The Ground She Walks Upon

Rendering the fanciful plausible through strong characterization, McKinney ( When Angels Fall ) spins a romance set in Ireland in the middle and late 1800s. According to a Celtic legend, arrogant Lord Niall Trevallyan is destined to marry the woman whose identity is signaled by a magical cross. When the ancient amulet is interpreted, the intended bride seems to be an illegitimate baby, Ravenna. Trevallyan flaunts his scorn for the ancient plan, marrying several times but never finding the love and family he craves. When Ravenna matures, polished but headstrong, he feels stirrings of passion. Obstacles galore arise before the requisite romantic ending, including uprising by locals, pursuit of Ravenna by aristocratic rakes, accidents and a famine caused by the failure to honor the fated betrothal. Trevellyan is a fine if derivative hero, stern and powerful, sometimes even cruel, always amorous. Ravenna conventionally spars with and beds him, but McKinney adds another dimension to her portrayal by giving her literary aspirations: Ravenna writes and publishes a novel, with homage to Mary Wollstonecraft. While this novel is surely not for Wollstonecraft devotees, it is more than competently rendered, distinguished by its colorful setting, gothic sensibility and the interaction between its appealing protagonists. (Apr.)