Gael Baudino
Gael Baudino is the award-winning author of multiple novels and short stories. Over the course of four decades, her work, mainstream and genre-spanning alike, has appeared in numerous print and online publications, and has been described as elegiac, meditative, dark, uplifting, and reminiscent of the writings of
C.S. Lewis and
Madeleine L’Engle. A skilled player of the ancient Irish wire-strung harp, she has worked as a professional musician and has written two popular instructional books for the instrument. She lives with her spouse in the American Southwest. Gael also uses these pseudonyms: Gael Kathryns, Gael A. Kathryns, and
G.A. Kathryns.
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Strands
Strands — (1989-1997) Spires of Spirit is a short story collection. Publisher’s Weekly: Baudino sets this engrossing fantasy-adventure in a mythical land that replicates the political and religious tensions of 14th-century Europe. The heroine, Miriam, unwillingly gifted with the power to heal, falls victim to a savage Inquisition that condemns her ability as witchcraft, and to a ruthless nobleman who rapes her after she saves his life. Baudino understands the psychology of the persecuted, astutely motivating the self-immolating rage that consumes Miriam and leads her to undergo a complete, magical physical metamorphosis (she becomes tall, strong and beautiful) so that she can be a scourge for her enemies. Though the plot has its share of exciting sword fights, bold rescues and similar stock-in-trade, Baudino focuses on Miriam’s interior journey — her spiritual (which accompanies the corporeal) transformation through contact with the uncorrupted Elves, with the pagan priestesses known as witches and with simple Christians. Her tale acquires an elegiac power, mourning the loss of innocent sources of wisdom even as it vividly imagines them.
Readers’ average rating:
Shroud of Shadow by Gael Baudino
Natil is the last of the Elven race, and in this novel she takes a runaway nun, Omelda, under her wing during the time of the Inquisition. Natil's powers are mostly gone, except for her miraculous harp playing, which is the only thing that saves Omelda from suicide. Natil herself is suicidal, and wants nothing more than to crawl under a rock and cease to exist. Obsessed with this goal, she doesn't do much for Omelda except get the two of them indentured to a selfish rich man, his greedy sons, and his perverted grandsons. Much description of sadistic rape follows.
Natil keeps herself going because she has visions of Elves reawakening in the twentieth century — the only trouble is that these elves are this rather boring couple who spend all their time navel-gazing and talking about how groovy their new powers are. So anyway, they're the hope of the Elven ... Read More
More fantasy novels by Gael Baudino
Dragonsword — (1988-1992) Publisher: Transported to a land that cannot exist, transformed from Suzanne and Braithwaite into Alouzon and Dythragor, they are the bearers of the Dragonswords, guardians of Gryylth and defenders of the Circle. They are the dragonmasters. This is the sequel to The Dragonlance Chronicles.
Water! — (1995-1996) Publisher: A tiny kingdom, frought with internal conflicts and three centuries of drought, embraces the promise of relief by diplomats from the Righteous States of America, and three special people find their lives changed forever.
