England, 1448

Kadriya is anxiously looking forward to her new life. She has finally found a man who loves her and looks beyond her mixed heritage. Although she can’t profess to loving Teraf, she loves the fact that he completely accepts the English and Romani sides of her. Kadriya’s world tumbles when Teraf, a tribal king, is accused of theft and is taken by knights claiming to represent the church. Kadriya knows that Teraf will not be given a fair trial because he is a Gypsy. She doesn’t believe he could possibly have stolen the missing chalice as he was accused. So, she sets a plan into motion to rescue her fiancé. She never expects her scheme to end in the death of a knight or her capture of another, Sir John Wynter. Her failure to rescue Teraf has her carefully planning what to do with Sir John. When she first met him, he was full of prejudice and anger towards her and the other Gypsies. So, she knows that letting him go wouldn’t be in Teraf’s best interest or hers.

John can’t believe he has been captured by a bunch of thieving Gypsies. Kadriya seems to hold the upper hand and is a disturbingly beautiful enigma. Although trusting a Gypsy goes against everything he believes in, John knows that he must gain someone’s assistance in escaping. When Kadriya defends him with her life, John decides to swallow his pride and attempts to convince her to let him go. He soon finds that attempting to convince her is not as easy as he expects. For some strange reason, Kadriya believes Teraf is innocent despite the evidence the Church has against him. Their journey leads them to Coin Forest, Kadriya’s home, where he gets a chance to see beyond her skin to the strong and loyal woman within. Regardless of the developing respect he has for her, John feels obligated to report her part in the knight’s death to the Church.

Kadriya knows that John’s prejudice against her race will prevent them from ever establishing a friendship. However, she doesn’t understand her misplaced attraction to him. Kadriya decides to ignore her feelings for John and concentrate on rescuing Teraf and convincing John of her innocence in the knight’s death. Fear of hanging and fear for Teraf puts Kadriya in a difficult position. She decides the best way to deal with both issues is to help Sir John find the missing chalice and return it to the church.

EMERALD SILK is a novel with rich characters in a lush setting. Kadriya is a beautiful woman who is half English and half Romani. Most English are quick to dismiss her because she is a Gypsy. Most Gypsies despise her because she is too English. Her need to believe in Teraf, the only man who has offered for her hand, forces her to ignore any misgivings she may have about his actions and character.

John despises Gypsies. His interactions with Kadriya convince him that she is more English than Romani. What else could explain her strong morals and character? He tries to force himself to ignore the other side of her heritage, but finds it easier said than done. As his feelings for Kadriya develop into something that cannot be ignored, will he step beyond his hatred to embrace love?

EMERALD SILK is a page turner filled with prejudice, betrayal, loyalty, shame and passion. The journey Kadriya and John embark upon to find the missing chalice will hold readers in captivity from beginning to end. Secondary characters play strong roles in teaching John that not all Romani are evil and, similarly, not all English are righteous. EMERALD SILK is a powerful tale that shows the destructive power of racism and the enlightening journey one can take to overcome what seems to be a lifetime of differences. It is a stand-alone story despite being part two in the Coin Forest Series. I haven’t read the first story, and I was able to totally appreciate EMERALD SILK. This is a story that I would recommend to all.

Anthonette Dotson