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A review by sbbarnes
Elemental Magic: All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters by Mercedes Lackey
3.0
First off, I liked this. I like all the Elemental Master's stuff. I just didn't like it as much as the full-length books, mostly, or rather, I only liked some of the stories. Second: A drinking game for this book: Every time someone explains that you can't command Elementals - take a shot. Every time someone clearly has Elemental Magic, but due to some accident in birth or child rearing, does not know and must be carefully taugt as an adult - take a shot. Female character with red hair as a personality trait - shot. Necromancer - shot. Fell in love with rescuer at first sight - shot
What I'm saying is, some of these stories don't really cover new ground for the Elemental Magic Series, and also female characters with red hair as a character trait is an ancient and terrible fantasy trope and it needs to die.
A Song of the Sea, by Diana Paxton - ancient Greek setting, students of Pythagoras as the idea that this is when Elemental Magic is first discovered. Cool idea, tragic and horrible death of the parents kind of handwaved weirdly. Feels like it needs to be longer to really gain some momentum.
The Fire Within Him by Samuel Conway - I read this one yesterday and had zero memories. It's an Icarus story. Personally, I think Icarus is a fine parable all on its own and didn't need a fire master who was secretly the one screwing it all up, but YMMV
Makana - Fiona Patton - I liked this one a lot. Follows a young Earth Master in Polynesia warding off a threat to his society. Really like the difference in how Elemental Magic is understood and used between the different cultures portrayed here. Also liked the subtle not subtle threat of the white people. Kind of felt like the bad guy was a non-entity.
War to the Knife - Rosemary Edghill - If this were a full-length bodice-ripper I would so be there. As is it's a little lacking on the fleshing out of characters etc. Do really like the idea that Air Masters get shit for being Air Masters, like there's a hierarchy or something. Set in the Napoleonic wars. Shot for teaching about Elemental Magic and not using it for evil.
Stones and Feathers / Elizabeth A. Vaughan - Raven Master story featuring an Earth Mage who feels called to London and lives to regret it. OK. a) those damn ravens get so much bizarre publicity in fiction, b) too much vomiting.
Fire's Children - Elizabeth Waters - Kind of a cute little story about twin kids of a fire mage who just arrogantly assumes they'll both be fire mages, but one is a water mage. Also a whole gender thing which might have honestly been the more interesting story.
For the Sake of Clarity - Cedric Johnson - honestly not super clear despite the title. It's about an Earth Mage who can find Quartz particularly well which, turns out, useless superpower in the Gold Rush. But the damsel falls for him anyway (shot) and happily ever after, plus some weird stuff about the Colorado Lodge?
To Ride the River-Horse - Dayle A. Dermatis - Kind of a sweet Rapunzel retelling set in Wales. Rapunzel is held captive by her evil aunt and a dude has to come teach her the Ways of her Gift (shot). She falls in love with him (shot). The braid is kind of a Chekhov's Gun in that it's then used to control her. Also there are River Horses and coal mines, and the end is pretty cool.
The Phoenix of Mulberry Street - Michele Lang - Meh. Tough Young Girl Tries to Make it in New York. blergh. But the Little Match Girl is in this and she is a Phoenix. There's also a dragon. This might have been interesting if there was any detail in anything.
Air of Mystery - Jody Lynn Nye - Super cool idea, I liked this one a lot. Great concept that parfumerie depends on water and air mastery, and nicely pulled through. Compelling main character. The rare plot in this book that is really short story length and not like a book's worth of plot crammed into twenty pages. Also there's a lot of animal pee, which is kind of funny.
A Flower Grows in Whitechapel - Gail Sanders and Michael Z. Williamson - the most directly tied to Lackey's books and featuring a number of familiar characters. I haven't actually read the Wizard of London yet, so I'm flying a little blind on the whole School of Magical Colonial Orphans thing, but I liked this one. Featured a half-chinese girl with Earth powers who grows a pretty flower and saves the king. Solid stuff. But also still think that whole concept is a little racially charged.
Tha Thu Ann - Tanya Huff - Pleasantly surprised! Tanya Huff I find enjoyable but rarely terribly good; here she puts in her fair share of cliches (red hair! Drink!). But she explores the seeing-the-dead powers some, which is fun, and also expats in Canada, which is interesting, and also necromancy (shot). And there's no explicit love story. I do feel like Ellie has some explaining she owes the twins at the end.
The Collector - Ron Collins - Really fascinating exploration of race and culture in terms of this magic idea, and whether or not it's right to use your magic for evil if evil is being done to you. Also creepy old lady with a root cellar of death. These two elements don't quite flow together perfectly, but I did find the ideas in this very compelling. Also the singing magic. Cool beans. And the harsher edge towards the elementals shown by an adult who has been treated like shit.
Queen of the Mountain - Kristin Schwengel - Red hair! Drink! Dude must explain how to treat elementals! Drink! Insta-love for rescuer - Drink! Also hawaiian goddesses and uh disturbing portrayals of the natives.
I Have Heard the Mermaids Singing - Mercedes Lackey - Good, solid story from Lackey, big plot but fits well in the format. Standard Lackey heroine. Liked her a lot. Air mage who doesn't have a ton of power but can talk to everyone's elementals. Nice idea.
What I'm saying is, some of these stories don't really cover new ground for the Elemental Magic Series, and also female characters with red hair as a character trait is an ancient and terrible fantasy trope and it needs to die.
A Song of the Sea, by Diana Paxton - ancient Greek setting, students of Pythagoras as the idea that this is when Elemental Magic is first discovered. Cool idea, tragic and horrible death of the parents kind of handwaved weirdly. Feels like it needs to be longer to really gain some momentum.
The Fire Within Him by Samuel Conway - I read this one yesterday and had zero memories. It's an Icarus story. Personally, I think Icarus is a fine parable all on its own and didn't need a fire master who was secretly the one screwing it all up, but YMMV
Makana - Fiona Patton - I liked this one a lot. Follows a young Earth Master in Polynesia warding off a threat to his society. Really like the difference in how Elemental Magic is understood and used between the different cultures portrayed here. Also liked the subtle not subtle threat of the white people. Kind of felt like the bad guy was a non-entity.
War to the Knife - Rosemary Edghill - If this were a full-length bodice-ripper I would so be there. As is it's a little lacking on the fleshing out of characters etc. Do really like the idea that Air Masters get shit for being Air Masters, like there's a hierarchy or something. Set in the Napoleonic wars. Shot for teaching about Elemental Magic and not using it for evil.
Stones and Feathers / Elizabeth A. Vaughan - Raven Master story featuring an Earth Mage who feels called to London and lives to regret it. OK. a) those damn ravens get so much bizarre publicity in fiction, b) too much vomiting.
Fire's Children - Elizabeth Waters - Kind of a cute little story about twin kids of a fire mage who just arrogantly assumes they'll both be fire mages, but one is a water mage. Also a whole gender thing which might have honestly been the more interesting story.
For the Sake of Clarity - Cedric Johnson - honestly not super clear despite the title. It's about an Earth Mage who can find Quartz particularly well which, turns out, useless superpower in the Gold Rush. But the damsel falls for him anyway (shot) and happily ever after, plus some weird stuff about the Colorado Lodge?
To Ride the River-Horse - Dayle A. Dermatis - Kind of a sweet Rapunzel retelling set in Wales. Rapunzel is held captive by her evil aunt and a dude has to come teach her the Ways of her Gift (shot). She falls in love with him (shot). The braid is kind of a Chekhov's Gun in that it's then used to control her. Also there are River Horses and coal mines, and the end is pretty cool.
The Phoenix of Mulberry Street - Michele Lang - Meh. Tough Young Girl Tries to Make it in New York. blergh. But the Little Match Girl is in this and she is a Phoenix. There's also a dragon. This might have been interesting if there was any detail in anything.
Air of Mystery - Jody Lynn Nye - Super cool idea, I liked this one a lot. Great concept that parfumerie depends on water and air mastery, and nicely pulled through. Compelling main character. The rare plot in this book that is really short story length and not like a book's worth of plot crammed into twenty pages. Also there's a lot of animal pee, which is kind of funny.
A Flower Grows in Whitechapel - Gail Sanders and Michael Z. Williamson - the most directly tied to Lackey's books and featuring a number of familiar characters. I haven't actually read the Wizard of London yet, so I'm flying a little blind on the whole School of Magical Colonial Orphans thing, but I liked this one. Featured a half-chinese girl with Earth powers who grows a pretty flower and saves the king. Solid stuff. But also still think that whole concept is a little racially charged.
Tha Thu Ann - Tanya Huff - Pleasantly surprised! Tanya Huff I find enjoyable but rarely terribly good; here she puts in her fair share of cliches (red hair! Drink!). But she explores the seeing-the-dead powers some, which is fun, and also expats in Canada, which is interesting, and also necromancy (shot). And there's no explicit love story. I do feel like Ellie has some explaining she owes the twins at the end.
The Collector - Ron Collins - Really fascinating exploration of race and culture in terms of this magic idea, and whether or not it's right to use your magic for evil if evil is being done to you. Also creepy old lady with a root cellar of death. These two elements don't quite flow together perfectly, but I did find the ideas in this very compelling. Also the singing magic. Cool beans. And the harsher edge towards the elementals shown by an adult who has been treated like shit.
Queen of the Mountain - Kristin Schwengel - Red hair! Drink! Dude must explain how to treat elementals! Drink! Insta-love for rescuer - Drink! Also hawaiian goddesses and uh disturbing portrayals of the natives.
I Have Heard the Mermaids Singing - Mercedes Lackey - Good, solid story from Lackey, big plot but fits well in the format. Standard Lackey heroine. Liked her a lot. Air mage who doesn't have a ton of power but can talk to everyone's elementals. Nice idea.