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Title: Home from the Sea
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Victorian fantasy (part of loose series--most aren't necessary to follow this one, but this won't make a lot of sense without having read The Wizard of London first)
Thingummies: 3.5
Synopsis: Mari has always known her father was unusually lucky in fishing. But when she discovers that the water sprites she's been hallucinating are real, she also discovers the dangerous bargain her family has made. Now, it's only with the help of two mediums, Nan and Sarah, that she can find a way to save her family.
Thingummies: Lackey's gotten fairly formulaic at this point, especially with her retellings of fairy tales in Victorian settings. But that's not necessarily a terrible thing. While there's nothing here that will surprise you, for those who like her warm, slightly angsty characters and well-earned happily-ever-afters, this is as familiar and comforting as a cup of cocoa.
Mari is pleasant enough, and has enough backbone to get a few good jabs in. Meanwhile, it's nice to see Sarah and Nan grown up and on their own, along with their birds. The stakes aren't particularly high, compared to some of the other novels in the series (Mari risks losing her family, but it's not like all of England is threatened by monsters this time). And as Lackey villains go, the bumbling constable and one dimensional clan chief are rather flat. But they're serviceable enough, I suppose. I suspect part of the problem is that Lackey usually lets us get a bit into the heads of her villains, even the mustache-twirling variety, which makes them a bit more interesting. Perhaps because the focus was already split between Mari and the Sarah/Nan pair, we never get more than other people's guesses as to what the villains are thinking, which make them rather one dimensional. With all the talk of Robin Goodfellow the Land-Ward, I'd really kind of expected an epic Puck vs Llyr showdown, whereas everything about Llyr seems to have just been a reason to keep Puck from interfering in a relatively minor conflict.
I have to admit, I'm wildly curious about the mysterious umbrella-wielding archaeologist Sarah and Nan met offstage in Egypt. Did Lackey just slip in a hat tip to Gail Carriger's Soulless series?
Anyway, undercomplicated but sweet.
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Victorian fantasy (part of loose series--most aren't necessary to follow this one, but this won't make a lot of sense without having read The Wizard of London first)
Thingummies: 3.5
Synopsis: Mari has always known her father was unusually lucky in fishing. But when she discovers that the water sprites she's been hallucinating are real, she also discovers the dangerous bargain her family has made. Now, it's only with the help of two mediums, Nan and Sarah, that she can find a way to save her family.
Thingummies: Lackey's gotten fairly formulaic at this point, especially with her retellings of fairy tales in Victorian settings. But that's not necessarily a terrible thing. While there's nothing here that will surprise you, for those who like her warm, slightly angsty characters and well-earned happily-ever-afters, this is as familiar and comforting as a cup of cocoa.
Mari is pleasant enough, and has enough backbone to get a few good jabs in. Meanwhile, it's nice to see Sarah and Nan grown up and on their own, along with their birds. The stakes aren't particularly high, compared to some of the other novels in the series (Mari risks losing her family, but it's not like all of England is threatened by monsters this time). And as Lackey villains go, the bumbling constable and one dimensional clan chief are rather flat. But they're serviceable enough, I suppose. I suspect part of the problem is that Lackey usually lets us get a bit into the heads of her villains, even the mustache-twirling variety, which makes them a bit more interesting. Perhaps because the focus was already split between Mari and the Sarah/Nan pair, we never get more than other people's guesses as to what the villains are thinking, which make them rather one dimensional. With all the talk of Robin Goodfellow the Land-Ward, I'd really kind of expected an epic Puck vs Llyr showdown, whereas everything about Llyr seems to have just been a reason to keep Puck from interfering in a relatively minor conflict.
I have to admit, I'm wildly curious about the mysterious umbrella-wielding archaeologist Sarah and Nan met offstage in Egypt. Did Lackey just slip in a hat tip to Gail Carriger's Soulless series?
Anyway, undercomplicated but sweet.
