The Forest Lord (The Fane, Book 1) - Softcover

In an intriguing departure from her popular werewolf romances (Secret of the Wolf), Krinard takes readers to a realm where the Faerie and mortal worlds intersect and spins a darkly magical story of love, betrayal, and redemption. Based on ancient Celtic lore and set in the remote, forbidding forests of northern England, this well-written tale takes a powerful guardian spirit of the forest determined to save his race and a young woman whose innocence has unknowingly been bargained away by her father and gives them a dilemma that only love-and a little bit of magic-can resolve. A cast of exceptionally well-done secondary characters (most notably a villainous aunt and a wise, enchanting child), the excellent use of language, and an intricate, nicely unfolding plot add depth. Although the novel falls firmly within the fantasy romance subgenre, its compelling characters and the universal nature of their underlying conflicts should guarantee an across-the-board appeal to general fantasy fans and other readers. Krinard is a best-selling, highly regarded writer who is deservedly carving out a niche in the romance arena. She lives in Concord, CA.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Fairy Folk are dying out, but they're unable to reproduce without a human mate. The Forest Lord captures Cyrus Fleming, earl of Bradwell, who has broken the age-old agreement with the Fane through his neglect of Hartsmere and his killing of the creatures who live there. Fearful for his life, Cyrus agrees to a match between his daughter and the Forest Lord. Eden is flattered by the attention paid to her by her mysterious "cousin." They elope; she becomes pregnant; her "cousin" disappears, and Eden is grief-stricken when her baby is stillborn. Six years later, the Forest Lord returns for his offspring, then is ready to call on all of nature's powers to punish the woman who lost his child. Magical, mystical, and moving, Krinard's book has a surprise villain and a nice twist at the end. Fans of Nora Roberts' Irish trilogy [Jewels of the Sun (1999), Tears of the Moon (2000), Heart of the Sea (2000)] and Karen Fox's Buttercup Baby (2001) will be delighted by this fantasy and its underlying ecological message. Shelley Mosley
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