King's Blood (William the Conquerer #2) (William the Conqueror) [Paperback]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Series: William the Conqueror | Publication Date: February 6, 2007

Red William, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, has inherited the throne, but his decision to leave magic out of his rule causes the land to wither and die.The fate of Britain lies in the hands of Edith, princess of Scotland, and Henry, the youngest son of the Conqueror. Both are highly gifted in magic-but only the blood of a king will cleanse the realm from the evil infesting it.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Tarr's entertaining historical fantasy, the sequel to Rite of Conquest (2004), Britain needs a king who will embrace the old magic of the Otherworld. Since William the Conqueror's heir, eldest son Red William, abjures all magic, it's up to two other royal personages to restore magic to the suffering kingdom. Edith, princess of Scotland and child of Saxon kings, can raise great magic or suppress it utterly, but is confined to a convent. Henry, the Norman prince, also possesses great magic, but as the youngest of the conqueror's sons, he rules no lands and wields no mortal power. Will the shedding of king's blood save Britain from its woes? Compelling characters and curious plot twists make this a page-turner.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Tarr continues her gripping alternate history of Britain under William the Conqueror and his sons, bringing to life familial power struggles within the larger context of a nation torn between Saxon Christianity and ancient magic. The Conqueror, a Norman whose rise to power and loosening of the Saxon-Christian hold on Britain Tarr artfully depicted in Rite of Conquest (2004), is gone; his son and heir Red William now determines to eliminate the magic that figured in his father's reign but is now a waning force. The consequent decline throughout the land throws Britain's fate into the hands of the Otherworld, in which the Old Things struggle to right things despite "stretches of emptiness where earth and water and air were deadly to anything made of magic." Can the imprisoned Scottish princess, Edith, and the Conqueror's youngest son, Henry, bring forth magical powers to save the land from pestilence? Tarr continues to blend meticulous historical research and character-driven adventure fantasy so as to satisfy her present fans and garner new ones. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Roc (February 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451461363
• ISBN-13: 978-0451461360
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,780,070 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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KING'S BLOOD Is A Powerfully Majestic Read!, 9 Mar 2006, January 4, 2007

By 

Kimberly Gelderman (Spring Lake, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: King's Blood (Paperback)

This is the sequel to Judith Tarr's RITE OF CONQUEST. The story continues with the heirs to William the Conqueror's throne and their love interests.
Red William also known as William Rufus, the eldest son of William's, inherits the throne. Meanwhile, Henry, the youngest son, who will later become Henry I, only inherits silver to make his way in the world. Red William is confronted continuously to become a true king of Britain by accepting his magical powers but refuses to do so. Henry has even more magic than both of his parents but never believes he has a chance for the throne until circumstances drastically change.

Edith, daughter of King Malcolm of Scotland was also born with the superior magical powers she inherited from her overly Christian pious mother and becomes a key player in her own and Henry's adventures.

The plot unfolds with page turning twists and turns. Never a dull moment! I didn't care much for the first novel RITE OF CONQUEST but this one far surpasses it in sheer readability and excitement. I don't know if there are further forthcoming novels in this particular vein but sincerely hope so! KING'S BLOOD is a very worthy interlude!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars strong romantic fantasy, October 4, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: King's Blood (Paperback)

When the Saxons converted to Christianity, the Old Magic of Britain that kept it alive started dying. When the Norman conquerors came, Britain for a time began to heal because William and his wife followed the Old Ways. When Mathilda died, William turned his back on magic and with his death, a king sits on the throne who can see but wants nothing to do with magic.

The darkness is spreading again and the magic is dying out. The guardians are short one number because a priest denies the Old Ways and follows Christianity. The princess of Scotland, Edith, and Prince Henry, the English king's brother, are filled with and accept the magic that is a part of them. With England under siege from all sides the time is coming for a great sacrifice that if not made will cause Britain to suffer the same fate as Atlantis.

Judith Tarr weaves a web of historical facts and imbues them with a touch of enchantment so that a pivotal event in history is made possible by sorcery. This glimpse into a past that once existed comes about because many minor magical rites and especially one major one cause the essential moment that magic made history. This romantic fantasy is full of action, otherworldly creatures and the need for the champions to prove brave and victorious otherwise Britain will be destroyed.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Fun!, January 10, 2006

By 

Julie Bryant "An Avid Reader" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King's Blood (Paperback)

I'm a big fan of Ms. Tarr's work, so it's odd to use the word "fun" to describe one of her books. Usually words like "powerful" or "evocative" or "intriguing" spring to mind to describe her novels. But "King's Blood" was truly a delight and fun. The magic of the land and Edith's wonder with it was so artfully told that I felt transported. The characters as developed by Ms. Tarr were well-rounded, and the story was riveting.

Of her many works, this is my favorite and the most delightful...so far. Thank goddess for Ms. Tarr's ability to write well and often.