Literary Quality: 
Christian Morality: Excellent
Age Appropriateness: Pre-Teen/Teenager
The Perilous Gard is perhaps one of the best young adult fantasies available on the bookstands today. Combining history with folklore, promoting Christ's once-and-for-all sacrifice with respect to both Protestant and Catholic Christians, as well as sympathy although not approval for the pagan views, Ms. Pope has managed a truly remarkable feat of storytelling that crosses all boundaries.
Set against the backdrop of Marian to Elizabethan England, the story follows Elizabeth's handmaid, Kate Sutton, who finds herself living on the border of the land between men and the fair folk. But the "fair folk" aren't simply fairies - like Oberon and his court - rather, Pope describes them as the heathen people, the pagan druids, who have hidden away under the hills and cultivated the myth about themselves.
Kate is drawn into the fair folk's world when she begins her search to unravel the mystery of her new guardian's daughter's disappearance - a disappearance unjustly blamed on her guardian's younger brother, Christopher. (The name Christ bearer does not go unremarked either by the audience or by Ms. Pope.) When Christopher is taken by the fair folk, Kate resolves to follow him, to save him if she can.
The Perilous Gard is a beautifully written, fascinating, romantic, suspenseful tale in the style of Tam Lin. This edition is wonderfully illustrated by Richard J. Cuffari, whose images help conjure up Ms. Pope's vision particularly well. Those searching for a new good book would do very well to snatch up the Perilous Gard - but bewarned: the reader will surely be drawn in by this story and may require uninterrupted time in which to finish it!
A YA fantasy sort of retelling "Tam Lin" set in Tudor England, just before the reign of Elizabeth I. There's an interesting portrayal of the Fey-- for once, they're neither absolutely good or bad. The dialogue is really unique, and the characters are wonderful. I think it won the Newberry Honor a few years ago. Definitely worth reading, and probably pretty harmless.
