A haunting tale of intrigue from New York Timesbestselling author Susanna Kearsley.SOMEWHERE IN THE HEART OF LEGEND LIES THE KEY TO HER TERRIFYING DREAMSThe charm of spending the Christmas holidays in South Wales, with its crumbling castles and ancient myths, seems the perfect distraction from the nightmares that have plagued literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw since the loss of her baby five years ago.… Ravenshaw since the loss of her baby five years ago.
Instead, she meets an emotionally fragile young widow who’s convinced that Lyn’s recurring dreams have drawn her to Castle Farm for an important purpose–and she’s running out of time.
With the help of a reclusive, brooding playwright, Lyn begins to untangle the mystery and is pulled into a world of Celtic legends, dangerous prophecies, and a child destined for greatness.
PRAISE FOR A DESPERATE FORTUNE
“A grand adventure… Susanna Kearsley just keeps getting better and better.” -LAUREN WILLIG, New York Timesbestselling author
“Enchanting! Beguiling! Gorgeously romantic! A truly brilliant book.” -KATE FORSYTH, Award-winning author of Bitter Greens
“Susanna Kearsley deftly conjures a contemporary heroine as unique as she is memorable.” -DEANNA RAYBOURN, New York Timesbestselling author
more
When I had my DNA examined through Ancestry.com, one of the surprising names that surfaced was the very Welsh “Llewellyn”…which prompted me to start thinking about the one United Kingdom country I know very little about. I’ve always LOVED Susanna Kearsley’s novels–a kind of mix of the magical, mysterious, and present-day realism–and so NAMED OF THE DRAGON–which was one of the few of hers I had not read–appealed to me this winter as it was set during Christmastime IN Wales. It did not disappoint. Besides an intriguing story that almost makes you believe in the other-worldly, Kearsely also offers wonderful insight into the very real world of agents dealing with ego-centric authors. And in Wales, if you throw a moss-covered rock, you are likely to hit an award-winning writer! This had all the elemnets I find in a compelling read…so I thought I’d pass along this recommendation!
Memorable, moving, and beautifully dramatic! NAMED OF THE DRAGON by Susanna Kearsley follows the story of Lyn Ravenshaw, a literary agent suffering a heartache that has haunted her for too many years. One of her effervescent authors invites Lyn to spend the Christmas holiday in South Wales, a prospect that sounds both charming and in some ways, necessary. Lyn needs a chance to get outside of her own head and the memories holding her in pain. Upon arrival in the small village of Angle, Lyn meets a cast of fabulous characters who will forever change her life.
The author gives the reader’s imagination leeway to draw their own final conclusions between two characters whose paths seemed destined to cross. Splendidly crafted and atmospheric, NAMED OF THE DRAGON is a must read.
Full review at the blog.
CW: past death of a baby
Named Of The Dragon is an exploration of grief from a few angles. First, Lyn’s toxic husband died in an accident a few years prior. She was already contemplating leaving him so his death comes as a relief, in some ways. She was also pregnant but the baby dies shortly after she gives birth. She has a nightmare about the baby every night and is very much paralyzed by her grief, although she does not indicate as much to the people around her.
Second, there’s a widow next door to James and she has a baby as well. Once Elen meets Lyn, she believes Lyn is there to be the baby’s protector. There are people in the village who don’t think she’s a fit mother and there are also curious circumstances around the baby’s father due to the timing of when her husband died.
The central mystery in this book is related to Arthurian legend, as well as Henry VII and his mother, Margaret Beauford. A ghost appears to Lyn asking her to watch out for the child…and this appears to be Margaret. But at the same time, here’s Elen asking Lyn to protect her baby. It all brings up Lyn’s grief over her own loss. I really liked how her grief was handled. She needed to integrate the loss in to her life and her time in Wales forces her to move forward in a lot of ways.
The side characters formed an interesting found family of sorts, although they don’t all see eye to eye or get along. Bridget was rather annoying, a little too Cool Girl for me to take and I could never be certain whether she was actually a good friend to Lyn. While it’s true they have more of a professional relationship as agent-author, she also demanded Lyn accompany her out of the country for Christmas and you’d think she’d do her best to make sure Lyn had a good time, instead of selfishly asking Lyn to help her juggle her male interests. However, I loved the rest of this circle, in part because of the shifting dynamics.
Lyn and playwright Gareth start off on the wrong foot. Plus, there’s the matter of Bridget “claiming” him for herself. But they keep circling back around to one another, in part because Gareth’s dog loves Lyn and keeps finding her while she’s out walking. Their relationship developed in such a lovely way and while the romance is not strong in this story, it does end on a promising note.
As this was written in the late 90s, there are some dated elements. There’s also a good deal of diet culture at play, with multiple references to how much Bridget can eat and characters bemoaning their need to lose weight.
I wanted to zoom through this, while also never wanting it to end as it was my last full-length Susanna Kearsley novel. Such a lovely experience it was. I will now be bereft until her next book is out.
CW: past death of a baby, past death of spouse, toxic relationship, grief, concern of parental neglect, diet culture, attempted kidnapping, past dubious consent/rape
Love this author! All of her books are wonderfully descriptive, creating a sense of place and atmosphere. This one is no exception. The characters are well developed and likeable, and the pace of the book is perfect. The reader is drawn into the story from the start and carried away by the talented storytelling. A book to be read over and over.
I originally listened to the audiobook and I loved it so much I bought the ebook. Susanna Kearsley is the heiress apparent to Daphne Du Maurier with her moody, atmospheric prose and mysterious characters each with an agenda of their own.
From the interesting characters to the fabulous setting to the amazing research, NAMED OF A DRAGON is on my favorite’s bookshelf.
I loved it.
The story is slow paced, and the “romance” didn’t ring true for me. Never felt the attraction between these characters, even if it is written that sparks fly when they rarely touch. None of the characters were very likable, which is unusual for Ms. Kearsley’s books. However, interesting parts with Welch history, and some good twists and turns. More of a mystery than anything.
I own every book she has written and love them all! Great way to spend an evening and learn something, as well. Highly recommend her books.