The Blood of Roses (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Tanith Lee
- First Published: 1990
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fantasy—dystopia
- Time of Work: Undefined
- Setting: An agrarian land divided into small kingdoms and church holdings
- Genres: Long fiction, Fantasy, Dystopian fiction
- Subjects: Folkloric or magical people, Fratricide, parricide, or filicide, Trees, Resurrection, Vampires
- Locales: Mythical lands
The Plot
Tanith Lee’s novel is a sprawling work in five sections. The first deals with Mechail Kohrlen, heir to a rural estate. He is hunchbacked and antisocial. His father dotes on Mechail’s handsome brother. Mechail completes a test of manhood—a human sacrifice to the forest gods—but his brother mocks him, later hiring soldiers from a rival estate to murder Mechail. Mechail rises from the dead, kills his brother, and flees to the forest.
Rumors of vampirism bring Anjelen, a warrior priest, to the area. He finds Mechail comatose and takes him to the Christerium,...
[The entire page is 1056 words long]
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