Another Review

Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller has a favorable review of The Night's Dark Shade posted on her blog, saying:

The Night’s Dark Shade tells the story of a young heiress, Lady Raphaelle, who is caught up in the turmoil of the Albigensian Crusade in thirteenth century France. En route to meet her betrothed in the castle in the Pyrenees... she is rescued from an ambush by the brave and alluring Sir Martin.

The sparks between the two are flying from the very beginning, while the reader learns of the history of the crusade as well as the mysterious Cathars.... In the first chapter the setting, plot, and all the main characters are all well-established....The novel moves on, mixing history and drama, at a good pace. Raphaelle is caught up in several major dilemmas; we can truly sympathize with what she is going through.

Raphaelle is a strong character who insists on doing what is right for her people. All that she does, including following through on her betrothal to a man she does not love, is seen as her duty to them. Even so, she is torn by the feelings she has for another man. She also chooses to harbor an evil object which results in dire consequences. Vidal shows us how even the very best of us can struggle with sin....

The more you read about history, the more you realize that there is truly nothing new under the sun. What is going on in modern society is a rerun of what was happening in the Middle Ages....

I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I was up until 3 AM reading the suspenseful ending!...The choice Raphaelle makes in the end is completely satisfying....

The author studied the Cathars at SUNY Albany before receiving her Master’s Degree in European History....The book is available from Lulu.com and will be available from Amazon in a few weeks.

Thank you, Elizabeth! Share