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Diana Tregarde #0.3
Arcanum 101
Tomas Torres never though that saving his baby sister would only be the start of his problems, but from the moment he threw the fireball at the robber at the corner store, his life went from bad to weird. First he found himself using his new power to set fires for the local loanshark, then he was facing a choice between prison and being stuck in a reform school in the middle of nowhere. Now he's being bossed around by a (literally) hot little chica, facing off monsters, and trying not to flunk math. Oh, and not die.
And it's only Tuesday.
And it's only Tuesday.
179 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2012
76 people are currently reading
936 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,533 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 16, 2014
The opposite of Jumper, this book started off so promisingly, but turned into the most boring book I've read since Anne of Green Gables.
Meet Tomas, recently moved to NYC, who at 15 discovers that he can set things on fire using only his mind. Naturally he is approached by the the mob and offered a job as an enforcer (because hey, if the police can't prove the cause of a fire, they can't convict anyone of arson).
There's so many exciting places you could go with that storyline. But instead Tomas is caught and sent to a school where people like him can safely learn to control their powers (booooring).
At school, the teachers are all perfect (ie, boring), the students are mostly perfect (ie, boring), and those students who aren't perfect tend to have just one character flaw that Tomas will be able to fix by the end (the only thing more boring than a perfect character is a near-perfect character becoming perfect).
There's no overarching plot or storyline to drive the book. Instead we get a series of monsters appearing, to be defeated by Tomas and friends. Think boring 80s TV series monster-of-the-week style. I suppose the romantic storyline could be considered a plot (I'm having to stretch the definition of plot here quite a bit), does or does he not get the girl? Spoiler: .
One more annoying thing - Tomas throws in plenty of Spanish phrases. That's fine for a latino character, though it does feel very constructed, as if the authors were trying for an educational angle: Dora the Explorer for young adults. But surely they should be phrases that make grammatical sense? As in, not messing up simple things like gender, tense, or voice. Or maybe even using the correct prepositions.
I guess the only thing more useless you could do with your time than reading this book would be staying up until 12am writing a review of it on the internet. Fool me twice...
Meet Tomas, recently moved to NYC, who at 15 discovers that he can set things on fire using only his mind. Naturally he is approached by the the mob and offered a job as an enforcer (because hey, if the police can't prove the cause of a fire, they can't convict anyone of arson).
There's so many exciting places you could go with that storyline. But instead Tomas is caught and sent to a school where people like him can safely learn to control their powers (booooring).
At school, the teachers are all perfect (ie, boring), the students are mostly perfect (ie, boring), and those students who aren't perfect tend to have just one character flaw that Tomas will be able to fix by the end (the only thing more boring than a perfect character is a near-perfect character becoming perfect).
There's no overarching plot or storyline to drive the book. Instead we get a series of monsters appearing, to be defeated by Tomas and friends. Think boring 80s TV series monster-of-the-week style. I suppose the romantic storyline could be considered a plot (I'm having to stretch the definition of plot here quite a bit), does or does he not get the girl? Spoiler: .
One more annoying thing - Tomas throws in plenty of Spanish phrases. That's fine for a latino character, though it does feel very constructed, as if the authors were trying for an educational angle: Dora the Explorer for young adults. But surely they should be phrases that make grammatical sense? As in, not messing up simple things like gender, tense, or voice. Or maybe even using the correct prepositions.
I guess the only thing more useless you could do with your time than reading this book would be staying up until 12am writing a review of it on the internet. Fool me twice...
July 5, 2014
I keep holding out hope that Mercedes Lackey will go back to the genius that was the Valdemar series (especially her early work), and I keep ending up disappointed. I'm like a girl who keeps going back to the guy who used to treat her like a princess but now just kind of ignores her while he drinks beer and watches football. I know she's no good for me any more, but I just can't seem to let go of what we used to have.
Lackey USED to be a genius at both world building and character building. Her characters have at times been real and deep enough to move me to tears (I will NEVER get over the Vanyel series, ever), and her worlds have felt real enough to be the stuff of my own teenage fantasies back in the day. This though... well. This. Basically, it felt like some sort of hack-handed urban Harry Potter, only less original, less magical, and less engrossing to read. I think it's cool she wants to try her hand at a Latino protagonist. Rock on. Really. But it just felt completely forced and unnatural. And the best she could do was a Latino kid who wants to work on cars? And build some sort of low rider hot rod thing? I mean, really? Because stereotypes are awesome.
As for the fantasy part... run of the mill, nothing exciting. A little Harry Potter mixed with some Wizard of Oz, mostly. The teen drama romance stuff was just a complete yawn, and the ending was completely ridiculous.
Basically, some of Lackeys' work has been better than others, but I think this was downright the worst of all of it. Basically, this should probably be one star, except it was mildly entertaining at certain parts, and, basically, for old time's sake I give an extra star.
I'd like to say that I won't read any more of Lackey's new works, but I know that's a lie because I keep holding out hope that we'll get that spark back and be able to live happily ever after, even though I know that she'll probably just keep yelling at me from her arm chair to bring another beer.
Oh, Mercedes. Why can't I quit you?
Lackey USED to be a genius at both world building and character building. Her characters have at times been real and deep enough to move me to tears (I will NEVER get over the Vanyel series, ever), and her worlds have felt real enough to be the stuff of my own teenage fantasies back in the day. This though... well. This. Basically, it felt like some sort of hack-handed urban Harry Potter, only less original, less magical, and less engrossing to read. I think it's cool she wants to try her hand at a Latino protagonist. Rock on. Really. But it just felt completely forced and unnatural. And the best she could do was a Latino kid who wants to work on cars? And build some sort of low rider hot rod thing? I mean, really? Because stereotypes are awesome.
As for the fantasy part... run of the mill, nothing exciting. A little Harry Potter mixed with some Wizard of Oz, mostly. The teen drama romance stuff was just a complete yawn, and the ending was completely ridiculous.
Basically, some of Lackeys' work has been better than others, but I think this was downright the worst of all of it. Basically, this should probably be one star, except it was mildly entertaining at certain parts, and, basically, for old time's sake I give an extra star.
I'd like to say that I won't read any more of Lackey's new works, but I know that's a lie because I keep holding out hope that we'll get that spark back and be able to live happily ever after, even though I know that she'll probably just keep yelling at me from her arm chair to bring another beer.
Oh, Mercedes. Why can't I quit you?
April 21, 2014
Humble Bundle really has to stop selling me YA books. Seriously - I don't read the descriptions. I pretty much read blindly, wanting to be surprised as the story unfolds. Unfortunately, Humble Bundle seems to have latched on to the kids-doing-magic-means-insta-hit book thing and it's pretty much the worst.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Arcanum 101 wasn't even the worst book. It had some pretty unbelievable shit in it, but it's magic, so I guess I can also suspend disbelief and thing a mob boss would let their peon get arrested and shipped off to a school without giving a damn that they lost their magical arson worker bee. Fine. The worst part of the book, for me, was the last 85%. It's like the author got bored and just mushed a lot of really important plot points into a very, very short amount of time. I almost felt them saying "and blah blah blah there was some love triangle shit and blah blah blah she realized that guy that had liked her forever actually was into her and totes got over that other dude and got with the dude that liked her and HAPPILY EVER AFTER WHATEVER I DON'T WANT TO WRITE THIS BOOK ANYMORE. MAGIC."
:(
SPOILERS AHEAD
Arcanum 101 wasn't even the worst book. It had some pretty unbelievable shit in it, but it's magic, so I guess I can also suspend disbelief and thing a mob boss would let their peon get arrested and shipped off to a school without giving a damn that they lost their magical arson worker bee. Fine. The worst part of the book, for me, was the last 85%. It's like the author got bored and just mushed a lot of really important plot points into a very, very short amount of time. I almost felt them saying "and blah blah blah there was some love triangle shit and blah blah blah she realized that guy that had liked her forever actually was into her and totes got over that other dude and got with the dude that liked her and HAPPILY EVER AFTER WHATEVER I DON'T WANT TO WRITE THIS BOOK ANYMORE. MAGIC."
:(
August 26, 2014
I was really excited by the first section of this book, the male main character Tomas trying to figure out his magical powers while working for the mob. The sudden switch to a magic school didn't bother me so much as the sudden change of the main character--once he gets to school, Tomas's personality seemed completely washed out, like he was a different person. None of the characters seemed very believable, and the setting was just too safe and perfect. Even Hogwarts has dangers and antagonists.
September 16, 2013
Terrible. Bad writing, bad editing. Just bad.
January 20, 2015
An urban fantasy for young adults and focusing on Tomas Torres. There is another "Arcanum 101" by Mercedes Lackey in her Diana Tregarde series, and it appears to be a different story from this one.
My Take
This took an unexpected twist with an Hispanic family leaping into magic. Nothing unusual in it, just unusual for Lackey/Edghill.
How is working for Prestamo any different from working for the drug dealers or being in a gang? And how could he be so stupid as to not use care? I'd also like to know how the cops knew he'd be going to the bridal shoppe.
I am rather surprised that Mama is so intolerant about her children being gifted.
I do love how VeeVee introduces Tomas to the school. And it's so much fun to see all Tomas' expectations of the school get debunked. It's exactly what kids need. No judgements. No lies. An atmosphere in which to flourish in the arenas which interest them. I also like that not everything gets handed to them. They have to earn certain privileges. AND the school is determined to graduate kids who get jobs in fields they love. No one will "starve in a fast-food or mega-mart job". Oh, wow, these classes, even the "bonehead vocational classes" are a dream come true. There are a few I'd love!
They do each get a laptop with access to the Internet, that Student Union is to die for!, and the auto shop…whoa… They have school dances with music provided by student bands, but no one is forced to go. They have field trips — some normal and some not so normal. The not-so-normal trips are the learning experiences.
Poor Tomas. He's skated along in all his classes previously. Here the classes are too small for him to go unnoticed, and he'll actually have to do the work if he wants access to the auto shop in his off hours.
There are some fun challenges as well as some scary ones. VeeVee lays down a challenge on the dance floor that Tomas picks up. There are also monster hunts where Tomas learns that this school is for real. The more mundane conflict is that field trip date that VeeVee has to pass on and can't tell Tomas. Talk about misunderstandings!
I suspect it's the field trip Underhill that lays to rest Tomas' skepticism about magic. It's certainly a shocker when Lord Moonlight appears without illusion!
The Story
So much for the American dream for the Torreses. There's no work for Mamacita in El Paso, and while she can find laborer jobs in New York City, it's not enough to do more than barely survive in this expensive city.
It's that robbery at the bodega that Tomas discovers what he can do. It's a way to make money. To help Mama.
For that, Tomas is willing to forego his promise to himself, to get entangled in criminal enterprises. Only, for such an intelligent boy, he's not too bright.
The challenge at St. Rhiannon's will be to ensure this boy with his pyrokinetic powers chooses the side of right.
The Characters
Papi Torres left them, and it's Mamacita (Consuelo Torres) who is trying to support Tomas, who is very good with cars, and Rosalita (she talks to her invisible friends) in New York City with a useless education degree from the University of Mexico. Carmelita is Mama's cousin who sent the bus tickets.
Valeria Victrix "VeeVee" Langenfeld is a Fire Witch, skilled in combat magic and a techno-shaman with a secret passion for sewing. She'll be Tomas' mentor at the school. One of her ambitions is to be made a Knight-Mage Underhill and a Guardian like her parents: a Finnish Witch (Moira) who can whistle up storms and a father who is an hereditary German vampire hunter descended from the Van Helsings.
St. Rhiannon's School in upstate New York is…
…a boarding school for gifted children: M-tracks are magicians whose power comes from magic while P-tracks are kids with psionic powers which come from the mind. The teachers include Eric Banyon who is a bard from the Bedlam's Bard urban fantasy series and part of the overall Elves on the Road series. He's also Sieur Eric, Bard of Elfhame Misthold and liegeman to Prince Arvin. Hosea Songmaker also teaches music; Jeanette is his possessed banjo. Inigo Moonlight is the headmaster, a 1,000+-year-old Magus Major elf, a.k.a., Lord Moonlight. Grace Fairchild and Tucker Bell are his assistants and do most of the work. Sarah Clifford is the school counselor with a passion for Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries (oh, yeah!). The school founder is a half-Elven Mage and a multi-billionaire, Ria Llewellyn. She's a bit handicapped due to who her father was, Prince Perenor, an Unseleighe Prince who almost destroyed Elfhame Sun-Descending. Doctor Carter and Nurse Irene live at the Infirmary. Daniel Bishop, a psychometrist, trains the psionic students and teaches History. Mr. Balinsky teaches English. Ms. Bosworth teaches Bio and Chem. Kayla Smith is a healer who teaches advanced Computer Science. Mari Morales is the librarian. Ms. Mallozzi teaches algebra.
Dottie Davies (she's a character in the SERRAted Edge series) is the mechanic teaching Auto Shop. Tomas' fellow students will include Aaron Clark, Brian Walker is a water witch, and Destiny is an artificer.
Some of the students include Chris Shackleford, a precog, is the residential assistant with a Goth bedroom. Johnny Devlin can do apportation, Annabelle Young calls storms, Sarita and Kurt Richards heal, Lalage Chisholm is a witch who can talk to plants and has an eye for Tomas, Kenny Chandler can do telekinesis, Gordy Riley is a telepath, Aimee King is a sensitive, Tyler, Ethan Harris is an astral warrior, Megan Bennett, Jamilla Adams, Destiny Campbell, Chloe Howard has bardic gifts, Nina, Vanh, and Gareth Moore is an OCD mage and dating Lauren.
Nierin ap Bedwyr is an elf VeeVee knows. Aaron is Kurt's normal little brother.
LlewellCo is…
…an alliance between Ria Llewellyn and Eric, a small group of Guardians, and mages allied with the Elfhames to monitor for problems.
In New York City
Mr. de La Yedra owns the corner bodega. Tiburon Prestamo is el padrone, a man you do not disrespect. Jorge is one of his enforcers. Ms. Lyons is the Family Court judge. Mrs. Rodriquez is one of Tomas' victims. Linda Kenyon is from the DA's office and a Guardian. Marty Mitchell is the public defender. Mr. Blaylock is Tomas' probation officer.
The Guardians are a loose organization of Talented and Gifted chosen to stand between the Mundanes and things that go bump (or boom!) in the night. They are the elite of Mages, required to protect and defend. A Magus Major is one of the most powerful magicians the elves produce.
Underhill is a series of Domains powerful elves carve out of the Chaos Lands with each anchored by Gates and a Node Grove. Low Court elves are tied to their Node Grove or they've been sealed into a Domain. High Court elves are Dark or Bright, Unseleighe or Seleighe.
The bad guys include Shadow Warriors, vampires, nightflyers, a revenant,and a Trollking.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a black background with a boy's head haloed with a corona of heat. The truly hot is the ball of flames he's holding in the hand he's thrusting at us. The oranges, yellows, and reds are also reflected in the title and the authors' names.
The title is a blend of the magic and class basics, for Tomas is heading for Arcanum 101.
My Take
This took an unexpected twist with an Hispanic family leaping into magic. Nothing unusual in it, just unusual for Lackey/Edghill.
How is working for Prestamo any different from working for the drug dealers or being in a gang? And how could he be so stupid as to not use care? I'd also like to know how the cops knew he'd be going to the bridal shoppe.
I am rather surprised that Mama is so intolerant about her children being gifted.
I do love how VeeVee introduces Tomas to the school. And it's so much fun to see all Tomas' expectations of the school get debunked. It's exactly what kids need. No judgements. No lies. An atmosphere in which to flourish in the arenas which interest them. I also like that not everything gets handed to them. They have to earn certain privileges. AND the school is determined to graduate kids who get jobs in fields they love. No one will "starve in a fast-food or mega-mart job". Oh, wow, these classes, even the "bonehead vocational classes" are a dream come true. There are a few I'd love!
They do each get a laptop with access to the Internet, that Student Union is to die for!, and the auto shop…whoa… They have school dances with music provided by student bands, but no one is forced to go. They have field trips — some normal and some not so normal. The not-so-normal trips are the learning experiences.
Poor Tomas. He's skated along in all his classes previously. Here the classes are too small for him to go unnoticed, and he'll actually have to do the work if he wants access to the auto shop in his off hours.
There are some fun challenges as well as some scary ones. VeeVee lays down a challenge on the dance floor that Tomas picks up. There are also monster hunts where Tomas learns that this school is for real. The more mundane conflict is that field trip date that VeeVee has to pass on and can't tell Tomas. Talk about misunderstandings!
I suspect it's the field trip Underhill that lays to rest Tomas' skepticism about magic. It's certainly a shocker when Lord Moonlight appears without illusion!
The Story
So much for the American dream for the Torreses. There's no work for Mamacita in El Paso, and while she can find laborer jobs in New York City, it's not enough to do more than barely survive in this expensive city.
It's that robbery at the bodega that Tomas discovers what he can do. It's a way to make money. To help Mama.
For that, Tomas is willing to forego his promise to himself, to get entangled in criminal enterprises. Only, for such an intelligent boy, he's not too bright.
The challenge at St. Rhiannon's will be to ensure this boy with his pyrokinetic powers chooses the side of right.
The Characters
Papi Torres left them, and it's Mamacita (Consuelo Torres) who is trying to support Tomas, who is very good with cars, and Rosalita (she talks to her invisible friends) in New York City with a useless education degree from the University of Mexico. Carmelita is Mama's cousin who sent the bus tickets.
Valeria Victrix "VeeVee" Langenfeld is a Fire Witch, skilled in combat magic and a techno-shaman with a secret passion for sewing. She'll be Tomas' mentor at the school. One of her ambitions is to be made a Knight-Mage Underhill and a Guardian like her parents: a Finnish Witch (Moira) who can whistle up storms and a father who is an hereditary German vampire hunter descended from the Van Helsings.
St. Rhiannon's School in upstate New York is…
…a boarding school for gifted children: M-tracks are magicians whose power comes from magic while P-tracks are kids with psionic powers which come from the mind. The teachers include Eric Banyon who is a bard from the Bedlam's Bard urban fantasy series and part of the overall Elves on the Road series. He's also Sieur Eric, Bard of Elfhame Misthold and liegeman to Prince Arvin. Hosea Songmaker also teaches music; Jeanette is his possessed banjo. Inigo Moonlight is the headmaster, a 1,000+-year-old Magus Major elf, a.k.a., Lord Moonlight. Grace Fairchild and Tucker Bell are his assistants and do most of the work. Sarah Clifford is the school counselor with a passion for Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries (oh, yeah!). The school founder is a half-Elven Mage and a multi-billionaire, Ria Llewellyn. She's a bit handicapped due to who her father was, Prince Perenor, an Unseleighe Prince who almost destroyed Elfhame Sun-Descending. Doctor Carter and Nurse Irene live at the Infirmary. Daniel Bishop, a psychometrist, trains the psionic students and teaches History. Mr. Balinsky teaches English. Ms. Bosworth teaches Bio and Chem. Kayla Smith is a healer who teaches advanced Computer Science. Mari Morales is the librarian. Ms. Mallozzi teaches algebra.
Dottie Davies (she's a character in the SERRAted Edge series) is the mechanic teaching Auto Shop. Tomas' fellow students will include Aaron Clark, Brian Walker is a water witch, and Destiny is an artificer.
Some of the students include Chris Shackleford, a precog, is the residential assistant with a Goth bedroom. Johnny Devlin can do apportation, Annabelle Young calls storms, Sarita and Kurt Richards heal, Lalage Chisholm is a witch who can talk to plants and has an eye for Tomas, Kenny Chandler can do telekinesis, Gordy Riley is a telepath, Aimee King is a sensitive, Tyler, Ethan Harris is an astral warrior, Megan Bennett, Jamilla Adams, Destiny Campbell, Chloe Howard has bardic gifts, Nina, Vanh, and Gareth Moore is an OCD mage and dating Lauren.
Nierin ap Bedwyr is an elf VeeVee knows. Aaron is Kurt's normal little brother.
LlewellCo is…
…an alliance between Ria Llewellyn and Eric, a small group of Guardians, and mages allied with the Elfhames to monitor for problems.
In New York City
Mr. de La Yedra owns the corner bodega. Tiburon Prestamo is el padrone, a man you do not disrespect. Jorge is one of his enforcers. Ms. Lyons is the Family Court judge. Mrs. Rodriquez is one of Tomas' victims. Linda Kenyon is from the DA's office and a Guardian. Marty Mitchell is the public defender. Mr. Blaylock is Tomas' probation officer.
The Guardians are a loose organization of Talented and Gifted chosen to stand between the Mundanes and things that go bump (or boom!) in the night. They are the elite of Mages, required to protect and defend. A Magus Major is one of the most powerful magicians the elves produce.
Underhill is a series of Domains powerful elves carve out of the Chaos Lands with each anchored by Gates and a Node Grove. Low Court elves are tied to their Node Grove or they've been sealed into a Domain. High Court elves are Dark or Bright, Unseleighe or Seleighe.
The bad guys include Shadow Warriors, vampires, nightflyers, a revenant,and a Trollking.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a black background with a boy's head haloed with a corona of heat. The truly hot is the ball of flames he's holding in the hand he's thrusting at us. The oranges, yellows, and reds are also reflected in the title and the authors' names.
The title is a blend of the magic and class basics, for Tomas is heading for Arcanum 101.
June 24, 2016
I kept going back and forth between 2 stars and 3. I'd probably consider it 2.5 stars, but that's not an option and I felt like giving the book the benefit of the doubt. I purchased the book as part of one of the first book-related bundles I ever bought. (I *think* from Storybundle) This wasn't the book that made me buy it.
When I looked around on Goodreads, there doesn't appear to be an Arcanum 202 or other such direct sequel. It looks like the author has a few books in the same universe, but not direct sequels to this one. (According to Goodreads, this is the series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/4048...) The reason I mention this is that this story does not flow like a traditional story. It's a metric ton of world-building and nearly no story. The antagonist, to the extent that one exists, is presented and dealt with in the final couple chapters. That's what pushed this book more towards 2 stars for me. It's essentially a personal growth story, but I feel that's probably the weakest part of the book.
Switching gears for a moment, the best thing about the book is that Ms Lackey does a pretty good job depicting teens. I wouldn't say it's stellar or the best characterization I've ever read. But the kids seem to react pretty realistically to teen power dynamics and hormones without falling into too many cliches.
Our main character, Tomas, was a little annoying to me in the way he interacted with others. Granted, my friends and family are a very small sample size, but as someone who is also bilingual, I found the way he spoke to people odd. So, in South Florida, sure we did a lot of code switching, that is we'd mix English and Spanish in one sentence. But only in cases where everyone there was also bilingual. Tomas, on the other hand, is constantly using Spanish with people who have given no indication they speak any Spanish. Maybe, given he's from Texas, that's how people speak there, but it just struck me as odd. The random Spanish in his inner monologue - sure, that scans. But I wouldn't just randomly call someone in Maryland (where I live now) "chica", even though that's a word most people have been exposed to. It just seemed weird.
One last bit of a misuse of Chekov's gun, in my opinion. At once point in the story Tomas is working for a pretty bad element and It's suggested that his disobedience will lead to consequences with his family. This is dropped as soon as our character ends up in the X-Men-like school that is the story's main location. Frankly, I kept expecting this to be a big growth point. I thought they'd go after his family and he'd have to have a personal growth moment where he realized he shouldn't kill people with his powers or something.
So, if you like world-building and fantasy, it's a pretty quick read. Despite what the read length says up there, I only read it for about 10-15 minutes at a time five days a week, and it only took me a couple weeks once I really got into it consistently. Just don't go into it expecting a traditional story.
When I looked around on Goodreads, there doesn't appear to be an Arcanum 202 or other such direct sequel. It looks like the author has a few books in the same universe, but not direct sequels to this one. (According to Goodreads, this is the series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/4048...) The reason I mention this is that this story does not flow like a traditional story. It's a metric ton of world-building and nearly no story. The antagonist, to the extent that one exists, is presented and dealt with in the final couple chapters. That's what pushed this book more towards 2 stars for me. It's essentially a personal growth story, but I feel that's probably the weakest part of the book.
Switching gears for a moment, the best thing about the book is that Ms Lackey does a pretty good job depicting teens. I wouldn't say it's stellar or the best characterization I've ever read. But the kids seem to react pretty realistically to teen power dynamics and hormones without falling into too many cliches.
Our main character, Tomas, was a little annoying to me in the way he interacted with others. Granted, my friends and family are a very small sample size, but as someone who is also bilingual, I found the way he spoke to people odd. So, in South Florida, sure we did a lot of code switching, that is we'd mix English and Spanish in one sentence. But only in cases where everyone there was also bilingual. Tomas, on the other hand, is constantly using Spanish with people who have given no indication they speak any Spanish. Maybe, given he's from Texas, that's how people speak there, but it just struck me as odd. The random Spanish in his inner monologue - sure, that scans. But I wouldn't just randomly call someone in Maryland (where I live now) "chica", even though that's a word most people have been exposed to. It just seemed weird.
One last bit of a misuse of Chekov's gun, in my opinion. At once point in the story Tomas is working for a pretty bad element and It's suggested that his disobedience will lead to consequences with his family. This is dropped as soon as our character ends up in the X-Men-like school that is the story's main location. Frankly, I kept expecting this to be a big growth point. I thought they'd go after his family and he'd have to have a personal growth moment where he realized he shouldn't kill people with his powers or something.
So, if you like world-building and fantasy, it's a pretty quick read. Despite what the read length says up there, I only read it for about 10-15 minutes at a time five days a week, and it only took me a couple weeks once I really got into it consistently. Just don't go into it expecting a traditional story.
April 19, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, but before I say why, let me put in a disclaimer/warning:
If you aren't a long time fan of Lackey's Elves on the Road world (Bedlam's Bard mostly, but also Urban Elves, and Diana Tregard series) move on. This book is less a novel in it's own right and more fan service for folks who want another taste of their favorite world and characters.
And actually, that's pretty much why I enjoyed the book. Tomas was an interesting enough character, though he could have been more thoroughly developed. VeeVee has potential, but spends more time infodumping her own history than interacting or moving the plot. Cameos or secondary character roles for Eric Banyon, Hosea Songmaker, Kayla Smith, Dottie (mechanic from Fairgrove) and a few others turned an otherwise mediocre story into a really fun read just from the excitement of seeing what they were up to and the anticipation of who was going to pop up next.
Ending was a bit of a disappointment, very rushed and it felt like the authors tried to cram 3 or 4 potential plots into the story without fully developing any--Tomas' struggle to accept magic, family drama in the Torres family, two romance plots...
I'm happy I bought it, and I'll pick up a sequel if they write one just to see my old fave's again, but I hope they'd put more effort into a well developed plot and characters
If you aren't a long time fan of Lackey's Elves on the Road world (Bedlam's Bard mostly, but also Urban Elves, and Diana Tregard series) move on. This book is less a novel in it's own right and more fan service for folks who want another taste of their favorite world and characters.
And actually, that's pretty much why I enjoyed the book. Tomas was an interesting enough character, though he could have been more thoroughly developed. VeeVee has potential, but spends more time infodumping her own history than interacting or moving the plot. Cameos or secondary character roles for Eric Banyon, Hosea Songmaker, Kayla Smith, Dottie (mechanic from Fairgrove) and a few others turned an otherwise mediocre story into a really fun read just from the excitement of seeing what they were up to and the anticipation of who was going to pop up next.
Ending was a bit of a disappointment, very rushed and it felt like the authors tried to cram 3 or 4 potential plots into the story without fully developing any--Tomas' struggle to accept magic, family drama in the Torres family, two romance plots...
I'm happy I bought it, and I'll pick up a sequel if they write one just to see my old fave's again, but I hope they'd put more effort into a well developed plot and characters
June 30, 2015
I'm definitely not one to accuse any book of ripping off another just because they share a premise (a school for gifted children - everyone says Harry Potter but nothing about X-Men with this one). This isn't my first time with the Secret World Chronicles, since I read another collection that I got in (maybe this same) Humble Bundle. My main takeaway is it's interesting but doesn't grab me enough. It was all right but not great.
I was a little annoyed with the random insertion of Spanish words in the middle of sentences. Do people really talk like that? All the people I know whose first language isn't English will only slip into their native language when trying to figure out what English word corresponds to what they're trying to say. They don't just throw it in there like punctuation. Maybe for words like "hermana" and "mamacita" because that's what he calls his sister, his mother, etc, but the rest of the time it's like "pick a random word to run through Google translate."
Tomas's arrogant macho 'tude turned me off, but that's just a personal taste thing.
Overall not intense or nuanced enough for my tastes.
I was a little annoyed with the random insertion of Spanish words in the middle of sentences. Do people really talk like that? All the people I know whose first language isn't English will only slip into their native language when trying to figure out what English word corresponds to what they're trying to say. They don't just throw it in there like punctuation. Maybe for words like "hermana" and "mamacita" because that's what he calls his sister, his mother, etc, but the rest of the time it's like "pick a random word to run through Google translate."
Tomas's arrogant macho 'tude turned me off, but that's just a personal taste thing.
Overall not intense or nuanced enough for my tastes.
September 1, 2018
Apparently there is a Diana Tregarde story of the same name by this author, this is not that story. It is however set in the same universe, with Guardians, magic and bad monsters needing to be dealt with. Set in a small private school in upstate New York, it is a similar setup to Professor Xavier’s special school for the gifted in the movie ‘X-Men: First Class’.
Pretty simple plot lines and characters, this is a good read for the advanced 11/12 yo reader, but best for a bit older kid reading YA books.
Note: poor editing for mechanical problems (ie. missing words, repeated words “thatthat”, etc.)
Pretty simple plot lines and characters, this is a good read for the advanced 11/12 yo reader, but best for a bit older kid reading YA books.
Note: poor editing for mechanical problems (ie. missing words, repeated words “thatthat”, etc.)
March 26, 2012
Urban fantasy, YA type. Main character is a 15yo Hispanic, male, with psychic powers that let him start fires. Several of the minor characters are people who were major characters in other books by Lackey, such as Eric Banyan. Not great but definitely worth reading, although somehow an awful lot of extra "that" words snuck into the text, sometimes even "thatthatthat".
June 23, 2016
More like 3.5 stars. I liked it, and it was a quick read with interesting characters, but there was just something lacking that I can't put my finger on. Some of the dialogue was a little awkward - sometimes trendy just ends up being dated.
April 6, 2018
The premise was interesting ... the execution terrible.
Tomas discovers his ability to create fire. He gets mixed up with a gang, gets caught for arson, and sent to a special school for people like him. There, he meets a girl who he falls for (this takes up a lot of plot space), wanders around on expeditions exploring the world, and fights stuff, including .
I wasn't that keen on the random Spanish thrown in - but then again, the character's parents are Mexican, so it made narrative sense, and I could guess . I was definitely less impressed when VeeVee talks about Oxford (the UK university) being four years or more - an Oxford undergraduate degree is three years. (I excused her calling it a "college".)
The world was interesting (magic exists, people have specific talents or magic) but bland. The characters were very young adult, so I might not have been the right audience for this. I felt that there could have been more room for character development that was sadly not explored - this felt a little like a prequel.
So 1.5 stars.
Tomas discovers his ability to create fire. He gets mixed up with a gang, gets caught for arson, and sent to a special school for people like him. There, he meets a girl who he falls for (this takes up a lot of plot space), wanders around on expeditions exploring the world, and fights stuff, including .
I wasn't that keen on the random Spanish thrown in - but then again, the character's parents are Mexican, so it made narrative sense, and I could guess . I was definitely less impressed when VeeVee talks about Oxford (the UK university) being four years or more - an Oxford undergraduate degree is three years. (I excused her calling it a "college".)
The world was interesting (magic exists, people have specific talents or magic) but bland. The characters were very young adult, so I might not have been the right audience for this. I felt that there could have been more room for character development that was sadly not explored - this felt a little like a prequel.
So 1.5 stars.
January 14, 2025
A Nice Side Story
I had accidentally bought "Children of the Night" one day many years ago. I found "Wheels of Fire" ( I think that's the name of a SERRAted Edge book) in a used book store. I looked for more of those books and read them. To have this book come out and tie them all together (one more time) was a treat. It was nice to see Eric Banyon again. It was nice to see that the elves from Georgia were working with others to teach at risk children about their powers. It was just plain fun. Of course I would have loved to see some of the other characters, but beggars can't be choosers.
And I enjoyed the shout out to Tanya Huff and her portal to Hell in the furnace. Someone summon a Keeper.
I had accidentally bought "Children of the Night" one day many years ago. I found "Wheels of Fire" ( I think that's the name of a SERRAted Edge book) in a used book store. I looked for more of those books and read them. To have this book come out and tie them all together (one more time) was a treat. It was nice to see Eric Banyon again. It was nice to see that the elves from Georgia were working with others to teach at risk children about their powers. It was just plain fun. Of course I would have loved to see some of the other characters, but beggars can't be choosers.
And I enjoyed the shout out to Tanya Huff and her portal to Hell in the furnace. Someone summon a Keeper.
July 21, 2018
I was totally digging this until the end when a character suddenly decides she's totally into this guy she otherwise wasn't interested in just because she realized *he* was interested and all she ever wanted was to have someone look at her like that. There's a solid foundation for a relationship right there.
And there were loose ends. I hate loose ends. But given that this is a filler novella for a series, I guess I can understand. They just better be dealt with elsewhere in the series.
Four stars till the last twenty pages or so, but the final outcome is three (did I mention I hate loose ends?)
And there were loose ends. I hate loose ends. But given that this is a filler novella for a series, I guess I can understand. They just better be dealt with elsewhere in the series.
Four stars till the last twenty pages or so, but the final outcome is three (did I mention I hate loose ends?)
June 20, 2021
This is the very first Diana Tregarde story, though written later than some of them. It's the first story in Mercedes' Trio of Sorcery, and I also have it as an eBook.
I really enjoyed reading this one, as it explains Diana's beginnings, and how she became the centre of the Spook Club.
The plotline was involving, and it was only right towards the end that I guessed Tamara's secret - though that's not usual for me these days, with my terrible memory problems! Lol
I was going to continue on in the second story of the Trio book, but realised it was about a different series, so I'm going to power up my eReader, and finish off the other Diana Tregarde books I have on there first!
I really enjoyed reading this one, as it explains Diana's beginnings, and how she became the centre of the Spook Club.
The plotline was involving, and it was only right towards the end that I guessed Tamara's secret - though that's not usual for me these days, with my terrible memory problems! Lol
I was going to continue on in the second story of the Trio book, but realised it was about a different series, so I'm going to power up my eReader, and finish off the other Diana Tregarde books I have on there first!
October 4, 2025
Arcanum 101 was just a blast to read. It’s fast, clever, and exactly what I love about Lackey and Edghill when they’re having fun with their worldbuilding. It’s got magic, mayhem, snark, and just enough emotional depth to make you care about everyone by the end.
The story feels like part mystery, part coming-of-age, and part “urban fantasy road trip,” and it works. I love that it doesn’t take itself too seriously — it’s self-aware, witty, and full of that breezy charm that makes it so easy to lose track of time while reading.
Sure, it’s a lighter story, but that’s part of its appeal. It’s comfort reading — a little weird, a little nerdy, and all heart.
The story feels like part mystery, part coming-of-age, and part “urban fantasy road trip,” and it works. I love that it doesn’t take itself too seriously — it’s self-aware, witty, and full of that breezy charm that makes it so easy to lose track of time while reading.
Sure, it’s a lighter story, but that’s part of its appeal. It’s comfort reading — a little weird, a little nerdy, and all heart.
May 9, 2025
I found this book interesting, even though it does end a bit quickly and somewhat weakly compared to the first 2/3s or so. While it clearly takes place in the same universe as the Diana Tregarde books, I wouldn't say this is really part of that series despite what the Goodreads tags say. Will have to look into the other books these authors have done together to see if it ties in with any of them. Would recommend to fans of urban fantasy so long as you don't set your expectations too high. It's an enjoyable read, but nothing that's really a standout.
May 26, 2022
This is another book from an old Humble Bundle. I decided to read this one now because I've read a couple of other Mercedes Lackey books recently, and enjoyed them. This is also a good one.
This book falls into the somewhat overused "school for kids who can use magic" sub-genre. If you're not tired of reading books like that, this is a pretty good one. I liked it, and would like to read more.
This book falls into the somewhat overused "school for kids who can use magic" sub-genre. If you're not tired of reading books like that, this is a pretty good one. I liked it, and would like to read more.
October 1, 2017
Wonderful prequel to the world of Magic & Talents a la Diana Tregarde
This is a foundation for the world of Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde. Definitely worth the read, I wish I could have found it before the series....but it stands alone nicely.
This is a foundation for the world of Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde. Definitely worth the read, I wish I could have found it before the series....but it stands alone nicely.
September 15, 2018
German has the nice word "belanglos" for this kind of book. Hard to find a good translation - tepid? trivial? irrelevant? Anyway, it's a mix of Harry Potter and X-Men with nowhere enough actual story to make reading it worthwhile.
November 5, 2024
Fantastic!
These 2 authors Have a
wonderful beginning For a new series That will appeal to young adults and adults as well.. It remains to be seen if this will become the new hogwarts setting. It is my intention to check it out and follow the story.
These 2 authors Have a
wonderful beginning For a new series That will appeal to young adults and adults as well.. It remains to be seen if this will become the new hogwarts setting. It is my intention to check it out and follow the story.
December 13, 2024
What do you do when life isn't fair?
Tomas' father leaves them. His mother moves them to New York, where everything is expensive. Tomas wants to help. He drops out of school to get a job.
Tomas' father leaves them. His mother moves them to New York, where everything is expensive. Tomas wants to help. He drops out of school to get a job.
June 25, 2025
This was a good little short story, as all of the by Mercedes Lackey are. But I'm not sure why this is classified as a Diana Tregarde, since she's not in it. A lot of the others are, but not her. Still, it's a good story, so I can live with it.
March 25, 2018
I wish she would continue this series.
I was disappointed in all the typos on the Kindle version I have. It seems a simple fix to correct for everyone to download again.
I was disappointed in all the typos on the Kindle version I have. It seems a simple fix to correct for everyone to download again.
June 10, 2020
Not quite Lackey's normal writing, but it is a quick read probably aimed at younger than me readers.
December 11, 2021
Fun read, nice world, I love Tomas and VeeVee. But sometimes it felt a bit rushed, especially the ending.
September 26, 2023
Classic Lackey/Edghill
I loved it and I want more. The writing was brisk and interesting. The Spanish words confused me, but it wasn’t a turn off. I recommend it to others.
I loved it and I want more. The writing was brisk and interesting. The Spanish words confused me, but it wasn’t a turn off. I recommend it to others.
February 6, 2024
Interesting story that ends on a cliff hanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2024
Fun read
Liked the way the authors made human magic work in this world. Interesting interface with the uncanny. The little romance was a cute touch.
Liked the way the authors made human magic work in this world. Interesting interface with the uncanny. The little romance was a cute touch.
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