Pride of Kings

by Judith Tarr

Book Overview

National bestselling author and World Fantasy Award nominee Judith Tarr delivers a powerful epic of a glorious battle against magic unbound At the coronation of the new king of England, two crowns are offered to Richard the Lionheart: the mortal and the magical. Lured by earthbound glory and driven by mortal faith, Richard spurns the pagan crown and rides off on a Crusade to reclaim a sun-scorched Jerusalem from the infidels, leaving his new kingdom defenseless in the mists For some unknown power has brought down the wall between worlds and beings of dark magic await their chance to cross over the threshold. Summoned to England by his dreams is Arslan, a strapping youth born of fire and man. Able to walk between worlds and speak with spirits, he is destined to help a country he has never seen and swear loyalty to a man he has never met: Prince John, called Lackland, who will emerge from the shadow of his older brother Richard to rule the armies of the air. There are two wars for England to win or lose. One could weaken a mortal empire. The other could destroy the world "

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451458478
• ISBN13: 9780451458476
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Roc
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Nice Viewpoint

Judith Tarr's Pride of Kings is a most interesting read. I found it intriguing. A story where John is not a power hungry king, who loves England, unlike his brother Richard. All the characters were very thought provoking. There was no reason this could not have happened. Why could Britain not have its own king and protectors. Yea! for Judith!

Very Good Story

Judith Tarr has taken fictional characters and woven them in with historical characters to make the story line plausible. The plot lines, primary and secondary, are strong and well written. The characters are well developed and believable, even with the knowledge many of the characters are fiction. This was a well told story and a well written book.

The Guardian of Mystic Britain Fight to Protect Her

I love seeing Judith Tarr writing fantasy again. Her grey mare's daughters series was ok, but she is at her best when describing the swirl of Wild Magic about Riders who have gone beyond the boundaries of the mundane world.Henry is dead, Richard the Lionhearted is to be crowned King of the English, but there is another crown waiting for him, did he but accept it: the crown of the King of Britain, guardian of the mystical realm that is Britain, warded by four guardians who are more than human. However, Richard's eyes and heart are set on Jerusalem and his Crusade. He has no use for Pagan ceremonies and spurns the Crown of Britain. This sets in motion a magical chain of events that resonated in the real world.In Anjou, Arslan, a young ... son of a dead lord waits with his two Seljuk servants. He had been born and raised in outremer, the son of a mortal lord and an Ifritah, a spirit of fire. In him the magic runs high. A Crusade is gathering and he intends to return to the East. However, he is given a prophetic dream, in which he is told that he must go to Britain, where he is needed. There comes riding into his brother's keep a company, one of whom is recognizable as William, a ... Plantagenet. The other, who seems less worthy is pushed aside while William is feted. The one who is pushed aside is John Lackland, the very legitimate son of Henry and Eleanor of Acquitaine. He is pleased to be amused by it and when he rides out, leaving a discomforted Lord of Anjou, he takes Arslan with him.The mystical forces that protect Britain offer John a bargain. They offer him a chance to rule as overlord of the spirit of the place, but he is to pay a price. That price is that the world will see him as his brother's usurper and would not know of the service that he had performed to save Britain (and England) to, from the forces arrayed against it. The book though focuses mainly on Arslan, on his love for one of the Guardians and how two people both blessed and cursed with magic come to an understanding. Arslan, the son of a spirit of fire, is beautiful and strong. His name means lion. The Lady Eschivra, the daughter of Morgana and a river god, is older than him in years, wiser than he in magic, but more tangled in her thoughts and emotions. Together they must face the forces of the Wild Magic, of Sorceries sent against them by enemies outside Britain, and the convolutions of their own too human hearts. If you liked Ms Tarr's earlier fantasies, if you have a fondness for Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill and Reward and Fairies, if you just enjoy a good historical fantasy then grab a copy, curl up on the couch with a small dog or two (I recommend a Jack Russell terrier) and settle down to enjoy a rouse-- and touching-- fantasy.(By the way, the title is a pun. It refers to both the feeling of pride, and a collective noun for all the young lions who make up the actors in this book.)

couldn't put the book down

Judith Tarr has wonderful imagery. The story she tells is based on history and she makes it alive and exciting. A wonderful continuation, if you will, of the movie "Lion in Winter" A really great read. I wish I had the words to say more. Get the book, enjoy it.

Great historical fantasy

It is not generally known but on the day that Richard the Lionhearted was crowned King of England, he turned down another crown, which would have bound him to Great Britain in the Old Way. Richard chose the mundane over the mystical, leaving the island vulnerable to the evil spirits on the other side of the veil. An innocent cleric is duped into opening the door to let unholy evil into the world. Only the ruler of Great Britain can close the door. Arslan, born of a Provence lord and a fire spirit is sent to John Lackland in England. John must put on the mantle his brother rejected. Arslan is very persuasive as are the other guardians and John proves his right to use the mystical forces to protect the land. However, he must do it secretly so Richard does not get wind of his plans and think he will try to overthrow him. John, using all the magic at his command, closes the door but the curse is not over yet. Danger lies in the form of Prince Philip of France, the mystical king of his land, who will willingly sacrifice the living to further his ambitions. Judith Tarr has shown a John and Richard unlike those found in Shakespeare or Robin Hood. Using actual historical events, she weaves a different version of their actions during a troubled time. PRIDE OF KINGS is an epic fantasy work of alternate history that thoroughly enchants the reader with a powerful drama, mystical and earthly intrigue (both deadly), and vivid pageantry.Harriet Klausner