semiramis

Oh. And of course, the most obvious one of all-- Aemon the Dragonknight championing Queen Naerys against the slanders of the evil Sir Morgil=Lancelot championing Guinevere against the slanders of the evil Sir Mordred. I would also like to note that in The Mists of Avalon, the sword Excalibur is forged from the metal of a falling star. Of course, Dawn looks a heck of a lot more like Eirias (alive and shimmering like crystal), and oh, blood and bloody ashes, it bears a certain resemblance to Callandor as well. Also, while I'm on a Jordan kick, the arms for House Toland of Ghost Hill is a serpent eating it's own tail, and the serpent is Time. Arys Oakheart's mother's name is Arwyn. Real-life stuff When I heard about a drear fortress off the coast of a sunny kingdom used as a prison, I initially thought "Alcatraz" Nymeria and her thousand ships are sort of similar to Grace O'Malley, the Irish Pirate Queen. The Unsullied, being slave soldiers and fearless infantry, are very like the Mamelukes. In fact, I think that they actually had a confrontation with the Mongols that was like the Three Thousand at Qohor at some point, but I'll have to look it up.

Interesting that someone noticed the Blackwater parallel. Another interesting thing I noticed is that Blackwater was founded by an Erik /Prince/, who used to be in the US Armed Forces. Shades of Bittersteel? Also, the Blackwater spokeswoman is named Anne Tyrrell. I actually thought that the monks of the Quiet Isle might have been based on the convent at Glastonbury Tor in the Mists of Avalon book. That island is also reached by a treacherous route through mudflats, and getting there requires a guide. Though the Hermit's hold reminds me of two things--the description of Bag End, and Cavern Hole, the place at Redwall Abbey where all the woodland creatures gather to feast.