ISBN: 0-575-60234-1 Order from: Amazon.co.uk
An interesting, folk-tale-like story of sorcery both evil and ambiguous, this novel has both the virtue and the flaw of simplicity.
Reviewed by David on December 26, 1999
Genre: Fantasy (Sword and Sorcery, Historical, Romance)
Synopsis: In the uneasy peace of thirteenth-century borderlands between England and Scotland, sorcery was as real and as deadly as treachery. When a renegade cousin returns from Europe, the young Walter Scot is thrust into a maelstrom of intrigue, deadly ambush, dark sorcery and moral ambiguity. Even his unwelcome betrothal to a Douglas woman turns from an inconvenience into a terrifying trap. Tempted to use a sinister ally, Walter must survive perils both physical and magical to preserve his family and neighbors.
Full Review: Michael Scott Rohan is a very competent British author whose books rarely fail to entertain, and occasionally show true brilliance. The same can be said about this book. The protagonists are engaging, if a bit predictable. The streamlined plot gains from the folk-tale sources, especially intriguing due to the tenuous but fascinating connection between the author and the protagonists of the book. The romance is well handled, and the local attitudes and speech patterns carry a hint of the times, enough to suggest a way of life quite different from ours.
True to its folk-tale premise, the plot is rather thin, with several rapid and unsatisfying transitions. Nevertheless, for a straight-forward adventure with a lot more historical basis than most fantasy novels, one cannot chose much better than this slim fantasy.
Note, the book is not available in the US. It's available in the UK publishing region.
Overall: 5.5; Plot: 6.5; Characters: 5.5; Style: 6; World-building: 6.5; Originality: 7;
Copyright date 1994, Cassell Group (Vista), 1997, Mass market paperback, 253 pages
ISBN: 0-575-60234-1 Order from: Amazon.co.uk