EYE OF THE SERPENT

Author: Joanna Challis ISBN: 0709081308 10/2006 GOTHIC Publisher: ROBERT HALE LTD.
Time Period: Victorian 1870's

Leaving the safety of Victorian England, Cristabel accepts a post in far-off Austria. On arrival, she is immediately intrigued by the fairy-tale castle and its inhabitants including the spoiled and willful Liesel Von Holstein, handsome widower Count Max Von Holstein, eccentric Aunt Gisela, and a host of resentful servants… As Cristabel establishes herself in her new role, she can’t help being drawn to the unsolved mysteries of the past. What is the connection between her family heirloom, a rare serpent bracelet, and the Von Holsteins? From the lake-side country to the bustle of 1870's Vienna, Cristabel moves closer to her fate and to a secret, dangerous past…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I'm not usually one who takes to first person narratives, but Joanna Challis knew exactly what she was doing when she penned this Gothic romance as seen through the eyes of story's heroine, Cristabel. With its sinister storyline, mysterious and intriguing characters and fantastical European backdrop, EYE OF THE SERPENT is a welcome respite from the myriad of "same-o" romances I've read recently. Wouldn't it be just grand to find these types of romantic novels making a comeback as a welcome offset to the current onslaught of paranormals and deluge of chick lit stories that seem to be everywhere in romance now? Give me more of these wonderful stories, I say!

There's not a moment that goes by in EYE OF THE SERPENT that doesn't lend itself to intrigue and suspense, including those that revolve around the handsome, yet rather sinister, alpha lead character, Count Max Von Holstein. As he and Cristobel are drawn more to each other and begin to fall in love, events from the past overshadow their developing romance, including Max's first wife's mysterious death, the hidden manipulation of others and a mysterious bracelet that perhaps possesses unknown power. When set against the mystique of castles high upon the mountaintops or amid the bustling whirl of romantic Vienna, you simply can't help but be drawn into and immersed in this Gothic tale.

This is the first time I've been introduced to Joanna Challis, but it won't be the last I read of her works, if I can help it. If you love the types of Victorian Gothics that were written during the 70's and miss them as much as I do, then EYE OF THE SERPENT is one you'll want to pick up and add to your collection. I highly recommend it!

Nancy Davis