Marco Polo and the Sleeping Beauty (with Grania Davis). New York: Baen 1988 ISBN 0-671-65372-5 Booklist 04/15/88
Davidson, with collaborator Grania Davis, returns to the same alternate world as his Vergil Magus novels. Nearing the end of their 10 years at the court of the aging Kublai Khan, Marco Polo and his uncle find they must earn their way home: Kublai Khan wants them to bring him a legendary sleeping princess, who can confer immortality. What could have ended up being a standard quest story is ultimately raised to a higher level by Davidson's zany style, his sound historical scholarship, and his fine mix of wit and intelligence. An unconventional tale likely to find readers in medium-sized or large fantasy collections. RG.