Tomes of Other Realms: To Sleep With Evil

Tomes of Other Realms

Welcome to the lands of swords and sorcery, where people live and die by the sword and only the bravest of souls stand between the common folk and the forces of darkness. Join me as I wander different planes and hear the stories of their greatest defenders and the sagas of their worthiest warriors.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: To Sleep With Evil
Author: Andria Cardarelle
Publisher: TSR, Inc.
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1996

Marguerite de Boche fled Darkon and the unwelcome attentions of a vampire. Her flight carried her into a marriage with Milos Donskoy, lord of another realm in Ravenloft. But while they both have their reasons for welcoming the marriage, it quickly becomes clear that his reasons are far less benign than her motivations. Soon enough Marguerite learns of her predecessor's tragic history, and the dark secrets that lurk in her new husband's past. But when the time comes and she has fulfilled the duties of a proper wife, will she be able to survive what happens next? She has few allies to turn to for help: the keep-bound Vistana witch whose waning powers can offer little hope; the muted girl whose thin frame can offer little physical assistance; the fat and loathsome toad with the uncanny knowledge of all the keep's secret passages. And then there is the strange Vistana, Ramus, who lurks all unseen in the woods outside of the keep. What does he have to do with Donskoy? And what will he have to do with her freedom?

To Sleep With Evil is a strange tale that lovers of the Dungeons & Dragons RPG might find tedious and boring. On the other hand, the novel is a much darker and--while drearier and depressing and more drawn out--much more intimate novel than some of the other Ravenloft novels are. There isn't much in the way of supernatural beasts and monsters, but there is a fair share of the supernatural lurking throughout the story. To be honest, the whole story is based on a supernatural incident, so how's that for a start?

This novel may be a bit harder to read than those that came before. There are so many plots and counterplots webbing through the book that at times it becomes difficult to follow one plot because of all the tangents that the other storylines draw across your focus. However, all the minor plots weave together to form a great big plot, that takes its power and form from all the subplots that have been building throughout the novel. Ultimately, the climax of the novel is strange and confusing, but no less so than the rest of the novel. And to my mind, that may actually be a part of the book's charm.

To Sleep With Evil isn't your run-of-the-mill Ravenloft book. In its own way it's a sort of dark romance or romantic horror novel. And while you may not understand everything as you read it, you'll definitely get it all when you reach the end!

Rating: Thumbs up! I know I wouldn't want to marry into a cursed family!

This book is currently not available, but click here for further instructions, or visit the Cosmic Tomes Bazaar for other titles.

Looking for something that's no longer here? Check in the Archive to search for it.

Comments? Suggestions? Just click here to send me e-mail. Also, if this review prompted you to read the book, then let me know. I appreciate knowing I made a difference in somebody's life.

You are the

th visitor to this page since February 16, 2001.

Back Home Back to Starfire Reviews

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page