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Elemental Masters #1
The Serpent's Shadow
Mercedes Lackey returns to form in The Serpent's Shadow, the fourth in her sequence of reimagined fairy tales. This story takes place in the London of 1909, and is based on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Lackey creates echoes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, pays affectionate homage to Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey (who plays an important role under a thin disguise), and turns the dwarves into seven animal avatars who masquerade as pets of her Eurasian heroine, Maya.
Some of Maya's challenges come from the fact that she is not "snow white," and she has fled India for her father's English homeland after the suspicious deaths of her parents. Establishing her household in London, she returns to her profession as a physician, working among the poor. Her "pets" and loyal servants stand guard, and Maya herself uses what bits of magic she managed to pick up in childhood to weave otherworldly defenses as well. But the implacable enemy who killed her parents has come to London to search for her; if Maya can be enslaved, her enormous potential powers can be used to the enemy's ends. Fortunately, English magicians of the White Lodge have also noted a new, powerful presence in their midst, though they're having trouble locating her, too. They send Peter Scott, a Water Master, to track her down. He finds Maya beautiful and benign, and is determined to teach her to use the Western magic she is heir to, before her enemy discovers her.
Some will find the author's Kiplingesque descriptions of India and Hindustani culture offensive. Lackey describes Maya's enemy as a powerful devotee of the goddess Kali-Durga, though she carefully shows that the avatars of the other deities will not attack her, and has Kali-Durga repudiate her servant in the climactic confrontation. And, though the story is layered, its surface is as glossy and brightly colored as an action comic. But readers who enjoy late Victorian London, Sayers, Sherlock Holmes stories, and a page-turning tale will want to take this one home. --Nona Vero
Some of Maya's challenges come from the fact that she is not "snow white," and she has fled India for her father's English homeland after the suspicious deaths of her parents. Establishing her household in London, she returns to her profession as a physician, working among the poor. Her "pets" and loyal servants stand guard, and Maya herself uses what bits of magic she managed to pick up in childhood to weave otherworldly defenses as well. But the implacable enemy who killed her parents has come to London to search for her; if Maya can be enslaved, her enormous potential powers can be used to the enemy's ends. Fortunately, English magicians of the White Lodge have also noted a new, powerful presence in their midst, though they're having trouble locating her, too. They send Peter Scott, a Water Master, to track her down. He finds Maya beautiful and benign, and is determined to teach her to use the Western magic she is heir to, before her enemy discovers her.
Some will find the author's Kiplingesque descriptions of India and Hindustani culture offensive. Lackey describes Maya's enemy as a powerful devotee of the goddess Kali-Durga, though she carefully shows that the avatars of the other deities will not attack her, and has Kali-Durga repudiate her servant in the climactic confrontation. And, though the story is layered, its surface is as glossy and brightly colored as an action comic. But readers who enjoy late Victorian London, Sayers, Sherlock Holmes stories, and a page-turning tale will want to take this one home. --Nona Vero
394 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
473 books9,129 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
January 6, 2023
The London fog becomes deadly
I enjoyed this novel but enjoyed two of the short stories in this series more. GRAY and GRAY'S GHOST have a feel of Kipling and Dickens about them which this novel lacks. Instead, it is a typical Mercedes Lackey fantasy, but set in London instead of some alien world or universe. Being a typical Mercedes Lackey fantasy is not a bad thing as she is a master of the genre. There is not a lot of action in this one. There are accounts of the trials of those campaigners for women's suffrage and women's rights in general; the difficulties and prejudice faced by female physicians; surgery and the use of magic for healing; the hard, unpleasant lives of London's poor; romance; a society of elemental masters masquerading as a London gentlemen's club; selkies and other magical creatures and, of course, villains and heroes. There are a couple of things which don't seem quite right such as Maya, who is trying to hide from a deadly enemy, taking a very public role in a womens' suffrage march. Then, in the end, the deadly enemy who threatens Maya, the elemental masters and the British Empire proves to be somewhat less deadly and powerful than billed. Not Lackey's best, but still good, this is probably 3 stars compared to her other work, but 4 stars compared to fantasy writing as a whole.
I enjoyed this novel but enjoyed two of the short stories in this series more. GRAY and GRAY'S GHOST have a feel of Kipling and Dickens about them which this novel lacks. Instead, it is a typical Mercedes Lackey fantasy, but set in London instead of some alien world or universe. Being a typical Mercedes Lackey fantasy is not a bad thing as she is a master of the genre. There is not a lot of action in this one. There are accounts of the trials of those campaigners for women's suffrage and women's rights in general; the difficulties and prejudice faced by female physicians; surgery and the use of magic for healing; the hard, unpleasant lives of London's poor; romance; a society of elemental masters masquerading as a London gentlemen's club; selkies and other magical creatures and, of course, villains and heroes. There are a couple of things which don't seem quite right such as Maya, who is trying to hide from a deadly enemy, taking a very public role in a womens' suffrage march. Then, in the end, the deadly enemy who threatens Maya, the elemental masters and the British Empire proves to be somewhat less deadly and powerful than billed. Not Lackey's best, but still good, this is probably 3 stars compared to her other work, but 4 stars compared to fantasy writing as a whole.
September 22, 2012
Goddammit. If I end up reading this entire freaking series just because of the Wimsey homage character, I swear I will....not be surprised.
Okay, so, there's an egregious amount of dialect, and the handling of Hinduism is maaaaaaaaybe a step and a half above Temple of Doom, and the author is clearly v. proud of how she's handling issues of race in Edwardian England with a heroine whose mother was Indian, and while you're totally aware she's tanking it most of the time, you don't realize how much she's tanking it until you read the passage about suffragettes, which is actually pretty decent, and oh my god, are we not even going to vaguely address the fact that the villain might, you know, have some legitimate grievances against the British in India, even if she is batshit crazy? No? Not really? Oh. Okay then.
The romance is a little half-hearted, and the fairy tale pastiche doesn't work nearly as well for me as The Fire Rose did (which is a guilty pleasure re-read of mine), and even the magic isn't all that magic-y for me, but DID YOU SEE THAT THERE'S A NOT-TERRIBLE WIMSEY HOMAGE? Because there is. And he's not terrible. And I'm going to end up reading the entire damn series just to watch him swan onstage every couple of chapters, say something pithy, solve someone's problems, then swan back off. Hey, I recognize my weaknesses.
Okay, so, there's an egregious amount of dialect, and the handling of Hinduism is maaaaaaaaybe a step and a half above Temple of Doom, and the author is clearly v. proud of how she's handling issues of race in Edwardian England with a heroine whose mother was Indian, and while you're totally aware she's tanking it most of the time, you don't realize how much she's tanking it until you read the passage about suffragettes, which is actually pretty decent, and oh my god, are we not even going to vaguely address the fact that the villain might, you know, have some legitimate grievances against the British in India, even if she is batshit crazy? No? Not really? Oh. Okay then.
The romance is a little half-hearted, and the fairy tale pastiche doesn't work nearly as well for me as The Fire Rose did (which is a guilty pleasure re-read of mine), and even the magic isn't all that magic-y for me, but DID YOU SEE THAT THERE'S A NOT-TERRIBLE WIMSEY HOMAGE? Because there is. And he's not terrible. And I'm going to end up reading the entire damn series just to watch him swan onstage every couple of chapters, say something pithy, solve someone's problems, then swan back off. Hey, I recognize my weaknesses.
May 20, 2017
While this is touted as the first book in the Elemental Masters series, the real first book in this series is the 'Fire Rose', so if you are going to read this book, you definitely want to check out the other one. You can read that book before or after this one, it doesn't matter as the two are not too closely tied together.
This is overall an entertaining book. It brings magic into this world in a subtle way, almost like Harry Potter except magic works differently in the Elemental Masters universe that Lackey has created. It's also a fun retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, but be forewarned, the author took great liberties with the original story, so some things will be quite different than what you might think for a retelling of the classic tale. I like that the character of Maya is not some simpering princess, but a competent and able physician who digs out a place for herself and also finds the time to help poor people. Overall a decent and likeable character, though the 'Prince Charming' bit in this book is a bit obvious. Still, overall a good book.
This is overall an entertaining book. It brings magic into this world in a subtle way, almost like Harry Potter except magic works differently in the Elemental Masters universe that Lackey has created. It's also a fun retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, but be forewarned, the author took great liberties with the original story, so some things will be quite different than what you might think for a retelling of the classic tale. I like that the character of Maya is not some simpering princess, but a competent and able physician who digs out a place for herself and also finds the time to help poor people. Overall a decent and likeable character, though the 'Prince Charming' bit in this book is a bit obvious. Still, overall a good book.
August 24, 2022
I'm not going to lie, this book was pretty mediocre. I liked the premise, the setting, and the build up but it fell apart at the end with a rushed climax, which seems to be Mercedes Lackey's style.
The characters are charming enough and I do love Victorian settings. The pacing is a slow when compared to the ending, which is rushed. I like the idea of having a half Indian main character who can hold her own, which is what we get with Maya, but it also brings about the issues of Lackey's use of the Indian culture and religion to her own devices.
When reading it without much thought, it reads easily and quickly as a cheesy little story to pass the time. The book does try to intone moral values that seems to be another of Lackey's writing quirks, as they are not done with a deft touch but instead hammered into your head, where it becomes a slight bit overbearing.
The magic system is simple at first glance but delves deeper and it's the thing that makes me come back to reading the series, as well as my own like for fairytale retellings.
The characters are charming enough and I do love Victorian settings. The pacing is a slow when compared to the ending, which is rushed. I like the idea of having a half Indian main character who can hold her own, which is what we get with Maya, but it also brings about the issues of Lackey's use of the Indian culture and religion to her own devices.
When reading it without much thought, it reads easily and quickly as a cheesy little story to pass the time. The book does try to intone moral values that seems to be another of Lackey's writing quirks, as they are not done with a deft touch but instead hammered into your head, where it becomes a slight bit overbearing.
The magic system is simple at first glance but delves deeper and it's the thing that makes me come back to reading the series, as well as my own like for fairytale retellings.
October 25, 2024
Dr. Maya Witherspoon grew up in a home of science and magic; her father is a respected English surgeon, and her mother is a sorceress and Priestess in her homeland of India. And while Maya was able to hone her skills as a doctor and surgeon under her father's tutelage she was never able to learn magic from her mother, even though she was a powerful sorceress in her own right as Maya's magic came from her father's English side, something her mother knew nothing about. So when both of her parents end up dead, her mother from cholera and her father from a snake bite that Maya is certain was magical in nature she flees to London with her Indian family including a menagerie of pets, hopefully to escape whatever magical threat her family faces. There, she establishes a surgery and works to better the lives of the poor in some of London's worst neighborhoods. With newfound friends and a career that fulfills her, Maya's worry of magical threats seems far off, especially when she meets the handsome Peter Scott a Water Master who agrees to train Maya in her magics However, the serpents shadow is long indeed, and Maya will need every bit of her magic and her friends to defeat it.
This was basically a Snow White retelling with an Eastern twist, and I found it to be quite unique among Snow White reimaginings. Lackey seems to simply have no end of ideas when it comes to putting new twists on beloved tales!
Like *all* of Lackey's female leads, Maya is absolutely wonderful. She is so fierce and absolutely kind hearted, however, what makes her character truly stand out is her kindness is not entirely altruistic Yes, Maya does many good things, but she does them with knowledge that she can find some benefit from it as well. And that's so nice to see. No one is perfect, and no one is just so selfless that everything they do is for someone else's benefit. I do have to admit that I didn't like Peter right off the bat but by the end of the book he had grown on me and he was really the perfect "Prince" to Maya's "Princess". All of the side characters were excellent as well.
There wasn't anything original about the magic system but I don't believe that matter much here, the story is about those who master specific elemental magics so it didn't really need anything groundbreaking in terms of the magic system in my opinion.
The thing I *loved* about this though is just how absolutely blatant that Lackey is in regard to not just how awful it was to be a woman in 1909 but how awful it was to be a woman of mixed race in a male dominated profession in London in 1909. There is a scene where there is a Suffergate March after a young woman is killed after being forced to fed while on a hunger strike, and it is probably one of the most emotional scenes I've read. Maybe because we currently face so much opposition in terms of women's rights, but this particular scene hit hard. I cried. On the bus.
My *only* very small complaint here is that the transitions from one character to another were sometimes very abrupt, so I'd be a bit lost. Actually, that's not quite right. It felt like the scene with the last character was not quite finished before we transitioned to the next. The introduction of the bad guy was extremely abrupt; one second, we are learning that she even exists, and the next second, her plotting is every other chapter. Again, it's not a huge complaint, but it just seemed really uncharacteristic of Lackey's writing.
Overall, this was just another excellent story by Lackey, a unique retelling of a fairy tale by an author who has really turned retellings into fine art.
You can check out all of my reviews at my Blog! Kelly's Book Nook
This was basically a Snow White retelling with an Eastern twist, and I found it to be quite unique among Snow White reimaginings. Lackey seems to simply have no end of ideas when it comes to putting new twists on beloved tales!
Like *all* of Lackey's female leads, Maya is absolutely wonderful. She is so fierce and absolutely kind hearted, however, what makes her character truly stand out is her kindness is not entirely altruistic Yes, Maya does many good things, but she does them with knowledge that she can find some benefit from it as well. And that's so nice to see. No one is perfect, and no one is just so selfless that everything they do is for someone else's benefit. I do have to admit that I didn't like Peter right off the bat but by the end of the book he had grown on me and he was really the perfect "Prince" to Maya's "Princess". All of the side characters were excellent as well.
There wasn't anything original about the magic system but I don't believe that matter much here, the story is about those who master specific elemental magics so it didn't really need anything groundbreaking in terms of the magic system in my opinion.
The thing I *loved* about this though is just how absolutely blatant that Lackey is in regard to not just how awful it was to be a woman in 1909 but how awful it was to be a woman of mixed race in a male dominated profession in London in 1909. There is a scene where there is a Suffergate March after a young woman is killed after being forced to fed while on a hunger strike, and it is probably one of the most emotional scenes I've read. Maybe because we currently face so much opposition in terms of women's rights, but this particular scene hit hard. I cried. On the bus.
My *only* very small complaint here is that the transitions from one character to another were sometimes very abrupt, so I'd be a bit lost. Actually, that's not quite right. It felt like the scene with the last character was not quite finished before we transitioned to the next. The introduction of the bad guy was extremely abrupt; one second, we are learning that she even exists, and the next second, her plotting is every other chapter. Again, it's not a huge complaint, but it just seemed really uncharacteristic of Lackey's writing.
Overall, this was just another excellent story by Lackey, a unique retelling of a fairy tale by an author who has really turned retellings into fine art.
You can check out all of my reviews at my Blog! Kelly's Book Nook
June 27, 2021
This is my favorite book from Mercedes Lackey's new series, Elemental Masters. Lackey has done a lovely job of creating interesting and reasonably realistic characters, and the world she has created is detailed and well-written. I love the multicultural flavor that this book has, as well as the wide diversity among the characters. Unlike many books which are based in this particular time period, the main characters of this story are all lower or middle class people - we only see the upper classes in passing, for the most part. The main characters are strong people with flaws and problems that make them real to the reader, and the attention to detail is superb. Lackey has clearly put a lot of effort into achieving a high degree of realism in the characters' daily lives - you can almost see yourself walking beside them as they go about their routines. I found this to be an extremely enjoyable read, and have re-read it several times. An excellent introduction to Lackey's writing or to the fantasy genre in general. If you like Regency & Victorian romances, you will like this book. For those who hate romances, rest assured that the romance is definitely secondary to the rest of the story - there is a definite plot that does not include copious amounts of gratuitous sex described in excessively flowery terms.
May 28, 2009
For entertainment and clever rendering of a fairy tale, The Serpent's Shadow deserves four stars. The writing is not profound or life changing, but an excellent means for escape.
I began this book with reluctance, feeling a little tired of fairy tale retellings. I know it's shocking, but even I can have too much of a good thing. However, in spite of my overdose, I was still impressed with Lackey's presentation of Snow White. Her representation was all I most appreciate in a good retelling. The story was set in an accurately presented Edwardian England (minus all the magic and other fantastical details). Also, elements of the fairy tale were recognizable, but cleverly blended into new surroundings. For example, the traditional seven dwarfs were replaced by seven domesticated Indian animals serving both as pets and Indian gods in turn. A clever twist is always greatly appreciated.
So, other than my guilt over the amount of fluff I've been reading, I really enjoyed this one. In my defense, it wasn't entirely fluff. It inspired me to check out a book about Hinduism and the gods of India, so some education is taking place.
I began this book with reluctance, feeling a little tired of fairy tale retellings. I know it's shocking, but even I can have too much of a good thing. However, in spite of my overdose, I was still impressed with Lackey's presentation of Snow White. Her representation was all I most appreciate in a good retelling. The story was set in an accurately presented Edwardian England (minus all the magic and other fantastical details). Also, elements of the fairy tale were recognizable, but cleverly blended into new surroundings. For example, the traditional seven dwarfs were replaced by seven domesticated Indian animals serving both as pets and Indian gods in turn. A clever twist is always greatly appreciated.
So, other than my guilt over the amount of fluff I've been reading, I really enjoyed this one. In my defense, it wasn't entirely fluff. It inspired me to check out a book about Hinduism and the gods of India, so some education is taking place.
January 15, 2022
I really like this book; it's so much better than the ones which follow it in this series. Maya is a great character, the pets are wonderful - Hanuman, the langur monkey; Rhadi, the wise parrot; and the other birds (saker falcon, peacock, eagle-owl), and of course the mongooses.
I just wish ML had been able to keep up the quality of the books she published after this one (or maybe after the first 4 or so?). Phoenix and Ashes was very good, as was Wizard. After that.....
I just wish ML had been able to keep up the quality of the books she published after this one (or maybe after the first 4 or so?). Phoenix and Ashes was very good, as was Wizard. After that.....
February 14, 2017
I'm gonna be honest here. I didn't like the main character. Maya Witherspoon is a half-Indian, half-British suffragette doctor in the early 1900s. (If I remember correctly, the year is 1909.) As unlikely as it is that she would be able to come out on top of all that while living in London and be able to practice medicine in a prejudiced society is great! Unlikely, obviously, but it's fiction! It's great reading a novel with a person of color as the main character - it's not something you often get to see.
But she is very shallow. In fact, aside from her aunt, she is the only character described as being beautiful, including the men. And being beautiful itself isn't the problem. It's her internal monologue in chapter three (I think it was) where she described her best (and only) friend, Amelia, as someone who would never be pretty but that she would at least age well. Not only was that paragraph unnecessary, but it comes after Amelia compliments her beauty and comes off as immensely shallow and cold. It's great to have a main character that breaks the mold from being the white, pretty protagonist, but what good is it if she's horrid to her friends? She's also pretty selfish for someone who continuously is donating her time to clinics as a doctor. The people she seems to think she treats as family are essentially no more than servants. She does nothing to add to their well-being aside from keeping and housing them.
She also is a very uncommitted suffragette to be someone who calls themselves a suffragette. Sure, she believes in women's rights, but aside from attending one parade at the behest of Amelia, she does nothing to fight for those rights aside from going about her daily life as a doctor. Sure, she's in a groundbreaking profession for women, but she's not fighting for voting rights, which is what the suffragettes were all about.
I did, actually, enjoy the "Twins", Peter Scott and Peter Almsley, as well as Gupta, Maya's loyal father-like figure in the absence of her own father. They all seemed like solid characters, albeit the latter two were a little one-dimensional for supportive characters.
The "pets", however, bothered me. For one, it's implied they are manifestations of the gods that are following Maya around because her mother is devout. Despite that Maya is not in fact Hindu and owes no allegiance to these creatures. It also seems that they don't age, so they're literally immortal pets that she can pass down to her children, despite that they may also be Christians. The Hinduism in this book is just not handled that well. At times, it's like an extension of an Indiana Jones movie. Other times, it seems almost entirely dismissed. It feels to me like the author wanted to take all the convenient fun things about Indian and Hindu culture while dismissing all of the less convenient things.
I also feel like the magic system is a little overpowered. Everybody seems to be a master almost as soon as they appear. Maya's so naturally skilled, which seems illogical to me, that she only needs minimal teaching from someone who isn't even in her own element. It just seemed like a cop-out. Everything just comes naturally to her. The only real obstacle to her well-being is her aunt, but otherwise she seems to face no real hardship than "evil magicians" and their nefarious ways. Sure, she faces discrimination, but it never really goes more than skin deep. It never affects her too badly.
Overall, I feel like it just needed more polishing. The writing is good in spots and plodding in others. Some chapters, I was happy to read through while others I wanted to stop reading two pages later.
But she is very shallow. In fact, aside from her aunt, she is the only character described as being beautiful, including the men. And being beautiful itself isn't the problem. It's her internal monologue in chapter three (I think it was) where she described her best (and only) friend, Amelia, as someone who would never be pretty but that she would at least age well. Not only was that paragraph unnecessary, but it comes after Amelia compliments her beauty and comes off as immensely shallow and cold. It's great to have a main character that breaks the mold from being the white, pretty protagonist, but what good is it if she's horrid to her friends? She's also pretty selfish for someone who continuously is donating her time to clinics as a doctor. The people she seems to think she treats as family are essentially no more than servants. She does nothing to add to their well-being aside from keeping and housing them.
She also is a very uncommitted suffragette to be someone who calls themselves a suffragette. Sure, she believes in women's rights, but aside from attending one parade at the behest of Amelia, she does nothing to fight for those rights aside from going about her daily life as a doctor. Sure, she's in a groundbreaking profession for women, but she's not fighting for voting rights, which is what the suffragettes were all about.
I did, actually, enjoy the "Twins", Peter Scott and Peter Almsley, as well as Gupta, Maya's loyal father-like figure in the absence of her own father. They all seemed like solid characters, albeit the latter two were a little one-dimensional for supportive characters.
The "pets", however, bothered me. For one, it's implied they are manifestations of the gods that are following Maya around because her mother is devout. Despite that Maya is not in fact Hindu and owes no allegiance to these creatures. It also seems that they don't age, so they're literally immortal pets that she can pass down to her children, despite that they may also be Christians. The Hinduism in this book is just not handled that well. At times, it's like an extension of an Indiana Jones movie. Other times, it seems almost entirely dismissed. It feels to me like the author wanted to take all the convenient fun things about Indian and Hindu culture while dismissing all of the less convenient things.
I also feel like the magic system is a little overpowered. Everybody seems to be a master almost as soon as they appear. Maya's so naturally skilled, which seems illogical to me, that she only needs minimal teaching from someone who isn't even in her own element. It just seemed like a cop-out. Everything just comes naturally to her. The only real obstacle to her well-being is her aunt, but otherwise she seems to face no real hardship than "evil magicians" and their nefarious ways. Sure, she faces discrimination, but it never really goes more than skin deep. It never affects her too badly.
Overall, I feel like it just needed more polishing. The writing is good in spots and plodding in others. Some chapters, I was happy to read through while others I wanted to stop reading two pages later.
October 24, 2015
I read this before The Fire Rose, thinking it was the first book in the series. Now that book has me pissed off at Mercedes Lackey and not in a mood to be charitable, even though I found this book to be much better than The Fire Rose.
This book is a much better disguised fairy tale, as opposed to the blatant Beauty and the Beast tale of the first book. It seems to have had much greater care and dedication given to it.
She has clear tributes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, and Dorothy Sayers, and she treats all the worlds, including that of Snow White, with some respect. Perhaps more respect than she grants to reality and India.
The strong female is somewhat superior here than the The Fire Rose... more time is spent developing her character and she has a greater role in a different society. The magic system is somewhat inconsistent to that in The Fire Rose, allowing greater cooperation between Magicians, but still not really developed. She is a doctor and a suffragette. She makes attempts to take care of herself and has her own power and role. She does rely on her friends to take care of her, but at least she has friends and a life outside her man, unlike Rose.
This was a perfectly servicable book, easy to read and enjoyable, but it shares much of the superficiality and condescension of The Fire Rose and can't really be called a good book.
This book is a much better disguised fairy tale, as opposed to the blatant Beauty and the Beast tale of the first book. It seems to have had much greater care and dedication given to it.
She has clear tributes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, and Dorothy Sayers, and she treats all the worlds, including that of Snow White, with some respect. Perhaps more respect than she grants to reality and India.
The strong female is somewhat superior here than the The Fire Rose... more time is spent developing her character and she has a greater role in a different society. The magic system is somewhat inconsistent to that in The Fire Rose, allowing greater cooperation between Magicians, but still not really developed. She is a doctor and a suffragette. She makes attempts to take care of herself and has her own power and role. She does rely on her friends to take care of her, but at least she has friends and a life outside her man, unlike Rose.
This was a perfectly servicable book, easy to read and enjoyable, but it shares much of the superficiality and condescension of The Fire Rose and can't really be called a good book.
August 5, 2018
So beautifully written, but the casual racism and confusions about Hindu mythology were a bit jarring and prevented me from being fully immersed in the narrative. Despite her routinely stressing that she is not Hindu, is Christian, has no desire to be Hindu, and her magic is distinctly British, somehow HIndu deities come to her aid and basically take care of her? WTF? Would it have been so hard to just leave them as familiars?
Also, that passage about how "exotic" she looked in a sari was unnecessary, as was Shivani's reference to the chinese living there as "foolish yellow people". Was that really necessary?
Don't give me flak about historic accuracy. You have a biracial woman somehow becoming a practicing doctor (not only doctor but surgeon) in a private hospital in 1909 England with barely any hurdles except one dudebro type, freaking magic and shadow demons, and when it comes to racism, historical accuracy is so important to you all of a sudden?
Also, that passage about how "exotic" she looked in a sari was unnecessary, as was Shivani's reference to the chinese living there as "foolish yellow people". Was that really necessary?
Don't give me flak about historic accuracy. You have a biracial woman somehow becoming a practicing doctor (not only doctor but surgeon) in a private hospital in 1909 England with barely any hurdles except one dudebro type, freaking magic and shadow demons, and when it comes to racism, historical accuracy is so important to you all of a sudden?
November 22, 2018
I have read Mercedes Lackey book's for several year's now, but I never tried the Elemental master's series. I was lucky to be giving the first one in the series as a gift. I will definitely be continuing the series. This one in about Maya Witherspoon and the trouble from her past that won't let her go. Family secrets and an old family enemy are at the heart of this novel. Also her life as a doctor in the early 1900's. This is a great mix of history and fantasy. I recommend this book to all who like a great story.
April 25, 2020
A very solid 3 stars. This book was a lot of fun to read. Even though Maya was a type A character I warmed to her by the end, and it is always great to have a biracial or non-Caucasian heroine, particularly in these older books. Lackey’s descriptions are lovely, particularly of Maya’s home.
At the beginning there were a fair few ‘stereotypical’ references to Indian objects, and it was a bit of a leisurely start, but when Peter Scott came in was when the narrative picked up. The elemental magic system was great and the water creatures were well described.
I really didn’t appreciate not only one Hindu god but seven being used as aids to help the (half-Caucasian) heroine and her Caucasian allies. Why couldn’t the animals just have been magical, since magic exists in this world? It was absolutely unnecessary and threw me right out of the narrative.
Why was it necessary to bring in Kali? It’s so... hamfisted.
I absolutely rolled my eyes at Shivani as a villain. Her internal dialogue and the time she took to find Maya made her quite ineffective. And why have a serpent - why not, as Maya suggests, send plague rolling through the army?
Overall, I enjoyed this book, with the above caveats.
At the beginning there were a fair few ‘stereotypical’ references to Indian objects, and it was a bit of a leisurely start, but when Peter Scott came in was when the narrative picked up. The elemental magic system was great and the water creatures were well described.
I really didn’t appreciate not only one Hindu god but seven being used as aids to help the (half-Caucasian) heroine and her Caucasian allies. Why couldn’t the animals just have been magical, since magic exists in this world? It was absolutely unnecessary and threw me right out of the narrative.
Why was it necessary to bring in Kali? It’s so... hamfisted.
I absolutely rolled my eyes at Shivani as a villain. Her internal dialogue and the time she took to find Maya made her quite ineffective. And why have a serpent - why not, as Maya suggests, send plague rolling through the army?
Overall, I enjoyed this book, with the above caveats.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2021
Actual star score is 4.5. Just a bit different from the other books by Mercedes Lackey.
Maya Witherspoon has moved to London from India.She became a doctor in India and after she arrived had to prove herself again. Only getting her surgeons papers by agreeing to work with the underprivileged. But her biggest problem is a enemy who has followed her and wants her dead.
Learning she has the magic her father's people in London have starts to make it easier especially after meeting Peter.
Maya Witherspoon has moved to London from India.She became a doctor in India and after she arrived had to prove herself again. Only getting her surgeons papers by agreeing to work with the underprivileged. But her biggest problem is a enemy who has followed her and wants her dead.
Learning she has the magic her father's people in London have starts to make it easier especially after meeting Peter.
October 23, 2021
Second in the Elemental Masters historical paranormal fantasy series for Young Adult readers (I consider
The Fire Rose
to be the true first) and revolving around the Council of the White Lodge and masters of elemental magic. This is one of the standalone novels in the series set in the London of 1909. The focus is on Dr Maya Witherspoon, a new elemental master from India.
My Take
Lackey has made use of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to discuss male and ethnic bigotry. It's sad that it's still happening. What is so threatening about women being treated as equals? Treating other ethnicities as equals? I don't get it. Oh, and it's not just the English with their prejudices. The Indians also have their bigots. Both, of course, are also prejudiced against classes they consider lesser than themselves — Peter Scott is proof of that.
Maya has better grades than most of the men in her class, and yet the jerk is considering not granting her the credentials to practice. Until Maya pulls out her trump card, but doesn't let slip her true purpose, lol.
How awful that having great parents has such an awful effect for Amelia. It sure hasn't dampened her spirit, though, lol. Lackey notes that Amelia loves "tweaking the tails of the old cats".
I absolute adore Lackey's description of Maya's home — and that conservatory! It's a great way to incorporate anthropology and history.
I do have to laugh at Maya's perspective on how Hindu women (who've never been to England) speak of England as Home. It makes sense that the British would think this way, but . . . There are some nice bits about Indian culture. Always a good thing for children to read about, to open their horizons to others.
Oh, I do adore Maya's approach to treating her clients: factual with a practical approach to their lifestyles and intent on discretion.
Thank god for improved medical ethics as well. Some of the "practices" of doctors of the time period would make you gag. A Caesarian is considered dangerous but not an ovectomy to "calm hysteria"??
Lackey uses a third person triple point-of-view from Dr Witherspoon's, Peter Scott's, and Shivani's perspectives. Yeah, you learn everything they think, feel, and experience. I have to confess that I can understand part of Shivani's goals — I'd be ticked off too! But her methods of going about it, no.
There is some introspection on the part of Peter Scott and Maya.
There's action, characters, and a pace that'll keep you reading.
This tale is so homey and cozy, even as it battles evil and prejudice. Ya just gotta love both Peters in this!
The Story
Dr Maya Witherspoon is determined to succeed in this male-oriented profession — and stay safe from the enemy who is hunting her.
The Characters
Dr Maya Witherspoon, a daughter of Nigel, an English doctor, and Surya, a Hindu woman of Brahmin class and priestess, has green magic and determination. She's fled India. Her parents are both dead, murdered. Her household in England consists of the people who were her family in India: Gupta had been Maya's mother's guardian. Gopal is his son, who loves to cook, and is married to Sumi the fourth. Nope, no idea what the fourth means. They have four children: Ravi (eleven), Amal (nine), Jagan (five), and Suli (seven). There are also seven "pets", avatars of Hindu gods: Sia and Singhe are mongooses, Rhadi is a ring-necked parrot, Mala is a saker falcon, Rajah is a peacock, Charan is a Hanuman langur monkey, and Nisha is an owl.
Amelia Drew, a suffragette, is a medical student at the London School of Medicine for Women and has become a friend of Maya's.
Peter Scott, a former ship's captain with water magic, has opened an import business. I do love that he's cool with counterfeit "antiques" and his reasoning. Some of his old crewmates include Jeremiah, who is now a night watchman and Andrew, a fisherman now, who has three grown sons.
The Council of the White Lodge is . . .
. . . the official organization of magic Masters and is led by the bigoted Lord Alderscroft, a Fire Master. He may not let women into the group, but he doesn't have any problem using them.
The open-minded Lord Peter Almsley (the Peter Wimsey-like character) is a Water Master, diplomat, and a friend of Scott's. They call each other "Twin". His brother, George, is the heir. Peter is one of four siblings, and he's the only one with magic except for his Grandmama, another Water Master. It cracks me up that Lord Peter considers the ghosts who haunt the Almsley estate, Heartwood House, in Newport Pagnell, as friends. Gannet is a reformed burglar who works for Lord Peter. Mrs Phyllis and Cousin Reuben, a vicar, are both Earth Masters Lord Peter knows.
Other members of the council include Bunny, Lord Owlswick, Dumbarton, Reginald Fenyx, John Pagnell-Croyton, and the overly dramatic Harold Fotheringay.
The Council meets at the Exeter Club, a men's club, which provides an interesting camouflage. Clive and Cedric are porters. Jerry is am most efficient waiter.
St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London
Dr Octavian Clayton-Smythe is the chief medical officer and one of Kipling's "little tin gods". His nephew, Simon Parkening, is a disgustingly bigoted idiot who plays at work.
The Fleet Charity Clinic is . . .
. . . a Christian charity, hugely funded by the London newspapers, where most of the doctors like to preach at the poor. Dr Stevens believes Amelia has a gift for handling babies and children. Naturally, as it is women's work, oy. Dr Browning claims children don't feel pain. Dr O'Reilly (but not a surgeon) is one of the good ones — and a Fire Master but not a member of the Council. Guess why not . . . Nurse Haredy and Nurse Sarah Pleine are both head nurses. Jeffry is the orphan who runs errands; George is the porter and man-of-all-work. Patience is Nurse Sarah's daughter and assistant. Nurse Fortenbrase is stuck with a lousy patient. Dr Greenaway lives in Piccadilly.
Bill Joad, a working man, is a patient. Paul Jenner is a Trinity Oxford man and Parkening's former secretary; his father was a country vicar. Shamus has a broken leg.
Tom Larkin, a London cabbie, is a godsend for Amelia and Maya. Bob is one of the down-and-outs in the neighborhood, who is protective of Maya. The Vellechio boys are Italian with darker skin than Gopal's children.
The Royal Free is . . .
. . . another charity hospital.
"Helen Smith" is Maya's first patient. Delia is a mother; Jack is her eldest. Sally has her issues. Norrey is a pickpocket with whom Dr Witherspoon has a deal.
The Enemy
Shivani, with her dark magic, was Surya's twin sister. And a bigot. She serves Kali Durga, which seems to be one of the possible manifestations of two goddesses. Jayanti is the head of her dacoits. The thugees, organized gangs of professional robbers and murderers, and dacoits, bands of armed robbers, worship Shivani.
Aleister Crowley is a problem. Annie Besant and the Blavatsky, a.k.a. Blat-sky, crowd are not as bad.
Dr Lister was a pioneer of antiseptic surgery. Louis Pasteur was a microbiologist for his discoveries about vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization. Selkies are seal shifters. The Selkies of Sul Skerry were helped by Peter Scott. And that's a fascinating story. Their women include Alice (she's Ian's wife), Annie, Mable, Marie, Sara, Sophie, Delia, Maryanne, Stella, and Nan. All rescued from their lives. Queen Alexandra is keen on improving the lot of poor children. Bishop Mannering is one of Lord Peter's tame padres. Detective Crider is investigating a prominent disappearance. Jane Millicent Lambert is a friend of Nurse Pleine's.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a grayed-out teal wall as background with a stylized Indian border at its base in gold and lighter teals. The floor is an orange-gold on which sits a framed image of Maya in her surgical costume of white with a black bow tie, her black hair up in a bun. The background of this portrait is a pale pink and green floral. Maya holds Rhadi on her left forefinger and an apple in her right with Nisha behind her head on the right. On the left is Mala sitting above Sia's head while Singh is in the right bottom clutching the black cobra-like Serpent's Shadow which is twined around the frame. Rajah is behind Singh with Charan on the left. At the top is the author's name in yellow. On the far left, in white, is a quick summary of the story. The title is at the bottom in black.
The title is all about the evil avatar Shivani invokes, The Serpent's Shadow.
My Take
Lackey has made use of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to discuss male and ethnic bigotry. It's sad that it's still happening. What is so threatening about women being treated as equals? Treating other ethnicities as equals? I don't get it. Oh, and it's not just the English with their prejudices. The Indians also have their bigots. Both, of course, are also prejudiced against classes they consider lesser than themselves — Peter Scott is proof of that.
Maya has better grades than most of the men in her class, and yet the jerk is considering not granting her the credentials to practice. Until Maya pulls out her trump card, but doesn't let slip her true purpose, lol.
How awful that having great parents has such an awful effect for Amelia. It sure hasn't dampened her spirit, though, lol. Lackey notes that Amelia loves "tweaking the tails of the old cats".
I absolute adore Lackey's description of Maya's home — and that conservatory! It's a great way to incorporate anthropology and history.
I do have to laugh at Maya's perspective on how Hindu women (who've never been to England) speak of England as Home. It makes sense that the British would think this way, but . . . There are some nice bits about Indian culture. Always a good thing for children to read about, to open their horizons to others.
Oh, I do adore Maya's approach to treating her clients: factual with a practical approach to their lifestyles and intent on discretion.
Thank god for improved medical ethics as well. Some of the "practices" of doctors of the time period would make you gag. A Caesarian is considered dangerous but not an ovectomy to "calm hysteria"??
Lackey uses a third person triple point-of-view from Dr Witherspoon's, Peter Scott's, and Shivani's perspectives. Yeah, you learn everything they think, feel, and experience. I have to confess that I can understand part of Shivani's goals — I'd be ticked off too! But her methods of going about it, no.
There is some introspection on the part of Peter Scott and Maya.
There's action, characters, and a pace that'll keep you reading.
This tale is so homey and cozy, even as it battles evil and prejudice. Ya just gotta love both Peters in this!
The Story
Dr Maya Witherspoon is determined to succeed in this male-oriented profession — and stay safe from the enemy who is hunting her.
The Characters
Dr Maya Witherspoon, a daughter of Nigel, an English doctor, and Surya, a Hindu woman of Brahmin class and priestess, has green magic and determination. She's fled India. Her parents are both dead, murdered. Her household in England consists of the people who were her family in India: Gupta had been Maya's mother's guardian. Gopal is his son, who loves to cook, and is married to Sumi the fourth. Nope, no idea what the fourth means. They have four children: Ravi (eleven), Amal (nine), Jagan (five), and Suli (seven). There are also seven "pets", avatars of Hindu gods: Sia and Singhe are mongooses, Rhadi is a ring-necked parrot, Mala is a saker falcon, Rajah is a peacock, Charan is a Hanuman langur monkey, and Nisha is an owl.
Amelia Drew, a suffragette, is a medical student at the London School of Medicine for Women and has become a friend of Maya's.
Peter Scott, a former ship's captain with water magic, has opened an import business. I do love that he's cool with counterfeit "antiques" and his reasoning. Some of his old crewmates include Jeremiah, who is now a night watchman and Andrew, a fisherman now, who has three grown sons.
The Council of the White Lodge is . . .
. . . the official organization of magic Masters and is led by the bigoted Lord Alderscroft, a Fire Master. He may not let women into the group, but he doesn't have any problem using them.
The open-minded Lord Peter Almsley (the Peter Wimsey-like character) is a Water Master, diplomat, and a friend of Scott's. They call each other "Twin". His brother, George, is the heir. Peter is one of four siblings, and he's the only one with magic except for his Grandmama, another Water Master. It cracks me up that Lord Peter considers the ghosts who haunt the Almsley estate, Heartwood House, in Newport Pagnell, as friends. Gannet is a reformed burglar who works for Lord Peter. Mrs Phyllis and Cousin Reuben, a vicar, are both Earth Masters Lord Peter knows.
Other members of the council include Bunny, Lord Owlswick, Dumbarton, Reginald Fenyx, John Pagnell-Croyton, and the overly dramatic Harold Fotheringay.
The Council meets at the Exeter Club, a men's club, which provides an interesting camouflage. Clive and Cedric are porters. Jerry is am most efficient waiter.
St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London
Dr Octavian Clayton-Smythe is the chief medical officer and one of Kipling's "little tin gods". His nephew, Simon Parkening, is a disgustingly bigoted idiot who plays at work.
The Fleet Charity Clinic is . . .
. . . a Christian charity, hugely funded by the London newspapers, where most of the doctors like to preach at the poor. Dr Stevens believes Amelia has a gift for handling babies and children. Naturally, as it is women's work, oy. Dr Browning claims children don't feel pain. Dr O'Reilly (but not a surgeon) is one of the good ones — and a Fire Master but not a member of the Council. Guess why not . . . Nurse Haredy and Nurse Sarah Pleine are both head nurses. Jeffry is the orphan who runs errands; George is the porter and man-of-all-work. Patience is Nurse Sarah's daughter and assistant. Nurse Fortenbrase is stuck with a lousy patient. Dr Greenaway lives in Piccadilly.
Bill Joad, a working man, is a patient. Paul Jenner is a Trinity Oxford man and Parkening's former secretary; his father was a country vicar. Shamus has a broken leg.
Tom Larkin, a London cabbie, is a godsend for Amelia and Maya. Bob is one of the down-and-outs in the neighborhood, who is protective of Maya. The Vellechio boys are Italian with darker skin than Gopal's children.
The Royal Free is . . .
. . . another charity hospital.
"Helen Smith" is Maya's first patient. Delia is a mother; Jack is her eldest. Sally has her issues. Norrey is a pickpocket with whom Dr Witherspoon has a deal.
The Enemy
Shivani, with her dark magic, was Surya's twin sister. And a bigot. She serves Kali Durga, which seems to be one of the possible manifestations of two goddesses. Jayanti is the head of her dacoits. The thugees, organized gangs of professional robbers and murderers, and dacoits, bands of armed robbers, worship Shivani.
Aleister Crowley is a problem. Annie Besant and the Blavatsky, a.k.a. Blat-sky, crowd are not as bad.
Dr Lister was a pioneer of antiseptic surgery. Louis Pasteur was a microbiologist for his discoveries about vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization. Selkies are seal shifters. The Selkies of Sul Skerry were helped by Peter Scott. And that's a fascinating story. Their women include Alice (she's Ian's wife), Annie, Mable, Marie, Sara, Sophie, Delia, Maryanne, Stella, and Nan. All rescued from their lives. Queen Alexandra is keen on improving the lot of poor children. Bishop Mannering is one of Lord Peter's tame padres. Detective Crider is investigating a prominent disappearance. Jane Millicent Lambert is a friend of Nurse Pleine's.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a grayed-out teal wall as background with a stylized Indian border at its base in gold and lighter teals. The floor is an orange-gold on which sits a framed image of Maya in her surgical costume of white with a black bow tie, her black hair up in a bun. The background of this portrait is a pale pink and green floral. Maya holds Rhadi on her left forefinger and an apple in her right with Nisha behind her head on the right. On the left is Mala sitting above Sia's head while Singh is in the right bottom clutching the black cobra-like Serpent's Shadow which is twined around the frame. Rajah is behind Singh with Charan on the left. At the top is the author's name in yellow. On the far left, in white, is a quick summary of the story. The title is at the bottom in black.
The title is all about the evil avatar Shivani invokes, The Serpent's Shadow.
August 22, 2022
I loved the premise of this and have to give this some kudos for doing something that most fantasy books in the early 2000s would never - have a POC protagonist who is half-Indian and whose Indian heritage actually plays a major part in the plot. There were some issues in this book that stuck out to me however.
Colonialism. You can’t avoid this topic if you’re talking about Indian characters living in Edwardian London. I have mixed feelings about the way it was dealt with here. As I’ve already said above, I appreciate that Lackey was pretty progressive for her time in even having a half-Indian protagonist being aided by Hindu gods. I loved the idea that there was a different type of magic in India which was separate from that of the English. What I didn’t like, though, was the fact that the antagonist was also Indian and Hindu. Shivani’s whole motivation behind her crusade was to get vengeance against the British for colonising India. No matter how twisted and deranged Shivani might be, she ultimately killed a microscopic fraction of the people the British did when they colonised India (and many other countries), so taking this motivation of vengeance and casting it in a villainous light just somehow didn’t sit right with me. Obviously I’m not saying that we should all become murderers to seek vengeance and violence is never the answer, but I’m also not a fan of casting a colonised subject as a villain in that light - it smacks too much of a “people should stay in their (subjugated) place” message to me.
Women’s rights. It’s also hard to avoid this topic in Edwardian London when your protagonist is a very, very progressive female doctor in a world where the suffragette movement is in full swing. I thought this theme was much more well-done than the one about colonialism and I would’ve actually preferred if we had perhaps had more emphasis on this one rather than the other. Having an average-sized book deal with two such heavy themes was just too little pages for too much to say, and I felt like the book could’ve been more focused.
Chemistry was non-existent. Again, too little pages for too much to say. There was so much about the above two themes and establishing the magic system that it kinda squeezed out the romance. I’d typically be fine with that, but I’ve a feeling the romance was supposed to be a main part of the story so I was a little confused here. We didn’t really see Maya and Peter spending a lot of time together apart from Peter giving her lessons on magic, and that’s about it. They didn’t seem to have much conversation (as far as we saw) with each other outside of that. The bit where their feelings were made known to each other also felt incredibly abrupt and out of nowhere, and so I couldn’t quite buy into everything that followed.
Ending felt rushed and almost anticlimactic. The book kinda felt like it was over before I knew it. I was anticipating a much longer confrontation and with more conversation between the antagonist and our main characters, but we didn’t really get that. I was also expecting something of an “aftermath” chapter where we have the characters reflect about what happened and maybe also round up a bit of the themes that were explored in the book like the colonialism bit or women’s rights - but we also didn’t get that.
Overall, it was fairly enjoyable and I might pick up the next book. I really liked the premise of retelling the fairytales but all within the same universe and with the same magic system as a base, but I felt like the themes and storytelling could have been tighter.
Colonialism. You can’t avoid this topic if you’re talking about Indian characters living in Edwardian London. I have mixed feelings about the way it was dealt with here. As I’ve already said above, I appreciate that Lackey was pretty progressive for her time in even having a half-Indian protagonist being aided by Hindu gods. I loved the idea that there was a different type of magic in India which was separate from that of the English. What I didn’t like, though, was the fact that the antagonist was also Indian and Hindu. Shivani’s whole motivation behind her crusade was to get vengeance against the British for colonising India. No matter how twisted and deranged Shivani might be, she ultimately killed a microscopic fraction of the people the British did when they colonised India (and many other countries), so taking this motivation of vengeance and casting it in a villainous light just somehow didn’t sit right with me. Obviously I’m not saying that we should all become murderers to seek vengeance and violence is never the answer, but I’m also not a fan of casting a colonised subject as a villain in that light - it smacks too much of a “people should stay in their (subjugated) place” message to me.
Women’s rights. It’s also hard to avoid this topic in Edwardian London when your protagonist is a very, very progressive female doctor in a world where the suffragette movement is in full swing. I thought this theme was much more well-done than the one about colonialism and I would’ve actually preferred if we had perhaps had more emphasis on this one rather than the other. Having an average-sized book deal with two such heavy themes was just too little pages for too much to say, and I felt like the book could’ve been more focused.
Chemistry was non-existent. Again, too little pages for too much to say. There was so much about the above two themes and establishing the magic system that it kinda squeezed out the romance. I’d typically be fine with that, but I’ve a feeling the romance was supposed to be a main part of the story so I was a little confused here. We didn’t really see Maya and Peter spending a lot of time together apart from Peter giving her lessons on magic, and that’s about it. They didn’t seem to have much conversation (as far as we saw) with each other outside of that. The bit where their feelings were made known to each other also felt incredibly abrupt and out of nowhere, and so I couldn’t quite buy into everything that followed.
Ending felt rushed and almost anticlimactic. The book kinda felt like it was over before I knew it. I was anticipating a much longer confrontation and with more conversation between the antagonist and our main characters, but we didn’t really get that. I was also expecting something of an “aftermath” chapter where we have the characters reflect about what happened and maybe also round up a bit of the themes that were explored in the book like the colonialism bit or women’s rights - but we also didn’t get that.
Overall, it was fairly enjoyable and I might pick up the next book. I really liked the premise of retelling the fairytales but all within the same universe and with the same magic system as a base, but I felt like the themes and storytelling could have been tighter.
August 25, 2014
If you follow sci-fi/fantasy fandom at all, you've probably come across Kameron Hurley's excellent essay
We Have Always Fought
. It's worth reading in its entirety, but one of the points it touches upon is the importance of narrative in human culture-making; specifically, how a majority narrative about a group will skew your views of that group, even when you're aware of that bias and actively work against it.
I bring this up because the strongest impression this story made upon me was how it was a perfect example of precisely that phenomenon. The main character, Maya, is a biracial female doctor, suffragette, and social justice worker in Victorian England, working to set up her own practice and attain the respect of her colleagues, and to learn to use her own magical powers. During the somewhat extended first act of the novel, she manages (even within her restricted role) to achieve quite a lot, all under her own agency.
And yet, once the story gets going, the entirety of it conspires to put her in the passive, damsel-in-distress role. Her servants, her love interest, even her magical animals all treat her like a child, regularly discussing the dangers that face her with each other and only occasionally giving her (often incomplete) information about it. She does nothing proactive about her evil aunt's plots, depending entirely on her defensive spells - and, when her evil aunt finally hits upon a means of kidnapping her, has to be rescued by the aforementioned love interest. (Somewhat similarly, despite multiple multi-paragraph asides on the ridiculousness of the concept of the "deserving poor", and how most poor people were forced into desperate situations by economic circumstance, when faced with an actual poor pickpocket in need of healing magic, our heroine seems to need to justify it with another multi-paragraph aside on how she just knows this particular girl "has a good heart" and thus deserves to have her life saved. I mean, come on, a little consistency here?)
Even aside from the mixed messages, the narrative has some serious problems. As alluded to before, the setting-up phase of the novel takes up nearly the entire first third of the book, but the ending barely exists - we get the requisite true-love's-kiss, then a jump to an epistolary epilogue that tells us how all the plot conflicts have magically (in the "without explanation" sense) resolved themselves, with very little believable explanation as to how. Maya's aunt's final solution for reaching Maya through her defenses is laughably simple, to the point where I was frankly having a hard time believing she wouldn't have thought of it earlier. And on and on - lots of little problems with flow and credibility.
What's most frustrating is that, even with these issues, there's a lot of potential here, some of which is even utilized. Maya is a fantastic character, and when she's allowed to solve problems does a fine job at it. The worldbuilding is solid, and her love interest likable (it's not his fault he has to play Prince Charming). With another couple passes at editing, this could've been an solidly fun story, and possibly the start of a series. But while I enjoyed it okay while I was listening to it, in retrospect the flaws stand out far more than the story, and so I can't really say I recommend it, even to fans of the genre.
I bring this up because the strongest impression this story made upon me was how it was a perfect example of precisely that phenomenon. The main character, Maya, is a biracial female doctor, suffragette, and social justice worker in Victorian England, working to set up her own practice and attain the respect of her colleagues, and to learn to use her own magical powers. During the somewhat extended first act of the novel, she manages (even within her restricted role) to achieve quite a lot, all under her own agency.
And yet, once the story gets going, the entirety of it conspires to put her in the passive, damsel-in-distress role. Her servants, her love interest, even her magical animals all treat her like a child, regularly discussing the dangers that face her with each other and only occasionally giving her (often incomplete) information about it. She does nothing proactive about her evil aunt's plots, depending entirely on her defensive spells - and, when her evil aunt finally hits upon a means of kidnapping her, has to be rescued by the aforementioned love interest. (Somewhat similarly, despite multiple multi-paragraph asides on the ridiculousness of the concept of the "deserving poor", and how most poor people were forced into desperate situations by economic circumstance, when faced with an actual poor pickpocket in need of healing magic, our heroine seems to need to justify it with another multi-paragraph aside on how she just knows this particular girl "has a good heart" and thus deserves to have her life saved. I mean, come on, a little consistency here?)
Even aside from the mixed messages, the narrative has some serious problems. As alluded to before, the setting-up phase of the novel takes up nearly the entire first third of the book, but the ending barely exists - we get the requisite true-love's-kiss, then a jump to an epistolary epilogue that tells us how all the plot conflicts have magically (in the "without explanation" sense) resolved themselves, with very little believable explanation as to how. Maya's aunt's final solution for reaching Maya through her defenses is laughably simple, to the point where I was frankly having a hard time believing she wouldn't have thought of it earlier. And on and on - lots of little problems with flow and credibility.
What's most frustrating is that, even with these issues, there's a lot of potential here, some of which is even utilized. Maya is a fantastic character, and when she's allowed to solve problems does a fine job at it. The worldbuilding is solid, and her love interest likable (it's not his fault he has to play Prince Charming). With another couple passes at editing, this could've been an solidly fun story, and possibly the start of a series. But while I enjoyed it okay while I was listening to it, in retrospect the flaws stand out far more than the story, and so I can't really say I recommend it, even to fans of the genre.
January 30, 2010
Some of my favorite fantasy books are from Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series. The Fire Rose, The Gates of Sleep, The Serpent’s Shadow, Phoenix and Ashes, The Wizard of London, and Reserved for the Cat are the titles so far. I like all of them. I LOVE some of them. They combine alternate history, classic fairy tales, magic, and the setting of early 1900s England (except The Fire Rose, which is set in America). They stand alone quite well, but are set in the same world, and some of the same themes and characters make appearances in each book.
And while Phoenix and Ashes is my personal favorite in the series, I think The Serpent’s Shadow is very nearly as good, and actually a much better recommendation for anyone who’s a bit wary of ‘fantasy’ and ‘magic.’ Why? Because the heroine Maya’s story isn’t just a re-told fairy tale, with magic added in. It’s also a story about women’s rights, race and ethnicity, about cultural traditions and religion, and how one navigates those channels while also finding out if they will survive to find happily ever after.
Have I confused you? The plot’s not as noisy or as crazy as I might have made it sound. Or maybe it is, but Ms. Lackey just tells the story much better than I can.
Mercedes Lackey’s The Serpent’s Shadow takes place in the London of 1909, and is loosely based on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Echoes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy Sayers pepper the plot, and the author turns the dwarves of fairy tale lore into seven animal avatars who masquerade as pets.
Some of Maya's challenges come from the fact that she is not "snow white," she is a female physician, and that she has fled India for her father's English homeland after the suspicious deaths of her parents. But the implacable enemy who killed her parents has come to London to search for her, and there is mysterious death stalking the streets…
Kiplingesque descriptions, a vivid Victorian context and a layered story are enhanced by a surface that is as glossy and brightly colored as an action comic.
That gives you an idea of what the book is about, at least. It’s got a bit of mystery, solid doses of suspense and action, magic and magical description, and a plucky Eurasian heroine who is quite able enough to fight her own battles, thank you very much. She meets many interesting and eccentric characters on the way, and each of them inspire love or disgust as well, and leave one hoping they find their just desserts.
I couldn’t help but admire Maya. She’s the character who won’t give up, won’t let any sort of prejudice stop her, and who bends the traditional lines of race, religion and class just enough to make a space for herself and her loved ones. Add into that a really GREAT plot, and enough magic and alternate history to ground the story, and you have a recipe for a favorite.
Recommended for: fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-type mystery, historical fantasy, really interesting plots and sub-plots, fairy tale re-tellings, and action-filled adventures. Onward!
And while Phoenix and Ashes is my personal favorite in the series, I think The Serpent’s Shadow is very nearly as good, and actually a much better recommendation for anyone who’s a bit wary of ‘fantasy’ and ‘magic.’ Why? Because the heroine Maya’s story isn’t just a re-told fairy tale, with magic added in. It’s also a story about women’s rights, race and ethnicity, about cultural traditions and religion, and how one navigates those channels while also finding out if they will survive to find happily ever after.
Have I confused you? The plot’s not as noisy or as crazy as I might have made it sound. Or maybe it is, but Ms. Lackey just tells the story much better than I can.
Mercedes Lackey’s The Serpent’s Shadow takes place in the London of 1909, and is loosely based on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Echoes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy Sayers pepper the plot, and the author turns the dwarves of fairy tale lore into seven animal avatars who masquerade as pets.
Some of Maya's challenges come from the fact that she is not "snow white," she is a female physician, and that she has fled India for her father's English homeland after the suspicious deaths of her parents. But the implacable enemy who killed her parents has come to London to search for her, and there is mysterious death stalking the streets…
Kiplingesque descriptions, a vivid Victorian context and a layered story are enhanced by a surface that is as glossy and brightly colored as an action comic.
That gives you an idea of what the book is about, at least. It’s got a bit of mystery, solid doses of suspense and action, magic and magical description, and a plucky Eurasian heroine who is quite able enough to fight her own battles, thank you very much. She meets many interesting and eccentric characters on the way, and each of them inspire love or disgust as well, and leave one hoping they find their just desserts.
I couldn’t help but admire Maya. She’s the character who won’t give up, won’t let any sort of prejudice stop her, and who bends the traditional lines of race, religion and class just enough to make a space for herself and her loved ones. Add into that a really GREAT plot, and enough magic and alternate history to ground the story, and you have a recipe for a favorite.
Recommended for: fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-type mystery, historical fantasy, really interesting plots and sub-plots, fairy tale re-tellings, and action-filled adventures. Onward!
May 26, 2009
Mercedes Lackey was at her best with The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy because of the realness that Vanyel's ambivalence about his life gave the series. There wasn't just an existence of good guys and bad guys, and the guys that did things that were bad but repented in the end; but, since then, this shallowness has become fairly typical of Lackey's work.
The main character, Maya Witherspoon, is a horrible person. She's shallow, thinks rude and ugly things about Amelia (the girl who is her "friend") and, in general, acts with utmost selfishness and callousness towards everyone around her. There is actually a point, early on in the book, where Amelia is going on about how beautiful Maya is, and in return Maya... thinks that Amelia "could never be pretty". Then, of course, Amelia says that she worries that Maya might think that Amelia is using Maya - it's clearly the other way around, since Maya is completely incapable of feeling true affection for anyone other than herself.
Add in that the book is written in an extremely third-grade manner (I read the first page and my immediate thought was, "Attack of the adjectives!") and that Lackey apparently used it for nothing more than a way to prop herself up and show how Accepting! and Open-Minded! she is, I couldn't get through half of this book now that I've re-read it as an adult.
Lackey's worldview is, again, extremely simplistic, and she has a tendency to talk out both sides of her mouth, so to speak. When Maya's pets are introduced, they are introduced as "Friends. Not pets." and then referred to pets thereafter. Convincing, oh yes. Maya's Indian heritage was also played for the See I'm Not Racist card (despite Lackey's obvious ignorance of every facet of colonized Indian society that you can't find in a children's factbook) and her idea of what "feminism" is... lacking.
If your worldview is more sophisticated than, "Racism bad, sexism bad, meat & dairy goooood," run far away from this book. Aside from the very monotheistic (I believe Lackey is some sort of "pagan" - but obviously a soft polytheist, meaning "Christian with teh femininneeees") worldview, Lackey's own personality shines through in Maya, and she is an ugly, selfish person that I hope I will never meet. I am extremely glad that I have gotten past the point where I can stand her writing, as much as I loved it when I was thirteen.
The main character, Maya Witherspoon, is a horrible person. She's shallow, thinks rude and ugly things about Amelia (the girl who is her "friend") and, in general, acts with utmost selfishness and callousness towards everyone around her. There is actually a point, early on in the book, where Amelia is going on about how beautiful Maya is, and in return Maya... thinks that Amelia "could never be pretty". Then, of course, Amelia says that she worries that Maya might think that Amelia is using Maya - it's clearly the other way around, since Maya is completely incapable of feeling true affection for anyone other than herself.
Add in that the book is written in an extremely third-grade manner (I read the first page and my immediate thought was, "Attack of the adjectives!") and that Lackey apparently used it for nothing more than a way to prop herself up and show how Accepting! and Open-Minded! she is, I couldn't get through half of this book now that I've re-read it as an adult.
Lackey's worldview is, again, extremely simplistic, and she has a tendency to talk out both sides of her mouth, so to speak. When Maya's pets are introduced, they are introduced as "Friends. Not pets." and then referred to pets thereafter. Convincing, oh yes. Maya's Indian heritage was also played for the See I'm Not Racist card (despite Lackey's obvious ignorance of every facet of colonized Indian society that you can't find in a children's factbook) and her idea of what "feminism" is... lacking.
If your worldview is more sophisticated than, "Racism bad, sexism bad, meat & dairy goooood," run far away from this book. Aside from the very monotheistic (I believe Lackey is some sort of "pagan" - but obviously a soft polytheist, meaning "Christian with teh femininneeees") worldview, Lackey's own personality shines through in Maya, and she is an ugly, selfish person that I hope I will never meet. I am extremely glad that I have gotten past the point where I can stand her writing, as much as I loved it when I was thirteen.
August 21, 2021
Entertaining
February 15, 2023
Interesting story, liked the characters. But wow, was it preachy.
July 11, 2020
DNF @ ~10% because the 10% I did read consisted almost entirely of descriptions of rooms. Not here for it.
October 5, 2024
genre: historical fantasy romance
London, 1909
The Serpent's Shadow was an interesting read for me. Set in England in 1909, Maya is a doctor who also uses magic to aid in her healing. Her mixed race background is challenging in both her home country of India, where her mother comes from a Brahmin caste family who turned up her nose at her marrying a common Englishman, and in England, her reputation is sullied because no matter her mother's caste she isn't considered as worthy. Both of Maya's parents had magic powers, and though she's only learned the basics, she's able to protect herself. Unbeknownst to Maya, her mother's twin sister is out to kill her, as she is a shadow or dark magic magician and doesn't think that a half-breed like Maya should exists. English master water magician and former ship captain Peter Scott is sent by the local magician's board to investigate the source of power generated by Maya, and in her, he finds he is utterly surprised and charmed by the young suffragist doctor who also desperately needs his help to learn how to use her powers.
Published in 2001, this book very much feels its age. The colonialist and orientalist sentiments feel realistic to 1909, and if the tone is a little glib, it feels realistic. However, I was disheartened by the degradation and orientalist attitude pervasive in reference to Kali-Durga and the worshippers of Kali. The bare-chested goddess who wears a necklace of skulls, sticks out her tongue, and tramples on the body of Shiva has long been a symbol of cult-like fascination from the western perspective.... and also a topic in my masters' thesis (from 2009, only 8 years after the publication of this book). Lackey's use of Kali-Durga as the darker side of magic is a bastardized and sensationalist approach, made popular by the Temple of Doom. Oof. And while it may have been true that many South Asians who lived in England converted to Christianity, the emphasis on Maya's Christian beliefs and when necessary to rely on her Indian background, faith in Ganesha and Hanuman and Vishnu's cadre, feels a little too savior-y for me.
All that aside, and it's a big aside, because taking religious beliefs of millions of Kali worshippers lightly is not ok, the book is a fascinating first in a fantasy series set in the vibrant world of Edwardian England, at the onset of medical and mechanical technology. The romance is closed door, which suits both the 2001 fantasy-era, but also the nature of the story. Even I was rooting for this age gap romance between Maya and Peter, since Peter was willing to listen to Maya's needs and beliefs about everything from her career to women's rights.
London, 1909
The Serpent's Shadow was an interesting read for me. Set in England in 1909, Maya is a doctor who also uses magic to aid in her healing. Her mixed race background is challenging in both her home country of India, where her mother comes from a Brahmin caste family who turned up her nose at her marrying a common Englishman, and in England, her reputation is sullied because no matter her mother's caste she isn't considered as worthy. Both of Maya's parents had magic powers, and though she's only learned the basics, she's able to protect herself. Unbeknownst to Maya, her mother's twin sister is out to kill her, as she is a shadow or dark magic magician and doesn't think that a half-breed like Maya should exists. English master water magician and former ship captain Peter Scott is sent by the local magician's board to investigate the source of power generated by Maya, and in her, he finds he is utterly surprised and charmed by the young suffragist doctor who also desperately needs his help to learn how to use her powers.
Published in 2001, this book very much feels its age. The colonialist and orientalist sentiments feel realistic to 1909, and if the tone is a little glib, it feels realistic. However, I was disheartened by the degradation and orientalist attitude pervasive in reference to Kali-Durga and the worshippers of Kali. The bare-chested goddess who wears a necklace of skulls, sticks out her tongue, and tramples on the body of Shiva has long been a symbol of cult-like fascination from the western perspective.... and also a topic in my masters' thesis (from 2009, only 8 years after the publication of this book). Lackey's use of Kali-Durga as the darker side of magic is a bastardized and sensationalist approach, made popular by the Temple of Doom. Oof. And while it may have been true that many South Asians who lived in England converted to Christianity, the emphasis on Maya's Christian beliefs and when necessary to rely on her Indian background, faith in Ganesha and Hanuman and Vishnu's cadre, feels a little too savior-y for me.
All that aside, and it's a big aside, because taking religious beliefs of millions of Kali worshippers lightly is not ok, the book is a fascinating first in a fantasy series set in the vibrant world of Edwardian England, at the onset of medical and mechanical technology. The romance is closed door, which suits both the 2001 fantasy-era, but also the nature of the story. Even I was rooting for this age gap romance between Maya and Peter, since Peter was willing to listen to Maya's needs and beliefs about everything from her career to women's rights.
June 3, 2020
Read this entire review here: THE SERPENT’S SHADOW – A PHENOMENAL FANTASY SPIN ON A CLASSIC FAIRY TALE
Review by Clarissa Hadge
Overall Rating = 4.5; Romance Rating = 4
The writing is great here, with plenty of historical points that are woven through the plot, such as Maya and her friend Amelia marching in a suffragette protest. Lackey does take some liberties with the story, but as it is set in a fantasy world, albeit based off of a real time period, the slight inconsistencies are not distracting. The romance between Maya and Peter is very quiet, built on a foundation of friendship and trust, which I really appreciated! Maya is by no means a damsel in distress and is capable of taking care of herself — which might bend the rules a little in this time period. Peter sees Maya as his equal, and most of the time, as much more adept than he is, and together they make a good pair!
What I enjoyed about this novel is that though this has elements of the Snow White fairy tale, the story is self-contained enough that readers may not even see the Snow White influence (which is exactly what happened to me upon my first reading!). For readers who want more novels with a similar feel, Lackey’s Elemental Masters series has a variety of novels, all based off of familiar fairy-tales.
Read this entire review and others (especially if you love old-fashioned chivalrous romance) at: THE SILVER PETTICOAT REVIEW
Review by Clarissa Hadge
Overall Rating = 4.5; Romance Rating = 4
The writing is great here, with plenty of historical points that are woven through the plot, such as Maya and her friend Amelia marching in a suffragette protest. Lackey does take some liberties with the story, but as it is set in a fantasy world, albeit based off of a real time period, the slight inconsistencies are not distracting. The romance between Maya and Peter is very quiet, built on a foundation of friendship and trust, which I really appreciated! Maya is by no means a damsel in distress and is capable of taking care of herself — which might bend the rules a little in this time period. Peter sees Maya as his equal, and most of the time, as much more adept than he is, and together they make a good pair!
What I enjoyed about this novel is that though this has elements of the Snow White fairy tale, the story is self-contained enough that readers may not even see the Snow White influence (which is exactly what happened to me upon my first reading!). For readers who want more novels with a similar feel, Lackey’s Elemental Masters series has a variety of novels, all based off of familiar fairy-tales.
Read this entire review and others (especially if you love old-fashioned chivalrous romance) at: THE SILVER PETTICOAT REVIEW
June 22, 2020
DNF @ Chapter 5. I just do not care & have no interest whatsoever in picking it up again.
Magic aside (because it *is* a fantasy novel), I can't stand the MC's 'tude. There's a fine line between characters in the past who are aware of their society's shortcomings (i.e. a good thing for fiction) vs those who consistently point out how enlightened they are/how backward their peers are solely for the benefit of showcasing their modern sensibilities (i.e. annoying mouthpieces).
And as for the magic...yeah, I still don't care. I've had a lackluster relationship with Lackey's work; the first couple Valdemar trilogies were okay (at least when I was in middle school :P), but I lost interest in her books as my fantasy tastes developed. This book, however, isn't a Valdemar--it's a retelling, & retellings bore me even more than meh high fantasy. TBH, I'm not sure why I even bought this. *scratches head*
Oh well. Bye-bye.
Magic aside (because it *is* a fantasy novel), I can't stand the MC's 'tude. There's a fine line between characters in the past who are aware of their society's shortcomings (i.e. a good thing for fiction) vs those who consistently point out how enlightened they are/how backward their peers are solely for the benefit of showcasing their modern sensibilities (i.e. annoying mouthpieces).
And as for the magic...yeah, I still don't care. I've had a lackluster relationship with Lackey's work; the first couple Valdemar trilogies were okay (at least when I was in middle school :P), but I lost interest in her books as my fantasy tastes developed. This book, however, isn't a Valdemar--it's a retelling, & retellings bore me even more than meh high fantasy. TBH, I'm not sure why I even bought this. *scratches head*
Oh well. Bye-bye.
June 21, 2017
Maya Witherspoon has fled to England from India, knowing only that she has a powerful enemy and having no idea of who that is. A doctor with minor magical skills, she heals patients by day, butting heads with the patriarchal system that battles her at every turn. By night, she places small protections about her home to keep herself and her beloved staff safe.
Peter Scott is sent by the other magicians of London to check out this newcomer and finds himself becoming a teacher to the powerful young woman who knew so little about her magic. But even as the two find themselves enamored, Maya's enemy moves ever closer to her target. . .
Fun and sweetly romantic with a strong, independent heroine.
Peter Scott is sent by the other magicians of London to check out this newcomer and finds himself becoming a teacher to the powerful young woman who knew so little about her magic. But even as the two find themselves enamored, Maya's enemy moves ever closer to her target. . .
Fun and sweetly romantic with a strong, independent heroine.
February 26, 2024
There's something very readable about Mercedes Lackey's writing. I've always been able to sit down with one of her books, blink and look up to find somehow it's 3AM and I'm already halfway through.
I will say though, this one came off rushed. Somehow, we got too much and not enough information all at once, both about the actual worldbuilding and lore, as well as about the characters themselves. Additionally, the explanation for the magical system(s) of this world are not very clearly laid out at all and leaves much to be desired. It is the beginning of the series though, so we shall see how much this gets fleshed out in later books.
I will say though, this one came off rushed. Somehow, we got too much and not enough information all at once, both about the actual worldbuilding and lore, as well as about the characters themselves. Additionally, the explanation for the magical system(s) of this world are not very clearly laid out at all and leaves much to be desired. It is the beginning of the series though, so we shall see how much this gets fleshed out in later books.
June 14, 2024
As usual in this series, Mercedes Lackey takes a fairytale and adapts it. This one is Snow White, though in this case she's half Indian and the wicked stepmother is an evil aunt. Set in Victorian London, Maya is a doctor, and her aunt, Shivani, is pursuing her for her power - and to wipe out disgrace as Maya is half English. Maya finds help from local Elemental Masters and others. A very engaging read
May 29, 2017
This one was a lot of fun. I have some issues with the structure, some events seem unconnected to others and the flow of the plot is at times unclear, but it's enjoyable throughout and it really comes together in the end.
April 18, 2019
Enjoyable retelling of Snow White with magic and early 20th century London
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