THE PERILOUS GARD
This is among my top twenty favorite books. Kate, having been exiled to a gloomy mansion, discovers that there is quite a lot more to the mansion than meets the eye. For instance, what creatures live beneath the Well? Who was the contemptuous lady in green in the forest? Christopher Heron, the younger brother of the lord of the manor, is hiding something.
If you are familiar with the plot of Tam Lin, the story will not come as a surprise. However, it has SUPERB characterization, dialogue, prose, world-building-- everything! It also mixes in bits of my favorite ballad, The Twa Sisters, which is a definite plus. I have reread this book so many times, but it never grows old.
THE SHERWOOD RING
This is a historical ghost story framed by the life of an orphan named Peggy. When she moves to her old ancestral home, she starts getting visitations by her relatives from the Revolutionary War-- ghosts, if you will. They spin an interesting story, mixing with Peggy's present life to produce a fascinating historical fantasy. The whole isn't as good as The Perilous Gard, but there are about two pages in the middle of which I will never tire. The characters again are excellent, particularly if you like urbane gentlemen.
