Twilight Rising, Serpent's Dream

Diana Marcellas. Tor Books, $27.95 (493pp) ISBN 978-0-312-87482-7

In Twilight Rising, Serpent's Dream, the uneven third entry in Diana Marcellas's romantic fantasy series about witches (The Sea Lark's Song, etc.), Brierly Mefell, the ""keystone"" sea witch of an ancient prophecy, gets caught up in a love triangle and political intrigue. A convoluted, detail-laden plot and a mopey, inactive heroine make this novel a weaker effort than The Sea Lark's Song. Still, readers will find some enchanting moments. Agent, Richard Curtis. .

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