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The Black Chalice
The year is 1134. In an isolated German monastery, an aging monk begins the history of a war. It is in part his own story, for he was there, thirty-one years before, as squire to the proud Crusader knight Karelian of Lys.
But even as Paul begins his history, a strange encounter with the Otherworld enchants his quill. He can no longer write the cautionary Christian tale his superiors expect; he must write what he truly remembers.
But even as Paul begins his history, a strange encounter with the Otherworld enchants his quill. He can no longer write the cautionary Christian tale his superiors expect; he must write what he truly remembers.
480 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
49 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Marie Jakober
10 books12 followersFrom Wikipedia:
Marie Jakober is an award-winning Canadian novelist.
Based in Calgary, Alberta, Jakober writes historical fiction and fantasy. Sandinista: A Novel of Nicaragua (1985) won the Writer's Guild of Alberta Novel Award in 1985. She received the 2002 Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction for her novel Only Call Us Faithful (2002).[1]
Her second Civil War novel, Sons of Liberty, won the Georges Bugnet Award for Novel at the Alberta Book Awards in 2006.
Marie Jakober is an award-winning Canadian novelist.
Based in Calgary, Alberta, Jakober writes historical fiction and fantasy. Sandinista: A Novel of Nicaragua (1985) won the Writer's Guild of Alberta Novel Award in 1985. She received the 2002 Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction for her novel Only Call Us Faithful (2002).[1]
Her second Civil War novel, Sons of Liberty, won the Georges Bugnet Award for Novel at the Alberta Book Awards in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 5, 2015
This book made me angry. What could have been an intriguing story of magical realism and passions set against the backdrop of XII century Europe is, instead, an excuse for a book that veers uncomfortably close to anti-religious rhetoric. The characters are black and white personifications of two opposite attitudes towards the frailty of human condition and the mysteries of the world, and until its abrupt ending the focus of the narrative is not on the plot, but on the messages the author wants to convey.
“Truth is a kind of justice.”
The incipit was interesting because the narrator is downright biased, yet he is forced to write the truth. Historical time and synopsis were of my linking and I plunged ahead, my curiosity piqued already, only to be disappointed. The novel is indeed historical fantasy, steeped in myth, old religions and the lore of the Nordic countries but also beware that it openly condemns the Christian faith, basically seen as a lie to justify wars, tithes and prevarications, as a power to hold the masses in the thrall of poverty and fear. There is sexism, homophobia and bigotry. Christians are either ignorant of the yoke they wear, sly, power-hungry egomaniacs or self-delusional, obsessed creatures. Instead, the worshippers of the Old Gods are smart and all-knowing. Although they believe in a very different truth, both factions don't mind spilling blood and have similar concepts of revenge and ambition.
This conflict is the main object of this 480-page-book, while plot, worldbuilding and characters are only an accompaniment.
“Controlling others is a great Christian virtue, if only you can seem to be doing it for the Lord.”
The protagonist, Karelian, a handsome knight barely past his prime and fresh from the First Crusade, is sick at the concept of blood and atrocities committed in the name of God. Worldly and disillusioned, he is questioning his lifelong beliefs and is unmanned by the ugly reality beneath the veneer of righteousness sustaining his career as Christian knight. His young squire, Paul, sees everything through the distorted lens of a faith that chokes and deprives, he holds on his prejudices as the only anchor against what is different, what -for good or ill- shows him a different reality. He watches, doubts, and then dismisses what he cannot comprehend as sorcery and perversion. From his self-proclaimed moral high ground he takes it upon himself to help his master repent his sins and renounce his fascination for heresy and a certain sorceress.
Bottom line, Paul was full of admiration for Karelian when he was slaughtering heathen children, but he recoiled in horror when his idol started to question his life and so his Christian faith. Of course he is aware of his arrogance and that his motives are not entirely selfless, but he blinds himself willingly.
I have nothing against religious criticism, particularly when a tale deals with the corruption and wickedness of the olden secular church, but here I noticed a useless vehemence which the story or the characters motivations didn't warrant, also considering you don’t really need more than 15 pages to loathe or pity the narrator with a passion. Some sentences were strong to the point of offense and the argument was expounded for two thirds of the book, so definitely not just for the plot’s sake.
I was undecided whether to drop it or not, because there is fiction and there are limits. But somehow I was compelled to finish because I liked Karelian and I wanted to see what kind of ending the author was going to concoct (not wholly resolved, as it happens).
Pages full of sterile critique aside, I found far more interesting the mix of Christian and Pagan (not in a demeaning sense, but in the contextualized sense of the word) practices and how this coexistence was manipulated to further petty interests and mundane intrigue; or the theme of the privileged few versus the starving masses, the game of status and the divine’s will to justify human ambition and greed. Throw in a Jesus Christ married to Mary Magdalene (no, I'm sure you have never heard of this one before)...That was fun actually, .
If not original, at least the potential for an engaging plot and some mysteries was there, but as I said, the execution fell short.
Another puzzling point is the novel’s depiction of women: they are inferior creatures made to entice and/or to send men to perdition, the very embodiment of evil, so they must pray and curb their willful nature. A good woman is a commodity, silent and demure, who exists only to breed heirs, satisfy a man, work and celebrate the superiority of males.
This is the sum of pious Christian women and very medieval-like or not, it’s of course difficult to sympathize with such a picture.
The female lead, Raven, makes plenty of use of her considerable bodily assets, fitting well into the image of the sorceress and temptress the Christians warn against. She needs the help of men but she has considerable power herself and she is not a weak-willed creature, nor are her motives shallow. She knows where she stands, what she wants and how to obtain it. She is not void of emotion either and to achieve her goal she is willing to betray and be betrayed.
She is not a Christian woman and of course the reader can easily root for her.
The other women are pretty wallflowers, like Adelaide, introduced as "schooled at seventeen in the art of seeming, better known to women as the art of survival.", or embittered middle-aged witches full of malice and spite, like Sigune, bearing scars on the outside as ugly as their souls. Then there are Clara and Helga, the archetypal evil stepmother and sister….Women so brainwashed and plagued by guilt that they can, despite all, love their tormentors even to death (whose depends on the situation). They can try to influence their destiny but in the end they are a contemptible lot indeed. It goes without saying, there is also a superfluous rape scene and the narrator manages to find sublime justifications for it.
But it wasn’t God’s business to make people happy, was it? Life was hard. Life was supposed to be hard, the countess said. How else would a Christian deserve heaven?
Not that a man’s life is presented as much easier, particularly the life of servants or of those pledged to a lord, like Rudolf, but generally speaking the Christian’s faith champions the superiority of men so they are better off. The other men characters are either full of self-doubt, like Karelian, or gruesome warring monsters like the Iron count, interested only in plunder, sex and blood (not sure about the order) or like Gottfried, the epitome of the Christian knight, full of charisma, conviction and ambition.
Anyhow, since they serve the story, all the characters are stereotyped to fit their role and completely flat, there is a weak attempt at development in Raven and Karelian only. The full cast is very argumentative, they believe they are morally right and their points of view, set forth at length to different degrees, are very convincing, though some have opposite ideas.
They are all wonderfully selfish and fight for their own values and heart’s desires, so all their emotions come to the fore. Most characters indeed question themselves as the story progresses, but there is a clear-cut line between those who consequently find self-betterment and those who spiral farther downwards into a deeper pool of delusion.
Again, wasted potential, since all the behaviors are steered and contrived.
Nothing, he thought, was ever as it seemed, and human creatures least of all.
I didn’t dislike the book, after a fashion and all the above paragraphs, the story is not boring, the historical background is compelling, the writing style is nice and despite the narrator’s best efforts to anticipate the facts as he chronicles the past, I was in for some surprises. I liked the characters, flatness and all, because I was interested in their struggles even if they were mostly obnoxious, deluded or dense. However, the rhythm is not very good: the first few chapters unroll fast then the pace slows down and the abuse of foreshadowing spoils the suspense. The story, which started with a definite single plotline, becomes increasingly confusing and the transition is jarring, not to mention the subsequent parts feel more like a pileup of events than the result of a cohesive flow. The book would certainly benefit from an editing revision as well, it’s certainly too long for his plot points and several scenes are overwritten.
There is a very marginal M/M subtheme but it's just a plot device to reinforce the hypocrisy of a certain character and to show how well homosexuality dovetails with medieval Christian morality (as if the tale needed further denunciation of religion and social control). There is instead a relevant M/F romance thread and also some sex.
“What really does happen to a man who binds himself to a witch—other than in bed, where everything that happens is what other men dream of?”
Yeah, way to go. What was I expecting from a character of such deep insight?
Actually, as long as there are some thought-provoking themes I'm fine with despicable characters. My issue is with the fact that less vehemence, a closer-knit tale, a healthy dose of character development, more intellectual honesty and a serious editor would have made for a much better novel, even with all its shock-value unpleasantness. I would probably have enjoyed it and accepted the invitation to think and drawn my own conclusions with more ease.
In this regard, considering the length of my review, the author succeed but probably not in the expected way since my thoughts are more focused on my irritation (also at myself for seeing this novel through) than on the narrative, and particularly on the fact that it had the potential to yield better results.
1.5 stars, rounded to two because I should have known better.
Everybody wants more than they have, don’t they?”
“Truth is a kind of justice.”
The incipit was interesting because the narrator is downright biased, yet he is forced to write the truth. Historical time and synopsis were of my linking and I plunged ahead, my curiosity piqued already, only to be disappointed. The novel is indeed historical fantasy, steeped in myth, old religions and the lore of the Nordic countries but also beware that it openly condemns the Christian faith, basically seen as a lie to justify wars, tithes and prevarications, as a power to hold the masses in the thrall of poverty and fear. There is sexism, homophobia and bigotry. Christians are either ignorant of the yoke they wear, sly, power-hungry egomaniacs or self-delusional, obsessed creatures. Instead, the worshippers of the Old Gods are smart and all-knowing. Although they believe in a very different truth, both factions don't mind spilling blood and have similar concepts of revenge and ambition.
This conflict is the main object of this 480-page-book, while plot, worldbuilding and characters are only an accompaniment.
“Controlling others is a great Christian virtue, if only you can seem to be doing it for the Lord.”
The protagonist, Karelian, a handsome knight barely past his prime and fresh from the First Crusade, is sick at the concept of blood and atrocities committed in the name of God. Worldly and disillusioned, he is questioning his lifelong beliefs and is unmanned by the ugly reality beneath the veneer of righteousness sustaining his career as Christian knight. His young squire, Paul, sees everything through the distorted lens of a faith that chokes and deprives, he holds on his prejudices as the only anchor against what is different, what -for good or ill- shows him a different reality. He watches, doubts, and then dismisses what he cannot comprehend as sorcery and perversion. From his self-proclaimed moral high ground he takes it upon himself to help his master repent his sins and renounce his fascination for heresy and a certain sorceress.
Bottom line, Paul was full of admiration for Karelian when he was slaughtering heathen children, but he recoiled in horror when his idol started to question his life and so his Christian faith. Of course he is aware of his arrogance and that his motives are not entirely selfless, but he blinds himself willingly.
I have nothing against religious criticism, particularly when a tale deals with the corruption and wickedness of the olden secular church, but here I noticed a useless vehemence which the story or the characters motivations didn't warrant, also considering you don’t really need more than 15 pages to loathe or pity the narrator with a passion. Some sentences were strong to the point of offense and the argument was expounded for two thirds of the book, so definitely not just for the plot’s sake.
I was undecided whether to drop it or not, because there is fiction and there are limits. But somehow I was compelled to finish because I liked Karelian and I wanted to see what kind of ending the author was going to concoct (not wholly resolved, as it happens).
Pages full of sterile critique aside, I found far more interesting the mix of Christian and Pagan (not in a demeaning sense, but in the contextualized sense of the word) practices and how this coexistence was manipulated to further petty interests and mundane intrigue; or the theme of the privileged few versus the starving masses, the game of status and the divine’s will to justify human ambition and greed. Throw in a Jesus Christ married to Mary Magdalene (no, I'm sure you have never heard of this one before)...That was fun actually, .
If not original, at least the potential for an engaging plot and some mysteries was there, but as I said, the execution fell short.
Another puzzling point is the novel’s depiction of women: they are inferior creatures made to entice and/or to send men to perdition, the very embodiment of evil, so they must pray and curb their willful nature. A good woman is a commodity, silent and demure, who exists only to breed heirs, satisfy a man, work and celebrate the superiority of males.
This is the sum of pious Christian women and very medieval-like or not, it’s of course difficult to sympathize with such a picture.
The female lead, Raven, makes plenty of use of her considerable bodily assets, fitting well into the image of the sorceress and temptress the Christians warn against. She needs the help of men but she has considerable power herself and she is not a weak-willed creature, nor are her motives shallow. She knows where she stands, what she wants and how to obtain it. She is not void of emotion either and to achieve her goal she is willing to betray and be betrayed.
She is not a Christian woman and of course the reader can easily root for her.
The other women are pretty wallflowers, like Adelaide, introduced as "schooled at seventeen in the art of seeming, better known to women as the art of survival.", or embittered middle-aged witches full of malice and spite, like Sigune, bearing scars on the outside as ugly as their souls. Then there are Clara and Helga, the archetypal evil stepmother and sister….Women so brainwashed and plagued by guilt that they can, despite all, love their tormentors even to death (whose depends on the situation). They can try to influence their destiny but in the end they are a contemptible lot indeed. It goes without saying, there is also a superfluous rape scene and the narrator manages to find sublime justifications for it.
But it wasn’t God’s business to make people happy, was it? Life was hard. Life was supposed to be hard, the countess said. How else would a Christian deserve heaven?
Not that a man’s life is presented as much easier, particularly the life of servants or of those pledged to a lord, like Rudolf, but generally speaking the Christian’s faith champions the superiority of men so they are better off. The other men characters are either full of self-doubt, like Karelian, or gruesome warring monsters like the Iron count, interested only in plunder, sex and blood (not sure about the order) or like Gottfried, the epitome of the Christian knight, full of charisma, conviction and ambition.
Anyhow, since they serve the story, all the characters are stereotyped to fit their role and completely flat, there is a weak attempt at development in Raven and Karelian only. The full cast is very argumentative, they believe they are morally right and their points of view, set forth at length to different degrees, are very convincing, though some have opposite ideas.
They are all wonderfully selfish and fight for their own values and heart’s desires, so all their emotions come to the fore. Most characters indeed question themselves as the story progresses, but there is a clear-cut line between those who consequently find self-betterment and those who spiral farther downwards into a deeper pool of delusion.
Again, wasted potential, since all the behaviors are steered and contrived.
Nothing, he thought, was ever as it seemed, and human creatures least of all.
I didn’t dislike the book, after a fashion and all the above paragraphs, the story is not boring, the historical background is compelling, the writing style is nice and despite the narrator’s best efforts to anticipate the facts as he chronicles the past, I was in for some surprises. I liked the characters, flatness and all, because I was interested in their struggles even if they were mostly obnoxious, deluded or dense. However, the rhythm is not very good: the first few chapters unroll fast then the pace slows down and the abuse of foreshadowing spoils the suspense. The story, which started with a definite single plotline, becomes increasingly confusing and the transition is jarring, not to mention the subsequent parts feel more like a pileup of events than the result of a cohesive flow. The book would certainly benefit from an editing revision as well, it’s certainly too long for his plot points and several scenes are overwritten.
There is a very marginal M/M subtheme but it's just a plot device to reinforce the hypocrisy of a certain character and to show how well homosexuality dovetails with medieval Christian morality (as if the tale needed further denunciation of religion and social control). There is instead a relevant M/F romance thread and also some sex.
“What really does happen to a man who binds himself to a witch—other than in bed, where everything that happens is what other men dream of?”
Yeah, way to go. What was I expecting from a character of such deep insight?
Actually, as long as there are some thought-provoking themes I'm fine with despicable characters. My issue is with the fact that less vehemence, a closer-knit tale, a healthy dose of character development, more intellectual honesty and a serious editor would have made for a much better novel, even with all its shock-value unpleasantness. I would probably have enjoyed it and accepted the invitation to think and drawn my own conclusions with more ease.
In this regard, considering the length of my review, the author succeed but probably not in the expected way since my thoughts are more focused on my irritation (also at myself for seeing this novel through) than on the narrative, and particularly on the fact that it had the potential to yield better results.
1.5 stars, rounded to two because I should have known better.
Everybody wants more than they have, don’t they?”
February 1, 2016
I picked up Marie Jakober's The Black Chalice at When Words Collide back in August. I started reading it shortly thereafter and I made steady progress on it. For me, this book was not one that I had a problem putting down, and it cost me no more than a few minutes of sleep most nights. That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy it immensely, just that the rise and fall of the tensions of the book did not grip me so fiercely that I needed to know what was coming next.
Set in a fictional region of medieval Germany, after the First Crusade, the Black Chalice deals mainly with Karelian, the Count of Lys, and his squire, Paul. The book, however, is written mostly from Paul's viewpoint, many years in the future from the events the book describes; sorcery, love, betrayal and civil war. This was a most effective storytelling method, because when the story is not told from Paul's point of view, we see events very differently and that reveals to the reader the way interpretation of events can alter how history is told and judged. History may be told by the victors, but it is also told by those who care to write it.
Character is one of the strongest and most enjoyable elements of The Black Chalice. Jakober did an excellent job of giving her characters believable desires, needs, and viewpoints. Villains, such as they are, are in fact merely people driven by their own beliefs, rather than evil for its own sake. Though you might not end up wishing these characters well, their actions are believable and logical. This was a book I enjoyed foremost because of the strong, dynamic characters, who grew (or fell) during the telling.
The theme of Christianity versus paganism was a constant one in this book, and Christianity was not portrayed well. Certainly, this may have matched the viewpoints of people deemed heretics, witches, and blasphemers, many of whom found themselves burned at the stake or suffering similarly gruesome deaths. It is true that Christianity has a bloody past, so I did not find Jakober's harping on this theme to be overwhelming. However, it felt very forced at some points.
Overall, the Black Chalice struck the right balance of history, fantasy, action, drama and strong character and it was well written and well told. I enjoyed it and I'll be looking for more books by Marie Jakober in the future.
Set in a fictional region of medieval Germany, after the First Crusade, the Black Chalice deals mainly with Karelian, the Count of Lys, and his squire, Paul. The book, however, is written mostly from Paul's viewpoint, many years in the future from the events the book describes; sorcery, love, betrayal and civil war. This was a most effective storytelling method, because when the story is not told from Paul's point of view, we see events very differently and that reveals to the reader the way interpretation of events can alter how history is told and judged. History may be told by the victors, but it is also told by those who care to write it.
Character is one of the strongest and most enjoyable elements of The Black Chalice. Jakober did an excellent job of giving her characters believable desires, needs, and viewpoints. Villains, such as they are, are in fact merely people driven by their own beliefs, rather than evil for its own sake. Though you might not end up wishing these characters well, their actions are believable and logical. This was a book I enjoyed foremost because of the strong, dynamic characters, who grew (or fell) during the telling.
The theme of Christianity versus paganism was a constant one in this book, and Christianity was not portrayed well. Certainly, this may have matched the viewpoints of people deemed heretics, witches, and blasphemers, many of whom found themselves burned at the stake or suffering similarly gruesome deaths. It is true that Christianity has a bloody past, so I did not find Jakober's harping on this theme to be overwhelming. However, it felt very forced at some points.
Overall, the Black Chalice struck the right balance of history, fantasy, action, drama and strong character and it was well written and well told. I enjoyed it and I'll be looking for more books by Marie Jakober in the future.
September 6, 2009
Excellent fantasy based in history...set in Germany just after the 1st Crusade, early 1100's.
"...a powerful and sensual tapestry blending carefully researched facts with daring fantasy, making equal use of history & myth. It portrays the conquered pagan world as a world that should never have been ost, and celebrates its brooding legends, its magic & its defiant sexual power."
While the strong anti-Christian slant troubles me, Jakober makes a point - there's a big difference between the teachings, and the practice. It's not the teachings of Jesus that are revile - but the practices of his "followers" - arrogant, power hungry, proud, intolerant, blood-lust - a dire warning to practice what we profess to believe...
As a lover of myths, legends & history, I found the storytelling compelling - the "just one more chapter" syndrome - and as a Christian, humbling...who were these people and why did we let them warp Jesus' teachings?
"...a powerful and sensual tapestry blending carefully researched facts with daring fantasy, making equal use of history & myth. It portrays the conquered pagan world as a world that should never have been ost, and celebrates its brooding legends, its magic & its defiant sexual power."
While the strong anti-Christian slant troubles me, Jakober makes a point - there's a big difference between the teachings, and the practice. It's not the teachings of Jesus that are revile - but the practices of his "followers" - arrogant, power hungry, proud, intolerant, blood-lust - a dire warning to practice what we profess to believe...
As a lover of myths, legends & history, I found the storytelling compelling - the "just one more chapter" syndrome - and as a Christian, humbling...who were these people and why did we let them warp Jesus' teachings?
June 8, 2016
OK. A little too much ultimately. Narrator completely unlikeable.
Paul of Arduin is a monk, but he used to be squire to Karelian--a German count and hero of the Crusades. Paul worships Karelian, perhaps a little too much. Then Karelian meets Raven, the witch of Helmardin, and otherworldly creature. They fall in love and form an alliance--which spoils him for the sanctimonious Paul.
Gottfried was Karelian's liege lord--with aspirations to be emperor. He claims to be a descendent of Christ, and Paul believes him. Civil war erupts, and eventually Gottfried and Karelian meet in a duel to decide who is in the right. Karelian wins, but not until after a treacherous mortal blow delivered by Paul on Gottfried's behalf. AS an old man, Paul attempts to tell the "truth," but Raven intervenes, compelling him to tell the real truth.
Paul of Arduin is a monk, but he used to be squire to Karelian--a German count and hero of the Crusades. Paul worships Karelian, perhaps a little too much. Then Karelian meets Raven, the witch of Helmardin, and otherworldly creature. They fall in love and form an alliance--which spoils him for the sanctimonious Paul.
Gottfried was Karelian's liege lord--with aspirations to be emperor. He claims to be a descendent of Christ, and Paul believes him. Civil war erupts, and eventually Gottfried and Karelian meet in a duel to decide who is in the right. Karelian wins, but not until after a treacherous mortal blow delivered by Paul on Gottfried's behalf. AS an old man, Paul attempts to tell the "truth," but Raven intervenes, compelling him to tell the real truth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2010
Myths, legends and history are exquisitely woven into the canvas of this book. Times and narrators change and with these changes comes up a great tale of love, treachery, magic and adventures.
A very mesmerizing and thought-provoking read.
A very mesmerizing and thought-provoking read.
March 8, 2013
Believe it or not I almost put this book down several times. This is one of those books that tells the story from the POV of a misogynistic male character... in fact, I found myself struggling through the first bit. That being said, the story definitely takes off and becomes quite a quick and enjoyable reading experience. Jakober uses writings of "holy men" as epigrams to her chapters and most, if not all, are related to the subjugation of women (for their own good since evidently they cannot help being the evil creatures that they are).
At times I would literally find myself, jaw agape, rereading these little tidbits of venom trying to comprehend the level of antipathy towards other people one must have to be able to produce such bile.
Jakober is a new writer to me and I hope to acquire more of her work as soon as I winnow down Mt. TBR a bit.
At times I would literally find myself, jaw agape, rereading these little tidbits of venom trying to comprehend the level of antipathy towards other people one must have to be able to produce such bile.
Jakober is a new writer to me and I hope to acquire more of her work as soon as I winnow down Mt. TBR a bit.
July 14, 2020
Fantastic
Thanks to my friends at Goodreads, this book came up and was highly recommended. This was amazing! Sort of a historical fantasy, it's set in Germany around the year 1100. The plot was well devised, flipping from past to present.mixing in battles, magic and religious beliefs. Characters are complex and very engaging. They really hold this stories heart. You get to decide who is evil and who is good. This all revolves around religion and god. There's a lot of different layers to this story, the sort of story that left me thinking for days after. Would love a follow-up novel.
Thanks to my friends at Goodreads, this book came up and was highly recommended. This was amazing! Sort of a historical fantasy, it's set in Germany around the year 1100. The plot was well devised, flipping from past to present.mixing in battles, magic and religious beliefs. Characters are complex and very engaging. They really hold this stories heart. You get to decide who is evil and who is good. This all revolves around religion and god. There's a lot of different layers to this story, the sort of story that left me thinking for days after. Would love a follow-up novel.
March 1, 2016
This is a very good fantasy book. I really enjoyed reading this book. Not your usual fantasy. The story is told from the POV of a monk who use to be the squire of one of the main character. It reads somewhat like litterature and it is really well written. If you want to try something different in the world of fantasy, this is something worth trying. Again, excellent read.
March 14, 2009
Wonderful book.
Amazing how justified Pauli seems in his record and how jarring it is to see a different perspective on events. Even at the end of the book I was still being ambushed by things he had said that I had accepted too unquestioningly.
Amazing how justified Pauli seems in his record and how jarring it is to see a different perspective on events. Even at the end of the book I was still being ambushed by things he had said that I had accepted too unquestioningly.
September 6, 2020
This is the real thing!
This is a well written yarn and all I had hoped for when I bought it. So many authors go on and on, book after book, going nowhere. This author has the skill and integrity to give you what you buy. A wonderful yarn of knights, religion and sorcery.
This is a well written yarn and all I had hoped for when I bought it. So many authors go on and on, book after book, going nowhere. This author has the skill and integrity to give you what you buy. A wonderful yarn of knights, religion and sorcery.
November 21, 2021
Reading this, I had to wonder why I'd never heard of it or its author before, given that it was originally published almost twenty years ago. It's an evocative and meticulously written historical fantasy, with impressive authenticity in the descriptions of its High Medieval setting and characters. At the same time, the realism shades seamlessly into the fantastical aspects, subtle at first, then more pronounced throughout the story. Although I'm a long time fantasy reader, I guess I haven't read much in this exact genre - maybe there's a large pool of books of this type that I simply haven't come across. As far as what I have read that seems similar, this reminded me most of Harrison's The Hammer and the Cross. The political and military machinations of the factions vying for control of central Europe are vividly conveyed, and the humanity of the individuals caught up in the strife comes through powerfully as well.
There's a surprising depth to the presentation of the supernatural in 12th century Europe, with undercurrents of pagan beliefs and superstitious fears running beneath the near universal dominance of Christianity. Of course in this world, the actual existence of the woodland veela and other arcane elements creates a stronger counterpoint to the powers of the church than likely existed in the real world - but even so, the conflict is brilliantly portrayed here. Protagonist Karelian's alliance with the mystical sorceress Raven is encouraged by his existing skepticism about the validity of the dominant religion, and the philosophical arguments he raises ring true, I would hope both in his time and ours. In fact, the book presents a solid takedown of both the biblical case for Christianity and the hypocritical ambitions of its worldly representatives - could this be one reason why the book hasn't become more widely known?
The story alternates between a third person narration of Karelian's POV and the first person POV of his erstwhile squire Paul, who represents the religious perspective - and it's the latter sections that bring the book down ever so slightly in my estimation. Paul's story intertwines with that of Karelian in ways that absolutely make sense for the story, but for me I'm afraid he came across in his sections as even more whiny and pathetic than the author had likely intended.
But the writing is polished, the action is engaging, and this is a fine example of its genre; highly recommended and I'd certainly be interested in reading more by Jakober.
There's a surprising depth to the presentation of the supernatural in 12th century Europe, with undercurrents of pagan beliefs and superstitious fears running beneath the near universal dominance of Christianity. Of course in this world, the actual existence of the woodland veela and other arcane elements creates a stronger counterpoint to the powers of the church than likely existed in the real world - but even so, the conflict is brilliantly portrayed here. Protagonist Karelian's alliance with the mystical sorceress Raven is encouraged by his existing skepticism about the validity of the dominant religion, and the philosophical arguments he raises ring true, I would hope both in his time and ours. In fact, the book presents a solid takedown of both the biblical case for Christianity and the hypocritical ambitions of its worldly representatives - could this be one reason why the book hasn't become more widely known?
The story alternates between a third person narration of Karelian's POV and the first person POV of his erstwhile squire Paul, who represents the religious perspective - and it's the latter sections that bring the book down ever so slightly in my estimation. Paul's story intertwines with that of Karelian in ways that absolutely make sense for the story, but for me I'm afraid he came across in his sections as even more whiny and pathetic than the author had likely intended.
But the writing is polished, the action is engaging, and this is a fine example of its genre; highly recommended and I'd certainly be interested in reading more by Jakober.
March 5, 2021
This book broke my resolve
I always finish a book, no matter how much I
dislike it, I always finish a book. Until this one. The writer just couldn't hold down the plot. It was circuitous boring writing posing as philosophical theological arguments. I have the feeling this could have been a good book, had the author just written the story without making his plot too unwieldy. Almost half way into the book and there is nothing connecting this story. Alas, I shall never know how it ends because this is one book that I just had to Marie Kondo. It brought no joy and I had to put it down.
I always finish a book, no matter how much I
dislike it, I always finish a book. Until this one. The writer just couldn't hold down the plot. It was circuitous boring writing posing as philosophical theological arguments. I have the feeling this could have been a good book, had the author just written the story without making his plot too unwieldy. Almost half way into the book and there is nothing connecting this story. Alas, I shall never know how it ends because this is one book that I just had to Marie Kondo. It brought no joy and I had to put it down.
April 4, 2021
Well wrtten
And a great story. This author really knows her stuff! I haven't read anything that held my attention the way this did for quite s while. Thank you, MS Jakober!
And a great story. This author really knows her stuff! I haven't read anything that held my attention the way this did for quite s while. Thank you, MS Jakober!
May 11, 2023
One of my favorite books of all time! I feel like it delves deep into the personal experience of the conversion to early Christianity. The different perspectives that the reader is given insight to make this for one the greatest books I’ve ever read!
October 2, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It was very well-written and very well-researched. While it is fantasy - there is "old magic" involved - it is also well-grounded in the middle ages. The auther has done an excellent job of capturing the thoughts and beliefs of the time and making readers feel they are back in that time period.
The book was extremely long but held my attention to the end, with complex characters and interesting plot twists.
My one hesitation is that the POV character, the narrator of most of the book, is not a very likeable person. He represents and ascribes to all the worst aspects of religious intolerance and mysogeny in the church and at large at that time. There is no doubt that those attitudes prevailed, but there are also numerous examples in the middle ages of tolerance, compassion and strong women taking active and respected roles in society.
Nevertheless, this is a good story well-told and beautifully written and I look forward to reading more by Marie Jakober!
The book was extremely long but held my attention to the end, with complex characters and interesting plot twists.
My one hesitation is that the POV character, the narrator of most of the book, is not a very likeable person. He represents and ascribes to all the worst aspects of religious intolerance and mysogeny in the church and at large at that time. There is no doubt that those attitudes prevailed, but there are also numerous examples in the middle ages of tolerance, compassion and strong women taking active and respected roles in society.
Nevertheless, this is a good story well-told and beautifully written and I look forward to reading more by Marie Jakober!
January 27, 2015
Beautiful and haunting, depicting a worldview that feels realistic and important. I read this when it first came out years ago(and have always kicked myself for missing the chance at buying a signed copy), and then read it again just recently, and found that it stood up to the test of time. The bisexual love triangle in the book is one of the most poignant stories I've ever read, and it has stuck with me to this day. High recommends.
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April 7, 2015FAILMEME, INO, BUT THERE'S A THREAD ASKING FOR CANON RECS ABOUT HIGHER-RANKING WOMEN AND GUYS WHO ARE SUPER DEVOTED TO THEM, AND IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING MEME MIGHT BE INTO.
I'M USING IT AS A JUMPING OFF POINT, BASICALLY, AND GOOGLING EVERYTHING/LOOKING IT UP ON GOODREADS TO SEE WHAT NON-FAILMEMERS SAY.
NO TO THE BLACK CHALICE, THE DUDE SEEMS LIKE A DICK. I’M KIND OF INTERESTED IN EVEN THE STONES THOUGH, ITMIGHT BE WORTH CHECKING OUT.
I'M USING IT AS A JUMPING OFF POINT, BASICALLY, AND GOOGLING EVERYTHING/LOOKING IT UP ON GOODREADS TO SEE WHAT NON-FAILMEMERS SAY.
NO TO THE BLACK CHALICE, THE DUDE SEEMS LIKE A DICK. I’M KIND OF INTERESTED IN EVEN THE STONES THOUGH, ITMIGHT BE WORTH CHECKING OUT.
March 30, 2023
This is one of those stories that ended up absorbing me when I thought I'd been absorbing it. Historically fascinating, evocative perspective on religions, and ended up being a much more emotional read than I expected. This is a story that will stay with me.
September 9, 2009
Ohhh, Jesus is a baddie in this one.
February 28, 2013
Not at all bad. Set in mythic 1134 Germany. I enjoyed it.
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