The Dark Queen

I found The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll to be a whole lot of fun. It's a historical romance set in 1572 when Catherine de Medici rules the throne in France. Airiane Cheney is Lady of Faire Isle, a title bestowed upon her after the death of her mother, and a Daughter of the Earth (a healer). She takes the her mother's former role reluctantly, and continually questions how well she can aid those around her, having little faith in herself. A captain arrives on Faire Isle and seeks out Airiane's help to prove that the queen, Catherine de Medici, has murdered another queen, Jeanne of Navarre, through the use of poisonous gloves. She agrees to help and we quickly find ourselves deep in a plot of intrigue. She must contend with the Dark Queen's solders seeking out the gloves as well -- evidence must always be destroyed you know. There are also witch hunters out on the prowl and as a Daughter of the Earth, they see her and those like her as witches too. As their guardian, she must protect and care for her younger sisters, Gabrielle and Mirabelle, too. Plus, there is the dashing Comte de Renard, who is vying for her attention and filled with his own dark mysteries as well. Yes, this story is one that's chock full of adventure, mystery, humor, love, and all those great moments in between. A wonderful book indeed!

Susan Carroll did an amazing job of capturing the reader in a romantic and dangerous scenario. I have read all three of the books in this series, and all of them are amazing. The author does an excellent job of describing the love between the two characters, Ariane and Renard. I was awed and amazed at the titilating and thrilling desriptions provided. Carroll provided excellent desciprions of the characters and scenes that makes the reader want to be there and experience the emotions of the characters. The history was intriguing and all of the writing flowed well from one part to the next. I found the main chanracter, Ariane, to be a strong and amazing woman whom I admired. Carroll does a wonderful job describing all of the points of view so the reader is better able to understand the situation and make their own assessments. Overall, I loved this book and I recommend it, and all of the books in the series, for anyone who enjoys romance with adventure all intwined with history. I was not able to stop thinking about the book, and it was difficult to put it down. Wonderful!!!

Ms. Carroll has deftly woven history, and romance into a story that is unusual but appealing. She has taken real life characters such as Catherine de Medici, and given her truly center stage as a player in the conflict that beseiges our heroine, Ariane Cheney and her path to her destiny. Her destiny is none other than Comte Renard. Ariane has become the Lady of the Isle after the death of her mother. Life is hard for her and her sisters since their father has left and bills are mounting. She has been keeping to herself on Faire Isle when trouble comes in the form of the Dark Queen. Catherine De Medici has aspirations that she will see come to light. If this means setting an evil witch hunter after those that live on the Isle of her late friend (Ariane's mother) than so be it. Ariane will do what she must in order to keep her people safe. What she doesn't want to do is be forced to marry Renard. She wants love deep in her heart, despite the pain that she has seen due to "love." Still she is drawn helpless to the Renard. Will she allow her heart into his keeping though, or will pride stand in the way? Renard is from humble stock. His grandfather despised him and the feeling were returned. Still, he must marry and when he sets eyes on the calm beauty of Ariane he will do whatever it takes to see this lady his bride. Neither is looking for love, but love will find them anyhow. Will they be able to save their love as well as the people who are counting on them? Or will the Dark Queen win all? Ms. Carroll has taken the aspects of magic, witchcraft, romance, and history and combined them all into a absorbing read that will enthrall the reader. This is the first time I've ever read anything by this author and I have to wonder "what have I been doing???" I love historical reads that actually have history in them. This is one series I highly recommend. Ms. Carroll has laid the groundwork for the next in this series and I for one can't wait for it to be released. Add this to your summer reading list. You will be well entertained! Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

Hey Kids! Its a Romance Novel! It was one one of the central isles in the store, and I read way to many historical novels, otherwise I would have never picked it up. The cover, please note, has a complete lack of Fabio or Heaving Boobies. Its actually rather nice, with a sparkly red brocade border. Also- the woman in the novel is not a Damsel in Distress. Oh no, she's a 'wise woman' leader of Faire Isle some where in pseudo 1500s Brittany. She does have a Persistent Suitor, however. And she does fall in love with him at the end of the novel. It also, however has plenty of plot in the middle . While a fast read, it was not a mindless one. Plenty of back story was provided, all the main characters were very fleshed out. Actually it has so much back story I wondered if there was another novel with the same characters. Still, combine the characters with the political intrigue- good Olde Fashioned Catholic/Protestant fighting. And the women of Faire Isle are of course in the middle of it. The women seem, in some places, too emotional and flighty but then I realized that the youngest is 13 and the middle is not much older than that. Fairly old in the 1500s but being a member of the landed class, and living on their own island, it seems that they were rather sheltered. A good novel none the less, though the angsting got a little agnst-y after a while. Perfect for the hot summer nights when the A/C is broken.

In this outstanding work we are introduced to three young women, Ariane, The Lady of Faire Isle, and her two sisters Gabrielle and Miri. These ladies are not what we would consider 'normal' women, but are Daughters of the Earth, or those who have inherited different supernatural powers. However, now these gentle women throughout the world are being charged with being sorceresses instead of being the healers that they are. It is a dangerous time for them. After the death of their mother, Ariane became The Lady of Faire Isle and soon her powers were called upon to stop the wicked scheme of The Dark Queen, Catherine. The Dark Queen, also a Daughter of The Earth, dabbled in the black arts which was forbidden, and she was responsible for the death of Ariane's mother. Ariane knew her powers were great and her evil influence was wide spread; she indeed was a dangerous woman. Ariane was unsure of her ability to walk in her mother's footsteps, and feared her power was not developed enough to battle such a powerful woman; but the decision seemed to be made for her as the battle against The Dark Queen for Ariane's very existence, their way of life, and those she loves begins. To add more confusion to her life a nobleman named counte de Renard is determined to have her as his bride; however he hides many secrets and Ariane is unsure if she can trust this nobleman not only with her heart, but with her life. This is an excellent work of mystical power, battles between good and evil, romantic encounters and mysterious happenings. I was glued to the pages and couldn't wait to see what happened to Ariane and her sisters. It is a well written story, flowing evenly throughout the book; the characters are well defined and brought to life through the authors descriptive pen. You definitely are drawn into the storyline and your mind becomes one with the happenings before you. Outstanding. The Dark Queen is indeed a wonderful reading experience, one of those stories you are glad has a sequel you can look forward to reading. Highly recommended. Shirley Johnson