Customer Reviews

Queen of Swords

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

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.

I read a great deal of historical fiction and I find that most works can be roughly grouped into two categories: true historical fiction that transports the reader to a different time and place and gives insights into the way life may have been, and the kind of "historical fiction," in which the time and place are merely a backdrop for some sort of hackneyed soap opera. Happily, "The Queen of Swords" falls into the first category. Judith Tarr does an exquisite job of creating the Crusader world, and brings to life a cast of charecters who are true to their era, meaning they don't act and think as if they were somehow parachuted into the 12th century from our own, but are still recognizable as complex, nuanced human beings whose struggles and triumphs resonate with the reader. Richildis, her family, and friends all remain with you long after you have finished the book. I second the motion for a sequel so that we can find out what happens to them all! I would also like to add that I live where many of the book's events transpire and I found Judith Tarr's descriptions of the weather, seasons, and scenery to be beautifully accurate. I highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed this novel very much.

Ms Tarr gives us some beautiful heroines and some gallant heroes.

The story is well written, and the characters well drawn. I became so caught up in the story that I found I was paying no attention to the historical backdrop at all.

Still, one cannot do justice to the novel by ignoring the period in which it is set: the Middle East in the 12th century at a time when crusades were being waged over the Holy Land.

I picked this novel up for some escapist reading and immediately became caught up in the fortunes of Richildis and her brother, of Melisende, of Helena, and of Michael. Rarely does a novel provide so many interesting characters to choose from.

While I'm motivated to learn more of the history, I've not yet had an opportunity to do so.

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I am hugely interested in the Crusades, so this novel was a natural read for me. Baldwin II and his daughter Melisende are fascinating individuals, so Tarr chose her subjects well. I think that overall the scope of the novel is too large. Judith tried to stretch the story over a bit too wide of a time period, so she ended up stringing together the major scenes in Melisende's life with some rather patchy summaries of major historical events (like the Second Crusade), which tend to break the mood.

However, some of her scenes are all right. At one point the female lead Richildis is traveling with a convoy of Templars that is ambushed by some Bedouin, and that battle scene is beautifully described. Also, Baldwin II's death scene is well done, with Melisende at his side. The mood is fairly intense as the old king passes on his rule to his son in law and daughter.

Like other Tarr novels, this one suffers from some preachy feminism. We have to hear over and over again about how Melisende is just as capable as a man and how she asserts herself against stereotypes, blah blah blah. Instead of just showing us the strength of Melisende's character and her capabilities, Tarr constantly gabs about women's issues in a very direct and rather cheesy manner. There is even a scene in which Melisende's defiance in the face of her husband inspires all the noble women of the kingdom to "rebel against their husbands". This sounds more like a Monty Python skit than a serious portrayal of life in Crusader Jerusalem, and at that point in the story I found myself very aware that I was reading fiction written by a 20th Century author.

Tarr's characters, in all honesty, are not that realistic. I've read two of her other Crusades novels, and they always contain a number of stereotypes. Her female characters always fall into one of two categories: the rebellious proto-feminist who is eager for knowledge and despises traditional female roles, or the mousy empty-headed bimbo whom Tarr uses to mock what she seems to perceive as cliches or stereotypes about women. Her male leads are also fairly predictable, with one usually drawn to the smart, defiant girl rather than the submissive "traditional" woman. It's all pretty dull, really. As a reader I want authentic characters with depth and personality rather than puppets for the author to vent her frustrations.

This was the first book I read by Judith Tarr-- it's a wonderfully engrossing tale of Jerusalem, southern France, and the Crusades. Even if you don't normally enjoy historical fiction, you'll be drawn into the characters' lives. I recommend it highly.

This book was a very enjoyable read, I'd love to know if there is going to be an contiunation because I'd love to know more about the people in the book? For example what happens to Arslan when he gets to France......?