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Book Review: Victoria Winters

This is the second book in a series based on the Dark Shadows gothic daytime soap opera. (Also see my review of the first book.) The first printing was in 1966.

gordon meyer holding book

This novel introduces several new characters and locations, which reflects Victoria Winters getting settled into Collinsport, but also gives the author a richer palette from which to tell the stories. Those characters who were introduced in the first book, but not necessary to the present story, are said to be, conveniently, away on summer vacation.

The titular character spends most of the book attracting suitors who are surprisingly quick to fall in love with her. (Spoiler: she reciprocates with only one of them.) As these situations unfolded, I found myself concerned that I had been tricked into reading a romance novel! But with the strong supernatural elements of the story, it is only my ignorance of the “gothic” genre that fooled me.

The earliest editions of this book, of which my copy is apparently one, feature a photo of Barnabas Collins on the cover, but he doesn’t appear in the story. Later editions, such as this one listed on Amazon, show a more story-accurate depiction.

I’m beginning to notice some quirks of the author, such as a heavy use of the adjective “wan.” It appears so frequently that it could almost become a Dark Shadows drinking game. Of a more charming note, she (perhaps “they” is a better pronoun) also sneaks in a sly use of the phrase “dark shadows,” as a delightful Easter egg.

A favorite passage in defense of paranormal studies:

“Life offered mysteries on all sides and there were not always mundane answers to explain them. All through the history of mankind there had been witness to the reality of a spirit world. History and folklore were filled with references to demons, witches, and ghosts. Could all this evidence be ignored and put down merely as superstition? Or was there another dimension generally not admitted except among those close in the same circle, discussed in hushed tones privately, denied in public and yet so apparent as to have endured down through the centuries?”

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read, with the careful wording that I’m coming to expect from the series. As I approached the end, I was concerned that too many plot points would be left unresolved — perhaps for use in future novels — but the conclusion moved along at a brisk pace (unlike some earlier parts of the story) and it left me satisfied.

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