Mark of the Lion

Zine
Title:	Mark of the Lion
Publisher:
Editor:
Author(s):	Gerda Eeckelaert
Cover Artist(s):	Gerda Eeckelaert
Illustrator(s):	Gerda Eeckelaert
Date(s):	February 1992
Medium:	print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Beauty and the Beast (TV)
Language:	English
External Links:
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Mark of the Lion is a 182-page het Beauty and the Beast (TV) novel by Gerda Eeckelaert.

Reactions and Reviews

Of course I had to buy "Mark of the Lion and I was so glad that I did. I was enthraled with Gerda's second publication as she skilfully crafted an extremely plausible history of Vincent's parentage and conception, and why he was abandoned on that freezing cold night in the winter of 1956. A memorable story to treasure. Beautifully and believably told. I do hope Gerda writes some more.

If printed on standard sized paper, this Vincent's origin novel would probably be about 225 pages. It's a very intense “Vincent finds his mother” story, wherein C learns a secret about a friend, Elizabeth Winters who, in 1956, became pregnant as a result of the genetic engineering experiment of an obsessed doctor. Told mainly in flashback, the story recounts how Elizabeth and her husband slowly come to realize the mad doctor's horrific intent toward their unborn child. After the boy is born, Elizabeth learns to love him, but her husband cracks under the strain and steals the son. Both disappear and are believed to have died. Elizabeth eventually remarries and has a daughter. In the present, Elizabeth's daughter, now grown, thinks her mother's tales of having a baby lion for a son are a sign of insanity. Only C, hearing the tale, wonders if the son could have been V. Eventually mother and son meet in a lovingly moving scene. The doctor, trying to conceal past misdeeds, still poses a threat, but this is resolved. All are reconciled except the daughter, who can't accept her “different” half-brother. The reviewer found the explanations of Vincent's origin plausible and not overdone; the themes of love, compassion, and forgiveness are artfully explored. The author's art is always excellent.