Castle of the Wolf - Sandra Schwab

Castle of the Wolf
Sandra Schwab
LoveSpell

Historical Romance/Paranormal

Unmarried at the age of 27, Celia Fussell realizes that she is well and truly on the shelf. Upon her father’s death, though, the reality of her situation hits her hard. She is no longer the unmarried daughter of the bookish baron. Now she is the spinster sister of the current baron, her brother. Her brother, George, is kind and more than willing to provide a home for her. His wife, Dorinda, however, is pretentious and generally insufferable. Living in her home will not be pleasant.

The chance for escape comes from an unlikely source: her father’s will. Neither Celia nor George had any idea that their father owned a castle, Wolfenbach, in the Black Forest. Celia inherits the castle, but there is a condition. She must marry the son of the castle’s former owner, if, indeed, he is still unmarried. The late baron was great friends with the former owner, and is sure that his son will be a good man, and a good husband for his beloved daughter. Over her brother’s reasonable protests against marrying a man she has never met, Celia decides to take this one last chance at having a life, and a love, of her own. This will prove no easy task, since Fenris, the man in question, is very nearly wedded to the shadows and pain that comprise his world.

This is a lovely spin on the classic “Beauty and the Beast” kind of tale. Lovers of myths and fairy tales will find many references here that add an extra dimension to the story. To say that Fenris is a tortured hero is understating things considerably. He has a decent reason, unlike many other heroes of this type. And Celia is a great character. She is innocent in many ways, but she is also intelligent and strong-willed. When life offers her a chance and a challenge, she does not back down from it. The story has a wonderfully gothic feel with a touch of the paranormal. I’m hoping to see many more books from this very talented author.

Rating: 8
May 2007
ISBN# 978-0-505-52720-2 (paperback)