Customer Reviews

The Isle of Glass (The Hound and the Falcon Trilogy)

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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.

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.

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.

This was a very engaging book, which I could not put down. At a time when so much fantasy appears as huge, bloated volumes exceeding 700 pages, this little novel is very compact. The hardcover edition is 276 pages.

The quality of the characterization, dialogue, and description is very high, and it's clear Ms. Tarr is a very talented writer. I found it interesting that this novel, first published in 1986, is still in print.

The many lengthy dialogues between Alf and King Richard might have been dull if they had not been put together so skillfully, and if the writing were not so good. Ms. Tarr is very talented at dialogue. It really comes to life.

There are some very odd things about the book, such as the reluctant protagonist Alf. He seems timid and shy, and is continually holding back. We all regret, I think, when Alf repeatedly turns away from Thea, the elfish girl who loves him. His monastic vows and all that. Then when his enemies abuse him and humiliate him, his big struggle is to stop King Richard from punishing them. Why? God knows -- it wasn't very clear in the book. But the impression we get is that this so-called hero is really a milktoast -- a wimp. This goes on enough that it becomes a motivational problem. No one in our real-life world would be this passive and sacrificial -- it just doesn't ring true. Later in the book, Alf somewhat comes around. He even kisses the elven maiden in the end, although it's (alas) a chaste kiss. But on the lips-- maybe there's hope for him.

I hope in the months to come to read the other two volumes in this trilogy. I will say this -- this book does have a real ending. There are openings for the story to continue, but you do not just "quit in the middle" as do so many part-one fantasy novels of a trilogy.