The Dagger and the Cross

The Dagger and the Cross is the sequel to Alamut, taking place ten years later. At the end of Alamut, Prince Aidan vowed to marry Morgiana in Jerusalem in front of the Patriarch. However, neither will renounce their faith, so a papal dispensation is necessary for the marriage to be sanctioned and recognized by Christian authorities, thanks to the cultus disparatus policy. This book opens with the arrival of the Rhiyanan fleet carrying King Gwydion and the papal legate with the necessary paperwork. As the wedding preparations go ahead, so does a conspiracy to foil the marriage. In the midst of this personal turmoil, various political and military incidents lead to the imminent invasion of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by Saladin. Prince Aidan show more and Morgiana quarrel (because he's an ass) and proceed to serve the Christian and Muslim kings, respectively, during the ensuing battle.

The book goes on from there, involving a few subplots with a host of supporting characters. Judith Tarr loves the romantic storylines. In this one it involves Princess Elen, the mortal grandniece of Gwydion and Aidan, who is mourning the death of her husband. And then there's Aidan's daughter, the product of his brief affair with Joanna during her estrangement from her husband in Alamut. Ysabel takes after her unacknowledged father and is a rebellious ten-year-old who doesn't get along with her older brother Aimery (the reason for that early estrangement), who hero-worships Prince Aidan. Once again, the details of the real historical figures and events and daily life are excellent. It is a charming story that will bear rereading and clearly foreshadows the events in The Hound and Falcon trilogy, most particularly the final book, The Hounds of God. It is also the book that most clearly explores the role of women in both Christian and Muslim medieval society and the expectations placed on them. show less

As it happens, the Alamut Duology is a prequel to The Hound and Falcon Trilogy. A historical fantasy set in the Kingdom of Jerusalem around the Battle of the Horns of Hattin.

Prince Aiden and his beloved, Morgiana, have received their long-desired dispensation to marry. However, there are those who decide that Morgiana is a threat to the Kingdom and create a forgery - the dispensation has been changed to an anathema.

Morgiana and Aiden quarrel, and she flees the Kingdom. War intervenes, and then the disaster at Hattin.

Recommended, but again a few OCR errors in the text.

Like all of Tarr's books in my experience, it takes a while to get into but is well worth the effort.