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Common Knowledge

Legal name: Karr, Phyllis Ann
Other names: Lauren, Frances (pen name)
Remington, Gregory (pen name)
Birthdate: 1944-07-25
Gender: female
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: Oakland, California, USA
Places of residence: Oakland, California, USA
Solon Springs, Wisconsin, USA
Occupations: romance novelist
fantasy writer
novelist
short story writer
Organizations: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Short biography: Phyllis Ann Karr was born Karmilowicz in Oakland, California, and shortened her suname. Her literary interests encompass Arthurian legend, Shakespeare, the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, and the Oz books of L. Frank Baum. In the 1970s, she began publishing articles, poetry, and fantasy and mystery stories in periodicals and journals such as Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Weird Tales, The Savoyard, and Library Review. Her earliest novels were romances, but she then began to write fantasy and mystery novels, including the Frostflower series and The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere (1982). Between 1986 and 2001, she concentrating on shorter works. Many of her stories have been anthologized. Her major nonfiction work is The King Arthur Companion (1983), later expanded as The Arthurian Companion (1997). She married Clifton Hoyt in 1990.

Members

Reviews

The Gallows in the Greenwood by Phyllis Ann Karr

This was a very inventive re-envisioning of the Robin Hood legend that plausibly had the Sheriff of Nottingham as a woman. The main story revolves around the Sheriff's squire, who is captured by the outlaws. But I found the way Karr wove a lady sheriff into the back story fascinating. A very fun find for this Robin Hood fan.

Flagged

wisemetis | Jan 14, 2023 |

At Amberleaf Fair by Phyllis Ann Karr

It gets an extra star for being a bit unusual and so pleasant.

The cover art is completely wrong, though. This is a post-science future with no armored knights, no castles, no pennants or flags for nations or fiefdoms, no wars, and hardly any fistfights.

This is a mystery plot in a fantasy-like setting, something I don't think I've read before. Yes, there are guilty parties, but the ending is more like the Shaker song where "`tis the gift to come down where we ought to be".

Flagged

wunder | 2 other reviews | Feb 3, 2022 |

Frostflower And Thorn by Phyllis Ann Karr

I first read the sequel to this years and years ago, and it was a good quick read with really great worldbuilding. I saw this in a used bookshop the other day, so I picked it up to read the beginning of the story. It has the same lovely worldbuilding, but it was a good deal more violent than [b:Frostflower and Windborn]. And I just don't think I was really in the mood for this story right now.

Also, I completely love the dated cover featuring the warrior and sorceress. It's kind of the best part of the book.… (more)

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bookbrig | 3 other reviews | Aug 5, 2020 |