The Lady of the Mirrored Lake
(The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven Book 2)
By Jennifer Ivy Walker
Publication Date: 1st May 2025Publisher: Independently Published
Print Length: 488 Pages
Genre: Arthurian Fantasy / Historical Romance Fantasy / Epic Fantasy
Hunted by the Black Widow Queen, Issylte--a healer with the verdant magic of the forest--must flee Avalon with the two finest knights in the Celtic realm, both wrongly accused of treason. The trio travels to Bretagne, where Issylte heals a critically injured wolf and obtains fiercely loyal, shapeshifting allies.
In mystical Brocéliande, Issylte becomes a warrior priestess of the Tribe of Dana and otherworldly mate of the Blue Knight of Cornwall, discovering with Tristan a passion that transcends all bounds. When she becomes the Lady of the Mirrored Lake, sworn to defend the sacred waters of the Goddess, Issylte must undertake a perilous quest to discover what priceless object lies hidden in its murky depths.
As a nascent evil emerges in a fetid cave, Issylte and Tristan must face a diabolical trio that threatens their lives, their love, and their kingdoms.
Enchanted. Enflamed. Entwined. Can their passion and power prevail?
Jennifer Ivy Walker’s "The Lady of the Mirrored Lake (The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven Book 2)" is a hauntingly romantic, character-driven fantasy steeped in Celtic mysticism, ancient power, and the quiet ache of destiny. Written with lyrical restraint and emotional depth, this novel unfolds like a half-remembered legend whispered beside sacred waters — intimate, perilous, and utterly enchanting.
From the opening pages, Walker draws the reader into a world that feels profoundly alive. Great halls glow with warmth and fellowship, rich with the scents of fine wine and lovingly prepared food, while beyond their doors, forests stretch heavy with magic and memory. Lakes mirror more than faces — they reflect truth, lineage, and fate. The land itself seems to breathe, watch, and remember, lending the story a reverent, almost sacred atmosphere.
At the heart of the novel stands Issylte, a heroine of rare depth and quiet power. She is not merely a healer or priestess of the Tribe of Dana, but the daughter of a fallen king — the rightful heir to a throne seized through murder and ambition. Issylte does not shy away from this truth; she wants her inheritance, not for glory, but to restore balance and justice to a realm ruled by fear. Her claim thrusts her into grave danger, forever shadowed by the ruthless queen who poisoned her father and will stop at nothing to kill her, too. This tension — between sacred duty, royal birthright, and survival — lends Issylte’s journey a potent emotional gravity.
Issylte’s strength lies not in spectacle, but in compassion, restraint, and an unbreakable bond with the sacred. Her magic feels ancient and costly, bound to devotion rather than dominance. Walker allows her transformation to unfold gently, through moments of doubt, tenderness, and fierce resolve, making her evolution feel earned and deeply human.
The sensuality of the novel is woven with exquisite care. Particularly compelling is the charged intimacy between Issylte and Tristan, whose connection feels guided by forces far older than choice alone. Their bond carries the unmistakable resonance of destiny — a recognition that transcends words, drawing them together as if the land, the magic, and the old gods themselves have marked them as mates. Desire simmers beneath restraint and reverence, expressed through lingering glances, the brush of a hand, and moments of profound emotional vulnerability. Walker understands that true sensuality lies in inevitability as much as longing, allowing their relationship to feel both tender and powerfully fated.
The novel’s chivalric soul is embodied in Lancelot, the exiled White Knight whose gallantry, generosity, and quiet humility inspire unwavering loyalty. Though cast from Arthur’s court, his moral compass never falters, and his boyish charm lends warmth to a character often mythologised beyond humanity. Walker’s Lancelot is not merely a legend, but a man shaped by honour, loss, and hope — a steady light in an increasingly shadowed world.
Beneath the beauty, however, a darker current stirs. Shadows gather in the ambitions of those who serve power rather than honour — a treacherous knight, an infamous dwarf, and an evil queen whose reputation inspires dread. Whispers of renewed violence, corruption, and forbidden alliances ripple through the narrative, casting unease over courts and coastlines alike. Ancient evils hunger for sacred waters, and the sanctity of the priestesses of Dana is imperilled by forces willing to defile anything holy for gain. Particularly unsettling is the presence of a shadowed fae influence, sustained through corruption and sacrifice, reminding the reader that some bargains exact a terrible price.
Mysticism flows through the novel like an ever-present undercurrent. Sacred groves, enchanted waters, and otherworldly beings appear with dreamlike inevitability. Magic is never casual or convenient — it is alive, sentient, and bound to consequence. Walker’s reverence for myth and folklore lends the story a timeless quality reminiscent of oral legend rather than modern fantasy spectacle.
The supporting cast is richly realised, from honour-bound knights and haunted warriors to figures whose beauty, ambition, or cruelty threaten fragile balances of power. Every character feels purposeful and layered, ensuring that each interaction carries emotional weight and meaning.
"The Lady of the Mirrored Lake (The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven Book 2)" is a novel to be savoured. Sensual without excess, mystical without indulgence, and driven by character rather than contrivance, it honours the old ways — where love is powerful, magic is sacred, and destiny must be claimed as well as endured. It is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant fantasy that lingers like moonlight upon still water — enchanting, dangerous, and unforgettable.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde
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Jennifer Ivy Walker is an award-winning author of medieval Celtic, Nordic, and paranormal romance, as well as contemporary romance, historical fantasy, and WWII romantic suspense.
A former high school teacher and college professor of French with an MA in French literature, her novels encompass a love for French language, literature, history, and culture, including Celtic myths and legends, Norse mythology, Viking sagas, and Nordic lore.
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