muslim Dome of the Rock. Jinns, demons and a host of other supernatural menaces enliven the proceedings.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Another beautifully researched, masterfully written historical fantasy from Tarr, a sequel to Devil's Bargain [BKL O 1 02], in which England's Richard the Lionheart strove to take Jerusalem in the name of Christendom. Now Jerusalem's king, Richard needs to go home when Queen Eleanor writes that she can no longer keep his brother Henry and his ambition to replace Richard "contained." Will the realm survive? For though Henry is no weakling, he isn't Richard. Meanwhile, Richard's illegitimate half sister, Sioned, recently married to an infidel sultan and possessed of the Fairy Sight of the ancient Welsh through one strand of her lineage and the devil's brood of Anjou through another, is hard pressed in her battles with evil sorcerer Sinan, who once endangered Richard's soul. As the queen of Aquitaine adds her strategizing to the plot, Tarr's compelling mixture of magic, myth, and history becomes a regular page-turner and reason to hope for a further sequel. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Roc Trade (October 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451529006
• ISBN-13: 978-0451529008
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,933,235 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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enthralling alternate history and fantasy tale, October 7, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House of War (Paperback)

On an Earth that never was but might have been, Richard the Lion-Hearted never died while battling against the infidels for control of Jerusalem. He went on to defeat Saladin and with the help of his half-sister Sioned he took away the precious Seal of Solomon from Sinan, the old man of the mountain. He was crowned king of Jerusalem and for over a decade he has reigned over the city he has come to love.

Although he is reluctant to leave, Richard I is ready to return to England to thwart his brother's plan to take the throne. However, Sinan returns more powerful than ever, eager to take his revenge on everyone who opposed him a decade ago. He kidnaps Sioned's daughter, captures one of Richard's castles, and lays siege to another. Sioned and her husband the Sultan of Egypt persuades Richard that the only weapon that could defeat their enemy is the Ark if they can find it.

Change the output of one pivotal event in history the way Judith Tarr has so brilliantly done and the outcome is a world that is completely different than the history books. Richard is presented as a noble warrior king willing to heed the advice of the people he trust but the star of HOUSE OF WAR is his baseborn sister Sioned, a powerful mage who has the wisdom and courage of Boudacia and Cleopatra. Fans of alternate history and fantasy will love this enthralling novel.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Judith Tarr's best work, April 1, 2005

By 

Dan "Longsword" (USA, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of War (Paperback)

On an Earth that never was but might have been, Richard the Lion-Hearted never died while battling for control of Jerusalem. He went on to defeat Saladin and with the help of his half-sister Sioned he took away the precious Seal of Solomon from Sinan, the old man of the mountain. He was crowned king of Jerusalem and for over a decade he has reigned over the city he has come to love.

Although he is reluctant to leave, Richard I is ready to return to England to thwart his brother's plan to take the throne. However, Sinan returns more powerful than ever, eager to take his revenge on everyone who opposed him a decade ago. He kidnaps Sioned's daughter, captures one of Richard's castles, and lays siege to another. Sioned and her husband the Sultan of Egypt persuades Richard that the only weapon that could defeat their enemy is the Ark if they can find it.

Change the output of one pivotal event in history the way Judith Tarr has so brilliantly done and the outcome is a world that is completely different than the history books. Richard is presented as a noble warrior king willing to heed the advice of the people he trust but the star of HOUSE OF WAR is his baseborn sister Sioned, a powerful mage who has the wisdom and courage of Boudacia and Cleopatra. Fans of alternate history and fantasy will love this enthralling novel.

5.0 out of 5 stars Emotionally satisfying alternate history with great action, April 19, 2004

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: House of War (Paperback)

The old man of the mountain, Sinan, king of assassins, was defeated and killed, but Hell itself cannot hold him. Sinan is raising new armies against the crusader kingdom of Jerusalem, and his magic seems stronger than ever. King Richard the Lion Hearted sees his knights vanish and knows he needs to march out to battle, but he knows he is no mage--and Sinan can only be defeated by a magic more powerful than anyone has seen in two thousand years.

When Sinan captures her daughter, Siomed, half-sister to Richard, nearly goes crazy. Her husband and her friends call her back to reality. No matter how powerful her magic, she can't simply strike back. Sinan will absorb her power and turn it against those she loves. They need a tool--and in Jerusalem, the ultimate tool is the lost Arc of the Covanent. But the Arc has been lost for two thousand years and, even if it is found, only a few oppressed Jews know how to work its magic.

Author Judith Tarr paints a wonderful picture of an alternate history where magic is real, where Richard found a compromise in his crusade and built a crusader nation that welcomes people of many faiths, and where Christian, Jewish, Moslem, and pagan magicians strive in the perpetual battle against evil. Tarr's skillful use of the danger to Siomed's children increases the story's emotional intensity as does the growing affection between Mustafa and Giuliano. I also appreciated the sensitive way Tarr handled the cultural differences amongst her protagonists--using it to strengthen the story rather than glossing over it.

HOUSE OF WAR is a sequel to DEVIL'S BARGAIN and is, if anything, an even stronger work. This is alternate history fantasy at its best.