Taken from her aunt's estate by kidnappers who were actually
after a royal princess, Lark Sedassa finds herself in the hands of a nobleman
who is in no hurry to correct his mistake when he discovers his beautiful
captive is herself the daughter of a wealthy and influential family. Not only
does he not intend to return Lark to her family, the golden-eyed Kadar Arkalis
intends to make her his bride.
Binding Spell is
the latest of Christine Pope's fantasy-romance series "Tales of the Latter
Kingdoms," and she's painting with a darker palette this time out. There's
malign magic at work in Kadar's castle, and secrets that could prove deadly for
himself and his people. Lark, who practices her own magic in secret, must face
the threat this evil poses and finally accept her own powers, which she has
always kept hidden.
As always, Pope's writing is lushly sensual, hauntingly
descriptive without shading into purple prose like those fantasy novels where
there are so many adjectives readers begin to wonder if the writer was being
paid by the word. The Latter Kingdoms may be fantastic realms, but the details
of the day-to-day lives of the characters that live there have a realistic
familiarity. Gowns get dirty; food
stores have to be replenished; inconvenient mistresses need to be sent away.
The characters share that reality and are dimensional and
believable. Lark is a serious-minded young woman whose growing love for her
husband eventually extends to everyone in his domain. Indeed, one of the best
scenes in the book occurs when Lark uses his ability to sense lies to dispense
justice in Kadar's "Hall of Grievances."
Kadar is a flawed man whose flaws bring him to the brink of
terrible actions, but those flaws also make him more than the usual "alpha
male" hero. The attraction between him and Lark goes beyond chemical into
the alchemical, and their bond is stronger than any magic. (Pope makes her
readers wait for her lovers to consummate their passion but she makes the wait
worth it.)
What fantasy would be complete without an evil magician?
There's one here, and he's a great character, the kind of manipulator you would
get if you crossed Iago with Grima Wormtongue.
You'll know he's trouble the moment you see him, just as Lark does.
Fans of the Latter Kingdom series will be amused by the
references Pope makes to plot-points from earlier books, and be intrigued by
the teasing hints she offers of characters that will appear in later books.
With each "tale," this series gets richer and more developed and
while the books stand alone, readers really should treat themselves to all of
them.
