Ashes on the Waves

July 8, 2013
In Lindsey's atmospheric love story, which draws from Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Annabel Lee," Liam MacGregor has lived his entire life on Dòchas, an isolated island surrounded by otherworldly sea beings. The islanders, whose society is governed by Celtic superstition, shun Liam because of his paralyzed arm and rumors that he is cursed. Liam has always loved his childhood companion Anna, whose prominent family owns a mansion on Dòchas. Anna, now a beautiful New York socialite, returns to Dòchas following an embarrassing public spectacle. Liam is astounded when Annaâwho has much more depth of character than the tabloids suggestâreciprocates his boundless affection. Yet when the island's strange creatures are threatened by Liam and Anna's love, they set a trap to destroy it. Lindsey (Shattered Souls) skillfully crafts tension and ambiance as she unravels details of Liam's past and of Dòchas itself. However, Liam's antiquated way of speaking is more stilted than evocative, and when the many mysteries are unfurled, the result is an incongruous tapestry of mythological lore and other paranormal elements. Ages 12âup. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

May 1, 2013
A book based on Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" promises a haunting journey but doesn't portend a rose-colored finale. The small isle of Dochas lies off the eastern coast of the United States. Its name means "hope," a cruel joke to its stoic inhabitants, whose lives are more stocked with Celtic tradition than their pantries with food. Seemingly stuck in the 1800s, stark poverty abounds in the shadow of a looming mansion (the vacation home for generations of a wealthy family) and unpredictable Otherworlders (Selkies, Bean Sidhes, Na Fir Ghorm) who torment and sometimes kill the islanders. Liam MacGregor has grown up here, the unlucky scapegoat for everyone's frustration: Thanks to a paralyzed arm and rumors of his gruesome birth, he is considered a demon. However, the arrival of Anna Leighton, heiress to the mansion, causes a tidal shift. Liam falls hard and fast for her, the islanders grow inversely more disgusted by Liam, and the Otherworlders make a cruel wager to test the strength of human love. Setting Liam's antique dialect and turn-of-the-last-century lifestyle against pop-culture-laden, contemporary Anna could be seen as Luddite proselytizing, but the unlikely merging of the two worlds doesn't feel forced. A romantic potpourri of doomed amour, Celtic lore and mystery-laden suspense. (Gothic romance. 14-18)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" provides the structure for this gothic tale of mystery, myth, and romance. The islanders of Dochas, Maine, have allowed their lives to be ruled by the whims of the "Otherworlders," mystical creatures who live beneath the waves. When socialite Anna Leighton, whose family once summered in the island's mansion, arrives and is saved from the call of the sea by 18-year-old outcast Liam MacGregor, the love that grows between them brings into question ancient myths and rumors. Despite the pleas of Muireann, the Selkie who loves Liam from afar, the dangerous Na Fir Ghorm, beings that lure humans to their deaths, plot to test the couple's fidelity. The story is filled with fascinating details of Celtic lore, and the interweaving of myth with the realistic aspects of island life adds an interesting dimension. The carefully paced text slowly but clearly reveals the complexities of the relationships between the islanders and the Otherworlders. Anna and Liam are well developed, and Muireann and Liam's stepfather show glimpses of depth as well. However, other characters are stereotypical, acting and reacting like characters in a Dark Shadows-type soap opera. The novel holds together until the Romeo-and-Juliet-like ending. The melodramatic finale, rather than melding with the rest of the well-plotted book, seems a quick fix to align the story with the ending of Poe's poem. Nevertheless, this tale of forbidden love will appeal to adolescent girls in the throes of their own first romances.-Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI

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