Book Review: The Black Swan

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Black Swan     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Ana Seymour
Class/Genre:   Romance   Historical
Jove, Jun 2001, $5.99, 304 pp.

In 1562 Ireland, Lord Cormac Riordan never planned to marry so that the family curse of wives dying in childbirth will finally end. However, to end a feud, his father forces Cormac to wed Claire O’Donnell, who has loved him even when she was a little girl.

Cormac does not want any harm to come to Claire so he decides to marry her, but leave her on their wedding night for a year and a day so that her family can then take her safely back home. However, his ploy fails when her brother Rory kills his father during an angry outburst over Cormac’s cowardly desertion. Cormac returns to do the right thing and avoid a bloody outbreak, but is also falling in love with his bride.

Once the reader gets pass Cormac’s illogical plan of marrying to end the feud but not understanding that running will make it much worse, the audience will find a well written sixteenth century romance. The story line brings alive an Ireland filled with clan warfare through the strong cast, especially the heroine. Ana Seymour has written an entertaining historical romance that will please sub-genre fans, but THE BLACK SWAN requires the reader to follow the arrayed dominoes starting with the second tile.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner