The Seven Rings

The Seven Rings is the final book in the Lost Bride Trilogy by Author Nora Roberts and one that concludes the overall story arc that began in the first book, Inheritance.

The story develops over the course of all three books as do relationships making it important to read this trilogy in order of publication. 

Sonya MacTavish inherited a magnificent, haunted manor with a heartbreaking history overlooking the angry sea in Maine. Over a period of years, seven brides came to the mansion, and seven brides died there at the hands of Hester, a dark, evil witch spirit who ripped the wedding ring off each brides’ hand in a jealous fit of rage before sending them to their deaths, thereby cursing the house and all future brides. Hester intends to take her place as reigning mistress of the manor and until that day comes, she resides in the Gold Room terrorizing all who dare enter her domain. Sonya is a descendant of the Poole family and, along with Owen Poole, has the gift of sight which enables her to see and feel some of the brides and former staff ghosts who live there waiting to be set free. Her unique ability to pass through a mystical mirror into the past allows Sonya to journey through time and bear witness to each bride’s horrific murder over a period of years. To reside in the manor in peace, she must break the curse and banish Hester from the residence. Believing the key to doing that has something to do with the stolen wedding rings, Sonya and her three companions search each room and piece of furniture in the manor as they work towards restoring everything to its former glory. With each passing day and new revelation, they bring additional light, laughter, and love into the house feeding Hester’s rage which manifests in various forms, each more deadly than the one before. Time is running out for Sonya. Will she survive the witch’s wrath and break the curse?

Author Nora Roberts excels in rendering captivating stories centered around families, both birth and found family. Her writing ebbs and flows on pages filled with daily life routines, such as mealtimes and daily tasks, as tension slowly builds to the story climax. While some readers may find that the abundance of scenes like these slow the pace and distract from the action, I appreciate the time taken by the author to quietly build emotional connections between characters and present historical background. The story transitions seamlessly between past and present through Sonya’s travels back in time as she learns more about the hopes and dreams of each person who once resided in the manor and the present day as she searches for the key to banishing the evil witch before another bride dies. As Hester’s violence escalates into madness, a tone of malice steadily propels the pace forward as the story unfolds through the points of view of the four main characters, two couples – Sonya and Trey and Cleo and Owen. The developing relationship between them as couples and as four friends with a common goal is at the heart of this emotional story.

The Seven Rings is an eerie ghost tale, an emotional story of family and the ties that bind them together: a story of good vs. evil, of perseverance, compassion, and love. Author Nora Roberts’ signature style is evident throughout this spell binding, small town adventure into the land of haunted houses, evil witches, and battles to banish them by breaking a curse. As always, Roberts wraps it all up in the epilogue with a beautiful, happy ever after bow. Highly recommended to fans of the author and readers who enjoy paranormal romance and mystical realism.