A Wind in Cairo is a well-researched historical fantasy set in the tumultuous period of the early Crusades. Egypt lies under Saladin's hand, and the story is told entirely from the point of view of Muslim characters, something rare at least in English literature, especially for 1989.The story follows two protagonists: Hasan, a degenerate Arabian prince who as a guest in a magus' house rapes his daughter and as punishment is turned into a horse and bound to serve Zamaniyah, the daughter and only living child of Al-Zaman, who happens to be Hasan's father's mortal enemy.

What follows is a tale of coming of age and a little romance, though I'd hesitate to call it young adult at all. The writing is timeless, and holds up even today, and the characters are rich and real. Zamaniyah is her father's heir and raised as a boy would be raised, learning the arts of war and indeed riding to war. The sultan Saladin features heavily, and in this novel we see him as a youngish man, intelligent and wise and lordly, all of the traits that made him the greatest of the medieval Muslim kings and respected even in the West.

Judith Tarr certainly knows her horses. A good chunk of the book revolves around Zamaniyah training Hasan and bonding with him. At certain points it became a little much for me, but it never became a slog. This is a brisk novel, and the prose is elegant without ever becoming dense.

A Wind in Cairo is a bit of a departure from what I normally read. It's a bit hard for me to relate to a young girl as a protagonist, especially one belonging to a foreign religion. But for all that it was an enjoyable read, the historical setting is vivid and interesting, and it didn't overstay its welcome. Some may have have an issue with the ending, but to me it was thoughtfully and gracefully handled.