Fortune’s Fool

Mercedes Lackey

In another tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Sasha and Katya are both seventh born children. The difference between them is that one belongs on the land and the other in the sea. Both have important roles for their kingdoms, but both are equally alone as well.

Sasha and Katya show very little character development. Sasha is the kind hearted soul he has always been, and Katya the strong willed woman who loves clothes! Their relationship also seems a little quick moving, but then again, the Tradition is behind it.

I like how this book has two climax points. The first is with Katya, which introduces her nicely, and the second is with the Jinn. The various adventures Sasha had didn’t hold as much weight with me because I knew that as a Fortunate Fool he would come out of them ok every time.

Nippon. Anyone who has studied Japanese will see that Lackey has blatantly ripped off their language. I’m not sure I found it great – I wanted something new, not something I was familiar with. Granted, it was a bit like medieval Japan, but in a Fairytale book I felt there should be more.

Three Baba Yagas! How scary. This is a fairytale that everyone should be familiar with, the strange house that walks on two chicken legs. This book really makes an effort to draw in a number of Fairytales, which is excellent.

The ending is a little bit too clear cut for me. Or rather, not the ending itself, but the little epilogue that is at the end, in a years time. All too very convenient and unlikely, even with the Tradition. I was under the impression that the castle was further away from Sasha’s kingdom that it appears, and it isn’t near the water except by a stream.

I’d recommend this book for adults only, simply because it has explicit sex scenes in it. They aren’t really necessary for the book, and they do feel a little gratuitous, but I guess Lackey doesn’t get to explore that much in her other books.