There is no happily-ever-after…
Kilmara, Scotland. 1725. For fifty years, Iris has accepted the curse that blighted her life. By night, she is a heartbroken woman, destined to walk the misty shores of Kilmara without growing older. By day, she is Moireach, a terrifying monster imprisoned in the murky depths of Loch Moine. When bodies begin appearing on the shore, the villagers are convinced Moireach is responsible.
So a hunter – the rugged, ruthless Henry Carver – is summoned to slay the monster of the loch. Iris must break her curse before she is killed for crimes she cannot believe she has committed. But as Kilmara’s hunt for the monster becomes ever more fevered, she and Henry are drawn together in a dangerous game of impossible attraction. And when a figure from Iris’s past suddenly reappears, she must choose what – or who – she is willing to sacrifice to win her freedom…when you are the monster.
Rebecca Templeton has had a love of books from a very early age and had lofty childhood aspirations of being a writer, though she ended up joining the legal profession instead. When her husband encouraged her to start writing again, she rediscovered her creative outlet and hasn’t looked back since.
When not writing or working, Rebecca can usually be found crocheting giant blankets, baking or watching Gilmore Girls. She is also owned by a couple of very energetic children.
My thoughts: This blends a retelling of the Little Mermaid with elements of Scottish folklore, Beauty & the Beast, Snow White, and other fairy tales.
Iris is cursed to spend her days as Moireach, a terrifying creature that dwells in the loch, and her night’s hiding from the villagers, who don’t know about her secret. They most likely think she’s long dead. She wants to break the curse, but doesn’t know how. Her only friend is Duncan, her childhood friend now grown old.
When bodies start being found around the loch, a monster hunter is summoned to rid the village of its murderous creature. Only Iris doesn’t think she is the killer. And soon, neither does the hunter, Henry Carver.
After Iris saves his life, and they meet, there’s an instant connection. Can they defy the odds, break the curse and solve the murders?
It’s a really interesting blend of fantasy, fairy tale and folklore, there’s hints of lots of different stories, and Iris is an interesting protagonist, she’s smart about certain things, but naive in other ways. Duncan is her only contact and friend, she isn’t aware of much that has happened since she was cursed, he controls her access to information and news, and manipulates her.
Her relationship with Henry gives her hope after a long time and refuels her desire to break her curse, causing her to return to the village for the first time in fifty years and search for answers, breaking free of the secrets she has been carrying for so long.
It’s interesting to have the woman as the monster – although I don’t think Moireach is really a monster, she’s just trying to survive in a world not designed for her, fighting against nasty kelpies in the loch and the ignorance of villagers who would destroy her.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
ramblingmads 