Judith Tarr (born January 30, 1955) is an American

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

author.

Life

Tarr was born in

Augusta, Maine Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County. The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Maine, and third-least populous state capital in the U ...

on January 30, 1955. She is the daughter of Earle A. Tarr, Jr. (a waterworks manager and salesman of real estate), and Regina (a teacher)."Tarr, Judith" in Stableford, Brian M. ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature''.Lanham (Md.) : Scarecrow Press, 2009. (p. 397)Sawyer, Andy. "Tarr, Judith", in the ''St. James Guide To Fantasy Writers'', ed.

David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of '' Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective wh ...

. London, St. James Press, 1996, ,(pp. 551-2). She received her B.A. in Latin and English from

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite historically women's colleges in the Northeastern United State ...

in 1976, and has an M.A. in Classics from

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, and an M.A. and PhD in Medieval Studies from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. She taught Latin at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the c ...

from 1990 to 1993. She breeds

Lipizzan The Lipizzan or Lipizzaner ( hr, Lipicanac, cz, Lipicán, hu, Lipicai, it, Lipizzano, sr, Lipicaner, sl, Lipicanec), is a European horse breed, breed of riding horse developed in the Habsburg Empire in the sixteenth century. It is of Baroqu ...

horses at ''Dancing Horse Farm'', her home in

Vail, Arizona Vail is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is southeast of Tucson. The population was 10,208 at the 2010 census, up from 2484 in the 2000 census. The area is known for the nearby Colossal Cave, a la ...

. The romantic fantasies that she writes under the name ''Caitlin Brennan'' feature "dancing horses" modeled on those that she raises.

''The Hound and the Falcon'' Trilogy

Tarr's ''

The Hound and the Falcon ''The Hound and the Falcon'' is a fantasy book trilogy by Judith Tarr, containing the books '' The Isle of Glass'' (Bluejay, 1985), '' The Golden Horn'' (Bluejay, 1985), and '' The Hounds of God'' (Bluejay, 1986)."Tarr, Judith" in Stableford, B ...

'' trilogy (''

The Isle of Glass ''The Isle of Glass'' is the first novel in ''The Hound and the Falcon'' trilogy by Judith Tarr, published in 1985. Plot summary ''The Isle of Glass'' is a novel in which the elven hero, Alf, works against civil war and heads on a pilgrimage to J ...

'', 1985; '' The Golden Horn'', 1985; ''

The Hounds of God ''The Hounds of God'' is the third novel in ''The Hound and the Falcon ''The Hound and the Falcon'' is a fantasy book trilogy by Judith Tarr, containing the books '' The Isle of Glass'' (Bluejay, 1985), '' The Golden Horn'' (Bluejay, 1985), and ...

'', 1986) is a fantasy trilogy set in twelfth and thirteenth century Europe. The trilogy focuses on a race of

Elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "lig ...

with supernatural powers, secretly living in medieval society.Kelso, Sylvia. "The God in the Pentagram: Religion and Spirituality in Modern Fantasy".''

Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts (IAFA), founded in 1982 is a nonprofit association of scholars, writers, and publishers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in literature, film, and the other arts. Its principal act ...

''. 18(1) (pgs. 61-82). 2007. The trilogy's main character is Alf, a young monk who is also an Elf. The trilogy features historical personages such as

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christiani ...

and King

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ove ...

as characters.

''Alamut''

In an interview, Tarr stated that she became interested in the period of the Crusades after hearing the 1971 record album, ''Music of the Crusades'' by

David Munrow David John Munrow (12 August 194215 May 1976) was a British musician and early music historian. Early life and education Munrow was born in Birmingham where both his parents taught at the University of Birmingham. His mother, Hilda Ivy (né ...

and the Early Music Consort of London.Mah, Emily
"The Best of Modern Arabian Fantasy, Part II: Judith Tarr and Alamut"
''Blackgate.com''. 28th April 2012. Retrieved 9th April, 2020. This inspired her to write her novel set in the period of the Crusades, ''Alamut''. Tarr consulted the history books ''

The Crusades Through Arab Eyes ''The Crusades Through Arab Eyes'' (french: Les Croisades vues par les Arabes) is a French language historical essay by Lebanese author Amin Maalouf. As the name suggests, the book is a narrative retelling of primary sources drawn from various Ar ...

'' by

Amin Maalouf Amin Maalouf (; ar, أمين معلوف; born 25 February 1949) is a Lebanese-born French"Amin ...

and '' The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam'' by

Bernard Lewis Bernard Lewis, (31 May 1916 – 19 May 2018) was a British American historian specialized in Oriental studies. He was also known as a public intellectual and political commentator. Lewis was the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Nea ...

, as part of her research for ''Alamut''.

''Epona'' series

Tarr's ''Epona'' series of novels (''White Mare's Daughter'', 1998; ''The Shepherd Kings'', 1999; ''Lady of Horses'', 2000; ''Daughter of Lir'', 2001) is set in prehistoric Europe. The ''Epona'' series dramatizes the ideas of archaeologist

Marija Gimbutas Marija Gimbutas ( lt, Marija Gimbutienė, ; January 23, 1921 – February 2, 1994) was a Lithuanian archaeologist and anthropologist known for her research into the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of " Old Europe" and for her Kurgan hypothesis ...

about a matriarchal society existing in Paleolithic Europe.

Pseudonyms

* Caitlin Brennan, pseudonym used for the ''White Magic'' series (''The Mountain’s Call'' and sequels) and ''House of the Star'' * Kathleen Bryan, pseudonym used for the ''War of the Rose'' series (''The Serpent and the Rose'' and sequels)

Bibliography

Novels

*''

'', 1993, , a collection of earlier works: **''The Isle of Glass'', Bluejay, 1985, **''The Golden Horn'', Bluejay, 1985, **''The Hounds of God'', Bluejay, 1986, * Avaryan Chronicles series: **''The Hall of the Mountain King,'' Tor, 1986, **''The Lady of Han-Gilen'', Tor, 1987, **''A Fall of Princes'', Tor, 1988, **''Arrows of the Sun'', Tor, 1993, **''Spear of Heaven'', Tor, 1994, **''Avaryan Rising'' (omnibus of ''The Hall of the Mountain King'', ''The Lady of Han-Gilen'', and ''A Fall of Princes''), Orb, 1997, **''Tides of Darkness'', Tor, 2002, **''Avaryan Resplendent'' (omnibus of ''Arrows of the Sun'', ''Spear of Heaven'', and ''Tides of Darkness''), Tor, 2003, *''A Wind in Cairo'', Bantam Spectra, 1989, *''

Ars Magica ''Ars Magica'' is a role-playing game set in 'Mythic Europe' – a historically grounded version of Europe and the Levant around AD 1200, with the added conceit that conceptions of the world prevalent in folklore and institutions of the High ...

'', Bantam Spectra, 1989, *The ''

Alamut series The ''Alamut'' series consists of the two fantasy books ''Alamut'' (Doubleday, 1989) and ''The Dagger and the Cross'' (Doubleday, 1991) by Judith Tarr. The series is set in the same universe as ''The Hound and the Falcon'', which was written fi ...

'' (set in the Middle East, and in the same universe as ''The Hound and the Falcon''): **''Alamut'', Doubleday, 1989, **''The Dagger and the Cross'', Doubleday, 1991, *''Blood Feuds'' (with

S.M. Stirling Stephen Michael Stirling (born September 30, 1953) is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author who was born in France. Stirling is well known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and his later time travel/alternate hi ...

Susan Shwartz Susan Shwartz (born December 31, 1949) is an American author.King, T. Jackson. "SFC Interview: Susan Shwartz". ''Science Fiction Chronicle'' 16(7): 5, (pp. 30-33). June/July 1995. Education and career She received her B.A. in English from Mo ...

, and

Harry Turtledove Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed ...

), Baen, 1993, *''Lord of the Two Lands'', Tor, 1993 (about

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

) *''His Majesty's Elephant'', Jane Yolen Books, 1993, (about Emperor

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Em ...

) *''Blood Vengeance'' (with

Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. In the 1960 ...

, S.M. Stirling, Susan Shwartz, and Harry Turtledove), Baen, 1993, *''Throne of Isis'', Forge, 1994, (Historical novel featuring

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. ...

and

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the ...

) *''The Eagle's Daughter'', Forge, 1995, *'' Pillar of Fire'', Forge, 1995, (Historical novel set in Ancient Egypt) *''King and Goddess'', Forge, 1996, *''Queen of Swords'', Forge, 1997, *''Epona'': **''White Mare's Daughter'', Forge, 1998, (Historical novel set in c. 4500 BC) **''The Shepherd Kings'', Forge, June 1999 **''Lady of Horses'', Forge, June 2000, **''Daughter of Lir'', Forge, June 2001, *'' Household Gods'' (with Harry Turtledove), Tor, 1999, *''Kingdom of the Grail'', Roc, September 2000, (Fantasy novel where

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

(from the

Matter of France The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of literature and legendary material associated with the history of France, in particular involving Charlemagne and his associates. The cycle springs from the Old French '' chan ...

) meets

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...

) *''Pride of Kings'', Roc, September 2001, *''Devil's Bargain'', Roc, September 2002, *''House of War'', Roc, November 2003, *''Queen of the Amazons'', Tor, April 2004, *''Rite of Conquest'', Roc, November 2004, *''King's Blood'', Roc, October 2005, *''Bring Down the Sun'', Tor, 2008, *''Living in Threes'', Book View Cafe, 2014, *''Forgotten Suns'', Book View Cafe, 2015,

Short fiction

;StoriesShort stories unless otherwise noted.

As Caitlin Brennan

*''House of the Star'', Starscape, 2010, ;The White Magic series #''The Mountain's Call'', Luna, 2004, #''Song of Unmaking'', Luna, 2005, #''Shattered Dance'', Luna, 2006,

As Kathleen Bryan

;The War of the Rose series #''The Serpent and the Rose'', Tor, 2007, #''The Golden Rose'', Tor, 2008, #''The Last Paladin'', Tor, 2009,

Awards

* ''The Isle of Glass'' was the winner of the 1987

William Crawford Award :::''See also'' Crawford Medal The IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award (short: Crawford award) is a literary award given to a writer whose first fantasy book was published during the preceding 18 months. It's one of several awards presented by ...

Locus Award Index
* Short story "Death and the Lady" was second place for the 1993

Theodore Sturgeon Award The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual literary award presented by the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story ...

* ''Lord of the Two Lands'' was nominated in 1994 for the

World Fantasy Award for Best Novel In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

and the

Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel The Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel is a literary award given annually by ''Locus Magazine'' as part of their Locus Awards. Winners References External links The Locus Award Index: FantasyThe Locus Award: 2011 winnersExcerpts and summaries o ...

References

External links

*
Author's website
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarr, Judith 1955 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers American alternate history writers American fantasy writers American historical novelists American science fiction writers American women novelists Analog Science Fiction and Fact people Mount Holyoke College alumni Novelists from Connecticut Wesleyan University faculty Women historical novelists Women science fiction and fantasy writers Writers of fiction set in prehistoric times Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Yale University alumni American women academics