"A fantasy tale to set the Sea steaming!"
Accused of being a witch, Meg had been banished from the
Arcan Mainland and had been given into the care of her Aunt
Adelia and her Uncle Olwyn on the Isle of the Mists. Meg's
fate is to become a priestess, a fate which she rails
against in her heart of hearts, for after her initiation
rites she must remain celibate for life. Late one night Meg witnesses a Selkie mating. Caught up in
their ecstasy she catches the eye of their leader, the
Lordof the Deep. As he makes love to one of his consorts she
imagines herself in the selkie female's place. Knowing of
her heart's desire in the way of his people Simeon comes to
her, to grant her fondest wish. A virgin no longer, Meg cannot become a priestess nor can
she return to the Mainland. She cannot remain with Simeon in
the deep indefinitely either. Simeon's consorts are a
jealous lot and Meg cannot breathe under water for long. Nor
can Simeon exist long in her world. Simeon has a plan but
needs time to execute it. Meg returns to her relative's
cottage with plans to meet with him later at the witching
hour. But Meg's avaricious aunt has other plans for her. Unknown to Meg there are accommodations that can be made for
nubile young women who no longer qualify to become
priestesses. It is a
carefully guarded secret that the Shamans of the temple
also keep a whorehouse on Shaman's Mount, for none who had
ventured there had ever returned. But Adelia knows and
acquires a tidy sum from the Shaman Seth for her troublesome
niece. Using Simeon's hastily discarded seal skin to gain
Meg's cooperation, Meg soon finds herself on the Mount and
Simeon will move Heaven and Sea to get her back. Even if he is successful their dilemma would not
be resolved for he is immortal and she is doomed to age and
die. Of course with love all things are possible and with
the aid and hindrance of many fanciful creatures, including
the Lord of the Forest, a long lived nun, a vengeful
Waterwitch, a mercurial waterhorse, an ancient spirit trapped in
a stolen tree and a swordfish summoner, the pair may just
have a chance to live happily ever after. If you love
ancient sea lore as I do and enjoy a hot steamy romance as
well, Lord of the Deep is a book you will want to add to
your keeper shelf.
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted October 25, 2007
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