Book: The Huntress by Susan Carroll
Krishna
This turned out to be the fourth book in the Dark Queen series and I did not know until I had read this book. For all that, it is a standalone story and can be read independently of the other books. The characters in this book, I suspect, have at best a tenuous relationship with the cast of characters in the earlier book and so this book is a satisfyingly independent story.
On top of that, this is one of those adventure books of swashbuckling heroes and remarkable ladies and on the one hand, is a lightweight adventure story with some satisfying twists and turns and on the other, a nice love story.
The story starts interestingly and keeps its pace till the end.
Four ladies in France watch a comet with foreboding. Catriona O’Hanlon (‘Cat’ is not just a shortening of the name, but she is as silent as one when he goes investigating) is watching them. The women called themselves Sisterhood of The Silver Rose. They are interrupted by armed men and manage to escape by throwing a powder in the fire that caused a blinding light and thick smoke.
Cat recognizes the leader of the pack as Armand Gautier, and knows that Catherine de Medici, the Black Queen, had sent him. She stealthily retreats to her horse which was tied in another secluded place and rides away, troubled.
Lady of the Faire Isle, Ariane Deauville, knows about the Sisterhood of the Rose. It was formed by gathering of women being victims of injustice by Cassandra Lascalles. Cassandra’s hidden plan was to overthrow the monarchy (of Medici) and install her own daughter Magaera as queen but it was foiled by Ariane’s younger sister Miri and the witch-hunter Simon Aristide. (Ariane herself was in exile then). Miri ends up marrying Simon, much to the chagrin of both Ariane and Cat as previously it was Simon who was raiding the Faire Isle group of Ariane.
At this point you realize that this is a lighthearted adventure and then kick back, throw off your shoes and relax for a lightweight adventure story. (Reminiscent of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ for example).
When Martin le Loup is tracked down even though on a disguise and confronted, it erupts into a sword fight between Cat and Martin, and Cat manages to gain the upper hand, only to be hit on the head by an old lady and pricked by a young girl and losing consciousness. Martin is sure she is from the coven trying to get to his daughter.
The misunderstanding is cleared up and they nurse her back to recovery. Martin is protecting Megara, her daughter who is in danger and refuses to bring her to Ariane’s protection in the Faire Isle, claiming that London offers better protection through anonymity. But Megara meets Cat when she is convalescing in bed and they develop a bond.
When Cat realizes that Martin will never bring Meg to Faire Isles, she decides to guard Meg and gets into a hilarious misunderstanding on the very first night when she is discovered sleeping in front of Meg’s room.
Meanwhile we hear Martin working for Walsingham, a wise right hand man of Queen Elizabeth (yes, the first one, not the current one!) who has her own sister Mary (Queen of Scots) imprisoned. It is the intent of Walsingham to catch a written letter of Mary to her followers egging them on for rebellion so that Elizabeth would finally see the need to kill Mary – and thereby eliminate a real threat, in Walsingham’s opinion, to the English throne.
Meanwhile, the sister of the nobleman whom Martin was asked to spy on develops a liking for him. He and Cat seem to get closer to each other. Interesting, clean, romantic scenes and the thread of humour running constantly through the story keep your interest.
In the meanwhile, in Faire Isles, Arianne is pregnant and husband Justice seems to be scared to death of losing her during the childbirth.
Catherine de Medici, the Black Queen, in the meanwhile is struggling with her weak and incapable son who is the King (and she is a regent) and the willful and cunning duke who is constantly plotting against her.
The book really takes off, when Gautier goes to England to track Martin down, and with the slow burning love igniting between Cat and Martin and with Martin learning shocking revelations about how danger lurks in his own house in the form of the music teacher that Meg is secretly in love with.
He comes and persuades Meg to go with him alone to ‘see the Queen’. Cat is away looking after Jem who has a bad toothache, and Martin is still visiting Jane in prison and learning the awful truth about Meg in danger. Jane is suspected of being Silver Rose and indulging in the dark arts, besides secretly socializing with a Catholic priest who is one of the team who is plotting to overthrow the Pope hating Queen and restore Mary to the throne.
When Cat realizes that she is being taken away, she tries to follow and is hit on the head by Gautier and loses consciousness, The boy Naisimer, who is really trapped by the duke, realizes the chance to get Meg away and makes her run.
We learn several surprises. We learn that Ned was one of those who was hoping to get the Book of Shadows from Meg (who is really thought to be Silver Rose) but is overwhelmed by Gautier and killed. Gautier forces Martin to bring the Book of Shadows in exchange for Meg’s life and Martin walks into a trap.
Cat follows him and rescues the situation, only to find Naisimer trying to make off with the book and Cat’s carefully aimed flaming arrow puts paid to that plan.
All ends well and the team goes to Faire Isles under Ariane’s care. As a bonus, Ariane gives birth to a boy and Cat and Martin realize their love.
No novel theme here but the style is good, and here is yet another author who uses real life events (in this case the plot against Queen Elizabeth I) to weave a fairy tale of a story around it.
Definitely enjoyable.
7/10
— Krishna