The Dungeon

Bruce McLennan, Laird of Kinbracken, has seen his wife stolen, and his children killed, at the hand of his rival, Archibald McInnes. He vows vengeance and, as a first step, orders the construction of a dungeon which, eventually, is intended for McInnes' imprisonment. The events which follow - with the interpolation of a journey which McLennan makes to China and back - provide the subject matter for a novel which vividly re-creates the deep passions, violence and cruelty of its medieval settings and the goriness of fights and battle scenes, whether Scottish or Chinese. This prevailing tone of harshness is balanced by the note of tenderness introduced by Peony, the young Chinese girl bought by McLennan as a personal slave and brought to Scotland to a destiny which, although ultimately tragic for herself, may lighten the lives of those who survive the carnage. Those readers who like their historical fiction to be a blend of romance, dark deeds and savage emotions will find plenty of interest here.