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A review by onelemonylime
Mystic and Rider by Sharon Shinn
4.0
4 Stars. Recommend. May be some time before I read it again, but who knows?
Summary: Meet the King's Mystic: Senneth, a 34-year-old woman with strong powers and a colorful past. Used to wandering alone from one adventure to the next, she finds herself traveling with a set of unlikely companions across the kingdom. There is her former student, Kirra—a free-spirited noblewoman who can change shape and heal. There is Kirra's companion, quiet but fiercely loyal Donnal, who shares Kirra's ability to shapeshift. There are two King's Riders, hot-headed Justin and wary Tayse, who have grudgingly sworn to protect Senneth on her mission. And there is Cammon, a teenage boy rescued from a life of slavery when Senneth discovers that he is a dormant mystic, with powers yet unexplored.
These are dark times for the group to travel. A new religious order is slowly taking hold in the kingdom of Gillengaria—a religious order that condemns all mystics to death. Bolstering it are whispers that the king himself has fallen prey to a mystic wife, a mysterious woman few have seen. The people are growing restless, and Senneth senses that there is much violence ahead. However, if she hopes to save the kingdom she loves, she must learn to rely on her new companions and face the ghosts of her past.
Overall: The telling of the story starts some time after the journey has begun, with most of the company already formed. Yet the leisurely pace of the plot gives the reader plenty of time to grow familiar with the characters and to piece together what each knows about the other. Despite various escapades and misadventures, there is something rather comfortable about the story. Senneth is not out to save her kingdom—at least, not right away; rather, her journey is rather one of discovery: of the kingdom, and of herself. So, mounting stakes notwithstanding, the whole book reads more like a character study than anything else.
And I liked the characters. Each felt unique, and as the events unfolded, their relationships to one another shifted and solidified in alternating turns, making them feel indeed like an extended dysfunctional family. I loved Kirra's ease at taking different guises, her vanity and yet her clear affection for Senneth. Justin's hotheadedness made me smile, just as his unwavering loyalty to Tayse was sweet and heartwarming. Perhaps Tayse was a little bit of a stick in the mud, but he always acted according to his internal code of honor, and cannot be blamed for some unnecessary pigheadedness. And Senneth, who is unwaveringly loyal and steady and fierce and strong, never once comes across as dully perfect.
I was attracted to the idea of a steadily developed romance, and "Mystic and Rider" certainly delivered. It creeps up on you, subtle and almost forgotten, until Tayse begrudgingly does something nice. Until Senneth draws a little too close, surveys her companion a little too long. It really picks up toward the end, and while I'm not sure Shinn wasn't just a little heavy-handed in creating conflict, it nevertheless achieved the desired effect of making the final conclusion all the more worthwhile.
This book is not for everyone, or every mood. Another day, this read might have bored me out of my mind with the pacing. But for my mood yesterday, this read was just right. While there are many more to this series, I am perfectly content with how this story ended.
Reminds me of... Kristin Cashore's Graceling series, such as "Graceling" or "Fire".
Summary: Meet the King's Mystic: Senneth, a 34-year-old woman with strong powers and a colorful past. Used to wandering alone from one adventure to the next, she finds herself traveling with a set of unlikely companions across the kingdom. There is her former student, Kirra—a free-spirited noblewoman who can change shape and heal. There is Kirra's companion, quiet but fiercely loyal Donnal, who shares Kirra's ability to shapeshift. There are two King's Riders, hot-headed Justin and wary Tayse, who have grudgingly sworn to protect Senneth on her mission. And there is Cammon, a teenage boy rescued from a life of slavery when Senneth discovers that he is a dormant mystic, with powers yet unexplored.
These are dark times for the group to travel. A new religious order is slowly taking hold in the kingdom of Gillengaria—a religious order that condemns all mystics to death. Bolstering it are whispers that the king himself has fallen prey to a mystic wife, a mysterious woman few have seen. The people are growing restless, and Senneth senses that there is much violence ahead. However, if she hopes to save the kingdom she loves, she must learn to rely on her new companions and face the ghosts of her past.
Overall: The telling of the story starts some time after the journey has begun, with most of the company already formed. Yet the leisurely pace of the plot gives the reader plenty of time to grow familiar with the characters and to piece together what each knows about the other. Despite various escapades and misadventures, there is something rather comfortable about the story. Senneth is not out to save her kingdom—at least, not right away; rather, her journey is rather one of discovery: of the kingdom, and of herself. So, mounting stakes notwithstanding, the whole book reads more like a character study than anything else.
And I liked the characters. Each felt unique, and as the events unfolded, their relationships to one another shifted and solidified in alternating turns, making them feel indeed like an extended dysfunctional family. I loved Kirra's ease at taking different guises, her vanity and yet her clear affection for Senneth. Justin's hotheadedness made me smile, just as his unwavering loyalty to Tayse was sweet and heartwarming. Perhaps Tayse was a little bit of a stick in the mud, but he always acted according to his internal code of honor, and cannot be blamed for some unnecessary pigheadedness. And Senneth, who is unwaveringly loyal and steady and fierce and strong, never once comes across as dully perfect.
I was attracted to the idea of a steadily developed romance, and "Mystic and Rider" certainly delivered. It creeps up on you, subtle and almost forgotten, until Tayse begrudgingly does something nice. Until Senneth draws a little too close, surveys her companion a little too long. It really picks up toward the end, and while I'm not sure Shinn wasn't just a little heavy-handed in creating conflict, it nevertheless achieved the desired effect of making the final conclusion all the more worthwhile.
This book is not for everyone, or every mood. Another day, this read might have bored me out of my mind with the pacing. But for my mood yesterday, this read was just right. While there are many more to this series, I am perfectly content with how this story ended.
Reminds me of... Kristin Cashore's Graceling series, such as "Graceling" or "Fire".