The Isle Of Glass: Volume 1 The Hound and the Falcon Trilogy [Import] [Hardcover]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0593010108
• ISBN-13: 978-0593010105
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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 highly entertaining, January 5, 2001

By 

"silo1013" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Isle of Glass (The Hound and the Falcon Trilogy) (Paperback)

The first book in a trilogy, The Isle of Glass introduces us c. 1195 to Brother Alfred, priest and elf of St. Ruan's of Ynys Witrin, the Isle of Glass of the title, otherwise known as Avalon. I found this book to be by far the more entertaining of the three, and the better written. The characterisation is delightful, though some plot elements toward the end seemed rushed and merely tacked on to give the book it's shape.. as if Tarr had created her characters first, and her plot was merely secondary -- something I felt even more keenly in the next two books. As Alfred leaves his cloister to send an urgent message to the King's Bishop, he discovers the world, and struggles to find his place in it. Highly recommended to fans of Lisa Goldstein and Gael Baudino, et al.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyable read., September 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Isle of Glass (The Hound and the Falcon Trilogy) (Paperback)

This is the first book out of the trilogy and sets the scene for what is to come. The central character is Alfred (Alf). A foundling left at an abby who becomes a monk, yet he is never just a monk. His magical powers lead him to question everything from his ancestory to the existance of his soul. The story is an inner quest for who he really is and his place in the world. He meets kings, bishops and more as he travels at the behest of his friend and Abbot. Tarr captures and harshness of the world and the sweetness that exists despite of it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but didn't wow me, July 19, 2007

By 

Ryner (Chaska, Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Isle of Glass (The Hound and the Falcon Trilogy) (Paperback)

This first book in Tarr's 'The Hound and the Falcon' trilogy is a work of alternate history, taking place in England during the reign of Richard I. Alf, a monk at St. Ruan's Abbey, is an elfin changeling left there as a baby, and despite his fair looks and that he never seems to age, only a few are aware of or suspect his true nature. When an injured rider arrives at the abbey one evening, it becomes Alf's turn to play the part of messenger and ambassador to Richard I in order to prevent war among neighboring lands.

Although I wasn't completely wowed, I like Judith Tarr and I'm looking forward to reading the next part in the series.