Shortlisted for
Book of the Month
Book #4
Fictional Saga
Arthurian
Illuminating
the Dark Ages with Action-Packed Historical Fiction. New readers and
those returning fans of the Du Lac Chronicles will immediately be swept back
into the tumultuous world of King Arthur and his warring knights in this
fast-paced fourth novel in Mary Anne Yarde’s acclaimed Du Lac Chronicles
Series. And, with its vivid descriptions, memorable characters and exciting
action scenes, The Du Lac Prophecy lives up to its promise of being the richest
and most complex of the series. In Ms Yarde’s skilled hands, though, the large
cast of characters are masterfully controlled, and although this is a period of
history that I am not familiar with, I was able to immediately connect with the
warring families, despotic and cruel leaders, and the damaged hero and heroine.
With its
interesting combination of well-researched historical detail and contemporary
dialogue, I would equate the style of the Du Lac Prophecy with that of the
colorization of black and white movies – not to everyone’s taste, but overall
doing mainstream and new historical fiction readers a great favor in shining a
light on the Dark Ages and making this fascinating time accessible to many.
And, for its YA and teen audience, the swift-moving story, vivid action scenes
and just enough violence to portray the brutality of the times without
offending more delicate stomachs, the Du Lac Prophecy reads like a treatment
for Vikings meets Games of Thrones. A compelling introduction to those
interested in reading more widely about this time.
What I
particularly enjoyed was the way Ms Yarde characterized the brutality of the
times through the flaws in her characters. The beautiful Amandine’s emotional
damage, Galahad’s excruciating physical harm, and their compelling story
acknowledging the power of love to overcome even the most devastating of hurts
and betrayals. Throughout the novel, each of the characters emerged from their
backdrop and quickly established their own personalities, and Ms Yarde’s clever
interplay of church and myth, power and submission wove their stories into an
epic saga.
Definitely a
novel I enjoyed, and after reading this as a stand-alone, I am eager to go back
and devour the rest of the series. Ms Yarde has also convinced me that there is
more to the Dark Ages than I thought, and thanks to her “colorization” a period
of history I will enjoy visiting again.
© Elizabeth St
John
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Thank you so much for such a fabulous review of The Du Lac Prophecy!
ReplyDeleteour pleasure - fabulous book!
DeleteGreat review, Mary Anne, i have this on my list to read, looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paula! I hope you enjoy The Du Lac Prophecy!
Delete