The Isle of Glass

I didn’t expect to fall into this story the way I did. I'm not normally a historical fantasy reader. But I crossed paths with Judith Tarr and she made a big impression.

The Isle of Glass takes place in a richly imagined medieval England. This world is one still shaped by church power, royal ambition, and the presence of Fair Folk. But for me, the heart of the novel isn’t the world building. It’s Brother Alfred (Alf), a monk who’s lived seventy years in an abbey, yet still looks like a teenager and hasn’t aged a day.

That detail hit home for me. As the author of the Immortal Rising series, I’ve spent years writing characters who stop aging in their mid-twenties, so discovering Alf (who looks seventeen at seventy), was a show more delightful surprise. I actually came to this book after finishing the first novel in my own series, and it felt like finding an unexpected literary cousin.

When Alf brings an injured stranger (the Traveler) into the abbey and nurses him back to health, it sparks more than a mission, it begins Alf’s journey out into the world, away from the cloistered life he’s always known. Along the way, he’s forced to confront what he truly is, what he believes, and what it means to belong. Themes of self-discovery and belonging are huge wins with me.

What stayed with me most was Alf’s quiet strength. He wasn't flashy or heroic, but rather he was rooted in care, integrity, and a deep sense of wonder for the world. Tarr balances political intrigue, spiritual reflection, and personal discovery in a way that works. This book feels timeless. I mean, this was written in the 1980s and I just found it all these years later - and I loved it.

And on a personal note: Judith Tarr once edited a chapter of mine and gave me a lesson I’ll never forget: what belongs on the page, and what doesn’t. I’ll always be grateful for her words. show less

A historical fantasy set in the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

Brother Alfred (‘Alf’) is a humble monk and theologian at the monastery of St Rhuan in Ynys Witrin. He came as a foundling and as been there for nearly 70 years and still looks like a youth of 17. During a storm, he slips out and returns with an injured traveller; he was on an embassy to a Marcher Lord who tortured him instead.

Nursing the traveller back to consciousness, Alf discovers the Marcher lord is trying to provoke war. The Abbot sends Alf on a journey to the North to meet King Richard and warn him of what is happening.

The story is Alf’s journey from the sanctuary of the abbey to the world - which he doesn’t know at all. Along the way, he comes to understand show more what he likely is - one of the Fair Folk, for all he only world is that of the monastery.

Recommended. show less

A historical fantasy set in the reign of Richard the Lionheart.

Brother Alfred (‘Alf’) is a humble monk and theologian at the monastery of St Rhuan in Ynys Witrin. He came as a foundling and as been there for nearly 70 years and still looks like a youth of 17. During a storm, he slips out and returns with an injured traveller; he was on an embassy to a Marcher Lord who tortured him instead.

Nursing the traveller back to consciousness, Alf discovers the Marcher lord is trying to provoke war. The Abbot sends Alf on a journey to the North to meet King Richard and warn him of what is happening.

The story is Alf’s journey from the sanctuary of the abbey to the world - which he doesn’t know at all. Along the way, he comes to understand show more what he likely is - one of the Fair Folk, for all he only world is that of the monastery.

Recommended. show less

Personally, I found this to be a most enjoyable book focusing on the power of the Church and Kings in a medieval England still inhabited by the fair elven folk.

I particularly enjoy the characterisation of Richard I, and love the relationship between the King and main character.

This first book in Tarr’s The Hound and the Falcon trilogy is a work of alternate history, taking place in England during the reign of Richard I. Alf, a monk at St. Ruan’s Abbey, is an elfin changeling left there as a baby, and despite his fair looks and that he never seems to age, only a few are aware of or suspect his true nature. When an injured rider arrives at the abbey one evening, it becomes Alf’s turn to play the part of messenger and ambassador to Richard I in order to prevent war among neighboring lands.

Although I wasn't completely wowed, I like Judith Tarr and I’m looking forward to reading the next part in the series.