Shadow Dancers
Book 3 in the Sabazel Series

June 2002
Fictionwise.com
ISBN B-000-096B5-4

| Reviews | Excerpt |

In a world rooted in Mediterranean history and mythology, armies clash, magicks compete, and the gods set their pawns onto the gameboard. 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. 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 face a demon-possessed queen, his own precocious nephew, and two gods who are dueling to the death and destruction of all.

Reviews

"Carl is an author to watch, for those who like their fantasy strongly seasoned with history." --Roland Green

"...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 novel has the power and delicate precision of the best poetry. Tantalizing glimpses of our own antique world, interestingly altered and yet recognizable, give the story an extra dimension that feels like true history. 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, Summer 1988

"...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, November 1988

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Excerpt

Note: This book was inspired by the stories of Theseus and the labyrinth on the island of Crete.