The Grail of Hearts
#7163.33 adjusted 3.92 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1992 Reading commitment Low Susan Shwartz Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
The Grail of Hearts is a standalone fantasy novel by Susan Shwartz, published by Tor in 1992. It retells the legend of the Holy Grail and the Wandering Jew through Kundry, a woman cursed for mocking Christ on the cross, and draws mainly on Wagner's opera Parsifal. The Fisher King Amfortas, the sorcerer Klingsor and the fool Parsifal all appear. The novel is not part of a series and has no sequels.
Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Grail of Hearts Susan Shwartz
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Grail of Hearts; A paperback edition from Tor followed in 1993. | 1992 | 1 | core | 3.33 (49 ratings) |
Kundry, cursed to wander, is drawn into the legend of Amfortas, Klingsor and Parsifal.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Grail of Hearts? The Grail of Hearts's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Grail of Hearts finished? Complete (1992).
- How much reading does The Grail of Hearts take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Grail of Hearts ranked? #716 in this site's official ranking, based on 49 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #716?
Ranked #716 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.33 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (49 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.58 behind #715, Gormenghast.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 49 ratings · Ranks #716 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 1993: nominated: The Grail of Hearts
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- Fathomfolk Mythic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 3.21
- The Reign of Wizardry Mythic fantasy / Sword & sorcery · Complete · Low commitment · 3.20
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.33 across 49 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 31 universes; 3 candidates ruled out; open items closed accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Kirkus Reviews Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Susan Shwartz Tier 2
- Worlds Without End Tier 2
- FictionDB Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = The Grail of Hearts (1992).