Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle (Tristan and Isolde Novels, Book 1)

By Rosalind Miles

Book Overview

In the golden time of Arthur and Guenevere, the Island of the West shines like an emerald in the sea--one of the last strongholds of Goddess-worship and Mother-right. Isolde is the only daughter and heiress of Ireland's great ruling queen, a lady as passionate in battle as she is in love. La Belle Isolde, like her mother, is famed for her beauty, but she is a healer instead of a warrior, "of all surgeons, the best among the isles." A natural peacemaker, Isolde is struggling to save Ireland from a war waged by her dangerously reckless mother. The Queen is influenced by her lover, Sir Marhaus, who urges her to invade neighboring Cornwall and claim it for her own, a foolhardy move Isolde is determined to prevent. But she is unable to stop them. King Mark of Cornwall sends forth his own champion to do battle with the Irish--Sir Tristan of Lyonesse--a young, untested knight with a mysterious past. A member of the Round Table, Tristan has returned to the land of his birth after many years in exile, only to face Ireland's fiercest champion in combat. When he lies victorious but near death on the field of battle, Tristan knows that his only hope of survival lies to the West. He must be taken to Ireland to be healed, but he must go in disguise--for if the Queen finds out who killed her beloved, he will follow Marhaus into the spirit world. His men smuggle him into the Queen's fort at Dubh Lein, and beg the princess to save him.

From this first meeting of star-crossed lovers, an epic story unfolds. Isolde's skill and beauty impress Tristan's uncle, King Mark of Cornwall, and--knowing nothing of her love for Tristan--he decides to make her his queen, a match her mother encourages as a way to bind their lands under one rule. Tristan and Isolde find themselves caught in the crosscurrents of fate, as Isolde is forced to marry a man she does not love. Taking pity on her daughter, the Queen gives her an elixir that will create in her a passion for King Mark and ensure that their love will last until death. But on the voyage to Ireland, Tristan and Isolde drink the love potion by accident, sealing their already perilous love forever.

So begins the first book of the Tristan and Isolde trilogy, another stunning example of the storyteller's craft from Rosalind Miles, author of the beloved and bestselling Guenevere trilogy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400047862
• ISBN13: 9781400047864
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Could not put it down!

This is simply a beautiful recreation of an old legend. The writing is rich, detailed and emotional, and Rosalind Miles does a marvellous job of evoking the past without making it seem like an overwrought history lesson (my pet peeve about many historical novels). The love story that's at the heart of the book is deeply romantic, but there's much more to the story: a stormy mother-daughter relationship, international politics, Celtic mysticism, the rise of early Christianity, as well as a meditation on marriage and its deeper meanings. Very well done and very very highly recommended! I am really looking forward to the second book of this trilogy, due out this summer!

A pleasure to read

I purchased this book because I previously enjoyed Rosalind Miles Guenevere novels. This book, however, is miles above those books. My one issue with the Guenevere books was that the title character could be a bit whiny and prone to fits and tantrums, which got on my nerves after a bit (still good books, but it did get old in sections). Isolde in contrast is strong and independent, but also has doubts and uncertainty without resorting to practically tearing her hair out. (And when Guenevere appears in this novel, I actually like her better than I did in her own books). The characters are well developed and interesting and you really believe in their emotions, thoughts an actions. The history is interesting and I really see that Rosalind Miles has developed as a writer and storyteller. I look forward to the next book in this series!

Never a dull moment with Isolde and Tristan!

The story takes place during the time of King Arthur and Queen Guenevere. It is, for the most part, Isolde and Tristan's own story. The characters are entirely believable and seem real to the reader. Their circumstances take on a rather different twist than the usual novels concerning this legend. Isolde is a healer, Tristan a wounded knight/pilgrim, saviour, King Mark a less than desirable husband and King, and Isolde's mother, the Queen of the Western Isle, who practices the "mother right" and believes in the Mother Goddess as Isolde does. The paths these and other characters take, including the venerable and unpredictable Merlin, are not always what they seem. Isolde and Tristan take many risks to be together and it is not all smooth sailing ahead for these two.An exciting book that I found hard to put down. I am eagerly anticipating the next two novels in the well-written trilogy!

Exceptional!

I'm usually fairly skeptical of Arthurian retellings--so many have been done that it's hard to believe there's anything left to say. But "Isolde" is really a terrific work of literary storytelling that happens to have a historical/legendary setting. My reader's group chose it and although it wasn't my top pick, I have to say, I was completely won over.The Tristan and Isolde myth is one that I had heard a little bit about and wasnt' all that interested in, but Isolde's story is really the story of many women and she comes across as a brilliant as well as beautiful heroine (she's a princess but she's also a doctor!). But the author avoids a lot of cliches about princesses and queens and knights. For example, Isolde's mother is a queen like no other you've probably read about, and Tristan is more than just the usual romance-hero warrior. I would definitely recommend this to all reader's groups as well as individuals. It can provoke a great deal of lively discussion and is a very entertaining read.

Glorious history, and romance without the sap!

I love Rosalind Miles' historical fiction because she manages to write romantic stories that aren't sugary and history that really comes to life on the page. The Guenevere trilogy was outstanding in that way, and Isolde is actually even better. This novel takes a fresh look at a story that's always been part of the Arthurian cycle, but has been pushed aside in favor of characters like Morgan le Fay and Guenevere. Long consigned to opera and melodrama, the Tristan and Isolde legend is worthy of its own re-telling, and this book (which is the first of three), gives the reader a stunning historical recreation and a new life to an old legend. Isolde and her mother, the Queen of Ireland, are incredibly compelling portraits of powerful, intelligent women (although the Queen is not without her flaws--she has the same weakness for the opposite sex that seems to afflict some of our male politicians). A lot of historical fiction writers strive for this but never quite manage it. Rosalind Miles' female characters jump off the pages, and her portrayals of men are just as sympathetic and enlightening.Unlike many versions of the Arthurian legend, this book avoids New Age-y imagery as well as romance novel cliches. I highly recommend it to any fan of historical fiction or fiction in general. A very entertaining and enlightening read from a writer who is a natural storyteller.