Sabazel Saga

First print-published by Ace Books, 1985What if an Amazon queen had a love affair with Alexander the Great?What if their son had to defend his lands from the Mongol Horde?What if his sister was the priestess of a bull-cult on Crete?What if her son started the Trojan War -- between India and Persia?The Sabazel series, four alternate-history, gonzo-mythology epic fantasy novels: Sabazel, The Winter King, Shadow Dancers, Wings of Power.In a world rooted in Mediterranean history and mythology, armies clash, magicks compete, and the gods set their pawns onto the gameboard. Danica, a warrior-queen, is forced to form a more-than-political alliance with Bellasteros, a warrior-king, making his enemies her enemies. When she rides into battle at his side, carrying his child, his friends become her enemies, too.Trapped, with no choice but to play the game to the end, they begin to re-evaluate their loyalties. And as their worlds are torn apart by both the clash of arms and supernatural powers,Danica and Bellasteros discover that only overcoming their old prejudices-and leading their followers into the same change-will save them and their child.". . .I love this book. A functioning Amazonian society with a kickass queen, navigating the waters of political alliance and war? Sign my silly butt up. This is one of those books I read every few years, and I'm always pleasantly surprised by how good it is each time."---Lilith Saintcrow, author of the Dante Valentine series"Sabazel is the first treatment of Amazon society that can be considering a major success. It has the first honest and convincing milieu with wholly believable characters. It's my idea of genuine heroic vision."---Jessica Amanda Salmonson"...a story told at many levels...a lot of thought-provoking conflict...what makes these books instructive...is the lessons they teach on the clash of cultures. What the author has to say is well worth reading."---John T. Sapienza, jr, Different Worlds"A marvelous sense of romantic adventure ... strong characterizations complimented by anevocative magical poetry in the imagery."-Robert Hadji, Borderland After starting out in science fiction and fantasy, Lillian Stewart Carl is now writing contemporary novels blending mystery, romance, and fantasy, along with short mystery and fantasy stories. Her work often includes paranormal themes. It always features plots based on history and archaeology. While she doesn't write comedy, she believes in characters with a sense of humor.Her fantasies are set in a mythological, alternate-history Mediterranean and India. Hercontemporary novels are set in Texas, in Ohio, in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and in Englandand Scotland.Of her Shadows in Scarlet, Publishers Weekly says: "Presenting a delicious mix of romance andsupernatural suspense, Carl (Ashes to Ashes) delivers yet another immensely readable tale. Shehas created an engaging cast and a very entertaining plot, spicing the mix with some interesting twists on the ghostly romantic suspense novel."Of her Lucifer's Crown, Library Journal says: "Blending historical mystery with a touch of the supernatural, the author creates an intriguing exploration of faith and redemption in a world that is at once both modern and timeless.Among many other novels, Lillian is the author of the Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron cross-genremystery series: America's exile and Scotland's finest on the trail of all-too-living legends. Of The Secret Portrait, Kirkus says: Mystery, history and sexual tension blend with a taste of the wild beauty of the Highlands. Of The Burning Glass, Publishers Weekly says: "Authentic dialect, detailed descriptions of the castle and environs, and vivid characters recreate an area rich in history and legend. The tightly woven plot is certain to delight history fans with its dramatic collision of past and present."With John Helfers, Lillian co-edited The Vorkosigan Companion, a retrospective on Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction work, wh

First print-published by Ace Books in 1986.What if an Amazon queen had a love affair with Alexander the Great?What if their son had to defend his lands from the Mongol Horde?What if his sister was the priestess of a bull-cult on Crete?What if her son started the Trojan War -- between India and Persia?The Sabazel series, four alternate-history, gonzo-mythology epic fantasy novels: Sabazel, The Winter King, Shadow Dancers, Wings of Power.The Winter KingIn a world rooted in Mediterranean history and mythology, armies clash, magicks compete, and the gods set their pawns onto the game board. Andrion, son of an Amazon queen and a world-conquering warrior, was named Beloved of the Gods. But divine love demands of him a test of strength. When his father's empire is betrayed and conquered by barbarians, Andrion flees to his mother's tiny realm. There, in the midst of defeat, he must mortgage his innocence, assess his loyalties, and try to be the warrior his father once was.Meanwhile, Tembujin, the son of the barbarian Khan, finds in the midst of victory that betrayal is not reserved for his enemy, and that perhaps he doesn't want to be the warrior his father once was. Only by forming an uneasy alliance can the two princes earn their patrimonies, inch by inch and heart by heart. And the women surrounding them have more than a little say in both victory and defeat.Lilith Saintcrow, author of the Dante Valentine series, on Sabazel, Book One: ". . .I love thisbook. A functioning Amazonian society with a kickass queen, navigating the waters of political alliance and war? Sign my silly butt up. This is one of those books I read every few years, and I'm always pleasantly surprised by how good it is each time.""...a marvelous sense of romantic adventure ...unusually literate, intelligent and respectfully aware of the epic tradition...strong characterizations complimented by an evocative magicalpoetry in the imagery...plausibility in action and locale...use of Classical background assured and distinctive...firmly grounded in reality, tradition and myth."-Robert Hadji, BorderlandA remarkably fine and thoroughly engrossing book.-Patricia C. WredeOriginal, imaginative, and believable.-Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.A compelling story. I read it through the night.-R.A. MacAvoy After starting out in science fiction and fantasy, Lillian Stewart Carl is now writing contemporary novels blending mystery, romance, and fantasy, along with short mystery and fantasy stories. Her work often includes paranormal themes. It always features plots based on history and archaeology. While she doesn't write comedy, she believes in characters with a sense of humor.Her fantasies are set in a mythological, alternate-history Mediterranean and India. Hercontemporary novels are set in Texas, in Ohio, in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and in Englandand Scotland.Of her Shadows in Scarlet, Publishers Weekly says: "Presenting a delicious mix of romance andsupernatural suspense, Carl (Ashes to Ashes) delivers yet another immensely readable tale. Shehas created an engaging cast and a very entertaining plot, spicing the mix with some interesting twists on the ghostly romantic suspense novel."Of her Lucifer's Crown, Library Journal says: "Blending historical mystery with a touch of the supernatural, the author creates an intriguing exploration of faith and redemption in a world that is at once both modern and timeless.Among many other novels, Lillian is the author of the Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron cross-genremystery series: America's exile and Scotland's finest on the trail of all-too-living legends. Of The Secret Portrait, Kirkus says: Mystery, history and sexual tension blend with a taste of the wild beauty of the Highlands. Of The Burning Glass, Publishers Weekly says: "Authentic dialect, detailed descriptions of the castle and environs, and vivid characters recreate an area rich in history and legend. The tightly woven plot is certain to delight history fans with it

First print-published by Ace Books in 1988What if an Amazon queen had a love affair with Alexander the Great?What if their son had to defend his lands from the Mongol Horde?What if his sister was the priestess of a bull-cult on Crete?What if her son started the Trojan War--between India and Persia?The Sabazel series, four alternate-history, gonzo-mythology epic fantasy novels: Sabazel, The Winter King, Shadow Dancers, Wings of Power.In a world rooted in Mediterranean history and mythology, armies clash, magicks compete, and the gods set their pawns onto the game board. The emperor Andrion thinks his empire is secure.But no. He has no heir from an arranged marriage, and mysterious figures are turning his allies against him. When his wife is kidnapped, he must set aside his crown and travel to the island of Minras, where young men and women are sacrificed in the bull-dance. There Andrion and his companions, Tembujin of Khazyaristan and Dana of Sabazel, face a demon-possessed queen, his own precocious nephew, and two gods who are dueling to the death and destruction of all."Carl is an author to watch, for those who like their fantasy strongly seasoned with history."-Roland Green"...a world full of allusions to our own history...magical struggles with treachery as an important element...the main struggle could be called love vs. hate. These books are interesting works of fantasy...a fine series which shows a good historical background with an awareness of the importance of logistics. Whatever one thinks of Amazons as a concept, they are certainly well-done here. Even the villains are complex, well-fleshed out characters."-Timothy Lane, Fosfax"...fantasy that is woven intricately upon a weft of solid classical knowledge, yet is also colored by a creative imagination of great scope and power...the power and delicate precision of the best poetry...tantalizing glimpses of our own antique world, interestingly altered and yetrecognizable, give the story an extra dimension. Anyone who believes that fantasy must contain magic and elves has never read the work of Mary Renault...in Lillian Carl we have found another who can offer her readers an alternate reality that will live inside the mind long after the book has been finished."-Ardath Mayhar, Thrust After starting out in science fiction and fantasy, Lillian Stewart Carl is now writing contemporary novels blending mystery, romance, and fantasy, along with short mystery and fantasy stories. Her work often includes paranormal themes. It always features plots based on history and archaeology. While she doesn't write comedy, she believes in characters with a sense of humor.Her fantasies are set in a mythological, alternate-history Mediterranean and India. Hercontemporary novels are set in Texas, in Ohio, in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and in Englandand Scotland.Of her Shadows in Scarlet, Publishers Weekly says: "Presenting a delicious mix of romance andsupernatural suspense, Carl (Ashes to Ashes) delivers yet another immensely readable tale. Shehas created an engaging cast and a very entertaining plot, spicing the mix with some interesting twists on the ghostly romantic suspense novel."Of her Lucifer's Crown, Library Journal says: "Blending historical mystery with a touch of the supernatural, the author creates an intriguing exploration of faith and redemption in a world that is at once both modern and timeless.Among many other novels, Lillian is the author of the Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron cross-genremystery series: America's exile and Scotland's finest on the trail of all-too-living legends. Of The Secret Portrait, Kirkus says: Mystery, history and sexual tension blend with a taste of the wild beauty of the Highlands. Of The Burning Glass, Publishers Weekly says: "Authentic dialect, detailed descriptions of the castle and environs, and vivid characters recreate an area rich in history and legend. The tightly woven plot is certain to delight history fans with its dramatic co

First print-published by Ace Books in 1989.What if an Amazon queen had a love affair with Alexander the Great?What if their son had to defend his lands from the Mongol Horde?What if his sister was the priestess of a bull-cult on Crete?What if her son started the Trojan War -- between India and Persia?The Sabazel series, four alternate-history, gonzo-mythology epic fantasy novels: Sabazel, The Winter King, Shadow Dancers, Wings of Power.Wings of PowerIn a world rooted in Mediterranean, Persian, and Indian history and mythology, armies clash, magicks compete, and the gods set their pawns onto the game board. Andrion's nephew Gard,now an adult, is only too aware that the blood of both gods and demons runs in his veins. When he steps over the line once too often, he is sent into exile, where a mad monk and a beautiful slave force him to accept his latent magical abilities. But when Gard sets out to exploit his skills in the rich valley of the Mohan, he starts a war that changes his world and that of his hosts forever."...an interesting re-telling of an old legend. The ending is full of twists, unpredictable, with a delightful discussion of death and glory."--Timothy Lane, Fosfax"...an intense tale...a complex and fascinating plot...resonances between adolescent lust and mature love, between interior and exterior beauty, and between faith and skepticism underlie the story with a steely webwork of reality...an elegant thread of eroticism woven with delicacy and wit through the story...the prose is crafted with a jeweler's precision and the use of imagery is masterful. Carl may well be the finest stylist working in fantasy today."-Ardath Mayhar, Thrust After starting out in science fiction and fantasy, Lillian Stewart Carl is now writing contemporary novels blending mystery, romance, and fantasy, along with short mystery and fantasy stories. Her work often includes paranormal themes. It always features plots based on history and archaeology. While she doesn't write comedy, she believes in characters with a sense of humor.Her fantasies are set in a mythological, alternate-history Mediterranean and India. Hercontemporary novels are set in Texas, in Ohio, in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and in Englandand Scotland.Of her Shadows in Scarlet, Publishers Weekly says: "Presenting a delicious mix of romance andsupernatural suspense, Carl (Ashes to Ashes) delivers yet another immensely readable tale. Shehas created an engaging cast and a very entertaining plot, spicing the mix with some interesting twists on the ghostly romantic suspense novel."Of her Lucifer's Crown, Library Journal says: "Blending historical mystery with a touch of the supernatural, the author creates an intriguing exploration of faith and redemption in a world that is at once both modern and timeless.Among many other novels, Lillian is the author of the Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron cross-genremystery series: America's exile and Scotland's finest on the trail of all-too-living legends. Of The Secret Portrait, Kirkus says: Mystery, history and sexual tension blend with a taste of the wild beauty of the Highlands. Of The Burning Glass, Publishers Weekly says: "Authentic dialect, detailed descriptions of the castle and environs, and vivid characters recreate an area rich in history and legend. The tightly woven plot is certain to delight history fans with its dramatic collision of past and present."With John Helfers, Lillian co-edited The Vorkosigan Companion, a retrospective on Lois McMaster Bujold's science fiction work, which was nominated for a Hugo award.Her first story collection, Along the Rim of Time, was published in 2000, and her second, TheMuse and Other Stories of History, Mystery, and Myth, in 2008, including three stories that werereprinted in Year's Best mystery anthologies.Her books are available in both print and electronic editions, and her web site ishttp://www.lillianstewartcarl.com