The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope

In case you were wondering (I know I was), “gard” is an old word for castle. And in this context, “perilous” means that which has to do with magic – like enchanted, or bewitched. This is what Kate Sutton is told shortly before she’s sent to live with Sir Geoffrey Heron at his old castle in Derbyshire – the perilous gard of the title. The year is 1558, and Kate is one of Lady Elizabeth’s attending maids. But when she finds herself caught in a political conspiracy, she’s exiled by Queen Mary Tudor to a remote place.

At the perilous gard, Kate meets Sir Geoffrey’s brother, Christopher Heron, a young man consumed by a dark secret. She hears tales about a young girl gone missing at a place called The Holy Well, she realises that all the villagers fear the castle and its folks, and she wonders if all of this might be connected with all the legends she has heard about the castle and the fairy folk. But can the old stories really be true? Very soon, Kate’s modern Tudor world merges with the Old England of ballads and romances: a place of old rituals, eerie powers, and mysterious ladies in green.

I picked up The Perilous Gard because it’s based on Tam Lin, which is one of my favourite traditional ballads (and which inspired books I pretty much worship, such as Pamela Dean’s Tam Lin and Diana Wynne Jones’ Fire and Hemlock). And let me start by saying that no, you absolutely don’t need to be familiar with the ballad to enjoy The Perilous Gard. What we have here is not to much a retelling as it is a story in which the ballad is referenced. Kate’s awareness of the old stories and of their relevance for the predicament she finds herself in could be described as metafictional, which made me enjoy this book all the more. As you’ve probably noticed by now, I love it when stories make use of other stories.

I’m a big fan of historical fantasy, though I’m aware that this subgenre is not everyone’s cup of tea. In this case, the Tudor setting, though well-researched, is not really the main thing about the story. Kate has been exiled, and she has also been forbidden from writing or receiving letters, so she’s isolated from what’s happening in the rest of kingdom. What mostly matters about the setting is, first of all, that this is Olde Englande; secondly, that it’s the Renaissance, a time of great change, and a time when old customs and beliefs are quickly giving way to new worldviews and ways of life.

Which brings me to what differentiates The Perilous Gard from the other Tam Lin-based books I’ve read to date, and really from most books featuring the fairy folk: in this case, the story is told from the perspective of someone who doesn’t necessarily see losing the Old Ways as a bad thing. Don’t get me wrong; the book takes no moralistic stance in the old Pagan versus Christian debate. But Kate is a Tudor girl, and she’s naturally attached to her own views and way of life. The change from old customs to modern habits is portrayed more as a natural shift than as a loss, which I thought made for an interesting change.

This was all quite interesting, but the reason why you should read The Perilous Gard is because it’s a gripping story with a smart and resourceful heroine. Sir Geoffrey’s house and the surrounding forest – aptly named Elvenwood – are wonderfully atmospheric. The story is also more complex than it initially seems, and it has real emotional resonance. Plus the faeries are wonderfully written: they’re neither silly and frivolous creatures nor dangerous-but-so-sexy like the faeries we sometimes see in contemporary urban fantasy. Like Pamela Dean, Susanna Clarke, Neil Gaiman, John Crowley or Ellen Kushner, Elizabeth Marie Pope captures everything that is dark, mysterious and awe-inspiring about the old beliefs in the fairy folk. Add plenty of adventure and a touch of romance, and the result is one very satisfying book.

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