The Song of the Emerald Dove
Xanna
Vinson
Reviewed by Tom Morton
Ok,
at the
risk of sounding inane, The Song of an
Emerald Dove, by Xanna Vinson, is a bewitching tale of modern-day
Wiccans. Too strong? How about spellbinding? Charming?
I could go on…but I’ll spare
you my craftiness.
If one has
the mental fortitude to withstand a slightly-too-lengthy set-up, Dove is a wonderful read about heroes
(complete with capes, though not the same kind super-heroes sport) who
just
want to serve their Goddess, saving Earth in the process. The Ladies of
the
world realize, through the guidance of their High Priestess, that they
must
somehow stop a global disaster from annihilating most of the world’s
populace.
By tying in actual events that occurred in recent years, i.e. the
Unibomber,
the Twin Towers,
the USS Cole, etc, to the coven’s mission,
the actual threat can be felt by the reader.
The main
characters of this short novel are women from all walks of life, who
have to
deal with real issues; jobs, relationships, aging, etc. Vinson does a
great job
of fleshing out these women to make them seem as real as the girl next
door, as
well as that girl’s mother and grandmother! Followers of the Wiccan
path will
also be pleased to note the fine detail that the author puts into the
ritual
scenes, without making them seem cheap or cheesy.
The single
issue that I had with this book was with the introduction of the
military
presence. Whose side were they on? It felt like Vinson needed an
antagonist so
she went with the old standby, only with a new twist. Secret military
projects
are always a bonus in my estimation, especially ones that hold a ring
of truth
to them, but the tie-in to the main plot of the story falls a bit
short.
Overall, I
would recommend Dove as an
interesting read, resplendent with beautiful imagery and a heartfelt
message of
Peace on Earth. Not just for humanity’s sake, but for that of Mother
Earth as
well.