From archive (archive)
From: duane@anasaz.UUCP (Duane Morse)
Organization: Anasazi, Inc., Phoenix, Az.
Subject: THE ISLE OF GLASS by Judith Tarr (mild spoiler)
Date: 24 Apr 88 13:32:33 GMT




Time: 12th Century

Place: Parallel Earth

Introduction: Brother Alfred was content to remain at St. Ruan's
Abbey, where he had been practically all 80 years of his life, but
when an ambassador from the Elvenking is forced to recuperate at
the abbey from injuries he received from one of King Richard's
vassals, Alfred takes on the ambassador's mission and goes to
King Richard's court; blood calls to blood, and Alfred is one of
the Fair People too (which means, among other things, that he
looks like a very young man though he is as old as the abbot).

Main storylines: Brother Al's struggle between the contemplative
life he used to lead and thought he desired, and the action and
intrigue at the court; temptations of the flesh from Thea, another
of the Fair People; skirmishes; plots to eliminate Alfred.

Fantasy elements: Elves with shapechanging, healing, and other
powers; familiar but different English history.

Critique: The story is excellent, starting out slow (not too
slow) and then picking up the pace. It never really races; rather,
it moves along briskly, keeping the reader's attention so centered
that it's hard to put the book down. The main characters
are very likeable, and one roots for Alfred as he tries to
convince the king to make peace with the neighboring kings.
The book is put together very well, blending action,
adventure, fantasy, inner and outer conflicts, friendship,
and love in perfect proportions. This is volume 1 of
"The Hound and the Falcon Trilogy", called so after the two
primary non-human shapes Thea uses. I'm going to hunt
for the other volumes immediately.

Rating: 4.0 out of 4.0 - ranks with the best.
-- 

Duane Morse	...!noao!mcdsun!nud!anasaz!duane
(602) 861-7609