The Serpent's Tooth

From the front flap of the William Morrow first edition: "From the celebrated author of The White Raven, this richly textured historical novel vividly evokes a time of social and political upheaval, as three cultures collide in Early Iron Age Britain. Five centuries before the Romans came to England, the earliest Celts conquered the ruling populace, who had in their time, sent the indigenous tribes deep into the forest. One such Celtic chieftain was High King Leir Blatonikos - the King Lear of Shakespeare - who conquered three kingdoms, married the three ruling queens, and fathered one daughter to each: Gunarduilla, Rigana, and Cridilla. Now, in a daring blend of archaeological fact and brilliant speculation, Diana L. Paxson brings to life the all-to-human motivations behind the Shakespearean tragedy, and sheds new light on a world in transition - a world lost in time that nevertheless mirrors the conflict of our era. As Cridilla struggles to understand and reconcile the vastly different traditions to which she is heir, Diana Paxson illuminates the darkest and most compelling questions humanity has ever faced: the meaning of loyalty, of betrayal, of sovereignty... and of love."