The Black Chalice

Susan McKnight is an administrator with the Ontario government.

Jakober’s fifth novel is a masterful blend of history, religion, myth,
and fantasy. As the story opens, Paul of Ardiun, an aging monk, is
sitting in his cell and attempting to write a pious account of the life
of Gottfried, Prince of Germany, and his dealings with Karelian, a
crusader knight. A visitation from Raven, Queen of the Otherworld,
changes everything. She enchants Paul’s quill, forcing him to write
only the truth. This turn of events fills him with anxiety and horror
because the truth—about both the story and his inner nature, which he
must access to complete the story—is not palatable.

Jakober, whose works include both historical and speculative fiction,
combines both genres, weaving into her fantastical tale of love and
revenge stories of divine genealogy and events like the crusaders’
sacking of Jerusalem. Her characters—even her pagan gods, goddesses,
and mythical hunter elves—are plausible and fully developed, and her
extensive knowledge of the period blends seamlessly with the fictional
story.