This was a great, quick read for a Gothic Romance. It did not bog itself down in flowery language or try to become epic in nature. The entire story takes place in just a few days. It tells of a tyrant - a usurper - whose claim to his title is being challenged. There are old, dark prophecies that frighten him, that foretell terrible things if his line is broken.Manfred is the tyrant. He has a wife, Hippolita, who he doesn't love, a daughter, Matilda, who he doesn't care about, and a son, Conrad, who we never meet. The son dies at the very beginning of the story in a weird way that is never fully explained. Let me point out that the supernatural plays a big part in this story. Unlike other gothic romances, the author doesn't try to explain away the supernatural as being misunderstood normal events. But neither does he do a great job of presenting the supernatural in a believable way. The son is killed by a ginormous helmet falling on him and crushing him to death. There are visions of a giant here and there, and not until the end to we get a glimpse of who the giant is.
