The Dark Lord

Hungary 1723 - Above the little Hungarian Village of Krasna stands the castle of Lord Sebestyen Adrik. Every so often, he sends a message inviting a young woman to live at the castle as his companion. In exchange, her family’s taxes will be waived. The villagers refer to him as the Dark Lord because none of the women who have accepted the offer have ever been seen or heard from again.

Indentured servant Katarina has decided to accept the offer. She doesn’t know exactly what being Lord Sebestyen’s “companion” will entail, but what could be worse than toiling on a goat farm for a couple who treat her as a slave?

Sebestyen is intrigued by Katarina. Unlike the other companions, she isn’t afraid. Instead, she’s calm and sensible and very beautiful. He expects rejection, but Katarina is accommodating to his every wish. He tries not to expect too much, but can’t help but hope she will be the one to break the curse he has suffered from since the death of his wife.

The Dark Lord is not what it seems at first blush. No cookie cutter situations here! It is a story of guilt and redemption, of love lost and found. It is erotic, yet not explicit, and dark, yet hopeful. The neatest twist in this story is that the curse isn’t what you might first imagine.

I recommend The Dark Lord to readers looking for a mildly erotic historical romance. I very much look forward to Ms. Wilkins’ next offering!

Reviewed by: Shelley