Lackey, Mercedes Books

Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar (Valdemar Series)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Very Disappointed 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I couldn't even finish the stories in this collection, the first five were so poor. I was especially disappointed in the novella by Mercedes Lackey. I can't imagine what she was thinking writing a take-off of Scooby-Doo for her readers. The characters were shallow and the plot had as much interest as your average 18 minute cartoon. This was a complete waste of money and time.

Not the best collection 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I have to agree with the reviewers who rated this collection poorly although I didn't think of Scooby Doo while reading it. However I am sure that I have read a version of this story somewhere else but I can't remember where. The "ghost" terrorising a village who turns out to be a fortune hunter was a very familiar theme.

Some of the other stories were very generic and could have been put on any fantasy world with very few changes. The one story that I did enjoy was "Heart, Home and Hearth" which appeared to be placed in the Empire (since it mentioned the Emperor) and looked at the survival of someone caught in a Changecircle. The others were either average or drivel.

The earlier collections expanded on stories mentioned in other books and that was what I wanted here. How did Vanyel get called Demonsbane? Who was the Karsite priest that he met and liked in his own time? How and why was the Great Betrayer the one approached for the truce between Karse and Valdemar? I wanted those stories or others about people already written about to expand their stories.

Get this book from your local library if you can. It isn't worth buying.

Editorial Review:

Sixteen original stories—set in mercedes lackey’s valdemar universe

Includes a new novella by Mercedes Lackey!

Today’s hottest fantasy authors visit Mercedes Lackey’s bestselling world of Valdemar, adding their own special touches to the ancient land where Heralds “Chosen” from all walks of life by magical horse-like Companions patrol their ancient kingdom, dispensing justice, facing adversaries, and protecting their monarch from whatever threatens. Travel with Tanya Huff, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Fiona Patton, Judith Tarr, Rosemary Edghill, and others in these exciting, all-new stories.

Foundation (Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, Book 1)

Mercedes Lackey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Misty gets a solid 3.5 stars out of 5. 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I had, I thought, removed this book from my wish list, as a direct result of having read the several disparaging reviews here on Amazon. Imagine my surprise and apathetic response to receiving this book for Christmas.

Now I'm an avid, some might say, voracious reader, so now that the book was in my grasp, nothing would do but that I actually give the book a try. The book is *NOT* as bad as some reviewers have made it out to be.

Mags' life prior to being Chosen is a wretched existence indeed. The change in his circumstances, is typical for a Valdemar tale and while a bit formulaic, it is expected. Only those who have known and found away above desperate times, be they physical or emotional will make exceptional Heralds. It's a good 'test' of character as it were. This has been the case in most of the series and offends me not in the least.

What *does* cause a bit of frustration are the confusing time line issues. I couldn't understand why the Vrondi were a mystery. Even after recalling that this detail is handled in "The Winds of Change" series, I still felt that somehow it was ... temporally challenged. There are a few other points where the passage of time just feels too short for people to forget key details.

However, those annoyances are just that, annoyances. While they do poke at the continuity of the series a bit, they are not insurmountable issues. The story, at it's most basic is about Mags and the person he was and is becoming. We will see him continue to grow through two other books.

I truth, my largest complaint is that the book leaves off with an unsatisfactory ending. There is less closure in this portion of the trilogy than in any other three-parter that I have read by Misty, previously.

I'll get over it.

I *do* look forward to seeing how Mags grows up in book two and the conclusion to whatever it is that reeks of such evil that a fresh-faced Herald trainee might sense it so early in his schooling.

The end result is a book that was enjoyable to read after shaking off the few hitches that interrupted my flow. I liked the main character and I look forward to resolution of the series. It's better than a three but not a four so for her effort, Misty gets a solid 3.5 stars out of 5.

Editorial Review:

The long-awaited brand new novel in the bestselling Valdemar series.

In this chronicle of the early history of Valdemar, Mercedes Lackey’s bestselling world, a thirteenyear- old orphan named Magpie escapes a life of slavery in the gem mines when he is chosen by one of the magical Companion horses of Valdemar to be trained as a Herald. Thrust into the center of a legend in the making, Magpie discovers talents he never knew he had—and witnesses the founding of the great Heralds’ Collegium.

Reserved for the Cat (Elemental Masters, Book 5)

Mercedes Lackey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

How Can A Book Full of Mystery and Magic be BORING? 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have enjoyed many of Lackey's works including "The Black Swan" and "The Five Hundred Kingdoms" series. Thus, I had high hopes for this book that blends fairy tales, ballet and magic for what *should* be an entertaining book. But alas, it is not.

The heroine is barely likeable. The other characters are half finished sketches that leave gaping plot holes, with one introduced late in the book, ending up as absolutely nothing. There is a threadbare romance (mostly some glares from the male side of the coin, and some remarks and thoughts from other characters "anticipating" some kind of flying sparks) but that's left hanging before it even begins. The ending is just slapped on. After a hundred pages or so of build up, its just dashed together from a completely different direction. Those who really should know the identity of Thomas are completely left in the dark. There are too many dead ends and cardboard characters.

And its a shame, because the basic outline of the story is a good one, the setting is a rich, interesting and an unconventional one (for fantasy anyway) that holds a multitude of promises, all which are dashed and broken by the quickly wrapped up ending.

It was like the author had some good ideas, didn't really know what to do with them, and then was rushed to finish the book to meet the deadline. That would explain away the plot holes, inconsistancies and other nagging problems. And finally... the book is just not interesting enough to read. I did finish it personally but have no interest in ever going back to it.

Editorial Review:

Based loosely on the tale of Puss in Boots, Reserved for the Cat takes place in 1910 in an alternate London. A young dancer, penniless and desperate, is sure she is going mad when a cat begins talking to her mind-to-mind. But her feline guide, actually an Elemental Earth Spirit, helps her to impersonate a famous Russian ballerina and achieve the success she’s been dreaming of. Unfortunately she also attracts the attention of another Elemental Spirit—a far more threatening one—and the young dancer must once again turn to her mysteriously powerful four-legged furry friend.

The Phoenix Endangered: Book Two of The Enduring Flame

Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

The Quest Continues 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 7 people found this review helpful.

The Phoenix Endangered (2008) is the second fantasy novel in The Enduring Flame series, following The Phoenix Unchained. In the previous volume, Tiercel Rolfort became the first High Mage since the Great Flowering. Harrier Gillian went with him to find a Wildmage to soothe or, at least, explain his terrible dreams of the Lake of Fire. After many adventures, Harrier found himself being chosen by the Wild Magic as the first Knight-Mage since Kellen the Poor Orphan Boy.

In this novel, Harrier is rather irritated with Kareta. Since she had brought him the three books of Wild Magic, the unicorn had not stopped nagging him about reading them and about practicing the spells. Kareta is surely beautiful, but she is just so pushy. Harrier just doesn't really see himself as a Wildmage, much less as a Knight-Mage.

Tiercel is happy in the bond with Ancaladar Star-Crowned and it does help with his magic. Ancaladar is so powerful that Tiercel can do just about any magic by drawing upon the dragon's resources. Ancaladar is also mentoring him in his studies. Their only problem is the shortage of time. It takes decades of training to become a master mage and they probably only have a year or two.

They are leaving the Elven Lands and will be crossing Pelashia's Veil in a few sennights. They stocked up on supplies and equipment in Karahelanderialigor and will pick up more supplies at Blackrowan Farm. After that they must find villages and towns to restock their supplies.

In this story, they cross the Veil and the very next night Tiercel has another vision of the woman at the Lake of Fire. He wakes up everyone else with his shouts. Then Harrier finally starts reading his magic books. Of course, he doesn't admit that to Kareta.

Kareta points out that Harrier also needs to practice his weapon skills. Harrier rebuts her argument by stating that he lacks any weapon skills. So she declares that he needs to use his magic to find an instructor.

Then they find a mostly dead warrior in the barrenlands. Since Tiercel has no healing spells, Harrier attempts to heal the man without anyone else to share the Mageprice. After two days sleep, he wakes up and learns that the man is healed. Still, he doesn't want to do that again without several others agreeing to take some of the price.

The wounded man sleeps even longer that Harrier does. When he awakes, they learn that he is a Telchi, a warrior from the Selken Isles. It seems that the Wild Magic has provided Harrier with an arms instructor.

Since healing the Telchi, Harrier can no longer deny that he is a Wildmage. He starts trying to perform the simpler spells in his books, but makes little progress at first, But they discover that Harrier's magic makes Tiercel feel weak. So Tiercel stays away from the wagon whenever Harrier is practicing his spells.

This tale takes Tiercel and Harrier into the Madiran. The Telchi guides them to his home city of Tarnatha'Iteru in the border lands outside the true desert. They meet the Consul and then follow the Telchi to his home. The next day, Tiercel starts searching records for the location of the Lake of Fire.

This story bridges the adventures of the first volume with the forthcoming conclusion in the next volume. Very little excitement occurs until the closing chapters. Still, the characters provide enough interest to keep the plot moving. Enjoy!

Recommended for Lackey & Mallory fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of serious magic, unusual cultures, and a touch of humor. Anyone who has not read novels in this sequence should start with The Outstretched Shadow.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Editorial Review:

In The Phoenix Endangered, second in The Enduring Flame, Tiercel, a budding High Mage, and Harrier, a reluctant Knight-Mage, develop greater power—and learn of the evils of war when they see the devastation caused by the fanatical armies of the Wild Mage Bisochim.

The desert tribespeople led by young Shaiara flee Bisochim’s evil, seeking a legendary oasis deep in the desert—a refuge that may hold the key to stopping Bisochim and preserving the Balance between Light and Darkness . . . or that may be the cause of Light’s ultimate downfall.

Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3)

Mercedes Lackey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Remember the audience these books are for... 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read the first book in this series because the concept seemed promising, skipped the second because of the mostly bad reviews, and got this one as a gift so I read it. Although the story concept is interesting and the characters mildly so, this book is as lacking in maturity as the first. But then again, this series is written for young adults, and as I scan the other reviws it appears that everyone has lost track of that fact! It's like an adult buying a pair of GAP Kids jeans and being disappointed that they're too small. If you are a 13 or 14 yr old girl these books are exactly what you are looking for in fantasy romance. If you're over 30 and disappointed, it's your own fault for not paying attention to the fact that they are not written for you. I've read a lot of ML's books and have enjoyed most, but will not continue with this series- I'm not a member of the target audience and so will probably not care for them. All the other readers who have given bad reviews are really not qualified to do so unless they are teenage girls, and I doubt any of them would dislike these stories.

Editorial Review:

The seventh daughter of the Sea King, Ekaterina is more than a pampered princess—she's also the family spy. Which makes her the perfect emissary to check out interesting happenings in the neighboring kingdom…and nothing interests her more than Sasha, the seventh son of the king of Belrus. Ekaterina suspects he's far from the fool people think him. But before she can find out what lies beneath his facade, she is kidnapped!

Trapped in a castle at the mercy of a possessive Jinn, Ekaterina knows her chances of being found are slim. Now fortune, a fool and a paper bird are the only things she can count on—along with her own clever mind and intrepid heart.…

The Phoenix Unchained (Enduring Flame, Book 1)

Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

entertaining 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have just had my seventh knee surgery and I am always looking for a good book to take my mind off myself and this book gave me a couple of days of entertainment. I am looking foward to the next books.

Editorial Review:

Young Tiercel Rolfort is studying Ancient History. When his reading reveals a system of High Magic he has never heard of before, Tyr tries to cast a spell . . . and sets his bedroom on fire.

Harrier Gillain, son of the Harbormaster, has been hauling Tyr out of scrapes since he was three years old. When Tyr decides to seek help from the Elves, Harrier knows he’ll have to go along and make sure Tyr doesn’t burn down the whole forest.

Wild Mage Bisochim has discovered that the Balance between Light and Dark has shifted too far toward the Light. He chooses to return Darkness to the world—a delicate and dangerous undertaking. To the Mage’s shock, his first attempt at conjuring Darkness is thwarted. Bisochim now has not only a mission, but an Enemy.

When Darkness Falls (The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3)

Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A great working of Wild Magic and High Magic strikes at the heart of the Demon Queen’s plots, but the human city, the Golden City of the Bells, falls farther under her sway with each day that passes. And without the City’s High Magicians, the Wild Magicians, the Elven Army, and all their allies will surely fall before the onslaught of the Demon Queen’s malignant warriors.

But all hope is not lost. The Light’s young mages, tempered by war, grow ever more powerful. High Mage Cilarnen learns an ancient secret that can make him, for a brief, white-hot time, the greatest mage in the world—unless it kills him.

Jermayan, the first Elf-Mage in centuries, has linked with the dragon Ancaladar and rediscovered the swift-as-thought powers of Elven magic, which can reshape mountains and summon lightning from clear skies.

Knight-Mage Kellen has molded his troops and the Unicorn Knights into a deadly fighting force. Soon the Elven King and his Commanders put Kellen’s magical gifts to their greatest test, in the final battle between the Elves, the humans, and the Demons.

The Fairy Godmother (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1)

Mercedes Lackey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 87 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

One of my all time favorites 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the most enjoyable reads ever. Good story, the world is detailed and interesting, and the story moves at a nice pace. I've already reread a few times- it's still one of my favorites!

Editorial Review:

From the bestselling author of the Heralds of Valdemar series comes an enchanting novel.

In the land of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale. . .

Elena Klovis was supposedto be her kingdom's Cinderella--until fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! So she set out to make a new life for herself. But breaking with "The Tradition" was no easy matter--until she got a little help from her own fairy godmother. Who promptly offered Elena a most unexpected job. . .

Now, instead of sleeping in the chimney. She has to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who keep trying to rise above their place in the tale. And there's one in particular who needs to be dealt with. . .

Sometimes a fairy godmother's work is never done. . . .

To Light a Candle: The Obsidian Trilogy, Book Two (The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy)

Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Demon Queen Attacks!

To his own surprise, young Kellen, once the disappointing son of the great Mage who leads the City’s Mage Council, has become a powerful Knight-Mage. Valued for his bravery and his skills as both wizard and warrior, Kellen joins the Elves’ war councils. Yet he cannot convince the City of his birth that it is in terrible danger.

Kellen’s sister Idalia, a Wild Mage with great healing ability, has pledged her heart to Jermayan, a proud Elven warrior. Someday Idalia will pay a tragic Price for a world-saving work of Wild Magic, but until then, she will claim any joy life can offer her.
Jermayan, who has learned much fighting at Kellen’s side and loving the human Idalia, finds that everything changes when he Bonds with a dragon while rescuing the Elf Prince and becomes the first Elven Mage in a thousand years.
Furious at her enemies’ success with the dragon, the Demon Queen attacks in force. Light struggles against Dark, like flickering candle flames buried deep in the shadow of Obsidian Mountain.

The Snow Queen (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 4)

Mercedes Lackey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

somewhat disappointing 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Show Queen is not up to Ms. Lackey's usual level. This book qualifies as a light, entertaining read that goes well with its publishing as a Luna romance, but her previous Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms were more engaging. I liked that she did not have explicit sex in this novel, which means I won't have to hide it from my kids, but the romantic relationships lacked the attraction, tension, longing, and the sizzle that make her books enjoyable. Also, the only character development I noticed was in the spoiled children learning their lessons and Ilmari learning to appreciate someone his own age. I don't expect depth from a romance novel, but it would be nice to see some reason for attraction between the mature protagonists besides the usual "she's beautiful, smart and brave" meets "he's strong-bodied and brave, yet willing to learn from her superior female viewpoint." (Quotes are my indication of a cliche, not actual quotes from the book.)

The most annoying thing was the poor editing. There are some glaring problems with internal consistency and continuity. As just one example, Ilmari is described in Chapter 4 as having "gray in his hair and beard," but in Chapter 14 "his hair was not yet graying." There are many others, and they were distracting and annoying.

The first and second books in this series were well-written (for the genre) and engaging. The third was cute enough and was interesting for expanding into Russian folklore. This fourth book feels like a draft, not a finished novel. There are some fun passages in here, and it does have the feel-good, "this is how it should be" ending that she referred to in her Author Note, so I won't give up on the series yet. Here's to hoping she returns to her usual level and gets better editing.

Editorial Review:

Aleksia, Queen of the Northern Lights, is mysterious, beautiful and widely known to have a heart of ice. No one would seek her wisdom except as a last resort. But when she's falsely accused of unleashing evil on nearby villages, she realizes there's an impostor out there far more heartless than she could ever be.

And when a young warrior following the Tradition disappears, leaving his sweetheart and mother to fear the worst, Aleksia's powers are needed as never before.

Now, on a journey through a realm of perpetual winter, it will take all her skills, a mother's faith and a little magic to face down an enemy more formidable than any she has ever known.…