THE NIGHTWOOD

In this lush retelling of the Celtic tale of Tam Lin, the daughter of the Earl of March is drawn by music to the forest that has become the home of the dreaded Elfin Queen. When she picks a rose from the Elfin Queen’s bush, the young, enchanted knight who guards the bush is summoned. They dance and, of course, fall in love. To break the spell and rescue her love, Elaine must find her knight on All Hallow’s Eve and pull him from his horse—or die. When Elaine succeeds despite his fearsome transformations, the Elfin Queen is furious: “I was foolish to think that no power was greater than the queen of the Elves. I was wrong. The power of mortal love is greater!” The striking cover and bordered, romantic illustrations on flaxen paper are reminiscent of the Dillons in palette, line and use of lighting. Tamer than the virulent version by Jane Yolen and Charles Mikolaycak (Tam Lin, 1990), this does not include Elaine's pregnancy, instead relying on the artwork to picture her pining away for her love. (Folktale. 7-10)