"When she agrees to accompany an author to Wales for the holidays, literary agent Lyn Revenshaw hopes to escape the terrifying nightmares that have plagued her since the death of her baby five years before. But shortly after she arrives at her host's rambling farmhouse, Lyn meets Elen, an eccentric young widow who's desperately afraid for her infant son's safety--and her dreams become even more vivid and distrubing.
Elen's fragile emotional state--and the mysterious paternity of her baby--inspire much gossip in this small coastal village, and she inexplicably sees Lyn as her son's protector. As Lyn struggles to understand the intrigue surrounding Elen and her imperiled child, she forms an unlikely alliance with a reclusive, brooding playwright--and is pulled into an ancient world of haunting legends and dangerous prophecies...where she will finally uncover the secrets of her dreams."
(from the publisher)
my thoughts:
Susanna Kearsley's novels have brought me back to my first love of reading.....I devoured everything in the romantic suspense genre many years ago, with Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and Daphne du Maurier among my top favorites. I'm happy to say I feel right at home again with Kearsley's suspenseful and atmospheric writing.
Named of the Dragon brings the reader to a tiny village in Pembrokeshire, Wales, a place where ancient tales, myths and legends, and history are tied to the present. While the story is set in the present day, Kearsley's descriptions of the castle ruins, the rugged coastline, the charming atmosphere of an old farmhouse and village living gives the reader a real sense of the significance of the past and the present being inseparable. Kearsley expertly weaves the story of a young woman's haunting dreams following the death of her baby with beautiful poetry from Yeats, Tennyson, and the ancient legends and prophecies of Merlin. A dark, handsome, brooding playwright (Gareth Morgan) adds more tension and conflict to the story, adding a touch of romance to the mix of mystery and suspense. Another poignant, atmospheric tale from the author of Mariana and The Shadowy Horses. I'm looking forward to the upcoming release in the U.S. of The Winter Sea, described by many of her fans as her best.
Click here to view photos from Susanna Kearlsey's website of the beatufiul village of Angle, Pembrokshire in Named of the Dragon.
4/5 stars
Title: Named of the Dragon
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Berkley Books
1998
297 pages
genre: romantic suspense
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