Title: The Companion
Author: Susan Squires
Published in May 2005 by St. Martin's Press
Genre: Paranormal
ISBN: 0-312-99853-8
Related Books: Sacrament Sacrilege: The Only One Anthology The Hunger The Burning One with The Night
Other Books by Susan: No More Lies, Danegeld, Body Electric, Danelaw
There was a secret in the desert, a hidden city that drew her father onward. The tales of the place were hinted at every turn, it was said to be the sister city to Petra, the beautiful city carved in the canyons of the desert west of Sinai. It was also said this hidden place was a city of great evil, and that The Temple of Waiting held great riches, mystery, and doom for any who stumbled across it. The legends were rife, but Elizabeth Rochewell, was not deterred. The only problem is that she is not headed there, to the western desert, but to the north. From the coast she would be shipping out to England, the only family she had left resided there. Her aunt would not be pleased to see her for Beth did not fit into the English society. With her brown complexion, she was not fashionable in the drawing rooms of London, and she knows her Aunt will not look on her arrival with pleasure. Elizabeth wants the freedom of the desert, but her father’s death has made that impossible. Born of an Egyptian mother, she has the desert in her blood, and to leave for the cold but green land of her father’s England was more than she really wants to face, but face it she must.
Elizabeth understands the basic facts of her mixed heritage, but that is not the whole problem. She loves the digs, the life she grew accustomed to in the hot arid wastes of Egypt, the scouring sands, the arrangements and working side by side with her father. It was a companionable life, and even though she has tried hard to hang on to it, she sees it floating away on the waves of propriety, and the seas that she finds herself traveling on toward England. She finds comfort in the tall dark stranger, Ian Rufford. His companionship helps to make the journey bearable until the night their ship is attacked by pirates. It is then Elizabeth finds herself faced with a mystery. Who is the charming gentleman named Ian Rufford, and why is he trying to discourage her from finding Petra’s sister city Kivala? She wishes desperately her journey would take her back to her beloved desert, but until she can get her inheritance from her father’s bankers, she will be stuck in England, among the disapproving stares of the ton. Meanwhile, she will turn her sights to unraveling the mystery of Ian, and what, if any, importance he could have on her life…
Ian Rufford was the younger son, his brother had inherited the family estates, and though they were mortgaged to the hilt, he was sure of his brother’s capabilities to set all right. Still, he had felt the responsibility of the rank, and decided to take his fate in his own hands. Taking a diplomatic post was the least he could do, to take the burden of support from his brother’s shoulders. What he had not expected was to be taken by marauders, Barbary pirates and enslaved. With his hard-won freedom, and a mysterious disease he cannot deal with, all Ian wants is to go home to England, to find a good English doctor and be cured. He has great faith in English medicine, and has heard of several doctors that specialize in blood borne disease. Ian is hoping that upon reaching home, he can find such a specialist, and find a cure for this insidious disease. Although he does not know the scope of his illness, he is still finding out some of the more bizarre ramifications, and the odd inclinations of the problem, and it has him greatly unsettled. His desert ordeal as a slave to a harsh, cruel, and perverted mistress plagues him in flashbacks, and nightmares.
His one friend in the whole trial of fire in the desert was Fedeyah, the man who bought him from the slave market. Even when he thought he would die, the final gift Fedeyah left would, much to Ian’s consternation, ensure his survival. Although Ian feels as though he would rather be dead, that gift kept him alive until he reached El Golea. This British outpost offered him a place to recover, and recoup his strength, and also a means of finding his way home again, back to a civilization he never thought to miss, yet wasn’t sure he could be a part of again. What Ian is not counting on, is the lovely young woman he encounters after he leaves El Golea, and the journey back home proves to be fraught with danger from the unexpected quarters. Elizabeth knows. Now the only thing he can do is hope she will not betray him, or give away his shameful secret. Now his goal becomes to disappear into his old life, find a cure, and live quietly among his family and friends. The question is, can he do this successfully?
The Companion, by Susan Squires has brought us into a world that is supremely sensual. A dark and edgy place where sex is power, and the blood is the life, it is a place to which Ian Rufford must travel, and then ultimately escape. Crippled both in mind and body, Ian must try to adjust to his life’s huge changes. To do so may mean giving up all he has known, all he has been raised to be and been comfortable with, and adapt to a new style of living. When Ian finds himself in the company of a very independent and headstrong young woman, he is drawn to her in more ways than one. The problem is, he must keep his terrible secret from all those on board. It was hard to hide when he was at El Golea, but claiming an illness was the only way he could think of to survive. He tried to die, to take his life, but for some reason that was not to be his fortune. Physically, a disease he did not understand has changed him. It is crippling, and he had to believe there was a cure. But when Elizabeth finds him hurt, bleeding and desperate after a battle with pirates, he knows the secret may be out.
The Companion brings us into Ian’s world of pain, confusion, and darkness. The raw sensuality and the edgy nature of this one is a special treat. As Ian struggles to understand what has happened to him, he finds that Elizabeth sticks to him like glue, and comes to value her help, her understanding, and her assistance. Working together may be their only chance at a fulfilling life. Unexpected yet welcome blessings come from the strangest of places, and Elizabeth and Ian will need every one they can get to defeat the enemy that threatens whatever happiness they can find together. From the deserts of the Sahara to the drawing rooms of London, The Companion takes you on a journey of love, loss, and of discoveries of things thought to be impossible. It is a page-turner from beginning to end, and will not disappoint you. It is a deviation from Susan’s usual writing style, and the darkly sensual nature of the writing and storyline is a real treat. If you don’t have it yet, look at your favourite bookstore for a copy. The Companion is a book you won’t want to miss!
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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