The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll

The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Summary: From Brittany’s misty shores to the decadent splendor of Paris’s royal court, one woman must fulfill her destiny–while facing the treacherous designs of Catherine de Medici, the dark queen.

She is Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, one of the Cheney sisters, renowned for their mystical skills and for keeping the isle secure and prosperous. But this is a time when women of ability are deemed sorceresses, when Renaissance France is torn by ruthless political intrigues, and all are held in thrall to the sinister ambitions of Queen Catherine de Medici. Then a wounded stranger arrives on Faire Isle, bearing a secret the Dark Queen will do everything in her power to possess. The only person Ariane can turn to is the comte de Renard, a nobleman with fiery determination and a past as mysterious as his own unusual gifts.

Riveting, vibrant, and breathtaking, The Dark Queen follows Ariane and Renard as they risk everything to prevent the fulfillment of a dreadful prophecy–even if they must tempt fate and their own passions.

My Review: The Dark Queen written by Susan Carroll tells the story of the Cheney sisters who live on the Island of Faire Isle.  In this the first book of the series is Ariane who has recently inherited the title of the Lady of Faire Isle; she is expected to pass down the ways of the wise women who live on this island and to protect her family and those in her domain with the arts passed down to her by her Mother who recently died and left the title of Lady of Faire Isle to her daughter.  These arts by some would be considered magic; Ariane considers them to be scientific. Ariane has the gift of healing; her younger sister Gabrielle the gift of painting and the youngest Cheney sister little Miri has the gift of talking to animals and sensing when their in danger.

Ariane must deal with the comte de Renard who has decided that she WILL be his bride; as well as other plots that she gets tangled up in involving the Dark Queen Catherine de Medici. And her Father has disappeared leaving the girls with bills they cannot pay. The book was very well written and kept the reader coming back for more; I read it in two days and will continue reading this series; as it pulls me into 

the beautiful world of the Cheney sisters.  

For anyone who loves a little magic and science fiction in their love stories I would very much recommend this book; you come to love the characters and really care about what happens to them. Susan Carroll is one of my new favorite authors.