Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory – The Phoenix Endangered

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The Phoenix Endangered
Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Harrier is faced with a challenge – he hates killing, yet is fated to become a legendary Knight-Mage. Tyr, his friend and the hope of the elves, is just as lost and confused. Yet they must triumph over Bisochim, who is determined to wreak the peace of the light.
This novel is a bit unsatisfactory, particularly the ending. There could have been far more fitted into this novel. The journey is long, its filled with unnecessary details between Harrier and Tyr arguing about what to do next and their various character flaws that they know about each other.
I’m not sure of the significance of the missing desert tribe. Yes, they feature near the end of the novel, but they aren’t really necessary as far as I can see. Does everyone else spot the potential conflict of love interest?
I like the Telchi. I only wish there was more of him, and that perhaps he didn’t have to die. That’s the difference between this trilogy and the last one is that people that they care about die more often than not. It should add an element of suspence, but I never really felt attracted enough to these secondary characters to care.
Oh! The height of irony! Bisochim is so desperate to save his people, but instead he finds himself being the element of their destruction. Pretty frustrating for him, I’d have to say. And yet he’s not bright enough to realize that perhaps he’s doing the wrong thing.
I don’t have the third book in this series at the moment, and it’s a bit frustrating for me. I will read it eventually though.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory – The Phoenix Unchained

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The Phoenix Unchained
Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory

Tiercel is the newest High Mage in 1000 years. Harrier is his best friend, dragged after him on a quest to find Wild Mages and elves. Neither of them know what the end of this will be.
This entire novel is basically about the journey. They reach their destination in the end, but not in the manner you would expect. Me, I feel sorry for their parents that they have left behind – something you didn’t have to worry about for the first trilogy in this world.
I prefer the down to earth Harrier over Tiercel. It’s not a bad thing, since most of the novel is written from his perspective. He’s gritty, although sometimes he is also a bit annoying.
The sections with the Wild Mage gone to the bad are the least interesting for me, on this second or third rereading. How hard can it be to bring darkness back into the world? And how idiotic would you have to be to think you can control it?
I read this novel in a couple of hours, and despite it being a reread, couldn’t put it down for all that long. I was plagued with wanting to read it, because I remembered a fair bit, but not the bit that happened at the end!

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Review: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory – To Light a Candle

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To Light a Candle
Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Kellen has come into his full powers. Now part of an army to protect the elves, some think that his loyalties are divided. Others ignore what he has to offer, to their detriment. Can he triumph?
Kellen once again plays a decent hero. The mage from the Golden City also has a small role, but it’s quite understated until near the end. It doesn’t seem like they’ll ever be able to work together though.
There was a fair bit of repetition at the beginning of this novel to remind you of what happened in the first. I found it kinda annoying, and also not entirely accurate. I guess it would be convinent if you left a gap between reading the two books though.
Plenty of action in this novel, to satisfy those cravings for battle. Kellen is learning more things, and the reader learns more things about elves and commanding an army. I find those little details, as always, interesting and worth my time.
I did find myself skipping over some of the bits occurring in the city, because there just wasn’t the appeal of the Kellen storyline. Yay, Kellen! I just wish he didn’t have that vow to the unicorn, because it seems to me like it would be a very hard thing for a young man to follow, even in war time.
Idalia is sure that she is going to die, yet never seems to! Some of the other mage prices, particularly the one for the calling, don’t seem to make sense in the bigger picture. As the Wild Magic wills though.
Elven courtesy to me seems quite a sensible idea! Nothing wrong with being polite. I can tell how it might be irritating though. Bells on tents, who would have thought it?

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Review: Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory – The Outstretched Shadow

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The Outstretched Shadow
Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Kellen has been sent 3 strange books. For his knowledge, he shall be cast out of his city in discrase. Little does he know that other family members are willing to look out for him.
Kellen is endearing, frustrating and awesome all at once. Once again, a strong male character who I actually enjoy reading about. The unicorn he meets provides a bit of comic relief as well, as do the elves.
I only wish there was more of other wildmages and their skills. The prices and things are interesting to me, and I’d have loved to see more. I enjoyed the rustic environment that Kellen finds himself in, and the everyday experiences as well.
The detail of the Endarkened torture chambers and such is fascinating. It’s really quite horrifying to imagine, but it’s so interesting at the same time.
The elves are just as I could have imagined them. They don’t deviate from the usual idea for elves, which isn’t a bad thing as far as I’m concerned.
I really like this series, and I wonder whether it’s because it’s a work between two writers for a change. Lackey’s touch is clear, but this novel makes me want to go out and read some of Mallory’s stuff as well.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Take a Thief

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Take a Thief
Mercedes Lackey
Skif lives out on the streets, trying to find a spot of warmth and a bite to eat whenever and where ever he can. When his old mentor is murdered, little does Skif know that this will set him onto an entirely new path.

Skif’s one of those awesome protagonists that you admire for his bravery, skills and sense of humour. Yay, a male protagonist that I actually like! Well, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Lackey anyway.

The climax is pretty weak really. Some child slavers? And burnt buildings? An enemy that neither of them even mentioned before they were found. Not to mention that Lord Orthallen just ends up fine again – and it’s not really clear why he hates Skif in later books.
The descriptions of thievery are some of my favourite parts of the book. I skipped over some other parts of this novel on this reread – I’ve read it enough times that I remember basically everything anyway. A comforting, if not particularly exciting, read.
Skif livens up into a ‘normal’ child pretty easily. The Collegium accepts him – and clearly he can read and write. He fits in with the rest of his yearmates easily. Still, he does have an adult perspective. Not bad at all.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Winds of Fate

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Winds of Fate
Mercedes Lackey
Elspeth must find a way to bring magery back to Valdemar. Instead of following the convenient plan set out for her, she chooses to ride a different path – much to the consternation of her traveling companions.
Honestly, I found Darkwind’s sections boring, and often found myself skipping through them impatiently. The best part of those were the griffins!
I don’t see the same character faults in Elspeth that she sees in herself. Nevermind. I’m not sure if it’s a character inconsistency or something else wrong with the writing.
There were some inconsistencies with Skif’s characters. Elspeth says that Skif’s uncle was a thief, and Skif followed in his footsteps, but if you’ve read ‘Take a Thief’, you’ll know this isn’t the case. Also, the ending, I felt that what he might be planning to do would be outside what was required of him as a herald.
This is a great refresher on magic in Valdemar if you’ve forgotten all about it since Vanyel’s time. Lots of useful history and other good things.
I’m positive there are some redeeming factors for this book – I’ve certainly read them more than once. But I’m hardly ever attracted to them when they sit on my shelf ready to read, so that must say something as well.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Winds of Change

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Winds of Change
Mercedes Lackey

“The last Herald-Mage gave his life to protect his kingdom from destruction by dark sorceries. But now the protective barrier set so long ago over Valdemar is crumbling, and with the realm imperiled by the dark magic of Ancar of Hardorn, Princess Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, has gone on a desperate quest in search of a mentor who can teach her to wield her fledgling mage-powers and help her to defend her threatened kingdom.”

This novel details Elspeth’s learning of magic, and Skif’s finding of his cat girl. It’s quite slowly paced, but fills in a bunch of interesting details. Elspeth and Darkwind both mature in this novel. Elspeth is pretty awesome anyway, if I do say so myself, but it’s cute to see the romance happening.

This history covered in this novel is of the Vanyel and  Brightly Burning variety. Ah, my favourite! I can’t say I liked Firesong much, but I did respect him. His character is explored more in the Mage Storm books and again in the Owl Knight trilogy.

It’s interesting that this Ma’ar has been able to survive. You wonder whether Urtho might have done something similar. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you need to read the Gryphon series that details those points in time.

I left this novel before reviewing it. Oops. Naughty me. I’ve reread this novel less than most of the others in this series, and I have to say I probably have a reason for that – I just didn’t like it as much as others.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – The White Gryphon

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The White Gryphon
Mercedes Lackey
The city of the Black Gryphon has been in operation for 10 years after the collapse of Urtho’s empire. Now threatened by the black skinned owners of their land, Skan and Amberdrake are threatened as never before.
Skan returns – but he’s fat and bored with life. The novel here sees him getting back into shape, but also being saved only by the smidgen of luck. The same goes for Amberdrake. Sometimes it feels like they’ll use up all their luck just being alive!
I would have liked to see more of the regular life at the settlement, and more of the black people’s lands. But I guess you can’t fit everything into one novel.
The action isn’t bad, even if there isn’t really much suspense, because the reader already knows who and what is happening. You feel sure that they are going to triumph. You don’t even like the people who are murdered!
Something I disliked about this novel were how the partners of the men were basically ignored as sideeffects and weren’t really given much of their own say. This was particularly true of Zaneel.
Although I was intending on reading all of this trilogy in a row, this novel put me off reading them for a bit. For me, these novels are some of the weaker ones in the series.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – A Cast of Corbies

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A Cast of Corbies
Mercedes Lackey
Raven has been made unofficial leader of the Free Bards. Little does he know that things aren’t going to be the same at the faire – and that they might need to work harder than ever to make their livings.
Raven’s a neat guy character. He’s got that element of being rakeish that appeals to me, yet he’s really an understanding bloke at heart. Magpie on the other hand, I don’t feel much sympathy for her insecurities and wish she’d just get over it!
To some extent, this novel is not very interesting. There’s no real antagonistic figure other than the Church and the Guild, and that’s been the case in all the other novels of this series. The beginnings of the love interest between Raven and Magpie is ok, as is Jaysen and Linnet’s, but again, it’s nothing remarkable.
There’s some really neat one liners and coincidences that make the novel for me. Plus, I really like the play, and the way the music would have fit in with it. I only wish I could have seen a performance of it.
I managed to knock this novel over in around 3 hours, which I think is typical for me, even though I have read it before. It wasn’t a waste of 3 hours, and it made a nice change from the other Valdemar novels I have been reading recently.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Exile’s Honor

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Exile’s Honor
Mercedes Lackey

Alberich has been rescued from almost certain death by the fires of Karse. But did he really want to be rescued? Drowning in a new culture, there is little he can do to save himself.

Alberich is one of my favourite male protagonists in the Valdemar series. He’s always thinking hard, and his honor is the most important thing about him. I could read about him all day, and wish that this was a trilogy.

Nothing about this novel is boring. It’s cut into three sections to make the action move faster, and it really works. The war is as dangerous and action filled as you would desire.

The Herald chronicler, Myste, adds a nice counterpoint to Alberich’s unapologetic masculinity. I only wish there was more on her. It’s funny to imagine her, because the descriptions are all from Alberich’s fit point of view.

I could have sworn that I had read and reviewed this novel already, so I paid less attention to taking notes on what I enjoyed about it as I went along. Oops!

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