Books: The Lady of Secrets
Exclusive interview with author Susan Carrol about her novel, in which Margaret Wolfe must save King James and his family from a curse
Rating: 3 Stars
By Gabrielle Pantera
“The original idea came from an article I read about matriarchal societies and how at one time wise women or healers were held in great esteem,” says The Lady of Secrets author Susan Carrol. “The change came when Christianity began to replace many of the old goddess-based religions. Wise women now ran the risk of being called something quite different…witches.”
The Lady of Secrets is the sixth book in the Daughters of the Earth series. The first book in series, the Dark Queen began in France in the year 1572 and was inspired by the legends about Catherine de Medici and her reputed interest in necromancy.
Margaret Wolfe is now Lady of the Faire Isle since her mentor Ariane has died. Accompanied by Contessa Seraphine Beaufoy, Meg returns home hoping for some peace. But King James dispatches Sir Patrick Graham and Dr. Armagil Blackwood to Faire Isle to escort Lady Meg to his court. A witch curses the king and all who are part of his court. Using her powers, Meg seeks to discover the person behind the magical spell.
The story is kept moving from the very beginning. The character of Meg is well defined and the threat to her safety for using the dark arts is clear. The story is well written with romance, danger and magic in the mix to keep it interesting. Historical elements move the story forward as does Carol’s use of magic and natural healing as a plot device. This book can be read by itself, but once you read it you will want to read the rest in the series.
The Lady of Secrets concludes the series in the year 1605 and the scene shifts to London. The fantasy elements of the book are set against the historical backdrop of the reign of James I.
“The idea for this particular novel came from my readings about the infamous witch trials in Scotland in 1591, long before James had ascended to the English throne,” says Carrol.
“James believed that his political enemies were trying to destroy him through the use of witchcraft. Hundreds of women and men were caught up in the witchhunt and executed before the hysteria subsided. This provided the initial spark for my imagination and the premise of The Lady of Secrets. What if the king feared a curse that continued to haunt him years later when he became king of England and compelled him to seek the help of a legendary sorceress, the Lady of Faire Isle?”
Carrol says she was surprised by her shift in attitude towards King James I as she was writing the book. “When I began my research, I knew little about him except that he was the intended victim of the notorious Gunpowder Plot. I also knew that he was the author of Daemonologie, basically a how-to manual on witch hunting. So I expected to find him a narrow-minded tyrant of the first order. But the more I read about him, the more compassion I felt for this complex, troubled monarch.”
Carrol began her writing career in 1986, with Regency novels and historical romances, mostly set in England. She is best known for her recent works, which are a blend of history, romance and the paranormal. She wrote a trilogy of books set in Cornwall during the early 1800s which chronicled the adventures of an aristocratic family named St. Leger who had supernatural powers and were plagued by an ancient curse. Those titles were The Bride Finder, The Night Drifter, and Midnight Bride. This series was followed by the Daughters of the Earth books that include The Dark Queen, The Courtesan, The Silver Rose, The Huntress, The Twilight of a Queen, and her most recent work, The Lady of Secrets.
Carrol lives in Moline, Illinois. She was born in the small town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, known for Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers and Rolling Rock beer.
Lady of Secrets by Susan Carol. Paperback: 448 pages, Publisher: Ballantine Books (December 11, 2012), Language: English. ISBN: 9780345502957 $15.00
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