Title: Named of the Dragon
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Publisher: Allison & Busby (2013)
ISBN: 978-0-7490-4026-0
How I Read It: Trade Paperback purchased by me
Rating: 4 Cups
When one of her authors invites her to Wales for the Christmas holidays, literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw hopes to escape the nightmares that have plagued her since the death of her baby five years before.
But shortly after she arrives at her host’s house, Lyn meets Elen, an emotionally fragile young widow who’s afraid for her infant son’s safety, and seems to view Lyn as the child’s protector.
As Lyn’s dreams become even more disturbing, she forms an unlikely alliance with a reclusive playwright, and is pulled into an ancient world of haunting legends and dangerous prophecies...where she will finally uncover the secret of her dreams. (taken from the back cover)
My Thoughts:
When I pick up one of Susanna Kearsley’s novel’s I know I’ll be in for a literary treat and Named of the Dragon was no exception.
Literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw has been plagued with nightmare since the death of her baby five years ago. When Bridget, one her authors, invited her to spend Christmas in Angle—a village in Pembrokeshire, Wales—she jumps at the chance hoping to flee her nightmares.
Although when she arrives and meets Ellen, the eccentric neighbor who believes that dragons are after infant son and Lyn was sent to be his protector, her nightmares escalate and become entwined with a Celtic legend whose origins are rooted with the legend of King Arthur. Now she finds that she must unravel the legend with the help of brooding playwright, Gareth Gwyn Morgan.
I am a huge fan of Susanna Kearsley’s novels, so when I finally found Named of the Dragon in print, I had to buy it! One of her earlier works, the writing isn’t quite as strong as her later novels but I found it to be just as engaging.
Mixing all her signature elements—history, mystery, suspense, paranormal, and romance (although it was a bit light)—Named of the Dragon incorporates both Arthurian myth and Tudor history (which I cannot get enough of) into a tale that both intrigued and satisfied.
I loved the atmospheric setting and brilliant descriptions, both made me feel as though I was a part of the novel. While most of the characters were endearing, some come off a bit strong but that didn’t affect their likability. And the flow of the plot was smooth making this book to fly by.
One of the things that I loved about Susanna Kearsley’s novels is that even though the elements of each of her novels remain the same, each book is fresh and new and incorporates something different.
Overall, I loved this book. I wanted to give it 5 Cups, but I felt a few of the scenes were a little rushed and this book could have easily been a wee bit longer.
Character Alert—another fun feature of Susanna Kearsley’s books is that if you have read her novels you will often find that characters from her other books pop up, and Named of the Dragon does have a character cameo, but you’ll have to read the book to find out which one!
Another one which I had not heard about! thanks for the update.
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