Ilario: The Lion's Eye

Abandoned and alone, the fosterling Ilario grows up as the King's Freak, surrounded by all the pomp, intrigue, and danger of the Iberian court. Fleeing a failed treacherous attack, Ilario crosses the sea to Carthage, where the mysterious Penitence shrouds the sky in darkness. There, a strange and awful destiny awaits the would-be painter, one that spans continents and kingdoms.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Set in an alternative medieval world in which Carthage has survived to become a mighty empire, this impressive first in a new fantasy series from British author Gentle introduces a highly unusual protagonist, the hermaphrodite Ilario. A native of Iberia, Ilario is visiting Carthage en route to Rome, where he/she plans to serve as an apprentice to a master painter, when he/she is sexually violated and becomes the slave of Rekhmire', an amiable Egyptian and castrato by choice, who wants Ilario for his/her artistic abilities. Meanwhile, Ilario's mother, ashamed of her offspring's deformity, schemes to kill Ilario. Eventually, Ilario hooks up with Masaccio, an actual pre-Renaissance artist, from whom he learns to paint in perspective. Gentle (A Secret History and other titles in her Book of Ash series) delivers a delicious twist ending involving Ilario's impending marriage that will leave readers eager for the next installment. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

The author of A Secret History, Mary Gentle has written eight books that have won critical acclaim from science fiction and fantasy authors and critics alike. She's completed two Master degrees and is an expert sword-fighter. Her home resides in England

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