The Girl
Roberts is the kind of writer—or, perhaps, writes the kinds of stories—in which metaphorical imagery dominates as the single most essential literary tool. Every page offers at least one example. Indeed, the very first page of the Prologue is a veritable cornucopia of examples from which to choose. So, to make things easier, let’s pick the one that introduces the heroine:
“And shew as there, just there, conjured up out of “storm-whipped air. Her hair was a firefall over a dove-gray cloak, alabaster skin with the faint bloom of rose, a generous mouth just curved in knowledge. And eyes as blue as a living star and just as fill with power.”
You get the idea.
When Irish Lights are Shining
The setting of novella, Ireland, provides ample opportunities for metaphorical description. Indeed, nearly every individual aspect of the Emerald Isle is explored through figurative imagery:
“No could have described the light of Ireland to him. It had to be seen, experienced. Like the sheen of a fine pearl, he thought, that makes the air glimmer, go luminous and silky.”
Love and Lust
‘Tis a lusty tale, indeed, that the author brings forth to readers. Romance fills the air and spikes the narrative and penetrates into the heart of the writer’s desire to transform everything into metaphor:
“The sounds humming in her throat were both plea and seduction. Her heart hammered fast and hard against his, and her body shuddered lightly.”
A Wee Bit of Gothic
Despite a reference to a Stephen King novel—or, perhaps, because of it—the story is rooted in the gothic past of castles and witches. Modern it may be, yes, but a touch of the mythic history of Ireland long gone infuses the narrative on its inexorable path:
“Atop the lonely cliff, towering above the raging sea, the castle stood, holdings its secrets. And no man rode this path without hearing whispers of old ghosts and new spirits.”
Cinematic Influence
Many of the individual descriptions using metaphor bring to mind scenes from movies. In fact, quite a bit of the novel reads like a screenplay in which the visual image is brought vividly to life:
“Then lifting her arms , raising palms to the heavens, she closed her eyes. The wind roared in like a lion loosed from a cage, lifted her flaming hair, whipped the cloak around her.”
