Twilight of a Queen

In Carroll's conclusion to her Dark Queen series, Catherine de Medici returns, still eager to claim the knowledge of the Book of Shadows. Catherine enlists the ruthless Louis Xavier to kidnap Meg Wolfe, a sorceress who is reputed to have the knowledge, from Faire Isle where she is under the protection of Ariane Deauville. Xavier, who has unfinished family business on Faire Isle, wants nothing to do with the place, but washes ashore there when his ship veers off course in a storm. Once on the island, he falls in love with Lady Jane Danvers, Ariane's successor, but his peace is shattered by the reach of the Dark Queen, who must be destroyed if any of the women of Faire Isle are to survive. While the focus is mostly on Louis Xavier and Meg's stories, familiar characters from previous installments appear. The backdrop of political upheaval in France in 1588 is an exciting and extravagant setting, but the ending feels anticlimactic in light of the terrifying threat the Dark Queen has posed throughout the series. Carroll's fans, however, should be well satisfied. (Aug.)