Even the Stones

Even the Stones, Marie Jakober, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2004

This historical fantasy is about an ancient land, and its young queen's fight for her crown, her freedom and the man she loves.

Several years previously, Marwen of Kamilan was kidnapped and forced into a marriage with a heartless lord from the neighboring kingdom of Dravia. With the help of Keri, a warrior/minstrel who is part of a caravan passing through Dravia, Marwen escapes. After several weeks walking through forbidding terrain, they arrive back in Kamilan.

Soon after the celebrating stops, the Kamilan Council brings up the subject of Marwen, who is barely 20 years old, marrying and producing an heir to the throne. An unmarried, childless queen is not acceptable, so Marwen reluctantly marries Landis, one of Kamilan's nobles. It's purely a political marriage, until Marwen produces an heir, when the two go their separate ways.

Meantime, Marwen resurrects the ancient, and long-suppressed, religion of the hill queens, leaving the Council aghast. It gets worse when Dravia sends a military probe into Kamilan. Shadrak is a slaveborn commander of an outpost who has been given permission to train a company of men his way. He has also won Marwen's heart. Shadrak defeats the Dravian attack, but according to the Council, he didn't do it honorably. Shadrak used hit and run, guerrilla tactics which greatly limited the casualties among his men. According to the Council, honorable combat means two armies clashing in an open field, swords and lances flying.

Marwen and Shadrak have several late night liaisons, which brings the Council to near-mutiny. The possibility of a half-breed ruling Kamilan is almost too much to bear. But Marwen is not alone. She has Keri, and she has Medwina, priestess of the goddess Jana, and those of her people who keep the old religion.

The proverbial final straw comes when Dravia sends a full-fledged invasion force. There are many casualties on the Kamilan side, but ultimately, with some sorcery help, Shadrak and Kamilan are victorious. Marwen only wants the Dravia forces out of Kamilan, but the Council is shocked that she doesn't conquer Dravia. They only see the possibility of more riches and power for themselves, they don't see that Kamilan would have to go on a permanent war footing. Feeling that Shadrak has somehow bewitched Marwen, a plan is hatched to get rid of Shadrak, permanently.

This is a first-rate piece of writing. It's more a story of gender roles, and the cost of changing them, than a sword and sorcery story. The author does a fine job with the characters, and this is very much worth reading.

The Black Chalice

The Black Chalice, Marie Jakober, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2000

Set in 12th century Germany, soon after the First Crusade to Jerusalem, this is the story of Karelian, Crusader knight and youngest son of a formerly noble House. Troubled by his violent past, and disillusioned with war and the church, he, like many of his countrymen, is not yet ready to give up his
pagan roots. Karelian meets Raven, half-human and half-veela and queen of a hidden castle. He falls madly in love with her, and. later, he betrays everything for her.

The emperor of the Holy Roman Empire dies before his son, Konrad, can be officially sworn in as the new emperor. At the same time, Duke Gottfried also claims the throne. He claims descent from Jesus himself, and possesses what might be a relic from the time of Christ that claims to show him, Gottfried, on the throne. The group of nobles that choose the emperor is deadlocked, setting off a major power struggle. Karelian joins the side of Prince Konrad, even though Karelian is accused of all sorts of terrible crimes, because Duke Gottfried�s plan for a Christian empire must be stopped. The whole empire rests on a one-on-one battle between Gottfried and Karelian, acting as Konrad's champion.

The whole tale is told in flashback from the point of view of Paul, Karelian's ex-squire, who switched sides when Karelian abandoned the church, and is now an elderly monk. Instead of writing the tale expected by his superiors, Paul is forced, through sorcery, to write what really happened.

This is a first-rate piece of writing. It has all the elements a fantasy lover could want, in an interesting and well-done story. This book runs rings around most of what is packaged as fantasy in the local chain bookstore.