Customer Reviews

Kingdom of the Grail

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Judith Tarr has taken the epic Chanson de Roland and the historic Charlemagne and created Kingdom of the Grail, a fantasy novel which explains Ganelon's treachery and Roland's death while mixing in the more familiar and popular grail legend from Arthurian mythology. Tarr's representation of Charlemagne's court is a composite of the historical court and the Charlemagne depicted in the chanson.

Tarr, who holds a Ph.D. in Medieval history, clearly has a deep understanding of such primary sources as Einhard's Vita Caroli, Notker's De Carolo Magno, and the 12th century Chanson de Roland, as well as secondary sources such as Pierre Riché's La Vie Quotidienne dans l'Empire Carolingien. Her tale draws elements from all of those works and her use of short paragraphs is reminiscent of the verse style of the chanson.

The novel follows the basic plot of the Chanson de Roland, with Ganelon's arrival at Charlemagne's court, the decision to battle the Muslims in Spain and the subsequent ambush at Roncevalles. After the battle, Tarr follows the historical record, specifically the revolt of Charlemagne's son, Pepin. However, this is juxtaposed with Roland's adventures in Montsalvat, the Kingdom of the Grail, where his greater destiny is revealed.

While Tarr takes an interesting an under-explored legend and mixes it with the more popular tale of Arthur, the ideas she presents are more interesting than the novel itself. She never manages to get the pacing correct, and the characters are led by their fates rather than any sense of free will, although towards the end of the novel, the question of free will becomes important in and of itself.

Early in the novel, Roland forms a relationship with the mysterious Sarissa. However, the sense of mystery feels forced and the reader never really wonders where Sarissa comes from. Of more concern is why the two characters are together, since there does not appear to be any real chemistry between them.

Tarr has a great ability to create potentially interesting situations using historical precedents. Unfortunately, she has not yet mastered the ability to turns these stories into entertaining novels. While a fast-paced novel certainly isn't required, especially when dealing with more philosophical issues, Tarr could certainly increase the pacing in Kingdom of the Grail.

Though never counting the years, centuries have passed since his former lover trapped Merlin in a magical forest that living things including birds avoided. However, one day, a boy Roland, visits the incarcerated magician. Obviously having much magical abilities or else he could never have arrived at the forest prison, Roland vows to find the means to free Merlin.

Years later, Roland is a knight loyal to King Charlemagne, but has not worked at his magic. Roland wins a contest that gives him possession of the sword Durandel, but not the trust of its former owner Lady Sarissa. Still, Roland remains faithful to his liege as they set out to fight a demon that has corrupted the monarch's son with a world at stake. However, his side needs Roland to complete his oath by freeing Merlin and gaining the support of the Grail mages to triumph over their evil enemy and his allies.

Judith Tarr is known for her wonderful historical fantasy tales that blend real persona and events into a mythical story. Her latest release, KINGDOM OF THE GRAIL, combines remnants of Camelot with the Song of Roland into an exciting story. The key to the plot is Ms. Tarr's uncanny ability to make her primary and secondary players seem so real that both the fantasy elements and the historical perspective appear genuine. The novel will charm fans of the Arthurian and Roland legends and medieval epic adventures.

Harriet Klausner

Judith Tarr mixes Merlin, the *Song of Roland* and the myth of the madman of the forest together in a romance that is more romantic than historical. This gives her the chance to create several Rolands: warrior, lover, shapechanger, Carolingian loyalist, madman of the woods, and reluctant champion-king. Character motivation is weak, especially for the distrust of Sarissa (who would not be allowed the freedom she exhibits in a real Carolingian setting). Nor would a woman of her time necessarily sleep with someone she does not trust completely. A slow read, it picks up in spots, and she has a gift for description, but I had to push myself to finish. Why is Tarr considered a queen of historical fiction? I don't see it. She offers a mish-mash of ill-defined magic, over-romanticized characters, and idealized history with a New Age bent.

All that's keeping this book separate from other romance novels is the fact that the cover is missing a bare-chested, flowing-haired he-man. This book might have appeal for those easy-to-please persons who devour every fantasy and romance novel on the shelves, but my advice to the discriminating reader is to pass this one by.

The Roland character is ridiculous. He's the mightiest warrior but more importantly he is also gorgeous, sweet and gentle, and deferential to the ladies, and he's a good listener and will sing to the ladies all day and all night if they need comforting, and he wants love, not just sex. Oh be still my heart. The tension in the novel is hopelessly contrived: Roland makes one earth-shaking oath to Merlin, and a second incompatible but equally earth-shattering oath to his Love whom he has known for a couple weeks. And this dope is supposed to be the heir of Merlin and the king's wily advisor? Sure.

This book is as slow as molasses in winter and has found its best use as nesting materials for my blue-ribbon hens.

Historians tell us that Charlemagne's peer, the mighty warrior Roland, was killed in Roncesvalles Pass not by Saracens (as his Chanson has it) but by Basques. Basques there are at Roncesvalles in this historical fantasy (defined as a story "set in real-world or alternate historical periods, often involving historical figures"), but someone else is there too. Working backwards and forwards from that beginning, Tarr has imagined an alternate Roland and a fantasy take on his fate. Roland is a descendant of King Arthur's wizard Merlin, and in boyhood somehow penetrates the magical prison in which Merlin still languishes more than 200 years after his sovereign's death. Roland is a natural shapeshifter; his favorite form is that of a hawk, though he can also become a wolf or a stag if he wishes. And he knows something of Merlin's story without ever having been told it, though he doesn't know how he knows. Time and again he returns to visit Merlin, and to learn some control of his own magic. One day Merlin tells him the story of the Holy Grail and of a powerful sorcerer who coveted it, and who almost gained it but for one of Arthur's own Knights. The sorcerer was "cast down by the night of the Grail," losing his beauty and much of his strength--but not his life. Years later, in the service of Charlemagne, Roland encounters and knows that sorcerer, the supposed priest, Ganelon (who, in the Chanson, betrays him to the Saracens). The King's hunchbacked son, Pepin--who can't inherit the throne because of his deformity--seeks power and asks Ganelon to teach him magic. Now Roland knows that to protect his King he must watch both Pepin and Ganelon, and so events are set in motion.

The first half of the book is sometimes a bit slow, but with the ambush at Roncesvalles things pick up. The parallel Europe that is the kingdom of Montsalvat, the refuge of the Grail and its keepers, is an interesting place, where non-Christian fighters--men and women alike--serve a Christian relic, assisted by others who aren't human at all, though they can assume human shape if it suits them (two of the best characters in the book are Marric, a bogle, and Tarik, a puca who most often takes the form of a cat but in the climactic battle transforms into a dragon for Roland to ride against Ganelon); where nine immortal women who worship the Goddess also guard the Grail, and Huon, the Horned Lord, leads its forces. Roland's early-Medieval world is portrayed as one in which Christianity has not yet fully stamped out the Old Worship; Merlin himself points out that Jesus was, in his own day, "but the incarnation of a minor deity in a very small province of the Roman Empire." Magical battles are drawn with sweep and grandeur, and rituals partake of both the old and the new way in a seamless and effective way that makes you wonder what our world could have been if it, like Montsalvat, had been able to reach an accomodation between Christianity and paganism. This is the first in a series of historical fantasies (including Rite of Conquest (William the Conqueror), King's Blood (his sons William and Henry), Pride of Kings, Devil's Bargain, and House of War (all Richard Lionheart)) in which similar themes continue to play out for centuries. I plan to read all of them.

This book was an interesting weave of the Merlin story and the "Song of Roland." The last half of the book occurs after the "Song of Roland" and what could have happened if Roland had been a descendent of Merlin.

The magical elements in this book are wonderful. Tarik is so entertaining. The author leaves some things hidden until the very end, which makes it a satisfying conclusion.

However, there were parts of this book that just drug along. The romance was ok, but the whole "who is he?" "who is she?" nonsense against a larger backdrop was inconsequential.

All in all, I think this is a good book that deserves a read, however, be prepared to have to dig through some not very exciting parts to get to the good stuff.

What if Roland was not a Frankish savage but a Bretton, decended from Merlin himself? What if his famous battle was only the prelude to a greater war--the battle for control of the Holy Grail itself? That is the question Judith Tarr sets out to address in her fine KINGDOM OF THE GRAIL. It speaks well for her talent as an author that she succeeds.

Although Tarr combines and retells portions of two of the great Epics of Medieval Europe, she does so in a strongly human vein. Roland is not the brutal figure of the Epic, but a man torn by mixed blood. The romance between Roland and Sarissa adds humanity to the tale preventing it from becoming a self-indulgent hero-bashes-great-evil story.

I especially appreciated the lighter touches. Tarr uses the antics of the puca, Tarik, keep her story from becoming overly serious and caught up in its pagan mysteries. I appreciated her obvious respect for the Arthur/Merlin and Roland legends and her ability to weave these together in such an approachable way.

I really wanted to love this book. The negative reviews here seemed to focus on the romance plot, which on itself is not a problem, on the contrary, Alamut is a favorite of mine. I am very glad that Ms. Tarr is writing again fantasy novels set in the same universe as the Hound&Falcon trilogy and Alamut and _the Dagger&the Cross_, but a few centuries before. _Hounds of God:_ the last novel of _the Hound and Falcon_ closed that universe to all new novels are set earlier, which certainly offers potential.

But on this novel the mix and match of several myths just does not work. I wishI understood why the Kingdom of the Grail has the feel that it cames out the Pan-Celtic tour to fantasyland, while it is somehow related to the Pyrinees, and the basques. Enough celts, please, there are so very many other interesting European societies! And the plot and characterization is a mess, "she distrusts him, now she trusts him, now there is a big misunderstanding, now he distrusts her...", oh, dear.... It was a chore to plog along until the end of the book. Not recomended, but Ms Tarr's earlier novels, The Hound and the Falcon, and the Avaryan series certainly are recomended, read them instead if you haven't yet. If you are already a fan of those novels, don't expect too much of this one, and you might end up enjoying it, but in my opinion this is far from being their equal.

Awesome read. Better than any Artus story has ever been. This takes it 5 steps further & captures you from the first to the last page.

This book is really good. It is flowing with magic and adventure. I admit it has some material suitable mainly for adults, but other than that it is a must have for any fan of this genre. I stoutly disagree with anyone who says that this book is slow or uninteresting, instead this is one of those books that despite the fact it has a slightly slower beginning than what I expected, it has no shortage of adventures. One of the things that I really liked about this book were the fact that it blended two tales successfully. Read this book, if you like medeival fantasy!