Ysabella
of Kinfairlie is a young woman desperately trying to take care of her sister and little
brother during the Christmas season of 1371. She had left her husband of two weeks, Merlyn
of Ravensmuir, five years previously after she discovered he was a forger and dealer of
religious relics. Ever since then, her life has been hard.
At Christmastime,
Merlyn appears after those five long years asking for her help. Determined to deny any
request from him, Ysabella is nevertheless caught up by the sight of him, a sight that
always brought a rise to her blood, as it does now. Though uncertain that she has made the
right decision, the situation is out of her hands when she receives word that Merlyn has
been killed. These unforeseeable events leave Ysabella a very confused widow and sole
owner of Merlyn’s keep at Ravensmuir.
Secrets, deceit,
jealousy and a quest for the truth about Merlyn thrust Ysabella into a maelstrom of
emotion, and she is compelled to examine her own lies, grief and feelings before she can
come to peace with not only herself, but with Merlyn’s startling reappearance into
her life.
Ms. Delacroix is
extremely gifted in creating wonderfully three-dimensional characters, as well as
intriguing plots and sub-plots. And The Rogue offers that and a myriad of themes
for the reader in this tale of long ago love. Within the pages the reader finds mystery,
love gained and lost, then found again, and feels the weight of the burden of guilt and
deceit, no matter how well intentioned.
A perfect mix of
dialog and narrative give this wonderful tale its momentum, and an excitement that doesn’t
let up until the very end.
Reviewed by Denise M. Clark for The Road to Romance
January 25,
2003 |
