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Sabazel #1
Sabazel
In a world rooted in Mediterranean history and mythology, a warrior-king forms a more-than-political alliance with an Amazon queen. "A marvelous sense of romantic adventure…unusually literate and intelligent…strong characterizations complimented by an evocative magical poetry in the imagery…use of Classical background assured and distinctive." Borderland
260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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About the author
Lillian Stewart Carl
64 books58 followersAuthor bio:
Lillian Stewart Carl's work often features paranormal/fantasy themes and always features plots based on mythology, history, and archaeology. Most of her novels take place squarely in the twenty-first century, where the past lingers on into the present, especially in the British Isles, Lillian's home away from home.
She is the author of nineteen novels so far, including the Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron mystery series---America's exile and Scotland's finest on the trail of all-too-living legends.
Her newest novel is Fairbairn/Cameron number six, THE MORTSAFE.
Of her mystery, fantasy, and sf short stories, twelve are available in a collection titled ALONG THE RIM OF TIME, and thirteen, including three from "Best Of the Year" anthologies, are collected in THE MUSE AND OTHER STORIES OF HISTORY, MYSTERY, and MYTH.
All of Carl's work is available in electronic as well as paper form.
She has also co-edited (with John Helfers) a retrospective of Lois McMaster's Bujold's science fiction work, titled THE VORKOSIGAN COMPANION, which was nominated for a Hugo award.
Lillian Stewart Carl's work often features paranormal/fantasy themes and always features plots based on mythology, history, and archaeology. Most of her novels take place squarely in the twenty-first century, where the past lingers on into the present, especially in the British Isles, Lillian's home away from home.
She is the author of nineteen novels so far, including the Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron mystery series---America's exile and Scotland's finest on the trail of all-too-living legends.
Her newest novel is Fairbairn/Cameron number six, THE MORTSAFE.
Of her mystery, fantasy, and sf short stories, twelve are available in a collection titled ALONG THE RIM OF TIME, and thirteen, including three from "Best Of the Year" anthologies, are collected in THE MUSE AND OTHER STORIES OF HISTORY, MYSTERY, and MYTH.
All of Carl's work is available in electronic as well as paper form.
She has also co-edited (with John Helfers) a retrospective of Lois McMaster's Bujold's science fiction work, titled THE VORKOSIGAN COMPANION, which was nominated for a Hugo award.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 21, 2015
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
Sabazel is a thinly disguised fantasy take on Alexander the Great: The Macedonian who led the Greek world in their crusade against the Persian Empire and won himself a world spanning empire as well as eternal glory. The only difference between that historical figure and the protagonist in this fantasy novel is that they have different names; here, Alexander is called Marcos Bellasteros.
The story begins with our mighty conqueror leading his armies in their crusade. Before the final battle for control of the empire, however, fate leads Marcos to Sabazel. This small nation-state is a land of warrior-women (Amazons) who worship their goddess and only consort with men at certain religious holidays throughout the year. The leader of Sabazel is named Danica.
Naturally, Alexander . . . err, I mean, Marcos and Danica initially hate one another but eventually fall in love; they then discover that their respective gods wish them to join forces to overthrow the Persian Empire . . . err, I mean the fantasy empire that just kinda, sorta resembles the Persian Empire. Together, they then set out on a quest to recover a magical sword, navigate through inevitable political intrigue, fight the final battle of the war and attempt to remain faithful to the love they share – even though they both realizes they can never truly be together.
If all that sounds like a rather straightforward 1980s fantasy, well, it is. But, all in all, Sabazel is still a decent read. Lillian Stewart Carl does a fine job portraying the Macedonian and Greek culture (albeit in a fantasy context), and the story she crafts has plenty of godly magic, political machinations, racial tensions, and even a bit of warfare – though not as much attention is paid to that as the romantic plot – to keep a reader entertained. But, unfortunately, the novel suffers from the same flaw as many fantasy works from this period: A bit of magic, some weird names, and a few fantasy tropes does not automatically make an epic fantasy.
So if you find this one on a used bookshelf somewhere, ask yourself a few questions before you pick it up. One, do you like Alexander the Great, Greek myths, and Amazons? Two, do you prefer your fantasy more romantic than violent? And three, does knowing what is ultimately going to happen detract from your enjoyment of the story?
If you answered “Yes” to the first two questions and “No” to the last one, then you should pick this one up. If not, you better just stay away. 80s fantasy isn’t for everyone after all.
Sabazel is a thinly disguised fantasy take on Alexander the Great: The Macedonian who led the Greek world in their crusade against the Persian Empire and won himself a world spanning empire as well as eternal glory. The only difference between that historical figure and the protagonist in this fantasy novel is that they have different names; here, Alexander is called Marcos Bellasteros.
The story begins with our mighty conqueror leading his armies in their crusade. Before the final battle for control of the empire, however, fate leads Marcos to Sabazel. This small nation-state is a land of warrior-women (Amazons) who worship their goddess and only consort with men at certain religious holidays throughout the year. The leader of Sabazel is named Danica.
Naturally, Alexander . . . err, I mean, Marcos and Danica initially hate one another but eventually fall in love; they then discover that their respective gods wish them to join forces to overthrow the Persian Empire . . . err, I mean the fantasy empire that just kinda, sorta resembles the Persian Empire. Together, they then set out on a quest to recover a magical sword, navigate through inevitable political intrigue, fight the final battle of the war and attempt to remain faithful to the love they share – even though they both realizes they can never truly be together.
If all that sounds like a rather straightforward 1980s fantasy, well, it is. But, all in all, Sabazel is still a decent read. Lillian Stewart Carl does a fine job portraying the Macedonian and Greek culture (albeit in a fantasy context), and the story she crafts has plenty of godly magic, political machinations, racial tensions, and even a bit of warfare – though not as much attention is paid to that as the romantic plot – to keep a reader entertained. But, unfortunately, the novel suffers from the same flaw as many fantasy works from this period: A bit of magic, some weird names, and a few fantasy tropes does not automatically make an epic fantasy.
So if you find this one on a used bookshelf somewhere, ask yourself a few questions before you pick it up. One, do you like Alexander the Great, Greek myths, and Amazons? Two, do you prefer your fantasy more romantic than violent? And three, does knowing what is ultimately going to happen detract from your enjoyment of the story?
If you answered “Yes” to the first two questions and “No” to the last one, then you should pick this one up. If not, you better just stay away. 80s fantasy isn’t for everyone after all.
Displaying 1 of 1 review