Highland Magic

In the wild Highlands, Keely stumbled across the strange man late at night following a horrific battle. Dressed as a priest, the stranger lay near death. Aided by her faithful retainer, Whipple, Keely transports the man to her humble abode. Using all of her vast skill as a healer, Keely slowly nurses him to health, only to find out that he has no knowledge of who or what he is. Fearful for her safety, Whipple encourages Keely to flee and leave the strange one behind, for she is purported to be a witch in their small village and someone sent by King James is after her. Keely refuses to leave, her fear of the world being less than her fear of being caught and tried as a witch. As he becomes increasingly aware, Ian not only remembers his name, but he also fears that he is the one sent by the king to silence Keely forever. As the world around them becomes increasingly fraught with danger, it would appear that Ian is indeed the one sent by King James to bring the one who spoke treason by foretelling the king’s death to justice. Ah, but are things always as they appear or is there just enough HIGHLAND MAGIC about to bring joy rather than sorrow?

Ms. Young has written a wonderfully detailed historical that features the Scottish Highlands. Full of accurate period events, this story is both enthralling and enchanting at the same time. With just enough hints of magic to add some light touches to what may otherwise be a somewhat “angsty” historical, Ms. Young has done a marvelous job of bringing both the period and her characters to life. This reviewer found Keely to be a delightful heroine and Ian is an alpha male worthy of her. The secondary characters add richness and poignancy as well. Ms Young has done a great job of making characters whose actions border on the despicable sympathetic because she really gets into what motivates the actions of the characters and what makes them tick. Ultimately this is a timeless tale of acceptance and finding the good in others, and most of all the ability to love in spite of differences. While magic is mentioned in the title, and Keely fears being called a witch because of her skill with herbs, there is little that is paranormal about this tale. This reviewer highly recommends this tale for all historical fans, particularly those who like tales set in the Highlands.

January 2007