Queen of Swords by Judith Tarr
Born a daughter and raised to rule as the heir to the kingdom, Queen of Swords is the saga of Melisende, Queen of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The novel portrays how she overcomes the restrictions of the 12th Century to rule as a woman in a time when this was uncommon and unwanted by the men in power.
Tarr describes the history of the Latin kingdom while it was at the height of the Crusader strength and before additional crusades were necessary to halt the drive by the defenders of Islam to reclaim their lands. Melisende is the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II who has no sons. She must wed a foreigner, Fulk of Anjou who is a widower and much older than she. Fulk has been invited to come to Jerusalem by King Baldwin to become king after Baldwin dies. This leaves Melisende unprepared to be a wife, mother, and supportive queen when she was to be queen in her own right. Tarr does a skill job narrating Melisende's frustration in taking a backseat to power.
Secondary characters, such as Richildis of La Foret who travels to the holy land to find her brother, Bertrand help drive the plot. Brother and sister each find romance making any return trip home moot. Tarr succeeds in weaving a enertaining story while always remaining true to historical events. All characters are lively and realistically portrayed. Highly recommended for readers young adult and older.
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