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The Night's Dark Shade

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Father Robert Hugh Benson, one of my favorite historical novelists, had a knack for bringing to vivid life the characters and times of Reformation England, showing attention to historical detail while weaving tales fraught with danger, heroism, romance, duty, and sacrifice. The heroes and heroines of his novels--always Catholic--are eminently relatable.

In a similar vein, Elena Maria Vidal, author of Trianon, Madame Royale, and, most recently, The Night's Dark Shade, has a gift for writing beautifully while transporting one into past times and places and keeping one's attention riveted as if there oneself.

In the 13th century, Catharism--"The Great Heresy"--had swept through Languedoc, France and gained a stronghold, its adherents of noble and common stock alike. The problem was so serious the Catholic Church had instituted a crusade against the heretics, who had drawn numbers of the faithful away by their esoteric teachings. Louis VIII, crowned in 1223, would lead the crusade, reclaiming Aquitaine and much of the southern territories and leaving to his heir, St. Louis IX, a Capetian reign that extended from England to the Mediterranean.

In the midst of this medieval landscape, enter the maiden Raphaëlle de Miramande, vicomtesse, protagonist of The Night's Dark Shade, who, bereft of her father as well as her betrothed, both killed fighting alongside King Louis "the Lion" in the crusade, fears an unclear future. The Knights Hospitaller of St. John, that august military order whose members numbered the fiercest warriors against the Saracens, play a prominent part in this novel. Without giving away two much, two knights in particular represent opposite poles in young Raphaëlle's moral life--on the one hand, duty, obigation, and fidelity, and on the other, passion and temptation. Along with this, the devout Catholic maiden must contend firsthand with certain in her company who have ascribed to the Cathar heresy and its evils.

The Church's struggles today against the practices of contraception, abortion, and euthanasia are, though separated by centuries, mirrored in Catholics' struggles against 13th century Albigensian morality, a philosophy that pitted spirit against matter. The Cathars, who deemed all carnality--even married sex--an evil, and its human fruits an unfortunate consequence, held it morally preferable to engage in non-procreative sexual acts, and justified abortion (in some cases even infanticide) and euthanasia to free "entrapped" souls from their material prisons. For these reasons, Vidal's novel is timely and relevant; the spiritual battles Catholics fought then are the same ones we fight today, whether it be on the great sweeping battlefronts of national heresy--a radical individualism loosed from its moral anchorings--or the more intimate realms of the individual soul wrestling to gain self-mastery. The young girl will read The Night's Dark Shade and identify with the youthful, strongwilled protagonist; the mature woman will read this novel and relate to the newly married Raphaëlle and the sufferings so common to the married state.

The Night's Dark Shade will be a book kept on the shelves of our family library, and will be mandatory reading for my little ones once they've gotten a bit older. Maria Elena Vidal has been gifted with an eye for historical detail, an energetic imagination, an elegant writing style, and a keen and informed faith, all of which blend attractively together in this her latest work.

Historical fiction is a fascinating genre because when done well it reveals truths about both the past and the present. It allows us to experience both what was unique to the era of its setting while recognizing what is universal in our humanity.

The Night's Dark Shade: A Novel of the Cathars represents historical fiction done well, particularly when revealing the dangers of the Cathar movement in the 13th century and holding up a mirror to the 21st.

By telling the story of Raphaelle de Miramande's encounter with a castle occupied by Cathars, especially with the Perfecta who may become the young heiress' mother-in-law, Elena-Maria Vidal bravely dramatizes the consequences of Cathar teaching. I say bravely because the Cathars or Albigensians are very often depicted as heroes for their opposition to the Catholic Church or as victims for their suffering in the Albigensian crusades against them in southern France--perhaps because their admirers sympathize with their sexual ethics and their Gnostic elitism.

For instance, while being tortured in the Cathar castle Raphaelle discovers the depth of the Perfecta Esclarmonde's hatred of children. Cathar teaching holds that all matter is evil and to see a pure soul degraded by flesh is anathema to Esclarmonde. She will do anything to prevent the survival of children, in or out of the womb, healthy or disabled. She tells Raphaelle how she has forced contraception, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia upon her family and the villagers outside the castle. This scene is chilling and yet echoes aspects of our current culture of death.

But Vidal has not written a piece of propaganda; The Night's Dark Shade offers a fast-paced plot of travel, adventure, romance and love. In addition to the physical dangers of being attacked by brigands, chased, kidnapped, and tortured, Raphaelle faces the moral dangers of falling in love with the wrong man, tempting her to infidelity to her husband and inciting gossip about their relationship. She is a young woman who faces these dangers bravely but not perfectly or insipidly.

Vidal also does not flinch from depicting the horror of the ultimate punishment meted out by the secular authority for obdurate heresy. Esclarmonde is burned alive at the stake and her husband, Raphaelle's uncle, joins her in the pyre; the onlookers--and the reader--are appalled by their agony.

Perhaps my only quibble is with the denouement of the novel--Raphaelle's husband Jacques almost too easily explains why he had been so distant from his new bride, critical and cold, leaving her to face such physical and moral dangers alone. How and why he allowed her to remain so close to Sir Martin, the Knight Hospitaller she is attracted to, when he did not trust him is also too facilely accounted for. At the end of the novel, Jacques demonstrates his love and high regard for her once they are reunited and as Raphaelle recovers from her ordeals. Vidal leaves the reader with the sense they will work together to heal the wounds of the Cathar heresy among their people with charity and good example--and with a joyfully welcomed child.

Highly recommended for historical fiction buffs of any age for its plotting, characterizations and often eloquently descriptive prose, The Night's Dark Shade is particularly suited to young readers. Anyone who enjoys the genre, however, will revel in their escape into the world of 13th century southern France.

After having read the exquisite book, Trianon- A Novel of Royal France, by Elena Maria Vidal, I couldn't wait to read The Night's Dark Shade by this excellent author. Although different from the days of Marie Antoinette, in this 13th c novel, Raphaëlle, our heroine also lives turbulent and trying times that require a strong faith to carry on at all cost.

A noble by birth, Raphaëlle had been appointed in the court of Queen Blanche, when all was well under the rule of Louis VIII- The Lion. After Louis was killed in the crusade against the Albigensians, along with Raphaëlle's father and her betrothed, the country underwent the rule of the King's young son, Louis IX. It was a trying time, with the masses rebelling and poor Queen Blanche barely holding what was left of the kingdom, together.

Raphaëlle, now practically an orphan, was given permission by the Queen to leave and live under the guardianship of her uncle- and to marry her first cousin, Raymond. A new life was promised to her, and despite the sorrow of having lost her closest loved ones, Raphaëlle bravely took on the journey towards her new life.

What was unbeknownst to her was that her uncle's castle would be dreadfully macabre...under the rule of not so much her uncle, but especially so of her aunt, Lady Esclarmonde. She was the highest priestess of the Cathars, a group of fanatically religious people who had a skewed sense of that which was moral or good. On a mission of ridding the world of children, marriage, and all essence of Christianity, the Cathars believed in adulterous relationships, strict fasting of meat, the facilitation of killing babies (born or unborn) all for the good of the planet...hmmm. The Cathars attended morbid rituals in the deep of the night, in a hollow cave where the secret gem that held all powers was kept.

Although the Cathars were sought after and tried for their heresy, the tribe thrived in living incognito amongst the people of the villages. The castle where Raphaëlle lived was home to their highest Queen- and all villagers feared her. Also despised and suffering cruelty at the hands of her husband to be, a great Cathar leader in the making, Raphaëlle planned her escape.

Throughout the book, there are many good soldiers and monks who help fight the cause, helping the innocent and the travelers along their way. One such grand man was Sir Martin, a Knight Hospitaller of Saint John. He was almost a constant presence in this book- a savior as often as he was maligned.

We meet many intricate characters in The Night's Dark Shade; each contributing to the riveting events that ensue in this well written book. I enjoyed learning about the religious differences and strongholds that this heretic religion had on those almost barbaric times. Surprisingly, I often felt that there were many similarities to some of the pejorative notions still held today by certain groups, in terms of marriage, children and morality, for the most part. The opinion of saving a world at the sake of its inhabitants and the over-indulgence at the expense of others resonated strongly in my mind as controversial topics that still make waves today, as they try to pass themselves for the norm.

It was indeed quite thought provoking to read this book- which is about not only an absorbing love story-but also about the tribulations in the name of religion, the horror in the beliefs of the times and the suffering for cause.

Will Raphaëlle's soul find peace through love and her true calling? Friendship, loyalty, deception and betrayal along with a strong religious vein are all found in this book that truly stands out on its own.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the time of the Albigensian Crusade and the heretics- specifically the Cathars in Southern France. But best of all, you'll also find a beautiful love story with a surprising twist. A must for those who love to read about religion in history with a touch of pure romance.

I've just put down Ms. Vidal's latest novel with the greatest sense of satisfaction in a story well told. The Night's Dark Shade entwines a story of love and the confusions of youth, with a vivid portrayal of the Albigensian Crusades.

Through her story, Vidal explores the tenants of the now-obscure Cathar heresy of 12th and 13th century France. Her skillful weaving of this topic through the plot provides a balanced and fascinatingly timely view of the conflicting parties. The beliefs of the Cathars are, ironically, so entirely in line with the "new age" views of today. Their vegetarian and vegan eating habits, based in the belief that animals should not be killed is very current. The avoidance of oaths, and thus social integrity such as marriage, is very much in vogue today. Their belief that life itself is somehow evil, and procreation is the source of this evil is central to the global warming, pro-abortion, planned parenthood agenda. It is remarkable, in this age of such mind-boggling discovery and advancement, that those who claim progressivism, are in fact embracing very medieval ideas.

All that said, Ms. Vidal's novel is not a social commentary, quite the contrary. She skillfully lays out the beliefs and behaviors of the Catholics and the Cathars, examining how impossible it was for the two ideologies to co-exist, and how ultimately destructive the entire situation was, especially to the peasants of the region who bore the brunt of the depravations of war and impositions of alien beliefs.

The story unfolds through the life of Raphaelle de Miramande, a young girl in tragic circumstances brought on through the Albigensian Crusade. She is orphaned by it, and has even lost her bethrothed through this horrible strife. As was standard practice at that time, a young noblewoman was either wed or sent to a convent. As a landed heiress, Raphaelle was to be married and sent to her uncle to marry her cousin. Arriving, only to discover that the castle and town are filled with Cathars, Raphaelle finds herself in an unliveable situation.

With gumption, resolve, luck, and timely assistance, Raphaelle undergoes tremendous hardship, heartbreak, confusion, and finally peace as the final battle of the novel, and of the Crusade, finds her on the winning side.

Ms. Vidal paints a portrait of her heroine as a young woman searching for truth, acceptance, and love in a time of social and spiritual confusion. The supporting characters are described and portrayed with such liveliness and authenticity, that you feel that you may actually know them.

This is first, and foremost, a love story, but it is not cliché. The characters are complex and real. Ms. Vidal writes with a passion that each of us can relate to.


The Night's Dark Shade offers a clear picture of medieval daily life. Ms. Vidal unapologetically peels back the curtain of time and shows us, with all its glory and gore, what it was to live in 13th century France. Thank you for such a rare and intriguing opportunity, Ms. Vidal.

The Albigensian Crusade and the story of the Cathars resonate deeply with me, because it shaped the destiny of France, and also because some of my ancestors were, if not Cathars themselves, prominent supporters of that faith, and took part in the Crusade, on the losing side.

The authoress tells this story through the eyes of the orphaned Lady Raphaëlle, a devout Catholic who leaves her home in the mountains of Auvergne (a place dear to my heart) to marry a nobleman in a remote castle in the Pyrenees. There she encounters members of the mysterious Cathar sect who challenge her most deeply held beliefs. As she seeks her path, she discovers hatred and betrayal, as well as abiding friendship and unexpected love...

Here are excerpts of my interview of Elena Maria Vidal:

Elena, welcome to Versailles and more! It is an honor to have you here upon the release of your third novel, The Night's Dark Shade. It takes place during the Albigensian Crusade, in 13th Century France. After Trianon and Madame Royale, why this continued attraction to French settings and French characters?

Thank you,Catherine, it is a joy to be interviewed on one of my favorite blogs. In high school and college, I took French classes; the language, history and culture of France all captivated me. I have to say that the times I have visited France, I have always felt very comfortable there, in spite of any number of misadventures that can happen when traveling. I suppose I enjoy writing about a place that I love.

This is a complete change of era, from the late 18th and early 19th centuries to the Middle Ages. What are the challenges of working with a medieval setting?

For me, the Middle Ages is the easiest era to write about. I am very much at home in the Middle Ages.As a teenager, I wrote stories with a medieval setting and researched every detail, trying to make my stories authentic. I was constantly reading novels with medieval-type settings, such as Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Kathryn Kurtz; the Middle Ages were part of the air I breathed.

The challenge of writing The Night's Dark Shade was not the medieval setting but in finding accurate information about the Cathars. The sect is either totally glorified or totally demonized. I wanted to find what the daily life of the Cathars was like and how their beliefs and rituals affected the larger community. The book which gave the most balanced portrait of life in "Cathar country" was Emmanuel Leroy Ladurie's Montaillou: The Forgotten Land of Error. I noticed in his book that, contrary to what I was previously told about women being "freed" by Catharism, the Catharist belief that sex and marriage were abominations actually led to many women being used and exploited, especially poor women.

Indeed Leroy Ladurie is one of my favorite French historians and his works are a wonderful resource. I knew, of course, of the Cathar movement and its insistence on purity, but I was intrigued to catch at times in your novel almost a foreshadowing of the theories set forth in The Da Vinci Code. What are the origins of the Cathar faith and, in your opinion, the reasons for its success with the populations of southern France?
Cathar Chateau Termes

Cathar Chateau Termes

Some of the ideas about Christ expressed by Dan Brown in his books were believed by the Cathars. I began researching the Cathars in the mid-80's at SUNY Albany and came across what the Cathars called their "secret doctrine." This was, of course, long before The Da Vinci Code. The Cathars were essentially a gnostic sect, believing in two gods. Gnosticism predated Christianity by several centuries. When Christianity rose to prominence, the gnostics veiled their beliefs with Christian terminology, and using even the names of Christ and His Apostles, although what they taught was very different from what most Christians believed.

The Bogomils were one of the gnostic sects which flourished in Bulgaria in the tenth century. From Bulgaria they traveled to western Europe where they became known as the Cathars, or "Pure Ones." The word "bugger" comes from "Bulgars" which is what the Bogomils were called; they were said to favor sodomy over procreative sexual relations since they believed that begetting new life was evil. They believed the entire material world was created by the evil god. They believed the God of Israel mentioned in the Old Testament was really the devil, an idea that later appealed to the Nazis, which is why some Nazis made expeditions to Cathar castles, hoping to discover their lost secrets.

The Cathars flourished in the south of France because the secular leaders there were tolerant of the heresy; many nobles embraced it. Catharism appeared to be more rigorous than Catholicism but only for the Perfecti elite; the ordinary Cathar believers were not bound to fast or abstain from meat or from carnal relations. Individuals who were already drawn to a hedonistic lifestyle found that Catharism relieved them of guilt. When everything is sinful then nothing is sinful.

You do not try to hide the horrors of the religious strife that ultimately led to the destruction of the Cathars. Were you at times tempted to rewrite history? Could you imagine a different ending to this dramatic era of French history?
Albigiensian Crusade Louis VIII

Cathars Albigiensian Crusade Louis VIII

No, I was never tempted to rewrite history. Only the reality of the past can help us to understand the realities of the present. I believe that we need never be afraid of the truth of history,
no matter how ugly it might be, because we have to learn from it. Yes, innocent people were massacred in the name of religion. People were burned alive. As the Dominican friar says in the novel, preaching may be more effective than the sword and the stake.

But it is generally forgotten that the Cathars struck out in violence first by murdering the papal legate Pierre de Castelnau in 1208. The violence escalated from there. Ultimately, the war became a conquest of the south by the north. The fight against heresy was just an excuse for war and political strife, since many Catholics fought other Catholics as well as Cathars.

My favorite secondary character was Simonette, the mistress of your heroine's uncle, a man whose wife has become a Perfecta, a Cathar religious leader. I see Simonette too, in her own way, torn between her faith and difficult circumstances. With her liveliness and good cheer, she counterbalances the stifling, nightmarish atmosphere of the Chateau of Mirambel. Who would be your favorite secondary character?

Yes, Catherine, you are right about Simonette. She is indeed torn and trying to make the best of a bad situation. Her warm earthiness is a foil for Lady Esclarmonde's cold religiosity.

My favorite secondary character is Esterelle the hermitess. She is based upon a friend of mine who lives an eremitical life in a valley in an old house full of icons and cats. Esterelle has a great deal of wisdom and insight into earthly matters and yet at the same time she has already stepped over the threshold to the other side.

What have you learned from writing this book?

So much, I would not know where to begin. It has been a long journey, writing, looking for a publisher, rewriting. The main thing I have learned is that no matter how good a book may seem after the first draft it can always be better, much better. Itis important to rewrite until you feel you have stretched your creativity as far as it can go, all the while pruning away what is excessive or redundant.

For a link to the full interview, see here:
[...]

The reader is whisked into the action through the French Pyrenees on horseback in an ancient era in which he finds himself completely at ease. He meets chivalrous knights defending poor pilgrims and ladies, and feels they are as common as the day's morning bugler announcing the news. This is the skill of a fine story-teller.

As the story progresses, soon the heroine is flung into an emotional situation which may rival that of a modern soap opera--however the way in which she chooses to handle it is an example for the modern era. The story could be seen as a romance, although it is more than that. There is much to be gleaned in the way of political and religious commentary, both applicable to our current times. But certainly there is much for the romantic here -- especially those who appreciate the Bronte sisters, or Jane Austen.

The real substance of the story, however, is the consequences and effects that come from a society permeated by gnosticism and relativism. And as true as the term "history repeats" is, we are left today with much of the same ideology and subsequent consequences of abortion, infanticide, rampant sexual immoralities, assisted "suicide" which come from the practice of a religion which raises "self" to the level of "god". Alas, we no longer have knights and kings to eliminate such errors.

I would never categorize THE NIGHT'S DARK SHADE by Elena Maria Vidal as being a romance novel and yet it is one of the most romantic stories I have read in a long time. As far as historical fiction goes, I would rate it among the best. Not only did I learn a great deal about the middle ages and the Cathars, but I was swept into another world. The descriptions of the south of France, the mountains, the castles, are richly provocative.

I have to say that Ms. Vidal is an accomplished storyteller. From the first page I was pulled into the story of Raphaelle so that I could not put the book down. Raphaelle is a fetching heroine, a bit too feisty for her own good. Her innocence is endearing but I could see how it was going to get her into trouble. Sir Martin is a larger than life character. As soon as he makes his entrance it is difficult not to fall in love with him; I never blamed Raphaelle for losing her heart to Sir Martin. The ending surprised me, completely, although it all came together beautifully. Parts of this story moved me to tears and yet the overall feeling was triumph and delight. It is a story of love lost and found and one which I highly recommend.

The Night's Dark Shade tells a dark tale indeed. E.M. Vidal writes a riveting narrative based on historical fact. The story itself is rather sad. I think the ending calls for a sequel! I gave this only 3 stars because I reserve 4 for the likes of Dickens and 5 for Tolstoy or other life-changing literature!!! I read this in two sittings. Thank you Ms. Vidal!

The story of Raphaelle, Vicomtesse de Mirimande, is a ripping good chapter tale! If Elena-Maria Vidal is anything at all, as an author, she is marvelously gifted as a yarn-spinning, bell-toned story teller. Ordinarily, I tend not to be a fan of the romanza, but I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and people of this story and will read it again. In fact the next time, I will read it aloud, for all good tales should be told in front of a leaping fire to as many ears as will listen.

In her previous books Tea at Trianon and Madame Royale, Elena-Maria Vidal, crafts her characters directly from the pages of history, giving voice and depth and potency of thought and action to a King and a Queen who left many of their own words behind for her to peruse as she unfolded vignettes of their story for us to become lost in for a time.

In this most recent offering from Elena-Maria, The Nights Dark Shade, she draws the characters in the story directly from her own fulsome imagination, from a bit of regional travel perhaps, but primarily from her own experience of life and love, from universal truths and their consequences, from the vagaries of good and evil, invoking God and struggling with mankind as despair is overshadowed by hope. This is the real joy of the story. It is hopeful to its core. Not a saccharine unrealistic yearning, but a solid substantial expectation that in spite of the evils of the world, there is space in our lives for light and love and heart-felt laughter.

In order to find these spaces, however, one must climb through the flinty detritus of human weakness as the wicked are celebrated and the good are driven out to fend for themselves alone; children are left to starve, or murdered in the womb, while sexual excess, cruelty, and license are inconvenient, but expected and tolerated aspects of a totally corrupt humanity. In this abased darkness of human nature, true chivalry comes at the price of creature comforts, and true loves bloom as a false love lies dying.

The story is set in the wonderland of the French Pyrenees in Languedoc, south of the Dardogne, north of Gascony, and east of Hautes Pyrenees and Lourdes. The mountain passes are high and treacherous, with brooding monasteries perched among the peaks. The towns and villages huddle beneath massive fairy-tale fortresses and are graced by Romanesque cathedral churches built to match the forbidding face of the castle walls and buttresses. The call of eagles answer the cry of newborn lambs and the peoples are strong mountain folk, rugged but sometimes far too easily led astray.

Night's Dark Shade is the story of a woman of the petite nobility of the region, who is bound, by inheritance and title, to the land and to the people. She is bound to a marriage of familial convenience and it is in the breaking of those bindings and the consequential disposition of her heart and soul that the story reaches its climax and unpredictable denouement. The pace is fast, the language formal but clipped and clear and as sharp as the cliff edges that frame the story. Thoroughly delightful change of time and place. Thoroughly recognizable to the contemporary heart.

One can tell from reading this novel that the author had a thoroughly good time writing it, especially if one has read her other serious historical works about the French Revolution, Trianon: A Novel of Royal Franceor the sequel, Madame Royale. I can visualize a rousing film being made of it. Also, if I remember correctly, when the novel was first introduced by the author, she recommended it for young readers as a good introduction to the forgotten era in the early struggle of the Christian Church against the various heresies which were embraced throughout Western Europe. What I respect about this particular author is her ability to keep the action moving without filling the pages with useless fluff. All the characters and all the action are necessary for the progression of the plot. I must admit I am a reader who often skims over long tedious sections many writers use to bulk up the book into a 400 page tome, but this story moves rapidly, and seduces the reader with the beautiful use of language and scene descriptions.