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Obsidian Mountain #2
To Light a Candle
To Light a Candle, the second book in The Obsidian Trilogy from Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
The Demon Queen Attacks!
To his own surprise, young Kellen, once the disappointing son of the great Mage who leads the City's Mage Council, has become a powerful Knight-Mage. Valued for his bravery and his skills as both wizard and warrior, Kellen joins the Elves' war councils. Yet he cannot convince the City of his birth that it is in terrible danger.
Kellen's sister Idalia, a Wild Mage with great healing ability, has pledged her heart to Jermayan, a proud Elven warrior. Someday Idalia will pay a tragic Price for a world-saving work of Wild Magic, but until then, she will claim any joy life can offer her.
Jermayan, who has learned much fighting at Kellen's side and loving the human Idalia, finds that everything changes when he Bonds with a dragon while rescuing the Elf Prince and becomes the first Elven Mage in a thousand years.
Furious at her enemies' success with the dragon, the Demon Queen attacks in force. Light struggles against Dark, like flickering candle flames buried deep in the shadow of Obsidian Mountain.
The Demon Queen Attacks!
To his own surprise, young Kellen, once the disappointing son of the great Mage who leads the City's Mage Council, has become a powerful Knight-Mage. Valued for his bravery and his skills as both wizard and warrior, Kellen joins the Elves' war councils. Yet he cannot convince the City of his birth that it is in terrible danger.
Kellen's sister Idalia, a Wild Mage with great healing ability, has pledged her heart to Jermayan, a proud Elven warrior. Someday Idalia will pay a tragic Price for a world-saving work of Wild Magic, but until then, she will claim any joy life can offer her.
Jermayan, who has learned much fighting at Kellen's side and loving the human Idalia, finds that everything changes when he Bonds with a dragon while rescuing the Elf Prince and becomes the first Elven Mage in a thousand years.
Furious at her enemies' success with the dragon, the Demon Queen attacks in force. Light struggles against Dark, like flickering candle flames buried deep in the shadow of Obsidian Mountain.
856 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2004
194 people are currently reading
2637 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,529 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 194 reviews
April 18, 2012
Those of you who enjoy Elder Scrolls games, like Morrowind or Skyrim, can properly understand that sense of excitement when you are about to explore new city, dungeon, territory. You wonder what it looks like, who you will meet, what stories you will hear, what quests you will go on, how it will change you. You are nervous with excitement, and you love every moment of it. I had the same feeling while reading this book. It doesn't have most of the faults from the first book - Kellen is not so whiny, there is almost no redundant musings, all characters slowly come to be what they are meant to be, and all are immensely fun. And I really like humor. Even tea-and-weather humor :) And story is good, exciting, and you can hardly put the book down. Highly recommended :)
December 13, 2015
To sum up the problems of this novel: Too much tea not enough dragons!
Or action at all really. This book spends far too much time focused on the characters thinking and discussing what they are going to do and not enough time on the actual doing. Usually it involves tea. There are many pages discussing different teas, but the major decision where Jermayan and Ancaladar choose to become bonded gets a page if that. The result is that the novel moves in spurts. It goes a little bit like this: "Ooh look a dragon! big long discussion about tea, a battle! Long period of discussion where the elves don't ask questions. Hey we should stop the demons! After we have a council meeting about how bad they are." Fortunately, the good parts of this novel are pretty good. I still love Idalia, Kellen and Vestakia. The battles and action filled themes are also exciting and fast moving. It just seems like you have to slog through a lot of long-winded elvish characters with equally elaborate names and philosophical debates to get to them.
Or action at all really. This book spends far too much time focused on the characters thinking and discussing what they are going to do and not enough time on the actual doing. Usually it involves tea. There are many pages discussing different teas, but the major decision where Jermayan and Ancaladar choose to become bonded gets a page if that. The result is that the novel moves in spurts. It goes a little bit like this: "Ooh look a dragon! big long discussion about tea, a battle! Long period of discussion where the elves don't ask questions. Hey we should stop the demons! After we have a council meeting about how bad they are." Fortunately, the good parts of this novel are pretty good. I still love Idalia, Kellen and Vestakia. The battles and action filled themes are also exciting and fast moving. It just seems like you have to slog through a lot of long-winded elvish characters with equally elaborate names and philosophical debates to get to them.
January 7, 2013
An excellent fantasy novel. Following up the first volume in the trilogy (literally picking up just where the last book leaves off) we pick up the action quickly here. The first book in the series The Outstretched Shadow takes a good deal of time to build plot, set up story, introduce and build characters. Here we still meet some "newer" characters and have more building but not so much is needed. For you who are action fans (as I am) you'll get a bit more of that.
These books (so far) are an excellent mix of plot driven and character driven story. I've commented before that I've found Ms. Lackey's work to be a bit of a mixed bag as I really like much of her work while other of her books leave me totally cold. Some I'm so put off by that I can forget how good her books can be.
This one is highly satisfying...so why 4? Well, I can't put it among my fie star reads, for now though I reserve the right to come back at a later time and adjust them up. That may happen if I find myself rereading them or thinking back on them with nostalgia after I've finished the trilogy.
And I have the third waiting.
There is one niggling thing I want to mention...I will, to be safe put it under a spoiler warning. It's not something that will ruin the novel or anything, just a point that bugs me.
Recommended.
These books (so far) are an excellent mix of plot driven and character driven story. I've commented before that I've found Ms. Lackey's work to be a bit of a mixed bag as I really like much of her work while other of her books leave me totally cold. Some I'm so put off by that I can forget how good her books can be.
This one is highly satisfying...so why 4? Well, I can't put it among my fie star reads, for now though I reserve the right to come back at a later time and adjust them up. That may happen if I find myself rereading them or thinking back on them with nostalgia after I've finished the trilogy.
And I have the third waiting.
There is one niggling thing I want to mention...I will, to be safe put it under a spoiler warning. It's not something that will ruin the novel or anything, just a point that bugs me.
Recommended.
October 25, 2020
This book almost took me a full month to read.
I wanted to love it as much, if not more so, than the first novel in the series but the truth is:
- it’s WAY too repetitive. I loved the initial recap chapter, it did it’s job. There was no need for the frequent summaries and references to events and thoughts experienced in the first book. It wasn’t helpful. It was obnoxious and only served to distract from the overall storyline and mess with the scene’s pacing; the pacing of which was already struggling letmetellyou.
- too many characters and POVs during the first half. Just stop. I wouldn’t have minded if they were captivating characters with engaging back stories and POVs, but they *werent.* which meant that certain POVs were far better and interesting than others. Which meant that as soon as I knew I was starting a POV I didn’t care about, I would mentally check out and start off those chapters in an “ugh” mood.
- ^ lets not forget the chapter length. It’s so long. RIDICULOUSLY long. I transitioned to audio midway and saw that on average chapters are ONE HOUR AND 15 MINUTES LONG. For whyyyy? Now imagine that length of time on a POV chapter you don’t really care for. Yup, “ugh” mood indeed.
To Light a Candle definitely suffered from the dreaded Sequel Syndrome™️ - however, I will admit that the book both began and ended on a good note (like the first 20% and the last 25ish%). I’m a firm believer that this book didn’t need to be this long and if you were to remove all recaps and summaries from the first book - you’d probably be left with half of it anyways.
It’s an okay book that was sometimes good, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes boring 🤷🏻♀️.
The plot and characters were consistent and I like it enough to pick up the final read in the trilogy (eventually) so there’s that.
I wanted to love it as much, if not more so, than the first novel in the series but the truth is:
- it’s WAY too repetitive. I loved the initial recap chapter, it did it’s job. There was no need for the frequent summaries and references to events and thoughts experienced in the first book. It wasn’t helpful. It was obnoxious and only served to distract from the overall storyline and mess with the scene’s pacing; the pacing of which was already struggling letmetellyou.
- too many characters and POVs during the first half. Just stop. I wouldn’t have minded if they were captivating characters with engaging back stories and POVs, but they *werent.* which meant that certain POVs were far better and interesting than others. Which meant that as soon as I knew I was starting a POV I didn’t care about, I would mentally check out and start off those chapters in an “ugh” mood.
- ^ lets not forget the chapter length. It’s so long. RIDICULOUSLY long. I transitioned to audio midway and saw that on average chapters are ONE HOUR AND 15 MINUTES LONG. For whyyyy? Now imagine that length of time on a POV chapter you don’t really care for. Yup, “ugh” mood indeed.
To Light a Candle definitely suffered from the dreaded Sequel Syndrome™️ - however, I will admit that the book both began and ended on a good note (like the first 20% and the last 25ish%). I’m a firm believer that this book didn’t need to be this long and if you were to remove all recaps and summaries from the first book - you’d probably be left with half of it anyways.
It’s an okay book that was sometimes good, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes boring 🤷🏻♀️.
The plot and characters were consistent and I like it enough to pick up the final read in the trilogy (eventually) so there’s that.
August 18, 2017
A bit of a let down from the series opener.
The Good
----------------------------------------
Depth: We get to learn significantly more about Elven culture that is far more nuanced than was portrayed in the first book -- and is usually depicted in other fantasy novels. You do get a bit tired of the tea references though...
Bad Guys: In the first book the authors went too far to ensure that the readers knew that the bad guys are super-evil. In this book much of the gore is moved off screen which is an improvement. Additionally, the plans of the bad guys are inventive and sinister. I hate stupid and predictable members of Team Evil.
The Bad:
----------------------------------------
Suspense: There is no suspense in the novel that isn't resolved within 50 pages. The entire elven side of the novel consists of:
a) bad guys reveal a horrifically clever tactic
b) Kellen has some Knight-Mage insight at the last moment to thwart or mitigate the evil doers
c) the Elves have a tea party
The City Plot: There isn't anything wrong with the City side of the novel -- but everything goes exactly how the bad guy designs. It doesn't matter if the main character is good or evil, but he should have SOME issues and obstacles. There should be someone that suspects his activities or motives that needs to be dealt with. Without any threat, this part of the book ends up being nothing more than "Evil 105: Intro to Corruption in Totalitarian Government".
In the end this book gets a "meh" -- fun to read at points but doesn't have much of a suspense arch to keep you hooked throughout the novel.
The Good
----------------------------------------
Depth: We get to learn significantly more about Elven culture that is far more nuanced than was portrayed in the first book -- and is usually depicted in other fantasy novels. You do get a bit tired of the tea references though...
Bad Guys: In the first book the authors went too far to ensure that the readers knew that the bad guys are super-evil. In this book much of the gore is moved off screen which is an improvement. Additionally, the plans of the bad guys are inventive and sinister. I hate stupid and predictable members of Team Evil.
The Bad:
----------------------------------------
Suspense: There is no suspense in the novel that isn't resolved within 50 pages. The entire elven side of the novel consists of:
a) bad guys reveal a horrifically clever tactic
b) Kellen has some Knight-Mage insight at the last moment to thwart or mitigate the evil doers
c) the Elves have a tea party
The City Plot: There isn't anything wrong with the City side of the novel -- but everything goes exactly how the bad guy designs. It doesn't matter if the main character is good or evil, but he should have SOME issues and obstacles. There should be someone that suspects his activities or motives that needs to be dealt with. Without any threat, this part of the book ends up being nothing more than "Evil 105: Intro to Corruption in Totalitarian Government".
In the end this book gets a "meh" -- fun to read at points but doesn't have much of a suspense arch to keep you hooked throughout the novel.
February 6, 2019
I enjoyed much of this book but the middle third of it falls into this really unsettling indoctrinating justification of genocide. Fantasy often walks a fine line with its many races and the wars between them but this one gets pretty brutal and doesn’t even examine that, basically at all. It’s taken as a given that the actual ethnic cleansing of a race of “tainted” elves from the lands is just and necessary, and it’s gross. It’s even weirder in a book that is otherwise so centered on kind of hippie principles—it even features the line “there’s no such thing as implied consent”, which, great! But that middle section … oof. I’m not sure I want to pick up the final book.
March 3, 2021
I’m searching for an epic fantasy that I’ll enjoy like the Stormlight Archive. I think Sanderson just can’t be outdone. I gave the Obsidian Series a go, but it wasn’t all that exciting for me. The main character is kind of annoying. I liked lots of small sections, but in between was sooooo hard to work through. I’ve started the second in the series but can’t get into it.
Kellen, son of his city’s great Mage, has broken the rules and worked with Wild Magic. He is tossed out and followed by enchanted hounds- certain death for anyone without the guts to use the wild magic, which requires a price.
Kellen discovers his sister (!) and is taught wild magic, and ends up on a quest against evil with an elvin warrior, his trusty unicorn companion, and a pure-hearted devil. Kellen and his companions defy all odds and bring down the evil demon curse, but at great cost to Kellen, his sister, and the entire elvin community.
Kellen, son of his city’s great Mage, has broken the rules and worked with Wild Magic. He is tossed out and followed by enchanted hounds- certain death for anyone without the guts to use the wild magic, which requires a price.
Kellen discovers his sister (!) and is taught wild magic, and ends up on a quest against evil with an elvin warrior, his trusty unicorn companion, and a pure-hearted devil. Kellen and his companions defy all odds and bring down the evil demon curse, but at great cost to Kellen, his sister, and the entire elvin community.
Read
October 10, 2017So... I was not a fan of the first book. But after listening to THIS book in audio form, I can definitely say I appreciate the story more in that way. It was pretty interesting, and I love the narrator's voice - she made it less boring. ;P *Blunt* The only downside to the audio book is that it's 37 HOURS LONG.
*screams*
I'm sorry, but I don't care about the story THAT much to pass such valuable time. There are other books better edited, better at getting their point across in fewer words for me to enjoy.
*screams*
I'm sorry, but I don't care about the story THAT much to pass such valuable time. There are other books better edited, better at getting their point across in fewer words for me to enjoy.
January 28, 2025
This book did not end how I thought it was setting itself up to end and now I have to read the third. I felt there were a few plot points that should have been a bigger deal though? The first elven wild mage in thousands of years springs up out of no where and it doesn't seem to be a big deal to anyone at all which seemed off to me. I can tell that the author is really setting up for the final book and this one does NOT give much of a payoff for anything but just continues everything into the next book.
September 10, 2024
An enjoyable reread.
July 5, 2022
Another excellent book by Mercedes Lackey.
I think James Mallory is an excellent partner for her. Lackey is extremely talented at world-building and at clever repartee, Mallory grounds her with in an undergirding of philosophy. I thought it was highly ironic that he was a classics scholar, with a name like Mallory, how could he be anything but?
The system of Wild Magic is also interesting because it has so very little that is systematic to it. It's unlike what is present in say Sanderson or Rothfuss, because there isn't really an underlying logic to it. It's much closer to the magic system in Lynch, or in Bujold, one that is based on faith. I like how it is intertwined with the idea of sacrifice, one must give up of themselves in order to accomplish something greater than they could under their own power. At the same time, I don't really like the balancing of it all. It reminds me too much of Daoism, and of earning your place through your own work. I don't think either of those things are possible in the real world...but this is a fantasy world, so no issues there, I can suspend disbelief for the time it takes me to read these pages.
It was interesting, I enjoyed it. I feel no need to reread it, but I did glean a couple of nuggets from it. One is that just because you are connected to something that goes wrong does not mean that you are responsible for it going wrong. I...can use that lesson, as I have a distinct tendency to catastrophize and everything that goes wrong must inherently be because I failed at some level. That's not necessarily true. No one should take up a burden that isn't theirs. The other was that I should be careful of oversimplifying things, because the person who looks at everything as simple is the one who ruins everything. That is so true. Nothing is ever simple. Humans are never simple. The systems that humans make are never simple. If you look at them as simple and destroy them because you can just make another, you inevitably end up with chaos and destruction. Nothing is ever simple, a truism, and yet something that I forget all too often.
I think James Mallory is an excellent partner for her. Lackey is extremely talented at world-building and at clever repartee, Mallory grounds her with in an undergirding of philosophy. I thought it was highly ironic that he was a classics scholar, with a name like Mallory, how could he be anything but?
The system of Wild Magic is also interesting because it has so very little that is systematic to it. It's unlike what is present in say Sanderson or Rothfuss, because there isn't really an underlying logic to it. It's much closer to the magic system in Lynch, or in Bujold, one that is based on faith. I like how it is intertwined with the idea of sacrifice, one must give up of themselves in order to accomplish something greater than they could under their own power. At the same time, I don't really like the balancing of it all. It reminds me too much of Daoism, and of earning your place through your own work. I don't think either of those things are possible in the real world...but this is a fantasy world, so no issues there, I can suspend disbelief for the time it takes me to read these pages.
It was interesting, I enjoyed it. I feel no need to reread it, but I did glean a couple of nuggets from it. One is that just because you are connected to something that goes wrong does not mean that you are responsible for it going wrong. I...can use that lesson, as I have a distinct tendency to catastrophize and everything that goes wrong must inherently be because I failed at some level. That's not necessarily true. No one should take up a burden that isn't theirs. The other was that I should be careful of oversimplifying things, because the person who looks at everything as simple is the one who ruins everything. That is so true. Nothing is ever simple. Humans are never simple. The systems that humans make are never simple. If you look at them as simple and destroy them because you can just make another, you inevitably end up with chaos and destruction. Nothing is ever simple, a truism, and yet something that I forget all too often.
January 25, 2018
The second book in the Obsidian Mountain trilogy makes some good improvements over the absolutely terrible first book. There is a new human character who is much more likable than the duller than dull Kellen, the main protagonist. The authors also introduce a dragon which is tons better than the stupid talking unicorns. Even the story got better. The authors do persists in killing off minor characters and acting like I should care. I just feel no emotional connection with any of the characters. When characters die, there’s no change in the story arc or any consequences whatsoever. Reading these two books has been an excursive in persistence and completeness all because I accidentally bought the third book in the series on audio book and I needed to read the first two books in order to get to the third.
March 27, 2022
This series is absolutely amazing. I wish Peter Jackson would make a movie out of these.
June 16, 2024
The drought-causing barrier may be down, but the attacks by Shadow Mountain on the forces of light continue. In this book in the series, Kellen continues his training as a Knight-Mage and the elves carry out a campaign on the mutant and depraved Shadowed Elves, with the help of Vestakia's Taint-sensing ability and Jeramayn's newly bonded dragon. Meanwhile, Anigrel plots and manipulates in the Golden City, leading to another High Mage, young Cilarnen Volpiril, leaving and having his eyes opened.
Things I enjoyed:
* Kellen and Cilarnen. Cilarnen is a pampered and privileged High Mage but has a strong altruistic streak - and likes horses - which makes him very likeable. Kellen continues to mature and develop, especially as he struggles with some tough choices and the ethics of war.
* The worldbuilding. Elven culture is gorgeous and luscious, in contrast to the hearty, homely Centaur village. Elven etiquette may also leave you with a new appreciation for tea, and I wish I could draw the costumes.
* Shalkan - who doesn't love a sharp-tongued unicorn?
* The running jokes about tea.
* The scene where Kellen and Cilarnen go riding together is a favourite of mine.
* It's a rare book that makes me reach for the dictionary, so I appreciate the addition of "marmoreal" to my vocabulary.
Things I wasn't so keen on:
* The plot drags a bit. Yes, I get that tea and the elven lack of haste is a running joke, but some council discussions could have been cut or at least shortened, as could some of the underground battles (which were reminiscent of classic D&D-based RPGs with Detect Traps, Acid Resistance, etc.).
* So many characters, many of whom are elves and unicorns with long names. It's a bit hard keeping who's who straight in your head, especially when many of them are visually similar (I muddled up Belesharon and Belepheriel at one point and got really confused). I'd have sacrificed quantity of named characters for depth, which would also make some of the deaths more meaningful and impactful for the reader as well as for Kellen.
Things I'd have liked more of (sort of - this book's long enough already):
* Vestakia - I'd have liked to see her character developed a bit more. Especially as it looks like she's being built up as Kellen's love interest - once his obligation to remain chaste and celibate comes to an end.
* Magic at work: Wild, High and Elven (mercifully, we're spared some of the details of Shadow magic). We see a few interesting mage-prices, but I'd have liked some more, as this was one of the fun bits of the first book in the series. I'd also have liked to see more of Cilarnen working High Magic, although I understand why he doesn't much.
Things I enjoyed:
* Kellen and Cilarnen. Cilarnen is a pampered and privileged High Mage but has a strong altruistic streak - and likes horses - which makes him very likeable. Kellen continues to mature and develop, especially as he struggles with some tough choices and the ethics of war.
* The worldbuilding. Elven culture is gorgeous and luscious, in contrast to the hearty, homely Centaur village. Elven etiquette may also leave you with a new appreciation for tea, and I wish I could draw the costumes.
* Shalkan - who doesn't love a sharp-tongued unicorn?
* The running jokes about tea.
* The scene where Kellen and Cilarnen go riding together is a favourite of mine.
* It's a rare book that makes me reach for the dictionary, so I appreciate the addition of "marmoreal" to my vocabulary.
Things I wasn't so keen on:
* The plot drags a bit. Yes, I get that tea and the elven lack of haste is a running joke, but some council discussions could have been cut or at least shortened, as could some of the underground battles (which were reminiscent of classic D&D-based RPGs with Detect Traps, Acid Resistance, etc.).
* So many characters, many of whom are elves and unicorns with long names. It's a bit hard keeping who's who straight in your head, especially when many of them are visually similar (I muddled up Belesharon and Belepheriel at one point and got really confused). I'd have sacrificed quantity of named characters for depth, which would also make some of the deaths more meaningful and impactful for the reader as well as for Kellen.
Things I'd have liked more of (sort of - this book's long enough already):
* Vestakia - I'd have liked to see her character developed a bit more. Especially as it looks like she's being built up as Kellen's love interest - once his obligation to remain chaste and celibate comes to an end.
* Magic at work: Wild, High and Elven (mercifully, we're spared some of the details of Shadow magic). We see a few interesting mage-prices, but I'd have liked some more, as this was one of the fun bits of the first book in the series. I'd also have liked to see more of Cilarnen working High Magic, although I understand why he doesn't much.
October 13, 2022
This is my favorite book in the series. In fact, when I think about this series, this is always the book that comes to mind.
We really get to see the world fleshed out in this book, and see plans and pawns moved around the board in the war between the Endarkened and the creatures of Light. I love the politics and the war play and the building relationships between Kellen and the elves.
In fact, seeing Kellen grow into an Elven Knight and Knight-Mage is one of my favorite parts of this book. Time and again we see him learn and grow and prove himself. Yeah, the elves value him as a Knight-Mage because he is a Knight-Mage, but to earn their trust and earn his place... I never grow tired of that journey.
I love seeing the bond between Ancaladar and Jermayan too. Their relationship, as Kellen's and Shalkan's, is just so sweet and I love seeing Jermayan put his friend's fear of being forced to live as a battery for Jermayan. And seeing Jermayan accept that he is an Elven Mage, something not seen in living memory, is also a wonderful thing.
I just love so much about this book. My copy is so battered from years of use, but that just shows it's loved right?
Highly recommend this series, and looking forward to reading the third book again.
We really get to see the world fleshed out in this book, and see plans and pawns moved around the board in the war between the Endarkened and the creatures of Light. I love the politics and the war play and the building relationships between Kellen and the elves.
In fact, seeing Kellen grow into an Elven Knight and Knight-Mage is one of my favorite parts of this book. Time and again we see him learn and grow and prove himself. Yeah, the elves value him as a Knight-Mage because he is a Knight-Mage, but to earn their trust and earn his place... I never grow tired of that journey.
I love seeing the bond between Ancaladar and Jermayan too. Their relationship, as Kellen's and Shalkan's, is just so sweet and I love seeing Jermayan put his friend's fear of being forced to live as a battery for Jermayan. And seeing Jermayan accept that he is an Elven Mage, something not seen in living memory, is also a wonderful thing.
I just love so much about this book. My copy is so battered from years of use, but that just shows it's loved right?
Highly recommend this series, and looking forward to reading the third book again.
May 16, 2021
Oh, I enjoyed this second book of the Obsidian trilogy sooo much!
It was as if all the pieces of a game had been set out, ready to play, and the players have read all the rules and, understanding them all at last, have started the game!
I loved the development of the characters - with their foibles and quirks an amusing aside to the main story - especially the elves fascination with the utter politeness of the ceremony of drinking tea, and talking about the weather - as someone from the UK, it made me feel totally at home!
The utter convoluted plotting of the Demons has kept me guessing from the start, but the finale of this book, of course, shows clearly their plot direction, so I can't wait to read the final book of the trilogy : When Darkness Falls, to see how our hero, the Knight-Mage Kellen, is going to work out how to defeat these beings, who just keep on coming back again.
All I know, is that the combined writing of Misty, and James Mallory, has produced a trilogy that will definitely be yet another keeper for my book shelves!
At this rate, I'll have to move to somewhere bigger, just to fit all the books that I want to keep on my shelves!
It was as if all the pieces of a game had been set out, ready to play, and the players have read all the rules and, understanding them all at last, have started the game!
I loved the development of the characters - with their foibles and quirks an amusing aside to the main story - especially the elves fascination with the utter politeness of the ceremony of drinking tea, and talking about the weather - as someone from the UK, it made me feel totally at home!
The utter convoluted plotting of the Demons has kept me guessing from the start, but the finale of this book, of course, shows clearly their plot direction, so I can't wait to read the final book of the trilogy : When Darkness Falls, to see how our hero, the Knight-Mage Kellen, is going to work out how to defeat these beings, who just keep on coming back again.
All I know, is that the combined writing of Misty, and James Mallory, has produced a trilogy that will definitely be yet another keeper for my book shelves!
At this rate, I'll have to move to somewhere bigger, just to fit all the books that I want to keep on my shelves!
May 29, 2020
I'm doing a lot of getting around to reading the second book in a series lately. It's been a little over a year since I read the first one, so the beginning (which starts with an otherwise unnecessary rehash of the end of book one) was helpful to get me back into the swing of things.
There were a lot of good things about this book, but it was all middle. I don't just mean that it felt like the middle book that it is, I mean the while book felt like the really long middle of a story with a kind of arbitrary stopping point. Like, this book has run on too long and it needs to end, so we'll just end it after this one victory. Basically, the bad guys do a thing, the good guys react and come out mostly on top as expected (albeit taking some losses), tea is drunk (as many others have noted), and then the cycle repeats until it's time to end the book.
While my review sounds mostly negative, I did enjoy most of the book and I p!an to read the third one. I just felt like there were opportunities to be better that were missed.
There were a lot of good things about this book, but it was all middle. I don't just mean that it felt like the middle book that it is, I mean the while book felt like the really long middle of a story with a kind of arbitrary stopping point. Like, this book has run on too long and it needs to end, so we'll just end it after this one victory. Basically, the bad guys do a thing, the good guys react and come out mostly on top as expected (albeit taking some losses), tea is drunk (as many others have noted), and then the cycle repeats until it's time to end the book.
While my review sounds mostly negative, I did enjoy most of the book and I p!an to read the third one. I just felt like there were opportunities to be better that were missed.
March 10, 2018
It’s been a while since I’ve immersed myself in any of her work, but previously, I read it extensively (and almost exclusively). One thing I can say Mercedes Lackey writes well is the day-to-day events of a coming-of-age story. Those tasks and skills required for the young person to become the hero they’re destined to be, whether that’s fighting, spellcasting, horsemanship, or some other obscure but necessary ability to defeat evil. Though less than the previous book, this one still contains a very great deal of that ‘teaching time’. And a lot of that is devoted to how to interact with elves. I would have loved to see more ‘doing’ and less ‘discussing’ in the book. I also would have liked to have more of the story devoted to the City and Cilarnen since they are supposed to be so instrumental to the ending of this book. For me, it would have been better to have a more consistent build-up of the suspense rather than just drop them all off the cliff-hanger the book closes with.
December 10, 2019
More creatures, more characters, more complexity… To Light a Candle is the second in the Obsidian Trilogy and it makes a compelling addition to the set. A nice blend of light and dark leads to questions of who we trust and why. Diverse religious ideas and diverse systems of magic all lock perfectly together. Characters change and learn, inviting readers perhaps to view their own world too through different eyes. And adventures await in different places as threat and danger close in.
Not a simple tale, the interlocking paths of different characters remind me of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. But everything is not only drawing together, but also moving toward a scary conclusion. Readers will question the motives of different characters from start to end, with mysteries well hidden and action well told. It’s a clever, thought-provoking tale of a complex world that pleasingly mirrors the real in fantasy.
Disclosure: Still hooked.
Not a simple tale, the interlocking paths of different characters remind me of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. But everything is not only drawing together, but also moving toward a scary conclusion. Readers will question the motives of different characters from start to end, with mysteries well hidden and action well told. It’s a clever, thought-provoking tale of a complex world that pleasingly mirrors the real in fantasy.
Disclosure: Still hooked.
February 13, 2019
This was 35 hours of audio, and it took me two check-outs from the library to get it all listened to. I got a shawl finished, needlepoint project started as well as a hat. (Yet another half-hat for my stack of stuff) This is the middle story of the trilogy. Often, middle stories are "downers," but this one really isn't. A lot of things happen, many of which are bad-- but encouraging. The dragon on the cover makes its appearance, the story progresses with exciting events and yet, in the distance, evil is carrying out its evil plans. I think that one of the reasons the story seemed more hopeful to me was that the evil queen took up less space with evil deeds. You know she & her people are there being evil, but they are not shoved in your face so much. Overall, it's a good story and a good read. I liked it a lot.
April 21, 2025
This one got a little too bogged down in war details and the dreariness of winter for me to like as much as the first book, though I appreciate the fact that the author took care to show how much the environment/weather can affect a war.
There’s also the genocide of shadow elves that was thrown into the story for drama, but didn’t make much sense logically. If shadow elves can enter the wards, then change the wards or stop relying on them. Killing every single last shadow elf, morality aside, should be an impossible task, and seems to distract from a lot of other important responsibilities. Overall, I have to give a lot of kudos to the demon queen for being thoroughly prepared for the war—I honestly have no idea how she can be defeated, unless it’s through self-sabotage. (Note to past self from future self who finished the trilogy: I still have no idea how the demon queen lost.)
There’s also the genocide of shadow elves that was thrown into the story for drama, but didn’t make much sense logically. If shadow elves can enter the wards, then change the wards or stop relying on them. Killing every single last shadow elf, morality aside, should be an impossible task, and seems to distract from a lot of other important responsibilities. Overall, I have to give a lot of kudos to the demon queen for being thoroughly prepared for the war—I honestly have no idea how she can be defeated, unless it’s through self-sabotage. (Note to past self from future self who finished the trilogy: I still have no idea how the demon queen lost.)
July 19, 2019
The start of the book was basically a copy and paste of the obelisk being destroyed in the first book which was unnecessary in opinion but otherwise the book was enjoyable. I found myself eager for when Selarnin and Kellan met up. I wanted to know how the former would react to the boy he teased in the city and the man he encountered now.
I rather like the characters in the series. Their development has been fun to experience and I look forward to see how it progresses in the third and final book.
I rather like the characters in the series. Their development has been fun to experience and I look forward to see how it progresses in the third and final book.
April 5, 2020
This was my second time trying to get through it and I made it this time around. I found I needed to space out these books because they can be slow for me if I read them too close together. My interest was held this time around, which I was glad for. There are several battle scenes with lulls to gather information or take you to another character to follow for a little bit. The main battle has not happened and still building up to it, which I believe will all come to pass in the next (and last) book of this trilogy. As much as I can be frustrated with the slowness of the story, I appreciate that it builds the talents and knowledge of the characters before throwing them into a major battle, it is more realistic this way. I can't wait to finish this trilogy...., after a bit of a break :-).
July 25, 2020
I think my favourite part of these books is a thoughtful, mindful, emotionally mature main character! Kellen actually sits and meditates to figure out his motivations and figure out the wisest course of action. He still feels things and has petty thoughts, just doesn't act on them to give us simplistic conflict like in so many stories and TV shows and films! And I really like the magic systems! And I like that the Elves seem so perfect and us and the human in the books are slighly in awe of them, but they have their failings too. :)
September 29, 2021
To Light a Candle by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
This is the sequel to The Outstretched Shadow with book three of the trilogy in my TBR pile. Kellen has grown enormously in his role of Knight-Mage. Ancaladar and Jermayan add some spice to the mix of characters. The plot is simple, Demons vs. Humans.
Although the plot is clear the characters aren’t always clear. The nuances of behavior are what makes so many of Lackey’s books so worthwhile.
There is coming of age and frustrated and deadly dealings with the endarkened.
I enjoyed the book and am enjoying the series.
This is the sequel to The Outstretched Shadow with book three of the trilogy in my TBR pile. Kellen has grown enormously in his role of Knight-Mage. Ancaladar and Jermayan add some spice to the mix of characters. The plot is simple, Demons vs. Humans.
Although the plot is clear the characters aren’t always clear. The nuances of behavior are what makes so many of Lackey’s books so worthwhile.
There is coming of age and frustrated and deadly dealings with the endarkened.
I enjoyed the book and am enjoying the series.
March 20, 2024
A wonderful continuation of Kellen’s story, this book develops his relationships with his new friends, and introduces key characters who are needed to fight the endarkened. The elves in this book seem Tolkienesque to me, except more amusing. And probably more irritating. Living thousands of years means they never rush anything if they can help it, and always have time for a cup of tea and discussion of the weather, even when life threatening matters need to be discussed. Delightful. Wish I could be with these elves.
March 20, 2017
The second book really builds on everything established in the first book. I haven’t come across such integrated yet separate sequential books very often and it is a hallmark of such masterful writing. You really can read from one book to the next and experience almost no time loss or an over abundance of re-explanations. They felt more like reminders than having to slog through a condensed version of the first book.
Full review at ReadingOverTheShoulder.com
Full review at ReadingOverTheShoulder.com
November 29, 2018
Totally loved this very fine, tradtional epic Fantasy. Might even be one of the best middle of trilogy books I've come across. Certainly, the finest middle book I've read since Anthony Ryan's Tower Lord from a couple of years back. Nearly works as a stand-alone, but with some over-arching plot threads dangling from the first novel and more leading into the third. Terrific plotting, pacing and characters, both heroic and villainous. Have already started the next novel.
June 28, 2020
Volume two of the series (paperback said to be 856 pages), the exquisitely detailed world-building continues with new races and beings of wonder. The interactions of characters and races continue with great depth and passion. The battle scenes are deeply considered with well-developed strategies and tactics. While the story drags slowly at times the readers are eventually rewarded with extended action after each delay.
April 7, 2022
An excellent sequel to the first book. This is a great series. Character development continues to be good, and the characters aren't perfect (which I like - no one is in real life and I appreciate the fact that they aren't in the book, either). The plans of the enemy progress in a logical fashion, and the plans of the allies are not going so well (since they are completely confused by the enemy's actions, that's hardly surprising).
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