This was an amazing story. It had some very dark pieces and difficult truths and realities but it was told so well it made the entire novel even richer.
I have to admit it was hard for me to read about the horrid details of Necromantic Magick, Richard Whitestone and of the very true details of World War I. In many ways it disgusted me to know that there are people in the world who would think nothing of doing such things if they could, and believe it was their right. Some of the things described truly disturbed me, even when only in the abstract. Probably because they were so well written and so believable of a piece. There were two areas that were the hardest for me to get through. One was the concept of a father willing to displace his own daughter’s soul just to have his wife again within that same body, including physically. The second was the violent nature of battle at the front lines and what not only the soldiers had to experience but the displaced countrymen, their losses, and what the healers saw and still had to discharge their duties in caring for them, or not being able to care for all, which might have been the hardest to do.
Of course with these difficult concepts you also have the alternate side with all the good done. As shown by Lord Peter, the White Lodge, the Kerrigans, Susanne and even the good people of Yorkshire not to mention Robin Goodfellow and his ilk. This balance made it reassuring to know that though this is but a story, there are others in the world who recognize what is right and good and try to offer it in the world for others to recognize. For me, I think it was this dichotomy to the story that made it resonate so well as it did.
How Susanne was brought up, and even learned about her gifts from Robin, was a truly inspired piece. It gave a thoughtfulness to what land stewardship is, that I think has been lost over the years. There are of course many good things about how women have rights, and hopefully there is less racial or class discrimination in the present, but there might be something lost too, when you consider how Corporations don’t care for their people as the Gentry once did.
I really enjoyed the explanations of what all the GameMaster handled, including even allowing some needing head turning if and when poaching was done within reason. Lord Peter Almsley has been one of favorite characters since the initial book I read about Dr. Maya Witherspoon. It was good to have those characters back in a story, even if some could only be used as supporting characters. It lent a more fulfilling experience, since you knew how many of them already fit into this world view.
The one thing I hope is added in future novels, as it has addressed not only racial and gender divides, is something about sexual orientation. There had to have been sons or daughters that preferred their own sex, even then. Hidden I am sure, but how would an Elemental Master look at it? Especially one with Earth Magick who knows that such occurs in nature, so why not in society as well. The Masters who deal with the good folk would have also been around it as well from that society, and might have a more open mind from that exposure.
Bringing in the Royals, could add a very interesting element to a story too. I would think the Monarchy would possibly know of the Elemental Masters, if not have one or two such beings within their own high ranks. Seeing how this interacts within he Elemental Magicks environs mint made for a fun story.
Ms. Lackey is a truly an amazing storyteller, and I hope there will be more books in the future from this wonderful human being. I thank her for giving me so many fulfilling hours of being lost in her spectacular and even spectral worlds. Valdemar and the Diana Tregarde stories are still my two favorites, but the Elemental Masters are gaining ground with each novel I read.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2021
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Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2011
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2012
Top reviews from other countries
richard
then the twists band the plot nicely.
Reviewed in Australia on February 13, 2018
Hubert de Southchurch
I really like this Series and once I'd discovered the first one
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2016
Minxie
Again with the formatting issues.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2017