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Title: The Fire Rose
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Fantasy
Christopher's Rating: **** (very good)
Date: 1995
Publisher: BAEN
ISBN: 0-671-87750
Library Of Congress Card Catalog #: 95-24110
(From the back cover): Heiress Rosalind Hawkins was a thoroughly modern medieval scholar, her road through life well planned and already embarked upon: by breaking new ground in the Groves of Academe she would show the world that brains and creativity trumped gender prejudice every time - and make a name for herself in the process. But when her family fortune suddenly disappeared in a cloud of debt and recrimination Rosalind was forced to the traditional haven of a previously well-to-do woman fallen on hard times: she accepted employment as a governess. She wasn't quite sure how the job - quite possibly the only governess position ever on an offer that required skill in medieval French - had come her way, but she did know that it pay her several times more than she had expected to be able to earn.
Christopher says: Mercedes Lackey doing what she does best - a dark, romantic tale full of intrigue, suspense, and magic. Her mouth-watering descriptions of Jason Cameron's house left me dreaming of hedge-mazes and two-story libraries. And I want a salamander. Don't let the poor cover artwork dissuade you - this is a book you can spend the weekend savoring.
Title: A Bad Spell In Yurt
Author: C. Dale Brittain
Genre: Fantasy
Christopher's Rating: ** (Average)
Date:1991
Publisher: BAEN
ISBN: 0-671-72075-9
Library Of Congress Card Catalog #: not listed
(From the back cover) The tiny backwater kingdom of Yurt is the perfect place - or so it seems - for a young and barely qualified wizard with a brand new diploma, one who only managed to graduate from the wizard's school (especially after that embarrassment with the frogs) as a result of inspired (if not disciplined) magic wielding. But Daimbert, newly appointed Royal Wizard, quickly learns that his king has been put under a spell - one that will eventually kill him. A lurking hint of evil suggests that someone in the castle is practicing black magic....
But Daimbert can't believe any of his charming new companions could be capable of such a vile practice. Could it be the beautiful young queen? Her flighty and youthful aunt? The glowering middle-aged royal heir? Daimbert's predecessor, the crotchety retired Royal Wizard? Or someone from out of the castle's past? Soon Daimbert begins to realize that finding out may require all the magic he never learned properly in the first place - with the kingdom's welfare and his life the price of failure. Good thing Daimbert knows how to improvise!
Christopher says: A fun romp, if a bit jerky at times. If it makes me laugh out loud even once, I have to recommend it. While the magic-as-technology theme that runs out wears thin (I like my magic obscure and ethereal. The idea of everyone having a magic telephone is a little depressing somehow.) There are some impressive scenes, but the general awkwardness of the transitions between them, and the occasional cluelessness of the characters, detracts from the overall enjoyment of the book. Still, if you're looking for a laugh, C. Dale Brittain delivers.
Title: Pigs Don't Fly (But Dragons Do!)
Author: Mary Brown
Genre: Fantasy
Christopher's Rating: ** (average)
Date: 1994
Publisher: BAEN
ISBN: 0-671-87601-5
Library Of Congress Card Catalog #: not listed
(From the back cover) Left an orphan with a small dowry and a magic ring, all Summer wanted was to find a husband and settle down. But she hadn't reckoned on the raggle-tail assortment of creatures who needed her help, even if the amnesiac, blind knight was the handsomest man she had ever seen....
But the blaspheming dog, broken-down horse, crippled pigeon, half-dead tortoise and flying pig had ideas of their own, and Summer was to find her journey's end - and love - very different from what she expected....
Christopher says: Well, I almost liked this book a lot more. It really does have an excellent storyline... but all too often I found myself stopping and saying "Huh??" when some new fact came to light. To my mind, the author owes it to the reader to provide enough description that they can create an accurate image of the characters in their mind, and should not hide things behind the lack of a visual element in the media. Trust me, it makes more sense when you read the book. And I'm not talking about the pig, either. Actually, the Whimperling was by far the most well-defined character, probably because it had to be... but the others - Summer especially - just never get beyond two-dimensions. But all that aside, it's a good book - with a particularly clever twist that left me thinking "I wish I'd thought of that!!" A good book to work on before going to bed each night - it's not a page turner that keeps you up longer than you meant to be, but it's still good enough to look forward to as you crawl into bed.
Title: Illusion
Author: Paula Volsky
Genre: Fantasy
Christopher's Rating: ***** (Excellent!!)
Date: 1992
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0-553-56022-0
Library Of Congress Card Catalog #: 91-21082
(From inside front cover) For two hundred years the Exalted classes have used their dazzling magical abilities to rule Vonahr. Now, their powers grown slack from disuse and their attention turned to decadent pleasures, they ignore the misery of the lower classes until the red tide of revolution sweeps across the land. Thrust into the center of the conflict is the beautiful Eliste vo Derrivalle, spirited daughter of a provincial landowner, who must now scramble for bread in the teeming streets of the capital. With the key to her magical abilities an elusive secret, she must suddenly find a way to survive in a world gone mad... with liberty.
Christopher says: Wow!! picking up this book is like gorging on expensive chocolates. Rich, lavish descriptions. Incredible attention to detail. Very well thought out storyline and expansive characters. From beautifully expressive Eliste, to dashing and intelligent Dref, to the frivolous "Oh, la!" of Eliste's cousin Aurelie, this is a book whose characters you will never forget. Tears still threaten to well up from the memory of some scenes, even long after the last page is read... that's the kind of book this is. If you pick it up, you won't be putting it down again until you're done.
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Title: SpinDrift
Author: Phyllis A. Whitney
Genre: Mystery
Christopher's Rating: ** (Average)
Date: 1975
Publisher: Fawcett Crest
ISBN:Unavailable
Library Of Congress Card Catalog #: 74-14384
(From the back cover) Christy Moreland had never believed her father committed suicide at Spindrift. She was certain he had been murdered. She was equally certain her wealthy and powerful mother-in-law Theo was behind it. Until now she had no way of proving it. Now she was back at the huge old mansion where she could discover the truth.
There were dark forces at Spindrift. Death stalked the corridors in the night and madness seemed only a breath away....
Christopher says: A good haunted house flavor can spice up even a mediocre story. Spindrift is both about a woman trying to retain her sanity and reclaim her son, and the mysterious death of her father. While neither romance nor mystery are my forte, the description of Redstones, with its empty halls and sprawling, dusty rooms, appeals to the boyish side of me, leaving me yearning for a flashlight and bag lunch. The twists and turns involved in the book are impressive, with nothing being set in stone until literally the last page. It starts slow, but picks up as soon as Christy gets to Spindrift. Good for a lazy afternoon, especially if you enjoy the more flowery sort of romantic mystery.