Product Description
Mercedes Lackey's triumphant return to the best-selling world of Valdemar, Takes a Thief reveals the untold story of Skif-a popular character from Lackey's first published novel, Arrows of the Queen. Skif is a homeless orphan who lives with a gang of juvenile pickpockets...until he is "Chosen" by one of Valdemar's magical horses and becomes a Herald serving the Queen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (73)

Not her best... conflicting details... slow moving...
Well, I've read this one only once before... and I didn't remember much of it. Though I must admit... I didn't much care for it. It was quite slow - it just took a long time go get going. Still, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't very good. I'm surprised that I didn't like it more, considering how much I like Skif in later books. He just wasn't as funny, or charming... and there were conflicting facts in his story too...Not to mention it took him FOREVER to be Chosen! But, I am VERY excited to read the next books!!

Second only to Exiles Honor of the Valdemar Books
I really liked this book. As far as the Valdemar series's go, it is one of the better. Read it for yourself.

Storyline:
Starts out with him living with a small gang of miscreants & becomes the finding of a new kind of friend (his companion) and their acceptance and training into a special group of mages &other "companions" (white magical horses kinda like unicorns only without the horn or virgin stipulations).

Déjà vu anyone?
I really enjoy the Valdemar series books. I find that they are well written, imaginative, and great to read. Unfortunately for this book only two of those traits apply.
From the time when Skif meets his Companion Cymry it is a great book, full of all the things I have enjoyed and come to expect from this series; but up until that point it is somebody's else's book with only a few things changed.
As I was reading about Skif's adventures as a pickpocket I thought... "Hmmmmm" this seems so familiar.Then it hit me: I was reading Oliver Twist. The names were changed, and there were some other details that were not featured in the Dicken's classic, but essentially this book was almost identical.
Now every author will tell you there is not enough story fodder in the world to make every book completely original. If you read enough you are going to find similarities, sometimes more often than not. However, in this case it's just a little to similar for comfort. So I am a bit disappointed. Of course as I said once Skif was a Herald I was right back to loving every paragraph. So, I'm sure this won't stop me from reading other Valdemar books, I know there is still a lot to look forward to.

Since I only get one set of stars to pick from I'll say:
The first half of this book 2 Stars
The second half 5 Stars.

a good book with a problem
The low born speech wasn't easy to pick up at first and I didn't understand some words, but as I read more I got used to it. I really found myself enjoying the book until I got to the part with Alberich's Yoda impression. I know it has to do with him living in a foreign land and so his grammer isn't great, but it was too distracting and unreadable.

from the author's website:
"Alberich speaks in something like Germanic syntax. "The German plunges into a sea of rhetoric and emerges on the other side with a verb in his mouth." (Mark Twain)

Or Yoda "Backward teach you to speak will I" "

Maybe it was a good idea in theory, but it makes Alberich's lines painful to read. Bad move.

One of my favorites so far
This book happens to have been my introduction to Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar.As a fantasy reader I've been leery of reading these books because I didn't get into it early, and by now the chronology is so big, it's intimidating.But I got this book in the airport before a long trip (you know how that can be) and read it on the plane.

I loved it!Sure, this is a lot like Oliver Twist, at first, but I felt that the author drew the characters wonderfully.I got to know and care deeply about Skif during this book, and it was a great introduction to Alberich, Companions, and Valdemar in general, especially the seamier side of things.The author is not afraid of painting her characters as human, and her world as imperfect.In fact, she revels in it and does it quite believably.

It was because of this book that I picked up the "Arrows" series, which I found juvenile by comparison.This wasn't surprising - the author wrote that series first, a long time ago, and the world she made has gotten more complex and colorful.I wasn't at all disturbed by continuity problems - hey, lighten up, people, the author is human, this is HER work, and she can develop things as she sees fit.

My major beef here is that having been introduced to the series with this book, I'm disappointed to see that Skif was given such short shrift in the other books in the series.I feel this character has as at least as much potential as an adult as he did as a child.To see him marginalized "afterwards" in the "Arrows" series didn't bother me because those stories were really about Talia, but I didn't like the treatment he got in Winds of Fate either, though I haven't read the rest of the Mage Winds series yet.I'd sure like to see Skif take a lead role in another book the way Alberich did.

I thought the pacing of the book was perfect, actually.Skif was moving along with his life, plotting his revenge, putting himself slowly back together, when he was kidnapped by his Companion and everything was turned upside down!From that point forward he had to balance being himself against being a Herald.Beautifully, done, IMHO.

Thanks for a great book! ... Read more

Product Description
This exciting new anthology includes a new novella featuring Mercedes Lackey's most popular heroines, Tarma (one of the sword-sworn and most feared of all warriors) and Kethry (who wields magic and weapons for the greater good), whose fates are suddenly bound together in blood by the powers that control their destinies. Also included in the unique volume is the complete collection of Lackey's short stories about these two brave sisters as they answer the call of their destinies with sword and sorcery!. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

A collection of unsophisticated short stories plus a novella
The author has gathered 10 short stories and a novella into a book under the title of the novella Her style of writing is fairly unsophisticated and a bit clumsy. I would probably have enjoyed the stuff if I were 16 years old. It is all a bitsilly for an adult.

A fine finish
Or.... hopefully Mercedes would write more about these two, but if not, it's a good ending. This book gives the story on how they met which is a really good story. It has other short stories, some are actually in the other two books and the last is a story about Kethry's kids and the kids of the school.

I picked this book up with the other two as I was going on a cruise and wanted some good reading. I admit I was disappointed that it wasn't actually a full novel on their adventures, but it was still a good read. The story about the horses at Forst Reach was good, but then I love all things horses and after having read of the blockhead supposed Shin'a'in warsteed from that series - it made reading that short story pretty fun.

I'd definitely recommend it. And on the very not much of a chance that Misty reads any of these reviews, I'd love to see another full novel on their school adventures (not that you don't have enough else going on!).

Superb Short Stories!
This is a book of short stories and is quite fun - the only downside is that a few of the chapters from _The Oathbound_ are repeated. Still, I hadn't remembered most of this book, which made it a great re-read. It's nice to see how everyone turns out. All in all, it is a good collection of short stories - the short intros by Mercedes Lackey added a lot too.

Disappointing
I bought this book thinking it would be a continuation of the first two, and I was disappointed.The stories seemed out of order, and this could have been a great novel.Instead, I got a bunch of disjointed stories.Granted, it did explain a few things between Oathbreaker and By the Sword, but I really was disappointed.It's as if Miss Lackey didn't even try.

Love it!
Mercedes Lackey at her best, love the adventure, strong, smart, and magic women. ... Read more

Product Description
The Black Swan is a retelling of the classic ballet "Swan Lake" told from the viewpoint of the wronged daughter of an evil magician. A young prince spends his youth with his nose in a book and communing with nature. On one of his walks, he spies a flock of swans, and is amazed to see them transform into maidens as the sun sets. He returns every night, eventually falling in love with one of the stricken maidens. And so begins the legendary fable of magic, shapeshifting, and the power of love beyond appearances.

Praise for The Mage Storms:

"...a fantasy classic, and these newest adventures will generate even more acclaim with this fantasy superstar." --Romantic Times

"Lackey is a spellbinding storyteller who keeps your heart in your mouth as she spins her intricate webs of magical adventure." --Rave Reviews

"A strong, suspenseful plot and well developed characters...will satisfy the most avid fantasy fan." --VOYAAmazon.com Review
Mercedes Lackey takes readers back to the ballet with herlatest fairy tale fantasy, The Black Swan, which retells thestory of Swan Lake. Lackey preserves much of the ballet'saction but provides a happier ending than the original German folktalehad. She also gives the characters depth and motivation by providingthem with histories.

Baron Eric von Rothbart, a powerful sorcerer,hunts down women who have betrayed men and transforms them into swanswho can only resume their true forms by moonlight. His lonely daughterOdile, who watches the flock and studies spells, longs vainly for hisapproval. One day von Rothbart tells Odette, the swan princess, thatshe can break the spell by winning and holding a man's faithful lovefor one month. He's even chosen a candidate, PrinceSiegfried. Unfortunately, the prince is a womanizing hedonist. ShouldOdette succeed nevertheless, von Rothbart secretly plans a trap forthem and the prince's ambitious mother, Queen Clothilde, who schemesto rule in her own right. But he must use Odile, who has befriendedOdette and is no longer her father's puppet.

Some readers may findthe descriptions of dancing and costumes tedious--and Prince Siegfrieda questionable hero. Odile, however, is as vivid a heroine as anyLackey's written. --Nona Vero ... Read more

Customer Reviews (69)

Disgusted and horrified
Not having read any of Mercedes Lackey's books before, and enjoying the traditional story of the Swan Princess, I recently picked this up, and was (as my title conveys) horrified by its characters. Having read and heard favorable reviews of ML's writing, particularly her female characters, I was dismayed and disgusted that she chose to patronize and insult her audience by offering us a so-called reformed rapist as her male protagonist. His revelation and seeming change read as superficial and abrupt-a transformation which Lackey clearly wants us to believe is genuine, and which is somehow supposed to make up for his inhuman crime. Never mind that his victim will never get a chance to heal and go on with her life, as the Prince's servent informs us that she has died (readers piece together that she commits suicide, we assume as a consequence of the horror of what happened to her).

To portray this rape as an accident, the rapist as simply pampered and confused, and then to neatly and cleanly offer a reformed young man who is rewarded for his deed (in the form of Odette-ideal in spite of ML attempting to create an imperfect character, beautiful, loving, loyal) was the kind of sick, juvenile romanticism that brought to my mind the Twilight series.
This book was clearly trying (and I emphasize trying) to craft a message or theme about internal change and transformation, as evident with the use (or misuse), and images of, physical change, but the author panders and falls horrifically short of anything resembling that change, or genuine remorse and accountability.
Odile's father von Rothbart is also a misogynist, and rather than becoming a foil for the Prince, he simply reads as another flat, abhorrent, and grown man with no real excuse for his mistreatment of women. The brief conversation the Prince has with a priest furthers the assertion that boys will-oh darn-unfortunately be boys. Keep in mind, however, that the Prince only condescends to feel guilty in the first place because his victim didn't pay him the courtesy of enjoying his advances, which Lackey again tries to excuse through his assumption that she was looking for it, and the priest's belief that the lower classes, especially women, are all loose anyway. This is, of course, after the Prince admits to himself that he would probably have assaulted her anyway.

If I seem a little too concerned with this part of the book, believe that it is justified. Her female protagonists cannot possible hold the book together in the face of this, especially in light of the knowledge that these problems are never addressed between them. There are no healthy, sympathetic male-female relationships here, no particularly engaging displays of female camaraderie, and I did not put the book down feeling at all attached to either Odile or Odette.

In short, anyone interested in gender studies might pick up this book, to examine it as an example of the grossly problematic attitudes our culture perpetuates about male motivation and responsibility, female complacence, and the belief that 'she was asking for it/should have known better.' Otherwise, don't waste your time. If I had the option of giving it no stars, I would have done so.

even better than the last
For those of you that read and enjoyed Lackey's last novel, Firebird, I believe Black Swan is even better. The characters are likeable (even the bland Odette) and the story is a complete 180 from the original. Instead of the classic troubled girl meets handsome boy concept, Lackey twists it around so nothing is missing, yet she manages to add unforseen ideas. It's the best Lackey novel to date and a great read for someone interested in the classic "Swan Lake" story.

Perfect Fiction
Black Swan / 978-0-88677-890-3

Swan Lake is my favorite ballet, period, and I trust Mercedes Lackey as a superb author, so I was very excited to open The Black Swan and delve deeply into the story. To my delight, Lackey has not only lived up to my expectations, but far succeeded them - I will gladly state that this is the best novel I have read this year, easily.

The story of the Swan Lake ballet is simple and Lackey does not lose the reader who might not be familiar with the source material. The evil wizard von Rothbart keeps captives maidens in his care and curses them to take the form of swans during the day, when there is no moonlight. The spell can be broken if a young man pledges his love and faithfulness to one of the ladies, the Princess Odette, and a Prince Siegfried steps forward to attempt this task, but von Rothbart plays him false and tricks him into swearing his pledge to his disguised daughter, one Odile, the black swan of the ballet. Siegfried and Odette cast themselves into the waters of the swan lake in despair. In some versions of the ballet, they are saved and von Rothbart is killed, but the ending varies according to troupe.

Lackey carefully remains true to her source material, filling in only the details of background and motivations, and her vibrant details are a delight. The gripping story follows the viewpoint of the much-neglected daughter Odile and asks the simple question: How does she feel about all this? Von Rothbart is a cold and cruel villain, and Lackey determines that he is naturally a cold and cruel father, as well. Odile is a strong sorceress, but a gentle woman, and strikes the perfect note as an unreliable narrator - she senses that she is nothing more than a tool and a vessel for her father's schemes, but she desperately believes that he loves her and that everything he does for her is for her own good. Through the course of the novel, she overcomes her scorn for the captured prisoners and comes to understand that their curse or, as von Rothbart claims, their "punishment" is not just or fair. When von Rothbart uses her against her will to trick Prince Siegfried into breaking his vow of loyalty, Odile turns on her father in shock, fear, and hatred, using her magic to kill him in order to save the prince and princess, her unlikely friends.

If this is a coming-of-maturity tale for the sheltered Odile, it is no less so for the regal Odette and the pampered Siegfried. Odette must come to face her own actions and past and determine that while her "punishment" is arbitrary, cruel, and unjust, neither were her actions completely blameless or without shame. She accepts this with dignity, and bears herself with courage and determination for the sake of her fellow captives. Siegfried, by contrast, has lived a life of pleasure and ease, encouraged by his mother who prefers that he stay infantile and she stay as Regent on the throne. He seduces and rapes women, barely seeing a difference between the two, and lives the life of a spoiled nobleman who has never been told how to behave to his fellow humans. When one of his "conquests" drowns herself and haunts his nightmares, he seeks to reform himself. When his efforts to reform himself by half are not enough to save the lovely Odette, he agrees to reform himself wholly and becomes a better person and a fair ruler as a result.

I simply cannot recommend this book enough. At 400 pages, the reading is gripping and swift, and I simply could not put the book down. This is easily the best book I have read this year and I could not have enjoyed it more - this book is simply perfect.

An interesting look into the heart of a fairy tale
I have been an avid Fantasy reader since I first started reading. This is the first Mercedes Lackey book I ever read and it started an obsession with this wonderful author that continues to this day. When I first read The Black Swan, I knew nothing about the story except the little bits that all little kids pick up about fairy tales. I found this to be a very intriguing tale. The characters are intricately developed, the scenery and background very well described and the conversations written in a way that is relevant and related to the characters, something which many writers seem to stray from. The combination of these qualities create a world that you feel you are a part of and hate to put down. The intricacies of the plot and subplots make this one of those books that can be read again and again. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their favored genre. By far, one of the best books out there.

Swan Lake at its best
I have seen several retellings of Swan Lake, from a play to a old anime to the cartoon movie made in the last decade. And out of all the versions of Swan Lake, I like this book best.

My only beef is that the wife's death caused the Baron to hate all women - that isn't really explained in depth. How did his wife's death make him so bitter? Why did he see it as a betrayal? That question nagged at me throughout the book.

Other than that, this book was awesome. Odile is a strong but sympathetic character, and her desire for her father's love is a very real struggle, as well as her realization of her father's true nature. Overall, an excellent read and the best of Swan Lake that I have ever seen. The exquisite cover is but the tip of the iceberg for a good reading experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Isabelle Benson has learned that an Elemental Master is behind the attempts on her students' lives-and the would-be murderer is someone very close to her former flame, "The Wizard of London." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

Hmm
This book was definitely better than 'Gates of Sleep' and I can appreciate the Snow Queen associations - it was a very creative idea and I really enjoyed it - but compared to the other books within this series, is just not as interesting. While gifted children certainly have their place in this universe that Ms. Lackey created, I was disappointed when so much of the focus was on them rather than the Masters. I'm hoping that after this book and 'Reserved for the Cat' we'll go back to a female Elemental Master as the protagonist/main character in the next Elemental Masters book, I'd hate to see this series deteriorate as some series inevitably do.

Two girls and their birds save England
I have yet to find a book by Mercedes Lackey that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed, and this one fulfills the promise of its predecessors.Though it's called Volume 4 of the Elemental Masters series, they tend to be written out of chronological order (its predecessor, Phoenix and Ashes (Elemental Masters, Book 3), is set during World War I) and can be read that way.The focus is on the Harton School for Boys & Girls, run by Frederic and Isabelle Harton, who have returned to England after a long sojourn in India to offer a sanctuary to the children of their own kind--the "Psychics," who are distinct from the "Mages" in that the latter use learned magic while the former have inborn gifts of various types.The two classes seldom associate with each other, but they are forbidden to attack each other either.The Harton School takes in the young of English men and women serving all over the Empire, primarily India, and gives them a home and the kind of loving attention they've been accustomed to, as well as schooling in matters mundane and otherwise, teaching them how to control and use whatever powers they may have.Sarah Jane Lyon-White, whose parents are medical missionaries in Africa, is sent to the Hartons because she "has gifts we cannot train"--she's a medium who can see and speak to ghosts.In short order she acquires a roommate and best friend in the little Cockney street-sparrow Nan Killian, in whom Isabelle senses unusual gifts also.When Sarah Jane's mother comes all the way from Africa to deliver her beloved parrot, Grey, and Nan befriends Neville, one of the famous ravens of the Tower of London, the stage is set for the events of the story.

After helping to expose a fraudulent medium, the two girls are lured to an empty house in Belgrave Square, where they are attacked by a Thing which at first blush might be mistaken for one of H. P. Lovecraft's Great Old Ones and are rescued by the Hartons and their Muslim servant Selim--and by Nan, who suddenly manifests her adult Warrior-of-the-Light form.While the Hartons try to learn who was responsible for the ruse and why, the whole school is invited to relocate to a country estate for a month, where rehearsals for Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (The New Folger Library Shakespeare) bring them to the attention of Puck, a.k.a. Robin Goodfellow and the Oldest of the Old Ones.Then David Alderscroft, a powerful Fire Mage who in his youth came very close to marrying Isabelle, comes to attend an extended house party at the estate next door.But what David himself doesn't know is that his respected "mentor," Lady Cordelia Bryce-Coll, is using him for sinister purposes of her own.Puck is the first to become aware of this, and his friendship with Nan and Sarah draws them into the effort to save Alderscroft from himself--and from a fate that may destroy much that is good about England.

Lackey has clearly done her research into Late Victorian England: she conveys a great sense of place, although she's made one small error in attributing Kipling's Just So Stories (Puffin Classics) to Victoria's reign (they were in fact first published in 1902, the year after the Queen's death).She also, as always, makes her magic seem both believable and logical, with ironclad rules of its own and a hidden society of magic-users (though Alderscroft hopes to raise them to a position of greater power in secular affairs).The school she describes is both unique and fascinating, and the relationship between Frederic, Isabelle, and their three male servants and fellow-Warriors--Agansing, a Ghurka; Karamjit, a Sikh; and Selim, a Muslim, all of whom live together and with the Buddhist and Hindu staff in perfect amity and are "sworn brothers" to one another and to Frederic--is splendidly portrayed.Puck/Robin is a wonderful character and Lady Cordelia is a villain who'll make your skin crawl, yet she's also a three-dimensional person with very human motivations.The pace is episodic at first, then suddenly alters to a racing climax such that you wonder how the author intends to resolve the situation in the few pages she has left.If you've never read the Elemental Masters (or, for that matter, anything of Lackey's) before, this would be an impressive point at which to start.(Note: Chapter 4, in a slightly different form, was originally published in the anthology Murder by Magic: Twenty Tales of Crime and the Supernatural.)Highly recommended.

old school
Nan is an Irish child living in the slums of London.Before her drunk mother can sell her into slavery, she is rescued by the headmistress of a boarding school.Nan is given a spot at the school.Nan speaks in thick ebonics, so the staff teach her to speak english as a second language.

Later, the headmistress is caught up in some kind of plot involving her ex-boyfriend.they retreat to the countryside, and free the headmistress's ex-boyfriend from the enthrallment of evil.

Overwritten and fluffed
By way of introduction (that mark of sensibility and proper writing!) I, the writer of this scathing review, give you this:
It may seem difficult for you, dear reader, to believe, after perusing this review, that I myself have ever gleaned even an iota of enjoyment from reading one of the esteemed Mercedes Lackey's novels. Allow me to assure you, then, that she exhibits what some might deem a skill, even a talent, for writing in many (but not most; no, this author is no latterday Charles Dickens, much do I bemoan his passing!) of her books and short stories.

Sadly, "The Wizard of London" is not a member of that valued group.

In this so-called novel, Lackey has transparently attempted to take her well-noted "eloquence" to a new level, perhaps in the spirit of old-fashioned proper English speech and mannerisms, and in the process she has drastically neglected good character development, plot, flow and, in places, proper grammar: in short, all of those things with which a tale fulfills its hallowed purpose of enjoyable, intelligent literature, and without which it languishes, a misbegotten wreck of words ill-written.

Her sentences are overdone and her paragraphs padded and fluffed; and due to the almost painfully amateurish foreshadowing present throughout, one feels, not too far into the heart of the book, that one must know all the various pathways the plot will take well in advance of its actual occurance. It so happens that the ending is in fact something of a surprise, mayhap even a twist; but that I cannot attribute to Lackey's innate skill as a writer; rather, it is due to the fact that the "ending" (or should I say the undercooked, pathetic excuse for such) is anticlimactic and somewhat random. All in all, this book simply does not work: it appears to have been thrown together, nay, stitched in a manner haphazard and rude, as of one of Frankenstein's abominable monsters. (For the sake of propriety, it must be noted that this is a phenomenon sometimes observed when authors who are usually at least competent in their chosen field of work attempt to expand successful short stories or novellas into full novels; for an example, see "Blood Music" by Greg Bear.)

I could declaim yet more, and I daresay I would, but there exist reviews to be read in abundance, and even I do not possess such audacious feelings of self-worth as to assume that my words are worth much more of your time than you have just spent reading them. And thus I must bid you, dear readers, a fond adieu, and you, Ms. Lackey, a farewell somewhat lacking (oh ho! do mine eyes detect a pun? Surely `twas innocently meant and benevolent in intention!) in such good feelings. May your books never blight my shelves again, wretched woman!

(One last point: if this review was overwritten and difficult to read, it's got nothing on "The Wizard of London".)

same ol,same old
This last book was boring because, it was the same as the others in this series, starts out ok, gets boring in the middle, the last couple of chapters some excitment, but not much, was glad when it was done. ... Read more

Product Description
Herald-Princess Elspeth and her beloved partner, Darkwind the adept, return to Valdemar to confront the evil and powerful Ancar, who once again is threatening her homeland. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Not bad, but not very good either
I think I first started doubting where this book was going in the very first chapter. The first two books in this trilogy comprise the immense battles against Mornelithe Falconsbane and finally, finally, at the end of the second book he is vanquished and whisked away. So, in the very first chapter of this book, he is brought back - and not just to threaten Elspeth and her gang out west, but right next to Valdemar and in the hands of Valdemar's worst enemy - Ancar of Hardorn!

Unfortunately, that is not the worst of it. Once the scene shifts back to Elspeth, she is on her way back to Valdemar with her teachers intent on learning more magery, but a mysterious force manages to literally hijack her return gate to Firesong's people - while she and her troupe are in transit no less!! - and divert her to the Forrest of Sorrows. There she finds out about her long-dead ancestor Vanyel. Once she is back in Valdemar certain things happen in a hurry. I would say more but they would be considered spoiler. On the other hand, if you read the book with any kind of attention, some of the more "shocking" developments, are pretty predictable.

Not only that, but it turns out that Falconsbane has a very well defined weak spot that has apparently been brewing for many years. It can even be said to be the explanation of why he had not been killed in either of the first two books of the series. I really did not like this plot device as it was too contrived for my taste - why introduce it now when Falconsbane has been an evildoer for generations upon generations?

When Ancar uses his new powers to attack Valdemar, a brazen plot is hatched and the crew is off to execute it. I did like the way the heralds and mages chose to travel to the ultimate showdown with Ancar. The weakest point of the book, though, was the ending. The final showdown and the various travels to reach it occupied 400 of the 420 pages of the book leaving the resolution of the whole trilogy to be set up in less than 20 pages of what promised to be a magical battle of epic proportions. Instead it seems rushed and anti-climatic. And, in true serial form, just as the book is winding down, the next big, bad, Valdemar enemy, makes a cameo appearance.

That is why I have such a middling opinion of this book as the book was a mix of good writing and poor plotting. As a Valdemar fan, it was fun to read this adventure, but it was also very helpful to know a lot about the background of the Gryphons and Vanyel to understand many of the finer points of this book. That is why I would not recommend it to anyone who is not fully steeped in Valdemar lore.

I loved it!
This one is probably the best of the three, a happy ending that is more permanent than the others, with Ma'ar/Falconsbane finally dead for real, and all of the other couples rather happily paired off. I am looking forward to the next three, as that completes the ending, though I am surprised that I don't remember more about it. Although, even this one held some surprises for me - especially toward the end.

Winds binging storms
After reading this ant the preceeding two books of the Winds triligy, I am looking foward to the coninuation of the story of Valdemar and the impending threat form the East.All of Lackey's books have the fight between good and evil as their focus but it is her development of the environment that makes the whole thing great reading.

Mercedes Lackey Does It Again.
This book drew me in from the beginning and held me in thrall to the end. Ms. Lackey is superior in fantasy novels. I completely enjoyed this trilogy.

pretty good
In my opinion, Winds of Fury was the best in the trilogy.This is a well written fantasy novel, rated high in the books that i have read, although not the best.Mercedes Lackey did well in her development of the characters and plot.I particularly liked the development of An'desha.With the long overdue end of Falconsbane she skillfully brought in a new character who easily wins the heart of readers.Her use of figurative language in metaphors and similes works well to describe places and events, and her work contains proverbs that tell truths.Although I liked the book and found it believable and well developed, some of the dialogue she uses is a bit awkward.It does not happen often but enough to be noticable.Overall, her message of good triumphing over evil once again works well in her plot, along with the light romantic interludes that give the novel a sentimental quality. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Talia, Herald to the Queen of Valdemar, travels to a neighboring realm to investigate a prince's proposal to marry the Queen's heir, but discovers an evil plot to destroy Valdemar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

You're kidding, right?
All these positive reviews are dumbfounding. Is this really the kind of book which, after reading, the American public licks its chaps and says 'Mmm, so good'? If this can possibly be so, the human race is doomed.

The first two books in Ms Lackey's series were mildly promising, until you actually got anywhere, but all suffer from the same deep, deep flaws as this third installment. To put it bluntly, Lackey's writing skills belong in the third grade. She has no grasp of style or tone, which might infuse her fantasy setting with some believability: her characters all talk like late-twentieth-century American giggling middle-school girls--that is, in exactly the idiom of what appears Lackey's target audience (though that assessment is rather badly jolted by the bizarrely casual and off-hand, though carefully non-graphic, descriptions of rape and torture which the plot occasionally affords).

But the problems are deeper than Lackey's deficiencies as a writer: the entire fantasy world she has cooked up (or, more accurately, cocked up--which is what you know you've done when you name one of your fictional countries 'Hardorn') completely fails to convince. Her characters may wear white tunics, live in a castle, and ride on horses, but they talk like Americans in 1987, they think like Americans in 1987, they have the same value system as Americans in 1987, they have the same group counselling as Americans in 1987, and, to judge by the truly unfortunate cover illustration, they have the same hairstyles as Americans in 1987. Conflicts are black-and-white; characters are either dopey and lovable or unsubtly sinister. If Lackey's fantasy setting has any depth, if she put any thought and care into it, if she actually knows the first thing about how mediaeval societies actually worked--all considerations that make the pages of truly good speculative fiction sparkle--it certainly does not show. Now, I am as great a fantasy fan as anyone, but come on, people. None of you should be this desperate. Do yourself a favor and read George R. R. Martin. Read Tolkien. Read Stephenson. Read Shakespeare. Read Trollope. Read Faulkner. Read Homer. But leave the half-baked for the half-witted.

What a great series!
Oh, this one is the saddest of the three of them... but it is still very good. It certainly is exciting... and really sets up the remainder of the series. I had forgotten some of the details for this one about Ancar and Hardorn so it made it especially fun to re-read!

A big let down
I first started on Mercedes Lackey with The Obsidian Trilogy and was astounded with the quality of the writing, more specifically, the amazing pacing and how story-line could be so tightly woven without seeming convenient. These elements are completely missing from this whole series! The stories drag, the plot-line seems to be a compilation of incessant problems with oh-so-convenient solutions, and even the truly climactic points are ruined by the terrible pacing. Almost the entire story is narrative-style (This happened, then this, then this... ya da ya da ya.), so the reader never quite feels "in the action." Rarely was I engaged in the story. And the ending... the ending was terrible! It left the true climax of the story out to hang without conclusion and sidelined over into her "lifebond" with Dirk (Don't even get me started on how lousy the handling of this was throughout the story.). So a queen is really going to pack up in the middle of a war she's running to go to a WEDDING? Are you kidding me?

The Best Was Saved For Last
This was by far my favorite because it was so much more realistic.Lackey does not shy away from what happens to women who are held captive by those bent on harm. The 'far fetching' was exactly that, a little too good to be true, but who wouldn't like to have an ability like that and horses like those Companions?

The first trilogy holds its own
The original Valdemar trilogy holds a special place in my heart.While it is true that she didn't have many books under her belt at the time of the writing, the characterization and plot development are well-handled.Some of her later books suffer from overly condensed or elaborated plot points - an element that she maintained masterful control over in the earlier books.
The characters face challenges that thrum with urgency and have a realism to them all too lacking in much fantasy.She made some effort to make this a real world with a complex political situation, and it shows.And at the same time we never stop caring for Talia or lose sight of her plight in the midst of political machinations.
The relationship between Talia and Dirk rings most true when they are struggling toward each other; the final union is sweet but could have used more development.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (44)

Rehashed, recylced, lazy and weak story telling
Perhaps the problem is my own:that I have read too many fantasy novels (could such a thing be?).
The story is a derivative of most fantasy novel and borrows liberally from it's predecessors.Hmmm, average young man (mage) conveniently becomes a gifted war wizard (err knight mage).

As I read this book and the series I kept thinking that I had read all of this before, because I had in a dozen different forms.

Elven cities sound as if they are were created from a random word generator and would actually be amusing if it wasn't so painful.


These are just some highlights of my problems with these books.Others have stated the problems in much more detail than I.

They are not terrible books, but only buy them if you've got nothing better to read.

LACKING
I WONDER IF THE AUTHORS THOUGHT THE FIRST TWO BOOKS WOULD CARRY THE WEIGHT OF DARKNESS FALLS.WHILE I LOVED THE FIRST TWO BOOKS AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW HARD IT IS TO CREATE A PROPER ENDING, THE BOOK WAS BORING THROUGHOUT AND THE ENDING WAS ONE OF THE WORST EVER.TWO OF MY FRIENDS COULD NOT EVEN GET THROUGH IT.MY SUGGESTION READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS THEN SKIP TO THE FOURTH, YOU'LL BE HAPPIER.

Conclusion too quick

If the authors had written as many pages about killing the bad guys as they did on DRINKING ALL THAT FLIPPING TEA, this would have been a much better book.

Pure and beautiful fantasy
This book is for those who love pure fantasy without looking for anything that connects with our logical world of thinking. I really love this trilogy.

great book
I bought 2 books and was very satisfied with their quality. However, I was charged 3.99 for shipping for each book. I deliberately got them from the same company to try and bring this cost down. The actual amount for shipping the 2 books to me was $2.85. I believe this is bad business and I will never order from this company again. ... Read more

Product Description
An original short fiction anthology set in Mercedes Lackey's bestselling world of Valdemar-featuring heroic Heralds and their horselike companions-and including an all-new novella by Lackey herself, as well as stories by masters such as Mickey Zucker Reichert, Judith Tarr, Tanya Huff, and others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

the wonders of Valdemar's world
It's a wonderful group view of the Valdemar's wold and it's lands and people. Lackey's world is fertile land where different people shed the seeds of their own insights and they all grow excellent and different produce. How exciting to read what comes of such a collaboration.

Entertaining - a must for Valdemar lovers!
These anthologies are a terrific addition to the "pure" series of Valdemar novels by Mercedes Lackey. Written by other authors inspired by her world of Valdemar, they are an eclectic mix of stories that provide a little more insight into Valdemar as well as the people living in the lands bordering it. Tragic and comedic, they add a valuable enhancement to the beloved people of the world of the Heralds and Companions.

Not bad.
There are some good stories in this book and one author who will publish her first novel this spring that I will check out.

Overall excellent
Unlike the current trend in anthologies to have novella length stories (see Winter Moon for instance) this is a collection of shorts which overall is very good.The worst of the stories would rate a 3 stars (much better than average) and the best 4 1/2 stars (just short of outstanding).

Like the quality of the stories their relation to Vaqldimar varies.Some could have as well been set in Venice, LA or NY (and some of these were very good too).Overall and excellent read.

insert title here
A solid anthology from respected writers. Primarily for fans of Lackey's series' set on Velgarth, or fans of the contributing authors. An essential addition to any Lackey fan's collection. ... Read more

Product Description
As the bronze statue of the great winged lion stares out across the Piazza San Marco, a failed magician must find courage. An orphaned outcast must find his strength. A reluctant prince must choose between duty and pleasure. All will be consumed by an evil greater than they have ever known. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

Compelling Read -- Not Typical Lackey -- Alternate Historical Fiction with a twist
This is a good book for a long plane ride.

The main story of the book deals with renaissance alternate Venice.The world is recognizable, though magic exists, Catholicism is split into factions, and Europe is dominated by Holy Roman Empire, cith state comprised Italy, the duchies of Lithuania and Poland, and several other large states.

The book takes a while to get the setting down. having familiarity with Renaissance history will be a big help and helps the reader get up to speed faster.

The main story deals with two young brothers Marco and Benito Valdosta, missing heirs to the Lord of Ferrara, Modena, Este, and Reggio nell'Emilia, who have been underground in Venice after an assisination attempt.In the background is a power struggle between the Holy Roman Empire and Lithuania, played out in the background of Venice.

I won't go too much into the plot details -- after all that's what the book is for -- but it derives on more political intrigue, though with a mix of religious schism, magic, and adventure thrown in.The story was complex enough to be engaging but not so jarring as to be confusing.

The ending wasn't the strongest, but then this i the first book in a series so it make some sense to have the ending it did.There's a helpful glossary of characters at the end.In a book of this length it does prove useful.

I have not read C.J. Cherryh's Merovingen Nights series but if you have read the other reviews for comments along those lines.

The Shadow of the Lion
Absolutley rivetting.The politcs in this are staggering in their compelxity and Mercedes Lackey does it so well.Beautiful descritpions and the relationships bwteen characters is wodnerful, exciting and meets all expectations of their capabilities and interaction.

Giant book. Worth reading every page... and again... and again...
In-depth historical research blends seamlessly into imaginative creation of entirely new material in this novel, which manages to make use of the classic tragic and comedic techniques common to Italy itself in the 16th century.

I find this is far more engaging and thoughtful material than Flint's prior historical fiction, not nearly so repetitious as some of Mercedes' recent work (which, although enjoyable, tends to be in the same vein all the time), and more plausible than what I've seen from Freer inthe past.

I've appreciated Lackey's and Flint's work a great deal in the past, and I loved the collaborative work.

Who does this storyline belong to?
While I am extremely pleased as to how this book turned out compared to Lackey's usual material, I'm a little perturbed about the who this story line belongs to. About 15 years ago, I stumbled acrossed a series called Merovingian Nights. It is around 7 books long, and is pieced together by a plethora of authors. The series was not truly co-authored in the way we think of it now, but where each author wrote their own chapter in the novel. Sometimes it ended with some discontinuity.

Shadow of the Lion is what I wanted Merovingian Nights to be. But does the story belong to CJ Cherryh or does it belong to Mercedes Lackey? It is not 100 percent the same, but a good 80% the same. Names, settings, plots.

While I really enjoyed the book and its sequel, my enjoyment was dampened by the fact I couldn't get the idea of [...] out of my head.

Avid Mercedes Lackey fan who still likes the book
This book isn't much like Mercedes Lackey's normal writings, but isn't that the point of a collaborative work? I'm only giving it four stars because it is a bit hard to get into at first and the character list is extensive. It can sometimes be difficult to remember who is who, even with the glossary. I found myself having to write notes in the glossary just to record my thoughts on their characters and motivations. The plot is constantly twisting and there is enough humor without making the book silly. I've read almost every book by a female fantasy or sci fi writer (and quite a few of the men as well!) and found this one a delightful change. ... Read more

Product Description
This stand-alone novel in the best-selling Valdemar series tells the story of Alberich...

When Alberich took a stand for what he believed in-and defected-he was chosen by one of the magical Companion horses...to serve the queen of Valdemar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

Great story, great character
I loved this read.I think Alberich is a complex character that faces a number of moral dilemmas, the least of which is reconciling the fact that his enemy is now his friend.Yes, this story and this character is more complex than Mercedes Lackey's earlier books (Arrows of the Queen), but I think that is only right as she has written a great deal more since those first books and has perfected her craft.I never felt lost or bored in this book, even though the issues are more complex.In fact, I think I enjoyed it more because of the depth Lackey gives this book.I will absolutely read this book again and would recommend to any fantasy lover.

If I wanted to read about Yoda I would read something about StarWars
OMG! I started reading this thinking that it was so good that I would order the others in the series. UNTIL, suddenly the main character turned into Yoda. When he learned to speak the language of his nation's enemies suddenly he was an imitation of Yoda and it was so damn annoying. I kept thinking that surely the author was not going to have him speak in this annoying way through out the entire book but I am half way through and he is still channeling Yoda. So disappointing and the weird thing is that he is the only one talking that way. All the people he encounters from the other side of the conflict speak normally, his Companion speaks normally, only Alberich speaks like a major Star Wars character. For God Sake STOP before I go mad.

The authoress ruined this book for me and this interesting character when she had him adopt that annoying, unnecessary way to speak to everyone after he changes sides in the constant war between his country and the other one where there are supposedly, according to the priests of his country who rule the whole shebang, Demon riders and witches and surprise the hero of the story has "powers" so he fits right into the enemy side. When he figures out that the language was odd in that the verb was positioned at the end of the sentence (Yoda Lives) he began to speak that way and NO ONE ELSE DOES! Mercedes Lackley, what the hell were you thinking?I may buy the first book in the series but there is no way that I will purchase the third in the series if Alberich continues to speak in that unbelieveably annoying way. Only a short, squat, ugly green alien would speak like that and deserve to die because of it.

What a stupid way to ruin an otherwise good book. Why didn't someone tell Mercedes that it was a horrible affectation for her hero to adopt? Sigh!

My favorite
I have read all of Lackey's Valdemar series multiple times.Two summers ago, I read them all in the order they were published and viewed the development of both the Herald/Companion relationship and Valdemar mythos.This past summer, I read them chronologically from the Mage Wars on, which contributed another layer to my perception of what Lackey has created.

After much debate, I have decided that Exile's Valor is her best and my favorite.Often, her stories are told from the point of view of the Herald who is going to be at the center of the angst and tragedy (Vanyel, Talia, Kerowyn, Karal).In those works, we get the insider's perspective.We live Vanyel's tragedy; we experience Talia's torture; we go through Kerowyn's struggles; we come of age with Karal.Those stories focus on the sorrow and angst and tragedy that directly and immediately affects the main character.

But, with the development of Alberich's character, we get the outsider's perspective - not only an outsider in the sense of his being from Karse and outside the Valdermar experience - but also in the sense that he is outside the tragedy of the tale.Oh, he experiences the tragedy, but his perspective is from the outside, not from the person at the true heart of the tragedy.(For that to be the case, we would get far more development and insight into Selenay's character.)In that sense, Exile's Valor is a real leap for Lackey, and she carries it off masterfully.

Additionally, I find the relationship between Alberich and Kantor to be second only to Vanyel and Yfandes.Yet, even saying that, I feel that Alberich's relationship with Kantor is the most adult and the most equal.Kantor, for me, has far more voice and personality than many of the other Companions.

Thus, Exile's Valor is my favorite.

Valdemar Fun!
This is the first book that is not a re-read. I really liked this first part of Alberich's story. I always loved him in _The Arrows of the Queen_ trilogy and even though I knew where his story would end, it was still fun to read. I really found it funny that Mercedes Lackey wrote herself into this book... She goes by Misti, apparently, and she made the Herald-Chronicler named Myste... hahaha. It was kind of sad that she wrote herself in as a dumpy-klutzy looking person... I wonder if she is as near-sighted as she claimed to be in the book...

Some of Lackey's Best
This is one of my favorite, if not my favorite set within the Valdemar series.Albrich is a character I always wanted to know more about!I only wish I had more than the two books to read about him!I highly recommend the set to Lackey lovers as being some of her better and more well written work. ... Read more

Product Description
National best-selling fantasy author Mercedes Lackey creates a vivid, dynamic fusion of the cultures of ancient Egypt and legendary Atlantis with the most exciting and believable portrayal of dragons ever imagined. The first book in this thrilling new series introduces us to a young slave who dreams of becoming a jouster-one of the few warriors who can actually ride a flying dragon. And so, in secret, he begins to raise his own dragon... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

Pern + Ancient Egypt = dull story
I have read Ms. Lackey's work since I was 16, (which is over 20 years of reading) and absolutely think her Valdemarian world is outstanding ( on par with Tolkein and McCaffrey). I am sorry to say this book is not of her earlier caliber.The plot is predictable, although filled with sensory detail, and as I read this book, I feel as if Ms. Lackey has taken The Dragonriders of Pern and slapped it on top of Ancient Egypt.

The wyres of Pern are like Mefis, the Jousters are like riders except that they have Egyptian-souding (or at least Middle Eastern) names.They have a Mother River (Nile) with floods (like Egypt) and live in a arid place with a pantheon of deities (Egypt).

No, the dragons don't mind speak, and the riders are not bonded or Chosen, but I just felt like this was a tired story with no real new angles.

She has done so much more with Valedmar, speaking to such universal themes: Finding oneself, moving from childhood to adulthood, authority and power, dealing with alternative sexualities, and even race relations, that I was left hollow by this thinly written book.

I do not plan on finishing the series. I hope she goes back to Valedemar and weaves more Magic there.

K.Cail

i loved it
Joust was forced on me. The 1st chapter was confusing at first but by chapter 2 i wasnt on my bed reading. I was right beside Vetch. I was feeling what he felt. Sometimes I was laughing over times I trembled in exitiment. It was an amazing action filled book and I advice it to people who like dragons.

Not Impressed
The basic plot is that a free-born boy turned serf is taken away from his cruel master to become an assistant to a sort of dragon rider.The boy begins planning to steal an egg, hatch a dragon and raise it in secret so that he can escape his servitude and journey back to his homeland.That's pretty much all there is to the book; there is very little in the way of subplots.I didn't care much for the main character, Vetch, and since he kept mostly to himself, there was not a whole lot of character development or interaction (aside from Vetch's jouster, Ari).

The thing that put me off the most was Lackey's writing style.I've read one of her books before, and I enjoyed that, so I was surprised at how much she rambled.Reading this novel felt like wallowing through mud at times.There were only bits of action and dialogue here and there, and what was in between was very slow paced.Backstory was interjected at odd times, and whenever Vetch would become introspective (which was a lot), he would question every single possibility and detail about his current, past, and future situations.I skimmed over these parts since they usually just repeated themselves and didn't offer anything of substance.

Reading this novel reminded me a lot of Jane Yolen's Dragon's Blood.Both feature a harsh desert setting, where a freeborn-turned-slave boy is tasked with taking care of dragons.Both boys steal a dragon egg and secretly raise it with the goal of eventual freedom.It's been over a decade since I've read Dragon's Blood, but I remember it being a much better book than Joust.

Best since Arrows and Magic!
I loved reading Mercedes Lackey's Arrows trilogy and the Magic trilogy.I didn't care for the others.This series, though completely different, engaged me like none of her other books since the late '80s.I couldn't wait to get the sequels, and they didn't disappoint.

joust
while i usually love her writing this was too discriptive causing it to move way too slow. sadly i bought more in the series and cannot talk myself into continuing on a great story line. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (37)

Uneventful and Lethargic
First off, I am very much a fan of Lackey and Mallory. I've met them both in person and they absolutely delightful people. I am far from a picky when it comes to fantasy, and I'm generally easily entertained. It's not often I find a book that doesn't contain a single scene that entertained me. So it is with grave displeasure that I found my feelings toward "The Phoenix Unchained" to be indifferent at best.

"The Phoenix Unchained" is, in a nutshell, uneventful...literally. There is perhaps three or four incidents/encounters in the entire book, and all over within a page or two. There is a blurb on the back of the book that says "...tighter plot than many fantasy epics..." and that is true, but not in a good way. If by "tight" they mean on a rope, because that's exactly how the story/plot feels. The story is one of the most linear stories I've ever read; start at point A, get to point B. There are no sidequests, no wrong turns, no subplots. Honestly, it is simply "We need to get to the elves"...and that's it.

The book is 382 pages, and 262 pages in, the characters (the only 3 characters we really meet for more than a chapter or two) still haven't reached a destination. This wouldn't be such a bad thing if anything exciting or eventful happened along their journey...but alas, nothing does. The pages are filled with walking, riding, entering the next town, resupplying, and then doing it all over again. There is no conflict whatsoever. Their journey is very mundane and easy. There is absolutely no sense of danger, even though they try to create some simply by having Tiercel say "someone/something is watching/following me". There is always a town within a day or two ride, and when there is not a town, there is an inn. They always have supplies. They always have food. They never run out of money because Tiercel apparently can tap into an endless supply of wealth (his allowance/inheritance) from banks in the big cities they stop in. It feels a lot more like a rich, privileged kid and his friend driving his daddy-bought Mercedes (pun intended) on a road trip, staying in 5-star hotels and eating at all the best restaurants.

And during this whole time the only real interaction you have between the characters is Tiercel reminding us how much he likes school, learning, knowledge, history, and how much Harrier doesn't. In fact, they interact so much like casual acquaintances that one would never know they were "best" friends if the authors didn't come right out and tell us. Their arguments are ALWAYS the same. What you see from the characters in the first chapter is exactly what you get at the end. Neither character grows or changes in the least.

Reading the book felt very much like playing the "Oregon Trail" game. Slow, tedious, get supplies, eat, sleep, with the most excitement coming from an encounter with a bear...which involved ZERO physical contact. There is one fight scene in the entire book that involves Harrier swinging a sword maybe twice, a Centauress shooting some arrows, and then Tiercel casting one of the only two spells he knows in an offensive manner...and all that takes place in one page.

Bottom line, if you are in the mood to read a book that reads like a travel journal, has zero action, repeated dialog and conversations, a main "Mage" who only ever knows two spells (light something on fire, and a nightlight spell), a "warrior" type who not only doesn't get a weapon until half way through, but once he does only swings it a couple times, zero plot twists, zero plot development, and ends exactly where it began...then by all means, this is the book for you.

"The Phoenix Unchained" reads an awfully lot like a Young Adult book as a very mild and lathargic introduction to fantasy novels, which is about all I'd recommend it for. The writing and prose is fairly straightforward, and the content is certainly rated PG. It'd be better served as a YA book if it weren't for the ridiculously long and nearly unpronounceable city names with no map to reference.

All in all I gave it 3 stars, as the book was just "okay" enough that I did finish it. Though I think that was more out of being curious to see if things ever changed or developed rather than actually being interested in what was happening. The reviews I've read for books 2 don't sound encouraging either, as it has an even lower rating than "The Phoenix Unchained."

Very enjoyable, But very long
Overall the book was fun and kept you interested. Don't know that I really like the three part books, more like the climax and ending to be in the same book. If you don't mind waiting to read the next two books to get to the meat of the story it is a very good. But it is about a 400 page book that doesn't really give all the action desired in this first one.

Less than expected
I am Jordan (late great) and Goodkind fan.I have read some of Mercedes Lackey's books and was relatively pleased.This one left me wanting.Very typical plot and the characters developed slowly and very unevenly.The ending was slow and absolutely no climax.Even the final character development was predictable from the beginning. If this was 1/2 of the first book, then maybe but as is, it goes out with a whimper.

Very good
Ordered this book, was beyond the quality that I was expecting, it arrived in a timely manner.I would definitly order from here again

Weak follow up to a decent trilogy
The "Obsidian Trilogy" started out with the same story that seems to appear in all of Mercedes Lackey's novels lately.A troubled teenager discovers their destiny, etc.I liked the first two books of the "Obsidian Trilogy" pretty well, and the Demons even invoked a few shivers.The third book fell flat and seemed to be rushed.The Demons were defeated too easily after all the references to how evil and clever they were.

This book starts out with even less to like than the third "Obsidian" book.The plot is too simple and the characters are too shallow.I found myself wondering when something interesting would actually happen.

The writing time would have been better spent on the third "Obsidian" book than this very weak follow on. ... Read more

Product Description
In this long-awaited new novel in The Halfblood Chronicles, fantasy greats Norton and Lackey tell the enthralling story of the reclusive elvenlord Kyrtian, who emerges as a hero in a world torn by politics and war. When his cousin, Aelmarkin, tries to prove that Kyrtian is unfit to run his estate, the plan backfires, and soon Kyrtian, who doesn't share the venal, greedy nature of his cousin, finds himself with more power than he ever wanted.

Like his father before him, Kyrtian has always treated the humans on his estate like servants, instead of enslaving them as other elvenlords do. His father's legacy also leads Kyrtian to learn ancient military skills long since lost to elvenkind through the carelessness of the elvenlords. Kyrtian's rediscovered knowledge piques the interest of the current elvenlords, and soon Kyrtian finds himself appointed the new commander of the army, to the relief of his ruling peers.

For the sons of the most powerful elvenlords, the Young Lords, have rebelled against their fathers and are waging war. But by taking advantage of both the privileges of his new command and the help of some unexpected new friends, Kyrtian finally gains the resources to embark on his own, personal quest--resuming his father's search for the Great Portal, the magical doorway through which the original elvenlords entered this world.

As war rages between some sons and fathers, Kyrtian searches desperately for his own lost father, hoping to uncover not only the mystery of his disappearance, but also the secret behind the origin of elvenkind.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Elvenborn
This is the 3rd book in the series. The first 100 pages are a little boring, hard to hold my interest (it is a lot of background information) and then it connects to the previous two book's stories; it finally takes off and is continuing to interest me. I haven't finished it yet but I am sure it will be satisfying. If you read the first two books, you will enjoy this one. If you like to read about elves and dragons, and are also a Terry Brooks fan you will probably like this book. If you are a fan of Mercedes Lackey/Andre Norton you will like this book. Make sure you read the three books in order.

Love this genre
I loved this book!The characters are nicely developed and the fantasy characters are amazing.The only problem i have is that Andre Norton has passed away and I can't find any info on the next book in the series.Mercedes Lackey has reported on her blog that there will be more, but I don't see anything on the horizon.I hate to wait forever for a resolution to the series!

Elvenbred
OK let me start by saying i read these books when the first came out. And that been over 10 years atleast since the first book came. Im just wondering if and when is she going to release Elvenbred.

A nice continuation, but still no conclusion...
I enjoyed this one quite a bit... though I think the 2nd book was my favorite. Unfortunately, this book was fairly open-ended and Andre Norton has in fact passed away and it's been seven years already since this book's original publication, so I'm not sure if the 4th book "Elvenbred" will EVER be written... which is really a shame. I would have liked to read it next. As it is, I'm not really sure what I'll read next! A part of me is tempted to re-read all of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books... but, maybe I should take a break from fantasy...

Good story, but I came out wanting.
This was a good story, but I came out of it wanting. There is a great big building up throughout this story for the main character, Kyrtian, to find certain ancient Elven relics that have been lost since the Crossing. What they did find only held my interest because of the wonderful mood-setting job the authors did to make the place seem spooky, with an underlying menace. They never tell how the things they find came to be menacing when they were originally meant to *help* the Elves. Why would it now kill Elves? These things, which I had the most questions about, were simply not explained enough by the end, as I'd been hoping - indeed, as I'd been *expecting* due to their impact on both the characters and on me as a reader.

The final glimpse at the end of something otherworldly, even to that world, was fascinating, but was not followed up which I found terribly disappointing given the lack of other explanation I'm been hoping for at the end.

Some of the ending was rather predictable, while others seemed to have been just thrown in there because the authors needed to wrap the book up.

It's not all bad news. This book definately help my interest, which surprised me since I'd read the reviews here before reading it and was expecting it to be somewhat boring. It was good to see Keman growing as a character, though Shana doesn't really share the same treatment. Kyrtian as a main character was not someone I found boring at all. In fact, I liked the way he pulled his double- and triple-crosses, making use of his reputation to seem boorish and stupid. That brand of subtlety is good, andjust different enough to the other back-biting Elves.

I wished more had happened with Rena, who'd held most of my interest in Book 2 and whom I'd grown to like. I felt she was a little wasted, as was Mero.

This book was an odd clash between a good read and what could have been a brilliant story if it had been longer and the existing characters expanded upon more. I enjoyed it for the most part, though those unanswered questions annoyed me in the end. Someone here has mentioned there will be a fourth book. Maybe my questions will be answered in there. I hope so.

Four stars. ... Read more

Product Description
In this dark and atmospheric rendition of the Cinderella fairy tale, an intelligent young Englishwoman is made into a virtual slave by her evil stepmother. Her only hope of rescue comes in the shape of a scarred World War I pilot of noble blood, whose own powers over the elements are about to be needed more than ever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

Sue's Elemental Masters review
Lackey's Elemental Masters series are one of my favorite fantasy series and " Phonix and Ashes" is a cinderella based story.This novel is much like some of her other novels where a favorite fairy tale is changed into fuller more complete characters and more enriching elements to the basic story plot.If you love the old fairy tales from your childhood then Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters and her 500 Kingdoms will enrich and further your enjoyment.

Phoenix and Ashes
It was a very good book. Was it my all time favorite from this author, no it wasn't. But it was good.

Almost a Cinderella with fire parody.

A good retelling of Cinderella
After being disappointed by 'Gates of Sleep', Phoenix and Ashes perked me right up. It was cool to see that Eleanor was a Fire Master, and I think 'Fenyx' was a clever name to choose for Reginald. Setting this against the backdrop of WWI also worked rather well, and overall I'd recommend this book, but not without reading 'Serpent's Shadow' first.

A Disappointing Revised Cinderella
The theme of the Elemental Series is a retelling of classic fairy tales.Lackey sets this retelling of Cinderella in WWI England, in a world among magicians based on the classic 4 elements of eath, fire, air and water.

The danger in choosing such a theme is that you need to *add* something to the retelling.In this instance, I unfortunately have to say Lackey fails.

The social commentary on the class structures breakdown of Britian during WWI has been done many times.The characters were one dimensional, and the magical undertones don't add any special dimension to the tale.

I hate saying this about anything by Mercedes Lackey, but this is one that can be given a pass.

A Good Tale of Cinderella in WWI England
Eleanor Robinson's greatest wish was to study at Oxford. Although her father had supported this dream, he seemed to forget about his daughter after his hasty marriage to a beautiful but nasty new wife. After her father died in the trenches during World War I, Eleanor's dream seemed to be hopeless, as her wicked stepmother used dark magic to bind Eleanor to the house to be nothing more than the lowliest servant. But as the years pass, Eleanor discovers that she, too, is capable of magic and begins to break down the web of spells keeping her trapped. At the same time, war hero, flying ace and son of the local lord Reggie Fenyx comes home scarred by a terrible crash and its aftermath. He is an Elemental Master of Air, but has suppressed his magic due to the psychological damage of the war. Unfortunately for him, his wealth and social position has also made him a target of Eleanor's stepmother's machinations, as she would like nothing better than to marry him to one of her unscrupulous daughters.

I was introduced to the world of Elemental Masters in Lackey's The Fire Rose and liked the idea of retold fairy tales set in the past where very few know that there are those who can use magic involving one of the four elements (Earth, Air, Water, Fire). I also very much liked that Phoenix and Ashes is set during WWI, which is not a time period that gets much use in fantasy novels, as it is often overshadowed by the horrors of WWII. Lackey is a master of description and brings the time period to life, complete with the fear and anxiety pervading England (even in a bucolic village such as Broom), the food shortages and the fact that the country's men are often coming back physically or psychologically maimed or not at all. However, Lackey also has a tendency of being a bit TOO descriptive and harping on details she has already carefully shown: it is mentioned several times how eerie it is that the village has been emptied of almost all its men, except its very young and very old. Although this is very important to establish the setting and the feel of a WWI village, it doesn't need to be hammered into the reader by Lackey. If she cut down such needless repetition, it might not have taken Reggie and Eleanor over 140 pages to finally meet.

One fun aspect of Lackey using a historical setting is that, like in "Fire Rose", natural disasters that occurred in the past can become part of the narrative. In this case, the wicked stepmother creates a terrible illness set to strike those in the prime of life and sends it home with six young American men. Although it is never stated outright, this is likely an allusion to the horrible 1918 flu pandemic that killed millions around the world, started at a US fort and, unlike most influenza outbreaks, killed many healthy young adults.

Overall, I would recommend this book and think that it's definitely one of the better ones in the Elemental Masters series. Reggie and Eleanor are equally likeable and the Cinderella narrative never gets old. Dr. Maya from "Serpent's Shadow" appears to help treat Reggie, although I couldn't fully appreciate either her appearance or that of the other characters from that book, since I read "Phoenix and Ashes" first.
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Product Description

Customer Reviews (36)

AMAZING!
VERY fast service, book is in great condition, almost done reading it after about 20 hours of reading lol

To Light a Candle
Exciting follow-up of The "Out Stretched Shadow."Plenty of unpredictable twists and turns in the plot.

good book, poor page alignment
I love this series and especially this book. So when I got my Kindle I decided to add the whole trilogy.The entire alignment of this book is off.Words
spaced like so, orallrunningtogether, and the most annoying taking words and adding hy-phens for no apparent reason.I even deleted and reloaded it to make sure it wasn't Kindle to no avail.Again I LOVE the book but can't stand this Kindle version.

Cannot read this book on the Kindle
The first page appears to be a graphic/picture.Its too small to read the text.Some one let me know when this is fixed and I will try again.

Bogs Down Quite a Bit
This book, though slow, is still slightly better than the rushed and cramped third book.The authors seem to spend a lot of time on inconsequential events and then rush past those that are important (as one reads on).The repetitive story arc where the army seeks the shadowed elves becomes mundane and several times I almost stopped reading.

It also amazes me how the authors seemingly fit years of events into a trilogy spanning little more than one year.An enjoyable series but not quite up to the standard of Brooks, Eddings, or Weis & Hickman. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (40)

The book that started it all for me
I read this book for the first time about a decade ago.I keep going back to it, and it keeps satisfying my hunger for a tough yet likable heroine, a thrilling story, truly dark villians, and an enthralling love interest.I have read books in a similar style by Laurell K. Hamilton, Tanya Huff, Charlaine Harris, et cetera et cetera, but all have disappointed me in the end.Children of the Night never does (...although Jinx High ain't so grand).Mercedes Lackey and her creation, Diane Tregarde, were the originals and they deserves our respect.

Children of the Night...A Bright Star In The Heavens Of Dark Fantasy
Throw in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friend Willow into the same bag and you might get someone like Diana Tregarde.Tregarde's character in Children of the Night is saucy, and easily mixes a dry sense of humor with work as a Guardian and practicing witch.I like her style.Nice to see that the writer Mercedes Lackey included Gay characters in her book (Lenny and Keith).The vampire Andre LeBrel added a very "Angel" kind of twist to the book (only this angel was French, not Irish), in his human years.I absolutely loved this book.

Super Reader
A little bit ahead of its time, perhaps? Clearly all the paranormal romance type stuff descends from books like this. All, perhaps not the complete formula or enough pron for the girls today. Diana Tregarde is a lot more X-Men than Death Wish or Dirty Harry screwed up like Anita Blake though.

She does know karate, however, and likes to train in spandex, which is pretty funny.

Anyway, Diana Tregarde isn't your run of the mill psionic magic user, she is the superhero version, a Guardian. She saves people from Very Bad Things. Often in her lounge room, it seems.

In this book, we have Nightflyer. Everyone knows this is never good. Here, Nightflyers by George R. R. Martin. Not good. Nightflight to Venus...
errr.. ok, Boney M trauma aside, there is a monster for her to deal with.

She also runs into a real life vampire, which is a bit of a surprise. Especially as she fancies him, and he is old enough to have been rescued by the Scarlet Pimpernel. Still has ex-boyfriend problems, too.

You have to love a woman who, when the chips are down, and the fight is on, nunchuks flying, thinks: "could try a psi bolt instead--" while going all kara-te.

fast fun read
I really enjoyed this Lackey book and have purchased others in the series.I love all of Mercedes Lackey's offerings and look forward to anything new!

Terrific beginning for the Diana Tregarde series
Apparently Marc Ruby doesn't know the order . . . this is the FIRST book in the series, followed by "Burning Water" then "Jinx High."This book introduces us to the character of Diana Tregarde, a Guardian because of her strong psi(onic)(and psychic) talents.This books takes place sometime about a decade prior to the two other books in her series - in the early 70s, right after Watergate.Diana is helping out a friend by watching her occult shop when trouble walks in the door . . . *heh, couldn't help myself* A tall, Saturnine man with "predator" written all over him comes into the shop and starts to zoom in on some young girls in the shop, so Diana runs him off.Soon after, a very handsome young man comes in and is looking for this other fellow, so she points him off after him.Finally, after the shop is closed, a young Gypsy boy comes from the back of the shop - trying to escape from the first man.Don't want to give too much away, but as is made evident in the information about the book, the second man into her shop is Andre, a vampire spawned about the time of the French Revolution.I think this is my favorite of the three books, because it is the only one in which we actually hear ANYTHING about Andre, except when Diana talks to him on the phone in other books.At any rate, eventually Diana has to go up against 4 psi-vampires (they drain the energy from people and can project negative emotions into their prey in order to gain more energy from them) and a gaki, which is a sort of Chinese soul-sucker.Very spooky.Well written, fast-moving and exciting, I LOVE this book!For anyone who likes vampire books, the earlier Anita Blake novels or Mercedes Lackey. ... Read more

Product Description
Herald Enna didn't want to return to her home village, didn't want to see the people who would remember her from when she was a young girl, and especially didn't want to see Bard Jordie Ambersen again. But Heralds go where they are sent, so she didn't have a choice; she had to face the past she had run from. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellently crafted if rather sad short
I don't get the goofy plaints that this is short. It's sold as a short story and is an outstanding one.

If you like shorts this is excellently crafted with a good situation and characters--you don't have the time for character development in any depth writing a short.Nicely done if sad ending.Certainly room for a follow on.

Highly recommended.

Short but worth it.
Yes, as the other reviewers said, it's short but no more so than most of the short stories in the Valdemar anthologies. It stands true to the feel of the others too and does leave you wanting to know more about the characters but isn't that the mark of a good author? Definitely worth the (very low) price and a worthwhile addition to any Valdemar fans collection.

warning this is a short story
this could have been a welcome addition to the wonderful collection of valdemar stories.it is a very short story and not worth the price in my opinion.i hope ms lackey expands it into the novel it could be.

Extremely disappointed
I was extremely disappointed in this short story and consider it a waste of my money!This had potential for a good story but was so short it was over before you could develop any affinity with the characters.It ended so abruptly it felt as if somebody had shortened the story by guillotining the end before the end. ... Read more