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House of War

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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

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.

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.