Ilario: The Lion's Eye: A Story of the First History, Book One

Set in an alternate history with a medieval Visigothic Carthage and a Roman Empty Chair (among other things) This is the history of a true hermaphrodite and artist, Ilario, traveling a very different Middle Ages, and trying to find inspiration and love, hoping not to be killed by his many enemies, including his/her parents! Rich, sexy and exotic, a pleasure to read.

In the fifteenth century Ilario was born a hermaphrodite and his mother Rosamunda wanted nothing to do with this abomination so Ilario became a side show freak for King Rodrigo of Iberia. When he-she is finally freed from his captivity as a monarch's freak Ilario journeys across the Mediterranean to Carthage where the sunless dark Penitence serves as an encouragement to his plans to become a painter. Upon arrival, instead he-she is drugged and sold to Alexandrian even as his mother and stepfather learn that her offspring had been freed and plan to send this embarrassment to the hell he-she came from before he harms their position of influence if it becomes known that he came from her womb. Influential Alexandrian arranges for Rosamunda to be deported back to Iberia. He sends Ilario to Rome to study painting as he has plans for this he-she. This is an interesting character study set in the alternate historical realm of Ash although fifty years earlier. Ilario is an interesting protagonist as he-she lands in one predicament after another in this well written coming of age tale. Although the plot seems more towards providing Mary Gentle's fans the recent history before the events in Ash, readers will enjoy learning of Caliph ruled ever dark Carthage (no explanation as to what caused the Penitence) and Pope-less Rome by following the escapades of a wannabe painter with a gender identity issue. Harriet Klausner