My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Enchanting!
There’s no better word to describe this book by Susanna Kearsley. Well of course by now after having read many of her works, I know how beautifully she can write about the place where the story is set.In Named of The Dragon, a small village called Angle in Wales is captured so beautifully that along with the protagonist Lyn, I had a feeling of walking along with her and seeing them. But as much as the description of the place is beyond words I felt the characters needed more depth.
Lyn is a widow who has lost a baby at birth and 5 yrs later is still feeling the effects of her trauma whenever there’s an infant in the near area. The supporting characters include Bridget who is self-absorbed, James and Christopher both of them coming across as disinterested and then Gareth who is always surly to the point of rude. There’s also Elen who believes her son is in danger and casts Lyn as the protector of her son.
There’s reference to the Arthurian legends and myths tied into the story-telling but by the end the paranormal angle fizzles out and unexpected twists takes its place. The book is well-written and keeps the reader engaged thoroughly but maybe not one of her best works.
Although it goes against her workaholic nature, literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw lets herself be whisked off to Wales for the Christmas holidays by her star client, flamboyant children’s author Bridget Cooper. She suspects Bridget has ulterior motives, but the lure of South Wales with its castles and myths is irresistible. Perhaps a change of scene will bring relief from the nightmares that have plagued her since the death of her child.
Lyn immerses herself in the peace and quiet of the charming Welsh village, but she soon meets an eccentric young widow who’s concerned her baby son is in danger—and inexplicably thinks Lyn is the child’s protector.
Lyn’s dreams become more and more disturbing as she forms a surprisingly warm friendship with a reclusive, brooding playwright, and is pulled into an ancient world of Arthurian legend and dangerous prophecies. Before she can escape her nightmares, she must uncover the secret of her dreams, which is somehow inextricably located in a time long ago and far away…