The feisty Du Lac brothers are reunited at the old family home in Brittany - what could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot actually. For a start, author Mary Anne Yarde has a liking for deeply flawed characters. Secondly, you need to be thinking George R.R. Martin rather than Sir Thomas Malory. Chivalry is hanging in by its fingernails and treachery is in the air.
Book two of the Du Lac Chronicles would work perfectly well as a stand-alone novel but to really understand the complex web of relationships I recommend starting with the first book. You also need to keep your wits about you, as a fast pace is achieved with short chapters and plenty of action.
I don’t want to include any ‘spoilers’ but at one point I was reminded of those TV programmes that begin with a warning viewers might find some scenes disturbing. There are also tantalising glimpses of the Arthurian back-story, which I’d really like to hear more of – perhaps a ‘prequel’ to the chronicles?
The Du Lac Devil is Mary Anne Yarde at her best - five out of five stars.
Tony Riches
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About the Author
Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury—the fabled Isle of Avalon—was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood. At nineteen, she married her childhood sweetheart and began a bachelor of arts in history at Cardiff University, only to have her studies interrupted by the arrival of her first child. She would later return to higher education, studying equine science at Warwickshire College. Horses and history remain two of her major passions. Mary Anne Yarde keeps busy raising four children and helping run a successful family business. Find our more at her website and follow her on Twitter @maryanneyarde.
Thank you!
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