VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES hearkens back the traditional gothic romance, as we have a heroine in a shivery old mansion with a mysterious benefactor. I'm a huge fan of the old gothic romances and was excited to read VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES. I love the shadowy depiction of the surrounding mountains and the mythology of Wales. I also love the concept of shared dreams, and wish this could have been explored further.

Atmosphere is crucial to the success of a gothic romance and VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES has this aplenty. In fact, the descriptions take over the story as we have far more depictions of Mount Taran, Taran House, and the surrounding area than we do of the actual villains in the story. I suspect the brevity of VALLEY OF NIGHTMARES is part of the reason for this and would look forward to reading a longer story by Jane Godman where her gift for creating a haunting ambience can shine.

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