Queen of Swords [Hardcover]

Judith Tarr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

The life and times of Melisende, the Crusader Queen of Jerusalem, regent to her young son, the king, during the twelfth century come to life through the eyes of Lady Richildis, a young Frankish woman on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, who becomes one of Melisende's confidantes.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Tarr weaves a spellbinding tale of two women confident enough to defy convention in order to fulfill their remarkable destinies. In 1129, Lady Richildis, a young Frankish noblewoman, journeys to Jerusalem determined to discover the fate of her beloved brother, a missing Crusader. Though she finds Bertrand, Richildis fails to convince him to return with her to their estate in Anjou; rather, she herself becomes enthralled with the exotic and extravagant lifestyle of the East. Serving as a trusted attendant to Melisende, the beautiful queen of Jerusalem, Richildis observes and assists the queen in her successful struggle for power and recognition in a male-dominated society. A richly textured tapestry steeped in history and fraught with romance, adventure, and intrigue. Margaret Flanagan

From Kirkus Reviews

Historical novel about Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem, by the author of King and Goddess (p. 853) and many others. Melisende came to power during the stormy interlude between the First and Second Crusades, after French and Norman knights had conquered the Holy Land and divided it into four Christian principalities. Tarr characterizes Melisende as a strong-willed woman forced, thanks to a shortage of suitable men, to marry a much older French noble, Count Fulk. When he dies in battle, she becomes queen, but her kingdom comes quickly under attack. Much of the novel is palace intrigue: the struggle for position among sons, knights, mistresses, and courtesans, and Melisende's own struggle to consolidate her power after Fulk is killed. Though Tarr's rendering of the privations of the desert and of battle are gripping, she's most entertaining in domestic scenes. After Melisende gives birth to her son, Baldwin, for instance, she announces that she'll not go to bed again with her husband, since her duty to him is done, and no man matters enough to endure childbirth again. As Tarr explains: ``Each child that was born took its mother to the gates of death.'' But despite all that Baldwin has cost her, Melisende sends him into a foolish battle against the infidels, after which he challenges her openly for her crown. He pits his army against hers, eventually becoming King of Jerusalem but leaving his mother in control of the Church. Tarr moves among points of view narrates most events through a fictional Frenchwoman, Lady Richildis, who, having trekked to Jerusalem seeking her brother, becomes a lady-in-waiting for the queen. Richildis is also a strong woman but finds rather more happiness in rather less lusting for power. Tarr's large and devoted readership won't be disappointed. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312858213
• ISBN-13: 978-0312858216
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,208,322 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

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly enjoyable read, October 15, 2000

By 

Emily McMahon (Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Queen of Swords (Hardcover)

This story of a rather atypical medieval family more than pleasantly surprised me, as I bought it on a whim. The detail is excellent, but not too overdone as to overpower the plot. Tarr also paid close attention to her characters' evolution over time. As this book occurs over a 20+ year time period, we see Baldwin and Arslan turn from infants, to mischevious boys, to knights of a warrior kingdom; Lady Richildis metamorphisizes from cold, practical young widow to earnest, loving mother and wife, yet still steadfast in her servance to Melisende. With exception of, perhaps, slightly more description of Michael Bryennius and perhaps Helena (secondary characters, yet most fascinating), this books misses absolutely nothing. A must read for those who are curious about life in the medieval age, particularly the Crusader Kingdom.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extraordinary women in extraordinary times, October 6, 2004

By 

Anika Leithner (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Queen of Swords (Paperback)

This novel is set against the background of the Crusader Kingdom in the twelfth century. It follows two women who - though very different from each other - are both extraordinary for their times. Melisende, first princess then queen of Jerusalem, has the makings of a great king, but is trapped in a woman's body and therefore always dependent on a man (father, husband, then son) in order to exercise her power. Her ambition is only surpassed by her ingenuity in finding ways to rule despite her being a woman. Richildis is a young widow who comes to Jerusalem in order to find her brother and bring him back to France to take over the family's estate. He proves unwilling to return with her and Richildis, having sworn an oath to stay until he relents, finds herself trapped in a foreign land, attendant to Melisende.

The plot itself is driven more by its characters (above all, Melisende and Richildis) than by action sequences. If you are looking for a past-paced, action-filled adventure, you're in the wrong place. Although there are battles and wars, they only serve to establish the background against which the characters are developed. Nevertheless the book is a page-turner. Tarr does a wonderful job of drawing you into the world she creates, and you find yourself genuinely caring for her characters and their lives. Having read some of her other books, I believe this is probably her strongest point as an author. Even her secondary characters (such as Michael, the Byzantine nobleman who falls in love with Richildis, and Helena, the former Courtesan, who becomes her friend) come to life on the pages.

The writing is simple, yet beautiful. There is enough detail to help you imagine the extraordinary background of Jerusalem with its Eastern flair, the romantic knights of the Crusade, the proud Turks and Saracens; yet it is not overwhelming, leaving enough room for your own imagination.

Overall this is great historical fiction that is definitely worth reading.

Anika Leithner

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my review, February 27, 2002

By 

Ana Maria Barrenechea - See all my reviews

This review is from: Queen of Swords (Paperback)

I was very positively surprised when I started reading this book. I had never read anything from this author before and I was imediately immersed in the story.

The story, though based on the life of Melisende, the first daughter of King Baldwin of Jerusalem, has enough fiction to make it easily readable and very captivating.

The author has been able to recreate the romantic atmosphere of the times, with Knights fighting for the "true" religion and
women who had the courage and character to be true Kings, but could not for their sex.

All characters are so vividly described, you cannot but feel you know them and want to find out what happens to them. The places are very well described and feel as real and ancient as they are.

All in all, a very good book and very enjoyable.