Nightshade

Plot

The summer solstice brings magical events to Halfmoon, New York in this enchanting lesbian fantasy. These events transform the life of Alex, a free-spirited lesbian who witnesses a mysterious hit-and-run accldent. The accident leaves Alex in possession of a bell, and when she rings it, a womanly apparation appears. Thus Alex meets Orielle, a beautiful fairy who is bound to a life of servitude by the evil sorceress Lilah. Long ago, Lilah had tricked her mortal lovers, Benjamin and Batilda, into using their skills to craft a bell wherein Orielle would stay until summoned for her healing powers. Now Alex finds that she must play a role in a frightening ceremony planned by Benjamin and Batilda, as they seek to destroy Lilah and free Orielle on the night of the coming solstice fairy dance in Halfmoon. As Alex prepares for the final climactic event, a deep, undeniable passion is growing between her and Orielle, and she finds herself confronting her fears of falling in love and her pain from childhood losses. Romantic, suspenseful, and often comical, this novel is a delight to read with its cast of memorable characters: Alex, whose womanizing and wry sense of humor serve to bury her pain; Orielle, the fairy with very human passions; Batilda, the old lesbian chemist cursed with bird's wings; Benjamin, the kindly physics expert; Boogawoog, the lovable terrier who talks up a storm after eating her Mumble Munchies; and more. While the author's blend of the mortal with the magical is occasionally awkward, it is sure to please both lovers of fantasy and of lesbian romance. And for those not partial to fantasy, the novel imparts some very human wisdom about the need to face what haunts us inside before we can ward off outside evil, and before we can accept the gift of love. -- P. White