The heroine of Dark Emerald owned a ring that is said to have great powers. That might explain how she managed to survive this novel, for she is very nearly the archetypal too-stupid-to-live heroine. Several times, Tara put herself in harm’s way by trying to escape the hero’s castle. To make matters worse, the main characters spend little time together. And, I knew I was in trouble when I started to imagine Alan Rickman camping it up as the villain.

In a forest in Medieval Wales, the outlaw Rhys comes across a beautiful woman. The woman, Tara, is wearing the Dark Emerald of Twyll. Does this mean she’s the long-lost heiress of Tower Twyll? Tower Twyll is currently ruled by Tremayne, Rhys’ nefarious half-brother. Before Rhys can find out more, soldiers come looking for him, and he and Tara are forced to flee to Broodmore, the forlorn castle Rhys shares with other outlaws. He and a fellow outlaw argue over what to do about Tara. Dare they steal her ring so that they can use it against Tremayne? When Tara does successfully escape Broodmore (after several failed attempts), Rhys must decide what he really wants to do. Meanwhile, there are those pesky spies to deal with, and several plot elements that fizzle, such as a fire at Broodmore that is never brought to a satisfactory resolution. To make matters worse, an important revelation at the end is anticlimactic.

Tara is feisty – and I don’t mean that as a compliment. From the start, she knows that Rhys is a notorious outlaw, yet she responds by clashing with him. She keeps trying to escape from his castle, though there’s nowhere she can go. Her escape attempts endanger her life and the lives of others. Finally, Tara is too willing to condemn Rhys’ behavior as an outlaw without knowing the facts. Though he is living among outlaws, Rhys is a natural leader. Unlike the other outlaws at Broodmore, he has a sense of what’s honorable.

When Rhys first comes upon Tara, she is naked, and he is soon kissing her. I thought, “Great. Another arrogant hero who can’t keep his hands to himself.” This turned out not to be the case. In actuality, not enough time is spent on their relationship. Rhys and Tara are too often separated by events, and they rarely discuss their feelings.

Tremayne was like a villain straight out of an adventure movie. He bellows at his men and orders women to his bed. When he actually kicked a cat, I knew he was over the top. Some scenes reveal Tremayne’s mistreatment of women; though they’re not explicit, they are disturbing. Though he is responsible for much of the suffering in this book, Tremayne isn’t the only character who inflicts brutality on others. On the one hand, the violence is realistic of the time. On the other, too much violence isn’t all that romantic. When a likable character gives herself to a guard to aid an escape, I wasn’t terribly impressed.

At first, I liked the style of this book. Yet the style and the dialogue quickly became melodramatic. Most annoying of all, this book overdid the onomatopoeia. Arrows don’t just fly by and strike targets, they go Zzzt! and Thwack! After awhile, all that thwacking gave me a migraine.

For all its problems, Dark Emerald has an authentic feel. The characters eat eel, live in castles and huts, and speak of curses. I wish the rest of the novel had lived up to the research. If you like campy adventure and over-the-top dialogue, you might enjoy Dark Emerald. Unfortunately, most readers will find that the campy fun wears off by the time Tara makes her second escape attempt.