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Dark Cathedral #1
Dark Cathedral
Throughout their childhood, Beth and Luke have been terrorized because of their mother's religious mania. One summer, Beth visits her grandmother and meets the irresistible Morgan, and her descent into darkness begins. The beloved child they conceive foretells a future of evil.
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First published March 28, 1996
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280 people want to read
About the author
Freda Warrington
52 books326 followersFreda Warrington is an award-winning British author, known for her epic fantasy, vampire and supernatural novels.
“The Blood Wine books are addictive, thrilling reads that are impossible to put down and they definitely deserve more attention” – Worldhopping.net
Her earliest novels, the Blackbird series, were written and published in the 1980s. In the intervening years she has seen numerous novels of epic fantasy, supernatural and contemporary fantasy, vampires, dark romance, horror and alternative history published.
Her novel ELFLAND won the Romantic Times BEST FANTASY NOVEL Award in 2009, while her 1997 Dracula sequel DRACULA THE UNDEAD won the Dracula Society's BEST GOTHIC NOVEL Award.
Four of her novels (Dark Cathedral, Pagan Moon, Dracula the Undead, and The Amber Citadel) have been nominated or shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society's Best Novel award. The American Library Association placed MIDSUMMER NIGHT in its Top Ten for 2010.
Recently Titan Book reissued her popular romantic-gothic Blood Wine vampire series set in the 1920s - A Taste of Blood Wine, A Dance in Blood Velvet and The Dark Blood of Poppies - along with a brand new novel, The Dark Arts of Blood. In 2017, Telos Publishing will publish her first short story collection, NIGHTS OF BLOOD WINE, featuring fifteen lush dark tales - ten set in her Blood Wine world, and five others of gothic weirdness.
In 2003, Simon & Schuster published The Court of the Midnight King, an alternative history/ fantasy retelling of the story of King Richard III. To celebrate all the events surrounding the discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester, The Court of the Midnight King is now available on Kindle and in paperback format. Most of her backlist titles, including the Blackbird series, Dracula the Undead, Dark Cathedral and Pagan Moon, can already be found on Kindle or will be available in the next few months.
Warrington has also seen numerous short stories published in anthologies and magazines. For further information, visit her website Freda Warrington
Born in Leicester, Warrington grew up in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire. After completing high school, she trained at Loughborough College of Art and Design and worked in medical illustration and graphic design for some years. She eventually moved to full-time writing, and also still enjoys design, photography, art, jewellery-making and other crafts, travelling and conventions.
Series:
* Jewelfire
* Dark Cathedral
* Aetherial Tales
* Blackbird
“The Blood Wine books are addictive, thrilling reads that are impossible to put down and they definitely deserve more attention” – Worldhopping.net
Her earliest novels, the Blackbird series, were written and published in the 1980s. In the intervening years she has seen numerous novels of epic fantasy, supernatural and contemporary fantasy, vampires, dark romance, horror and alternative history published.
Her novel ELFLAND won the Romantic Times BEST FANTASY NOVEL Award in 2009, while her 1997 Dracula sequel DRACULA THE UNDEAD won the Dracula Society's BEST GOTHIC NOVEL Award.
Four of her novels (Dark Cathedral, Pagan Moon, Dracula the Undead, and The Amber Citadel) have been nominated or shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society's Best Novel award. The American Library Association placed MIDSUMMER NIGHT in its Top Ten for 2010.
Recently Titan Book reissued her popular romantic-gothic Blood Wine vampire series set in the 1920s - A Taste of Blood Wine, A Dance in Blood Velvet and The Dark Blood of Poppies - along with a brand new novel, The Dark Arts of Blood. In 2017, Telos Publishing will publish her first short story collection, NIGHTS OF BLOOD WINE, featuring fifteen lush dark tales - ten set in her Blood Wine world, and five others of gothic weirdness.
In 2003, Simon & Schuster published The Court of the Midnight King, an alternative history/ fantasy retelling of the story of King Richard III. To celebrate all the events surrounding the discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester, The Court of the Midnight King is now available on Kindle and in paperback format. Most of her backlist titles, including the Blackbird series, Dracula the Undead, Dark Cathedral and Pagan Moon, can already be found on Kindle or will be available in the next few months.
Warrington has also seen numerous short stories published in anthologies and magazines. For further information, visit her website Freda Warrington
Born in Leicester, Warrington grew up in the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire. After completing high school, she trained at Loughborough College of Art and Design and worked in medical illustration and graphic design for some years. She eventually moved to full-time writing, and also still enjoys design, photography, art, jewellery-making and other crafts, travelling and conventions.
Series:
* Jewelfire
* Dark Cathedral
* Aetherial Tales
* Blackbird
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 26, 2017
I listened to this on a Library audio so have no idea on the spelling of names! There are SPOILERY glimpses in this, sorry!
Three stars means I enjoyed but a lot of this book is not to my liking and more than a little is really distasteful and many times I decided to abandon it.
Years ago, a Freda Warrington book was a must read, I devoured the Blackbird series and whilst I don't really have a clue what they were about now, I remember loving them. The Jewelfire books, the Rainbow Gate all scored highly with me so when I saw that the library had this book plus its sequel, I jumped at it.
Friends will know that I'm not a reader of romance and while I can squee over romantic aspects in a book, its not my focus. Likewise, I'm in for Grimdark - who isn't a fan of Jorg or the Malazan books all of which contain some truly distasteful imagery.
So, this book.... Two children are raised by psycho-religious nutters, they are whipped for any reason, they don't play, watch tv or anything else connected to childhood. Then one summer they get to stay at their grandparents who foolishly allow them to go out alone into the village. There they meet the witch!!!
Goddess (Earth magic) versus an evil, corrupted man-god.
Naturally teens and over-strict parenting lead to a pregnancy although a talking baby didn't enter my head as a possible option. The sex scenes are supposedly sweet but the descriptions don't really differ from the (many) rape scenes - throbbing, purple, glistening, thrusting, member, splitting membranes, you name it then I bet the adjective was there! Most of this made for an uncomfortable read, even the scenes that were supposedly love filled and cute!
The child can see into the past, to witch-hunting times and her consciousness can travel back to visit a healer, where we see savagery and rape. The scenes are brutal and this child is around 6 years old. In a much later scene, a young boy is raped and 'blood squirted in an arc'. His mother knows that the Cult leader is pure and has good reason. Its all very uncomfortable.
You root for the baddies to come a cropper and dying would seem fitting you think until you read their endings and then begin to wonder whether their fate could ever be deserved.
The child who is one of our 'heroes' isn't very nice, she has a grown up (the crone) aspect where everything is black and white and she believes that death is a reasonable option to any slight. Her mother repeatedly looks at her with frightened gazes yet loves her and has no concern over her actions.
I ask myself why did I continue reading and basically I wanted to know what would happen. Would Beth and her child find happiness and safety? Would the cult become unstuck? Would we ever find out why everyone in Beth's family hated Rhianwen (the witch) so much that they'd shoot at her son? Plus I hate to abandon a book!
I will not read the second book. This book rates highly on GR although one reader states that she'd blanked out the more distasteful aspects.
Added: when I first started listening it sounded almost like a child's book or a very young YA. The narrator does good voices but the rest is almost a monotone.
Three stars means I enjoyed but a lot of this book is not to my liking and more than a little is really distasteful and many times I decided to abandon it.
Years ago, a Freda Warrington book was a must read, I devoured the Blackbird series and whilst I don't really have a clue what they were about now, I remember loving them. The Jewelfire books, the Rainbow Gate all scored highly with me so when I saw that the library had this book plus its sequel, I jumped at it.
Friends will know that I'm not a reader of romance and while I can squee over romantic aspects in a book, its not my focus. Likewise, I'm in for Grimdark - who isn't a fan of Jorg or the Malazan books all of which contain some truly distasteful imagery.
So, this book.... Two children are raised by psycho-religious nutters, they are whipped for any reason, they don't play, watch tv or anything else connected to childhood. Then one summer they get to stay at their grandparents who foolishly allow them to go out alone into the village. There they meet the witch!!!
Goddess (Earth magic) versus an evil, corrupted man-god.
Naturally teens and over-strict parenting lead to a pregnancy although a talking baby didn't enter my head as a possible option. The sex scenes are supposedly sweet but the descriptions don't really differ from the (many) rape scenes - throbbing, purple, glistening, thrusting, member, splitting membranes, you name it then I bet the adjective was there! Most of this made for an uncomfortable read, even the scenes that were supposedly love filled and cute!
The child can see into the past, to witch-hunting times and her consciousness can travel back to visit a healer, where we see savagery and rape. The scenes are brutal and this child is around 6 years old. In a much later scene, a young boy is raped and 'blood squirted in an arc'. His mother knows that the Cult leader is pure and has good reason. Its all very uncomfortable.
You root for the baddies to come a cropper and dying would seem fitting you think until you read their endings and then begin to wonder whether their fate could ever be deserved.
The child who is one of our 'heroes' isn't very nice, she has a grown up (the crone) aspect where everything is black and white and she believes that death is a reasonable option to any slight. Her mother repeatedly looks at her with frightened gazes yet loves her and has no concern over her actions.
I ask myself why did I continue reading and basically I wanted to know what would happen. Would Beth and her child find happiness and safety? Would the cult become unstuck? Would we ever find out why everyone in Beth's family hated Rhianwen (the witch) so much that they'd shoot at her son? Plus I hate to abandon a book!
I will not read the second book. This book rates highly on GR although one reader states that she'd blanked out the more distasteful aspects.
Added: when I first started listening it sounded almost like a child's book or a very young YA. The narrator does good voices but the rest is almost a monotone.
December 13, 2009
For all of their childhood, young Beth Herne and her brother Luke have lived in fear - beaten and terrorized because of their mother's religious beliefs. Until one summer, staying with her grandparents, Beth discovers independence. And her descent into darkness begins...
Rhianwen Rhys, although known in the village as a witch, seems kind and protective. Through her Beth learns the power of a woman's spirit, allowing her to break free. Yet Luke stays with his mother, convinced that the Devil works through Rhianwen. While Beth begins the love affair that threatens to destroy them all...
To Beth, Rhianwen's son Morgan is irresistible, a beautiful demon seducing her into forbidden delights. She pays for her sins, bearing his child in lonely terror. But even from birth, Eirian is more than a beloved daughter. She can see things. Hear things. And even foretell a future in which the inhabitants of the dark cathedral will rise up to claim their own...
OK, so I read this book ages ago, and certain aspects of it just stuck with me, so I wanted to revisit it. It's even more horrifying than I'd remembered. What's awful about that is that I remembered it being pretty horrifying, and had very clear memories of certain specific things. But a lot of it I'd completely forgotten. Including the worst of the horrifying stuff. My brain must have just outright blocked that or something, because... woah. I don't really want to get into it, partly because it's just not fun to talk about, and partly because I wouldn't want to ruin anything for anyone who might want to read this book.
And it's actually pretty good, and worth the read. There's a little more actual magic in it than I remembered, and I'm not sure that's a good thing or not, but I guess the book is considered fantasy, even if much of it is solidly grounded in reality, so I guess the magic is OK. I guess I just feel that realistic horror is so much scarier than fantastical horror, and in my head I kind of consider this book more horror than fantasy, so maybe a part of me just wanted it to be more realistic, to make all that scary horror that much better. On the other hand, like I said, it's pretty atrocious as is, so perhaps the fantastical element keeps it from being just too much to handle. I don't know.
In any case, I'm not sure it's a book that can really be discussed very much with someone who hasn't read it, so I don't really have all that much to say about it. Decent read, though, if you're into religious based fantasy/horror. A part of me wants to try and track down the sequel, but I was just on the author's site, and even she's not really happy with how the sequel turned out, so I probably won't bother.
Rhianwen Rhys, although known in the village as a witch, seems kind and protective. Through her Beth learns the power of a woman's spirit, allowing her to break free. Yet Luke stays with his mother, convinced that the Devil works through Rhianwen. While Beth begins the love affair that threatens to destroy them all...
To Beth, Rhianwen's son Morgan is irresistible, a beautiful demon seducing her into forbidden delights. She pays for her sins, bearing his child in lonely terror. But even from birth, Eirian is more than a beloved daughter. She can see things. Hear things. And even foretell a future in which the inhabitants of the dark cathedral will rise up to claim their own...
OK, so I read this book ages ago, and certain aspects of it just stuck with me, so I wanted to revisit it. It's even more horrifying than I'd remembered. What's awful about that is that I remembered it being pretty horrifying, and had very clear memories of certain specific things. But a lot of it I'd completely forgotten. Including the worst of the horrifying stuff. My brain must have just outright blocked that or something, because... woah. I don't really want to get into it, partly because it's just not fun to talk about, and partly because I wouldn't want to ruin anything for anyone who might want to read this book.
And it's actually pretty good, and worth the read. There's a little more actual magic in it than I remembered, and I'm not sure that's a good thing or not, but I guess the book is considered fantasy, even if much of it is solidly grounded in reality, so I guess the magic is OK. I guess I just feel that realistic horror is so much scarier than fantastical horror, and in my head I kind of consider this book more horror than fantasy, so maybe a part of me just wanted it to be more realistic, to make all that scary horror that much better. On the other hand, like I said, it's pretty atrocious as is, so perhaps the fantastical element keeps it from being just too much to handle. I don't know.
In any case, I'm not sure it's a book that can really be discussed very much with someone who hasn't read it, so I don't really have all that much to say about it. Decent read, though, if you're into religious based fantasy/horror. A part of me wants to try and track down the sequel, but I was just on the author's site, and even she's not really happy with how the sequel turned out, so I probably won't bother.
March 7, 2015
"Dark Cathedral" is a fantastic exploration of religions and their pagan origins. While the theory about mother worship being the only form of worship known to earlier cultures hasn't been proven for all parts of the earth, still the religion of the Great Mother has excisted and could have a "real" root somewhere.
Beth is brought up in a family of religious fanatics, her mother being a brutal demented freak who has nothing better to do than to hurt and torment her children and bully them into submission.
At age 11, Beth and her brother are brought to their grandparents to pass the summer there. It's their first summer in freedom, with just one limitation - they must not go and see the witch, Rhianwyn, who lives in the same town.
Disobeying, Beth and Luke meet her anyway - and her son, Morgan.
Having both fantasy, horror and thriller elements, "Dark Cathedral" still doesn't feel overdrawn: the characters reamain strong and fleshed-out throughout the book, revealing more and more aspects of their history and growing at the same time. I was very impressed with the cast of believable characters "Dark Cathedral" had; while A Taste of Blood Wine, the other book I read by the same author, was pretty good, it lacked the same quality. The characters in Blood Wine were too genre-bound and unoriginal, but "Dark Cathedral" is much more of a tragic, ruthless, family saga, with absolutely no fear of hurting the characters.
The romance lacked sappy cheesyness as well as drawn-out tormented longing regurgigated on every page. In fact, the narrator (omniescent 3rd person - completely fitting) was very laid back, nearly never commenting on the characters feelings or resorting to monologues. Instead there was action and dialogue that portrayed the feelings nicely.
What I liked most about the novel was the fact that it targeted the long-standing hypocrisy and prejudices the Christian Church has been promoting and disassembling it. At the same time, the book doesn't criticise Christianity as a belief, just the way many people interpret the Bible and mean to make rules for everyone else, basically perverting the idea of love and friendship that Jesus taught.
The entire book is well-written, excellently thought out and has a great deal of introspection on religious sects. I would recommend it to anyone, although I'd like to stress that this is NOT a YA book, and not for the faint of heart.
*I listened to the audiobook, marvelously read by Nicholas Camm. The actual paperback is just too expensive to buy - but I recommend the audio version!*
Beth is brought up in a family of religious fanatics, her mother being a brutal demented freak who has nothing better to do than to hurt and torment her children and bully them into submission.
At age 11, Beth and her brother are brought to their grandparents to pass the summer there. It's their first summer in freedom, with just one limitation - they must not go and see the witch, Rhianwyn, who lives in the same town.
Disobeying, Beth and Luke meet her anyway - and her son, Morgan.
Having both fantasy, horror and thriller elements, "Dark Cathedral" still doesn't feel overdrawn: the characters reamain strong and fleshed-out throughout the book, revealing more and more aspects of their history and growing at the same time. I was very impressed with the cast of believable characters "Dark Cathedral" had; while A Taste of Blood Wine, the other book I read by the same author, was pretty good, it lacked the same quality. The characters in Blood Wine were too genre-bound and unoriginal, but "Dark Cathedral" is much more of a tragic, ruthless, family saga, with absolutely no fear of hurting the characters.
The romance lacked sappy cheesyness as well as drawn-out tormented longing regurgigated on every page. In fact, the narrator (omniescent 3rd person - completely fitting) was very laid back, nearly never commenting on the characters feelings or resorting to monologues. Instead there was action and dialogue that portrayed the feelings nicely.
What I liked most about the novel was the fact that it targeted the long-standing hypocrisy and prejudices the Christian Church has been promoting and disassembling it. At the same time, the book doesn't criticise Christianity as a belief, just the way many people interpret the Bible and mean to make rules for everyone else, basically perverting the idea of love and friendship that Jesus taught.
The entire book is well-written, excellently thought out and has a great deal of introspection on religious sects. I would recommend it to anyone, although I'd like to stress that this is NOT a YA book, and not for the faint of heart.
*I listened to the audiobook, marvelously read by Nicholas Camm. The actual paperback is just too expensive to buy - but I recommend the audio version!*
December 18, 2017
2016 re-read:
My best friend discovered this book when we were teens, and we became obsessed with Freda's writing. We spent much time seeking her rare and out-of-print (at least at the time) books. I remembered this one being dark, which I suppose should be obvious, but I was surprised to rediscover just how disturbing some of the content is - and how it didn't even phase me as a 16 year old! Come to think about it I probably enjoyed it for the shock value, like any properly angsty teen. However, as an adult I can more thoroughly appreciate how flawed and damaged the characters are, as well as the complex family relations. It also still holds up as quite the page-turner (I have a crap memory, which makes re-reads pretty enjoyable!)
What really stood out for me at that time, and is still relevant, is just how contradictory and dysfunctional organized religion can be. I certainly continue to identify with Beth's questioning of her parents' way, the status quo, and losing faith in something you only believed in because you were told to. While at 16 I likely fantasized about becoming a Pagan, I now found those aspects of this novel interesting and relatable, while remaining at an Agnostic's arms length.
My best friend discovered this book when we were teens, and we became obsessed with Freda's writing. We spent much time seeking her rare and out-of-print (at least at the time) books. I remembered this one being dark, which I suppose should be obvious, but I was surprised to rediscover just how disturbing some of the content is - and how it didn't even phase me as a 16 year old! Come to think about it I probably enjoyed it for the shock value, like any properly angsty teen. However, as an adult I can more thoroughly appreciate how flawed and damaged the characters are, as well as the complex family relations. It also still holds up as quite the page-turner (I have a crap memory, which makes re-reads pretty enjoyable!)
What really stood out for me at that time, and is still relevant, is just how contradictory and dysfunctional organized religion can be. I certainly continue to identify with Beth's questioning of her parents' way, the status quo, and losing faith in something you only believed in because you were told to. While at 16 I likely fantasized about becoming a Pagan, I now found those aspects of this novel interesting and relatable, while remaining at an Agnostic's arms length.
April 15, 2022
I loved it. The mother a religious crazy fury (was a lot of fun to hate her), the other characters interesting. I'm really looking forward to part two. Thank you so much for lending it to me, dear Caro!
November 30, 2017
Dark is right. But there doesn't seem to be any cathedral that figures into the story in any way.
Anyway, it's a very compelling story of love, family, lies, secrets, and religious persecution. With a good bit of black magic mixed in. Read at your own risk, it's full of some fucked-up shit, though the only thing that really bothered me about it was that at times, the anti-religious persecution bits are a mite heavy-handed.
I stayed interested in the characters until the very end, though.
Anyway, it's a very compelling story of love, family, lies, secrets, and religious persecution. With a good bit of black magic mixed in. Read at your own risk, it's full of some fucked-up shit, though the only thing that really bothered me about it was that at times, the anti-religious persecution bits are a mite heavy-handed.
I stayed interested in the characters until the very end, though.
January 28, 2018
Amazing on all levels. Wonderful story from an amazing author.
December 7, 2018
I couldn't put it down after reading the first page. I almost literally held my breath from front to back cover. Wish I could give six stars.
March 25, 2021
Dark and gripping. It had everything from time travel, paganism, lust and murder. Not a light read but definitely worth giving a shot
July 31, 2021
Really good read! One of my favorites. It's about a girl fighting to get loose from her very strict religous parents and exploring her witchcraft.
August 9, 2021
Guilty pleasure, I loved this book as a kid, some chilling accounts of abuse though.
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April 18, 2024dnf. i started this when i was sick a few weeks back, and i was in the total wrong head space for it.
June 21, 2025
From the back cover: For all of their childhood, young Beth Herne and her brother Luke have lived in fear - beaten and terrorized because of their mother's religious beliefs. Until one summer, staying with her grandparents, Beth discovers independence. And her descent into darkness begins...
Rhianwen Rhys, although known in the village as a witch, seems kind and protective. Through her Beth learns the power of a woman's spirit, allowing her to break free. Yet Luke stays with his mother, convinced that the Devil works through Rhianwen. While Beth begins the love affair that threatens to destroy them all...
To Beth, Rhianwen's son Morgan is irresistible, a beautiful demon seducing her into forbidden delights. She pays for her sins, bearing his child in lonely terror. But even from birth, Eirian is more than a beloved daughter. She can see things. Hear things. And even foretell a future in which the inhabitants of the dark cathedral will rise up to claim their own...
4.5 stars. I'm not sure how to categorise this book. Urban fantasy conjures up a different image, and it's not intend to shock people, so it's not horror. I'll tentatively call it supernatural.
I originally read this book years ago and a lot of it was burnt into my memory. I don't want to say too much, as I don't want to spoil it, but I will say that I loved the book originally and I loved it again, even though I realise now that my original desire to become a pagan and live in a house with the colourful gypsy trappings described in this book is about as likely as my running off and learning how to ride dragons.
This is a solidly plotted book with well-drawn characters. Some parts of it are pretty unpleasant (Freda Warrington isn't afraid of hurting her characters), so squeamish readers may be best advised to avoid this. If however you can stand some unpleasantness, I recommend this book. If you have an interest in various religions and aren't offended by depictions of the cruelties of extreme religious beliefs, you may enjoy this book, which happily has recently been re-released in all modern book formats.
Rhianwen Rhys, although known in the village as a witch, seems kind and protective. Through her Beth learns the power of a woman's spirit, allowing her to break free. Yet Luke stays with his mother, convinced that the Devil works through Rhianwen. While Beth begins the love affair that threatens to destroy them all...
To Beth, Rhianwen's son Morgan is irresistible, a beautiful demon seducing her into forbidden delights. She pays for her sins, bearing his child in lonely terror. But even from birth, Eirian is more than a beloved daughter. She can see things. Hear things. And even foretell a future in which the inhabitants of the dark cathedral will rise up to claim their own...
4.5 stars. I'm not sure how to categorise this book. Urban fantasy conjures up a different image, and it's not intend to shock people, so it's not horror. I'll tentatively call it supernatural.
I originally read this book years ago and a lot of it was burnt into my memory. I don't want to say too much, as I don't want to spoil it, but I will say that I loved the book originally and I loved it again, even though I realise now that my original desire to become a pagan and live in a house with the colourful gypsy trappings described in this book is about as likely as my running off and learning how to ride dragons.
This is a solidly plotted book with well-drawn characters. Some parts of it are pretty unpleasant (Freda Warrington isn't afraid of hurting her characters), so squeamish readers may be best advised to avoid this. If however you can stand some unpleasantness, I recommend this book. If you have an interest in various religions and aren't offended by depictions of the cruelties of extreme religious beliefs, you may enjoy this book, which happily has recently been re-released in all modern book formats.
September 15, 2012
I really like Freda Warrington, and I think she writes extremely well. Her characters are complex, and her plot moves along at an even pace, keeping the reader pulled in.
Things I was really impressed with were the realism and the believable characters. There’s a bit of mystery about the family that unfolds nicely. I thought the characters were excellent; everyone is intriguing, but flawed, and Freda came up with quite a complex and memorable villain, which is rare for this kind of book. I like the Goth ambiance and the touch of magic.
Things I thought were tedious were the flashbacks to dark, witch-hunter days, the somewhat preachy tone about how wonderful Paganism is, and the long gap before Morgan and Beth could be reunited. (Although, I do have to admit, when they do finally get together again, it was wonderful.)
I decided to give this book 4 stars, because I didn’t love it as much as some of Freda’s other books, but if I could, I'd give it 4.5 After all, Freda writes so well that almost all her books are better than the norm. I wish I could get a hold of the sequel, “Pagan Moon” but it’s out of print and now very expensive.
Things I was really impressed with were the realism and the believable characters. There’s a bit of mystery about the family that unfolds nicely. I thought the characters were excellent; everyone is intriguing, but flawed, and Freda came up with quite a complex and memorable villain, which is rare for this kind of book. I like the Goth ambiance and the touch of magic.
Things I thought were tedious were the flashbacks to dark, witch-hunter days, the somewhat preachy tone about how wonderful Paganism is, and the long gap before Morgan and Beth could be reunited. (Although, I do have to admit, when they do finally get together again, it was wonderful.)
I decided to give this book 4 stars, because I didn’t love it as much as some of Freda’s other books, but if I could, I'd give it 4.5 After all, Freda writes so well that almost all her books are better than the norm. I wish I could get a hold of the sequel, “Pagan Moon” but it’s out of print and now very expensive.
January 10, 2012
Wish I could find a copy of this for my ereader AND the sequel!!!
April 7, 2016
Hands down one my favourite books.
December 15, 2012
One of my favorite books ever.
May 16, 2018
While this is a compelling story, which did keep me reading, it was rather let down by some fairly two-dimensional characterisation. All the Christians were so appalling, that while pagan characters were flawed, the book rather fell into the trap of presenting pagans as all fundamentally good and Christians as fundamentally bad. This rather detracts from the story. Had the characters been more nuanced, the tension would have been much greater. As it was, it all comes across as very black and white, and much of the dialogue becomes rather facile.
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March 13, 2019This is so grim, child abuse, neglect, violence, rape, more rape, some more rape and more abuse.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews