The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

This post is part of a week-long series of reviews of Mercedes Lackey novels. See  intro post  for more information. Unnatural Issue Mercedes Lackey, 2011 Premise: When Susanne was born, her mother died, and her father went insane with grief, refusing to acknowledge her and secluding himself from the world. This would be a sad story in any case, however her father was a skilled Master of Earth magic. As Susanne grew, she became an Earth Master as well, but her father starts dabbling in darker spells, and begins to think that he could bring his beloved back from the grave, if only he finds the right vessel. A girl of twenty-one who looks very like her mother fits the profile perfectly. The Elemental Masters series consists of semi-linked volumes that can also stand alone. I've read a few in the past, but not the most recent, and still I could jump into this one easily. What links the books, besides the occasional recurring character, are two things. First t...

This post is part of a week-long series of reviews of Mercedes Lackey novels. See  intro post  for more information. Arrows of the Queen Mercedes Lackey, 1987 For today's article, the first novel ever published by Ms. Lackey. Premise: Talia's only pleasure in the hard life on her border community was the bits of reading time she stole while doing mindless chores. But it's her thirteenth birthday, and her family says that it's time for her to be married. She flees the prospect of the dead-end life she's seen her sisters fall to, only to run into an extraordinary animal called a Companion, who chooses her above all others to return to the capital with him and be trained as a Herald, one of the psychically gifted lawgivers of the Kingdom of Valdemar. She needs to learn quickly who to trust, because there is a conspiracy afoot, and she'll need to survive long enough to complete her training if she hopes to help her Queen. A young person who is emot...

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 cou...

This post is part of a week-long series of reviews of Mercedes Lackey novels. See  intro post  for more information. Four and Twenty Blackbirds (Bardic Voices 4) Mercedes Lackey, 1996 Premise: Tal Rufen is a constable who cares about his job. Maybe he cares a little too much. When he becomes convinced magic connects a series of grisly murder-suicides, he refuses to give up the case, even when his supervisors disagree. This is a more coherent novel than the first bardic Voices book. It's gently connected to the other books, but you wouldn't need to have read them to follow this. It's also a bit CSI Fantasy Kingdom, which I really enjoy. Tal is a good character, maybe a smidge more honorable than one might expect, but kind, smart, and good at his job. When the action moves to the city of Kingsford, he is joined by Justiciar Mage Ardis, who was a minor character in some of the other books. The story of the two of them, along with...

This post is part of a week-long series of reviews of Mercedes Lackey novels. See  intro post  for more information. Oathbound, Oathbreakers (Vows and Honor 1 and 2) Mercedes Lackey, 1988, 1989 Premise: Tarma is a Shin'a'in swordswoman whose entire clan was murdered. She became a Goddess-sworn warrior to take vengeance for her people. She joins forces with Kethy, a White Winds mage who also has violence in her past. Kethry is now bonded to a sword which holds a geas to help women in trouble. They soon become sworn sisters, fast friends, and swift death to their enemies. The first book, Oathbound , is somewhat disjointed, but it's for obvious reasons. It was put together around a handful of short stories that had been previously published. FYI: the story of Tarma and Kethry's first meeting is not reprinted in either of these volumes. While I enjoyed reading these, I didn't quite love them the way I remember loving them as a teenager. The characters a...

Trio of Sorcery Mercedes Lackey, 2010 This post is part of a week-long series of reviews of Mercedes Lackey novels. See  intro post  for more information. Premise: Three urban fantasy novellas about magically talented women solving mysteries. Arcanum 101 is a Diana Tregarde prequel, featuring the witch and Guardian trying to find the connection between a fake psychic and a kidnapped girl, while simultaneously starting college. Drums is a sequel to the novel Sacred Ground , in which medicine woman Jennie Talldeer needs to stop an angry ghost from killing a young dancer. Finally, Ghost in the Machine follows techno-shaman Ellen McBride, who is called in to consult with a MMO corporation who find that their perfectly programmed monster may be more powerful than they planned. This was a fun read. I especially liked that the stories worked well together, despite not having much overt in common. The first is set in the early 70's, and the protagonist is a college...

This post is part of a week-long series of reviews of Mercedes Lackey novels. See intro post for more information. The Lark and the Wren (Bardic Voices, Book One) Mercedes Lackey, 1992 I'd been considering re-reading a few books I hadn't looked at in years, and then I saw that I could read this one for free. Premise: More than anything, Rune wants to make music. But for a girl born a bastard, with no money and no connections, with nothing but talent, the path is bound to be long and hard. I remember enjoying this whole series when I was in high school, and on re-reading I'd say it's fluffy and light, with some major bright spots and some major flaws. One of the flaws is that the plot reads like a series of short stories all jammed together, not like a novel. The first half of the book or so is comprised of two major stories, which work well together. The first part tells how Rune is dissatisfied with her life, and how she ends u...

It's time again for a new theme week! This time I'm reading the work of just one author: the incredibly prolific Mercedes Lackey. Ms. Lackey was one of my favorite authors in high school and I still pick up the occasional new book when I'm in the mood for some girl-positive fantasy. I was in need of a mix of nostalgia and the fantastic, so I'm reading a grand array of her work, some I've read before and some I haven't, in selections from many different series. Here's the schedule (links will also appear here as reviews are posted) Mon Aug 15: The Lark and the Wren Tues Aug 16: Trio of Sorcery Wed Aug 17: Oathbound and Oathbreakers Thurs Aug 18: Four and Twenty Blackbirds Fri Aug 19: Knight of Ghosts and Shadows Sat Aug 20: Arrows of the Queen Sun Aug 21: Unnatural Issue What's your favorite book by Mercedes Lackey? I remember being really fond of the Mage Storms Trilogy, but those will have to wait for another session of re-re...