Knight of Ghosts and Shadows



This post is part of a week-long series of reviews of Mercedes Lackey novels. See intro post for more information.


Knight of Ghosts and Shadows
Mercedes Lackey and Ellen Guon, 1990

I am such a sucker for this kind of book!

Premise: Eric Banyon has trouble with his life. He likes being a busker and working the Faire, even though he could be a world class flautist. He then wonders why he can't keep a girlfriend. One day he plays in the woods like he's never played before, and then this guy with pointed ears shows up, calling him Bard and asking for his help...

I was concerned that this book wouldn't live up to my vague yet positive memories. Luckily, it surpassed my expectations.

It was just so sweet! This was exactly the kind of fluffy read I adored as a teenager, and still enjoy now and again. Flawed but well meaning good guys, some sympathetic bad guys, magic, elves, love and action.

Plus one of the best, most adorable 'each half of insecure couple doesn't realize the other likes them' sequences I know. And Mercedes Lackey is the queen of that trope, as far as I'm concerned.

These are the books that made me think it would be super fun to work at a Renaissance Faire. For a flavor of the life of a musician, for some early Urban Fantasy where magic clashes with modern society, have a vacation in the Bedlam's Bard series.

4 Stars - A Very Good Book


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