Previous SFF Author: Sarah Tarkoff
(1955- )
Judith Tarr earned a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from Yale University and writes mainly mainstream and historical fantasies. She also writes romantic fantasy under the names Caitlin Brennan (Harlequin) and Kathleen Bryan (Tor). Read excerpts of her work as Caitlin Brennan here. And here is Judith Tarr’s website.
The Isle of Glass by Judith Tarr
I’ve gone back and forth on this text quite a bit, unsure how generous I’m willing to be. The facts are these: Judith Tarr’s prose is better than expected, the story flows well, and the pacing is great, but on the other hand, this is not a book that beyond its style really seems to have a lot to do. The Isle of Glass is the kind of novel that readers will finish with a nod and a shrug rather than a smile or tears.
Tim Scheidler´s rating: 3.5 | Judith Tarr | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
The Hall of the Mountain King by Judith Tarr
Every day, for years, the King of Ianon has stood on his castle’s battlements, hoping to see his daughter coming home. He is old and she is his heir. When someone finally arrives, the king is told that his daughter is dead, but she had a son, Mirain, whose father is the god Avaryan. The grieving king opens his heart to this unknown grandson, but there are others who are not pleased with the new development — especially the king’s concubine and her son Moranden,
Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Judith Tarr | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Lady of Han-Gilen by Judith Tarr
The Lady of Han-Gilen is the second novel in Judith Tarr’s AVARYAN saga. In the first book, The Hall of the Mountain King, we met Mirain, supposedly the son of the sun god Avaryan and a human princess. Mirain appeared in Ianon, where his grandfather rules, became his heir, and fought for control of the kingdom. The story wasn’t particularly original, but I enjoyed Tarr’s style and Jonathan Davis’s audio performance.
This second installment,
Kat Hooper´s rating: 2 | Judith Tarr | Audio | SFF Reviews | 7 comments |
A Fall of Princes by Judith Tarr
In this third novel of Judith Tarr’s AVARYAN RISING trilogy (which probably could stand alone), it’s been 15 years since the events of the previous book, The Lady of Han-Gilen. Mirain and Elian now have a teenage son named Saraven who is heir to the throne of his country. One day Saraven saves the life of Hirel, the son of the king of a neighboring kingdom. At first they have nothing in common and even despise each other,
Kat Hooper´s rating: 2 | Judith Tarr | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
There is so much free or inexpensive short fiction available on the internet these days. Here are a few stories we read this week that we wanted you to know about. We’ll put our favorites at the top.
The Oiran’s Song” by Isabel Yap (2015, free at Uncanny Magazine)
“The Oiran’s Song” is the tale of a young man who is sold into service with a traveling group of Japanese soldiers; this is a better fate than what befell his younger brother. It’s also the tale of a young woman who entertains soldiers through various methods,
Out of Avalon: An Anthology of Old Magic and New Myths by Jennifer Roberson
Out of Avalon: An Anthology of Old Magic and New Myths is an anthology for everyone who loves re-takes on the Arthurian legends, and especially those readers who loved The Mists of Avalon and are seeking more of the same sort of retellings, laced with gender politics, religious issues, and romance.
As in all anthologies, some of the stories are to my taste, some aren’t, and there is probably something for everyone.
Previous SFF Author: Sarah Tarkoff
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