Library Journal
Although the opening scene of this medieval tale borders on the mystical, this impression is not validated to any degree until two-thirds of the way through the book, when Sophie and Hugues de Pontesse finally encounter the sorceress and Sophie is forced to make a choice between her magical heritage and her love. Until then, the novel reads as a straight historical, with a lot of emphasis on the political and economic realities of early 13th-century France. While much of this is interesting, the book would have benefited from better character development, motivation, and a more tightly woven plot. Nevertheless, it contains some truly lovely descriptive passages, and it seems that Delacroix (Honeyed Lies and Unicorn Bride, both Harlequin, 1994) has closely researched the history, culture, and mythology of the time.