Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Mercedes Lackey – Arrows of the Queen

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Arrows of the Queen
Mercedes Lackey
Talia has been freshly Chosen, but she doesn’t understand what that means. Thrown into the dangerous world of the court of Queen Selenay, she must find her feet quickly or drown in the doing so.
Talia is one of the strong female heroines that makes Lackey’s writing so powerful for me. Her shaky beginnings only make her better in my eyes, and her love of music is a minor note that makes me happy too.
It amazes me every time the skill with which this first novel in Valdemar was written. There’s bits that tie in with the other novels she has written in the series, and also tight links into the other books in the series.
Amazingly, some parts of the book made me want to cry! I’ve reread it a bunch of times, and it always surprises me the way it pulls my heartstrings.
It’s nice to see a stable lesbian relationship portrayed in a positive light, and that gives the book some additional thumbs up from me.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – By the Sword

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By the Sword
Mercedes Lackey
Kerowyn’s Ride. Should say it all, right? Left the only able bodied person after an attack on her family, Kerowyn must avenge it. Little does she know that she’s going to be changed forever.

Kerowyn will attach herself to your heart as a strong female hero right from the word go. She’s convincing, consistent, everything I could want in one of Lackey’s characters.

There’s not much in the way of consistent secondary character, the focus is mainly on Kero. That being said, Daren creates a good counter for a little while in the first book. Then there’s the man Kero meets while she’s lost. All to the good!
The book being separated into various sections of years is great. It means no time is wasted on pointless stuff, and it makes the book more action packed. The only frustrating thing is that there could have been more about Valdemar.
I’ve been reading these completely out of order, so I’m getting a bit confused as to who should in the in stories or not. Elspeth appears in this one, but her level of maturity had me a bit wonky for a bit.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – The Oathbound

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The Oathbound
Mercedes Lackey
Tarma and Kethry are unlikely companions, mage and warrior. Bound together to go against bandits, they’ve stuck together to get Tarma home to the plains to claim her birthright. There’s plenty in the way before the can fulfill that though.
176797It would have been nice to have a little more backstory from both Tarma and Kethry. Nevertheless, the bit you get about Tarma isn’t bad. If there’s a deficit, it’s that the magic that Kethry practices is nothing like what you see in other novels, and more of that would have been good too!
Most of the story seems to be told from the perspective of Tarma, which suits me just fine, just haven’t read a bunch about Kerowyn (Kethry’s granddaughter). Tarma is a sexless warrior, absolutely skilled in the blade. She’s not cold though, she cares about her people and Kethry.
This is the first outing of the sword, Need. Need plays an important role in ‘By the Sword’ and also the novels with Elspeth and Darkwind (the Winds trilogy).
I made the mistake of reading this, and then reading the second book straight afterwards. Now I can’t remember what I really liked about this novel! I did like it though.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – The Black Gryphon

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The Black Gryphon
Mercedes Lackey
Skan is a powerful gryphon, a creation of the mage Urtho. Fearless and brave, little does he know he’s going to fall for a cull gryphon. With the help of his friend Amberdrake, they will have to overcome the final treachery.
There’s so many tiny storylines in this novel that you hardly get a sense of the overall war. However, it’s clear that there is a war going on, and that most of this would not have happened if not for the selfish ways of Ma’ar.
In some ways, this novel sets up the Winds trilogy with Elspeth. Ma’ar also appears in those novels, and the reason why is shown at the very end of this novel. I still don’t understand exactly why he hates gryphons, but he does with a passion.
I’m happy that Amberdrake is able to find someone to keep him company, even though it’s not what you would expect! There’s no real antagonistic figure except Conn, and you don’t know how important he is going to be until the end.
Normally changing perspectives would drive me nuts. Here though they serve well, because I’d get bored of Skan’s hissing speech and Amberdrake’s superior attitude pretty quickly.
I didn’t get a sense of terrain. This novel was about the people and animals. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I’m pointing it out nonetheless.

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Review: Juliet Marillier – The Bridei Chronicles 3 – The Well of Shades

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The Well of Shades
Juliet Marillier
Faolan must return to his homeland and face his history. He encounters many obstacles, including one who may be more than she sees. Not all is right at home either, with Bridei’s court in disarray with the arrival of a new Light Isles Princess.
It’s amazing to witness the character development of Faolan in this novel. What was begun in Blade of Fortriu is lead to a stunning conclusion here. Faolan becomes more and more likeable for me, and a better person all around.
There are plenty of narrative threads in this novel, and plenty of action. Sure, there’s less warmongering than in the others in this trilogy but the people element is strong and carries the book well.
I can’t think of enough praise for this novel. I was desperate to finish reading it, but was very sad when I had done so. Marillier writes such great fantasy that if she was a touch more prolific she might be my favourite author of all time!
It seems to me that the 4th book in this series, as yet unpublished (and possibly not to be written) would do a good job of rounding up some open ends. In particular, the influx of the Christian faith is only briefly mentioned, and more could have been made of its inevitable progress.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Elemental Masters 3 – Phoenix and Ashes

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Phoenix and Ashes
Mercedes Lackey

Eleanor had expected to go to Oxford, but instead she finds herself as a drudge working for her evil stepmother and step sisters. She’s lived for 2 years with no hope, but when she starts seeing things in fire, she wonders about the existence of magic.

Like others in the Elemental Masters series, this is based on a fairytale – Cinderella. You couldn’t want for a more evil step mother! It’s an interesting rendition of the tale, complete with ball, but differing about the shoes. It means that you know how the novel is going to end up, but that’s not always a bad thing.

This novel has some more of the theory behind elemental magic that is both boring and interesting to read at the same time. The teaching method in this one is by Tarot cards, which in themselves are interesting because they are used by modern day Pagans and so forth. It makes a nice change from the other novels in the series where the student is taught by a real teacher.

Phoenix and Ashes is set during, I believe, World War 2, with the Germans and many pointless deaths. It’s powerful stuff. There isn’t that much focus on the war itself though, mainly the interest is what it does to the survivors of war, and the changing of social strata as a consequence of this.

I really enjoyed rereading this novel, and even though I remembered most of the storyline really well, this was like being enfolded in a warm comforting blanket. Just the right amount of thought provoking imagery, and the right connection with the heroine.

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Review: Juliet Marillier – The Bridei Chronicles 2 – The Blade of Fortriu

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The Blade of Fortriu
Juliet Marillier
Ana, a princess of the Light Isles, is being sent to make a strategic marriage for her King Bridei. Little does she know that her party will be changed, and that the self she presents will need to be ripped apart before life can proceed.
Ana’s character development is particularly convincing, as is Faolin’s. Drunstan is a bit more of an unknown element, but I think it suits him. Faolan is enigmatic, and it’s nice to see that shell finally crack a bit, even if it’s painful for it to do so.
The action in this novel is almost too powerful to read. I was gripped from start to finish. I couldn’t bear for Ana to end up with the horrible Alvin oaf. Something I did have difficulty reconciling with what I knew of him was that he actually was waiting for the wedding night to take her. It seemed to me like they were in a little isolated pocket and that they could have gotten away with anything they pleased.
Once again, I let this book go by without reviewing it promptly, and I’ve forgotten a lot of the good things I wanted to say about it. It’s entirely worth your time to read it though.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Elemental Masters 1 – The Serpent’s Shadow

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The Serpent’s Shadow
Mercedes Lackey

Maya has made a jump around the world from India to England. Still she is pursued by an unnamed shadow that threatens everything that she has worked for. More mundane problems hunt her steps too, as a female doctor in early English society.

I love Maya. She’s a strong female protagonist who won’t say die. She always takes the hardest path (a bit like me really), but always triumphs. It’s difficult for her though, because she doesn’t have all the tools she needs. Peter can provide her with those, and more than you would expect.

As an introduction to the Elemental Masters series, I think this novel is not as good as some others. More theory could have been discussed, and less abstract things by the counsel. Additionally, it doesn’t quite fit in, because as far as I know, it doesn’t have any fairytale elements like the others.

The ending of the novel seems too abrupt for me. I would have liked a bit more detail about the cleaning up of the temple, and the weddings. The letters in the epilogue just don’t cut it for me, and they break with the continuity that held the rest of the novel together.

I don’t know enough about British history to say whether this novel is accurate in the portrayal of Britain’s influences on India, and the number of Hindu people in London, but it’s a nice introduction even if surely it’s not all correct.

I’ve been a bit negative about this novel, but really it’s enjoyable. There’s plenty of action, and Maya’s path is never straight and narrow. It might even be possible to call this novel a bit of a romance, as well as being a strict fantasy novel.

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Review: Juliet Marillier – The Bridei Chronicles 1 – The Dark Mirror

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The Dark Mirror
Juliet Marillier
Bridei is being raised for great things, but he doesn’t know enough about them yet. When he rescues the foundling Tuala, he doesn’t know how this will change the course of his destiny.
The romance in this novel is very strong, and poignant – Marillier really gets it right. Some things you don’t see coming, and others you do, but all of them blend together beautifully.
I stayed up past my bedtime reading this novel – it was great, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I don’t know why I waited so long to read it!
The perspectives allow enough insight into each character that you feel like you know the important ones really personally. It would have been nice to have a bit more knowledge about the old druid, but you can’t fit everything into a book of this length.
The ending almost doesn’t feel like an ending. Bridei’s recovery and the events after this proceed at a very rapid rate, and while I was reading them I felt like I had missed something.
I made the mistake of reading this novel, then quickly picking up the next in the series before reviewing it. Oops! So this review is much shorter than what this wonderful book deserves.

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Review: Mercedes Lackey – Elemental Masters 2 – The Gates of Sleep

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The Gates of Sleep
Mercedes Lackey

Marina has lived  most of her short years in a quiet village with her aunt and uncles. She is gifted with Elemental Magic, but has not yet come into her full powers. She doesn’t know why she hasn’t known her parents, or why she has a sinking feeling of foreboding about her aunt…

This is a retelling of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty. It is intelligently crafted, just as I would expect from an early Lackey novel. Although predictable in nature, it is the little things that make it a reread for me. I really like the character of Marina, and also the brief insights into Andrew Pike that we get through the changing narrative perspective  For the most part it is told from Marina’s perspective however.

I do have one little grump about this novel. Marina and Andrew get along well enough, but I feel like there isn’t enough contact between them for this to grow into something more. I would have also loved to have heard more about his treatments, and the care of the insane.

Don’t you just love the cover of this novel? I’m not sure it adequately captures Marina, but the skulls are a giveaway that things might not be all as they seem.

I don’t know what draws me to fairytale retellings. In this case, I had just watched the Disney film of Sleeping Beauty, and it sparked a desire in me to reread this novel.

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