Shadow Dancers — Lillian Stewart Carl

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