"A wonderful Gothic with a strong touch of Paganism"

LAVENDER BLUE by Sandra Heath is not so much a Regency Romance as a true Gothic. And wow what a read! It's totally amazing how the writer wove such an intricate tale in so few pages. I simply could NOT put this one down. I love history and lore, and this one is so steeped with ancient myths of paganism, so perfectly portrayed. I am utterly delighted to discover a writer with such love for the ways of Auld, who depicts them without the cheap sensationalism.

Althea has always loved Jovian, the Duke of Chavanage. All believed they would marry and Althea would be his next Duchess. They considered them the perfect couple. But then, suddenly, the year before the book takes up, something distressing began to occur, shattering Althea's hopes. The Duke was on one drunken binge after another and never seems to stop drinking. Althea's heart is bruised by his often- callous treatment of her. Still she is pained and worried to hear tales about Jovian, not just about his public drunkenness, but how he can fly over rooftops, and summon objects to his hand by will. She would like to dismiss these tales, but one cold January morn, she is woke from a strange dream. She could swear Jovian was looking into her bedroom window! From the second floor! She rushes out into the cold winter morn and finds him. He presents Althea with a posy of fresh Lavender, a summer blooming flower, and warns her not to trust anyone or believe everything she sees. Althea is puzzled; he is so like the old Jovian she loved and loved her, does not seem drunk at all. It warms her heart when he says he still loves her, but when she presses for answers that make sense, she gets riddles.

Her life soon undergoes changes. At first, she receives a missive from her father, saying he has married again. Then later, another letter arrives and says she has a new stepsister coming to stay with her, that her stepmother has mysteriously died. Althea and her aunt welcome the girl. After her arrival, they are suddenly seeing a lot of Jovian and his new neighbor, Erebus Lethe. As events grown more sinister, Jovian's warning back in the winter comes to Althea's mind. Something very bizarre is circling Althea and her stepsister, something old and ancient, something very deadly and only Jovian can stop it. There are layers upon layers, riddles and more riddles. Ones steeped in knowledge of ancient lore will see some of the mystery coming, but it still is a master crafting of fiction and myth. For those unfamiliar with the Maid-Crone Cycle, they will be in for a super introduction to such lore.

The pace keeps the reader hooked. This is my first book by Heath, but NOT my last!

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted August 19, 2004