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A review by shadowcas
Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey
5.0
Let me start this review by saying that I have read this book dozens of times already. Mercedes Lackey is one of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi authors and Phoenix and Ashes is, by far, one of my favorites. It’s a wonderful retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale set in 1917 England. One thing that makes this one great is that it isn’t your typical damsel in distress novel. Yes, Eleanor is enslaved by her step-mother, an evil Earth Master, but Ellie is far from weak. Yes, Reggie is handsome and rich and an Air Master in his own right, but he is broken, shell-shocked, and without his powers. This isn’t a story about a powerful man coming and saving the day; it’s a story about two damaged people coming to each other’s aid equally.
Lackey did an excellent job with fleshing out her characters. The villains, while evil and powerful, still come across as real. They aren’t the all-powerful, impossible to defeat villains; they still faced setbacks enough to let the reader know that “this too shall pass.” Reggie and Eleanor become like friends to the reader. You’ll sit there in despair with Reggie as his night terrors grip him, and your laugh with Eleanor as she plays with her Salamanders. Lackey definitely brought all of these personalities to life for me.
Another great thing (and the last that I’ll mention) is that Lackey stays pretty true to the Cinderella fairy tale while not being chained down to an almost word for word retelling. The story is clearing about Cinderella, I mean the main character goes by Ellie in most of the book. But at the same time with the addition to Elemental Mastery, magic, and mythical creatures, it isn’t the same old story told over and over again.
I highly recommend the read. Despite being #4 in the Elemental Masters series, it can be a stand alone book and it is well-worth it.
5 out of 5 stars.
Lackey did an excellent job with fleshing out her characters. The villains, while evil and powerful, still come across as real. They aren’t the all-powerful, impossible to defeat villains; they still faced setbacks enough to let the reader know that “this too shall pass.” Reggie and Eleanor become like friends to the reader. You’ll sit there in despair with Reggie as his night terrors grip him, and your laugh with Eleanor as she plays with her Salamanders. Lackey definitely brought all of these personalities to life for me.
Another great thing (and the last that I’ll mention) is that Lackey stays pretty true to the Cinderella fairy tale while not being chained down to an almost word for word retelling. The story is clearing about Cinderella, I mean the main character goes by Ellie in most of the book. But at the same time with the addition to Elemental Mastery, magic, and mythical creatures, it isn’t the same old story told over and over again.
I highly recommend the read. Despite being #4 in the Elemental Masters series, it can be a stand alone book and it is well-worth it.
5 out of 5 stars.