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Lyra #1-3
Shadows over Lyra
Peopled by humans, Shee, forest-dwelling Wyrds, and watery Neira, Lyra is a place of beauty and peace -- or would be, if it were not for the immensely powerful and evil Shadow-born, straining against the bonds that have held them for millenia.
535 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1997
1 person is currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Patricia C. Wrede
67 books4,000 followersPatricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her second book at once, having become permanently hooked on writing by this time.
Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.
Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).
In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.
Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cat Karma. She has no children.
Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.
Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).
In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.
Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cat Karma. She has no children.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 17, 2019
Contains the first three books in Wrede's epic fantasy "Lyra" series. The first book, Shadow Magic, has been noticeably fixed up (Shadow Magic was Wrede's first published novel, and I imagine she cringed when she re-read it), and there were progressively smaller improvements to Daughter of Witches and The Harp of Imach Thyssel.
The "Lyra" stories have as their background menacing Shadow-born trying to break free from the sorcerous prisons in which they were trapped long ago by a joint alliance of humans and other fantasy races. There's little dependency of the books on each other.
Wrede has interesting ideas for the setting, and there are some occasional great moments, but the books are neither as well written nor as well-plotted as they should be. I enjoyed these better when I was younger and more tolerant (and more interested in world-building, and less in plot), but even then, they never knocked my socks off. I'll call it a weak three, maybe higher if one is a tween.
The fourth in the series, Caught in Crystal, not collected here, is significantly better and, as mentioned, doesn't require familiarity with the first three books.
The "Lyra" stories have as their background menacing Shadow-born trying to break free from the sorcerous prisons in which they were trapped long ago by a joint alliance of humans and other fantasy races. There's little dependency of the books on each other.
Wrede has interesting ideas for the setting, and there are some occasional great moments, but the books are neither as well written nor as well-plotted as they should be. I enjoyed these better when I was younger and more tolerant (and more interested in world-building, and less in plot), but even then, they never knocked my socks off. I'll call it a weak three, maybe higher if one is a tween.
The fourth in the series, Caught in Crystal, not collected here, is significantly better and, as mentioned, doesn't require familiarity with the first three books.
April 29, 2011
Genre: Fantasy
This is an omnibus of three novels: Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, and the Harp of Imach Thyssel. I only finished the first two… it just wasn’t fun enough to justify the time to read the third one.
Shadow Magic: (two stars) This was quick to read, but it felt like the book jumped from the introduction to the conclusion without the intervening work by the characters to get to their happy endings. Possibly it’s because the book was so short, but I felt the critical event (finding the lost uber-magic items) was simply random chance, which leaves me unsatisfied. Neither the hero nor the heroine seemed like major actors in their own story. In fact only the heroine makes a critical choice (to use one of the uber-magic items), but neither she nor the reader know what that choice means when she makes it, only the risk she accepts by making that choice. All in all, it was a cute story, but unsatisfying.
Daughter of Witches: (one star) I remember reading this in high school and really liking it. But it doesn’t hold up. The main character Ranira was very wishy-washy about the foreigners and magic. I found her inconsistency annoying, especially as it wasn’t really presented as Ranira coming to terms with her own magic. I think I liked it originally because it tried to have a non-standard fantasy-world view. It does portray a female main character from a culture without women’s emancipation, and the main character does have her cultures attitudes regarding her place in the world… but again, I didn’t think the idea was really dealt with, just touched upon. The story read more like a role-playing scenario then a novel, and the characterizations showed those characteristics (e.g. slightly clichéd and rather cardboard.)
This is an omnibus of three novels: Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, and the Harp of Imach Thyssel. I only finished the first two… it just wasn’t fun enough to justify the time to read the third one.
Shadow Magic: (two stars) This was quick to read, but it felt like the book jumped from the introduction to the conclusion without the intervening work by the characters to get to their happy endings. Possibly it’s because the book was so short, but I felt the critical event (finding the lost uber-magic items) was simply random chance, which leaves me unsatisfied. Neither the hero nor the heroine seemed like major actors in their own story. In fact only the heroine makes a critical choice (to use one of the uber-magic items), but neither she nor the reader know what that choice means when she makes it, only the risk she accepts by making that choice. All in all, it was a cute story, but unsatisfying.
Daughter of Witches: (one star) I remember reading this in high school and really liking it. But it doesn’t hold up. The main character Ranira was very wishy-washy about the foreigners and magic. I found her inconsistency annoying, especially as it wasn’t really presented as Ranira coming to terms with her own magic. I think I liked it originally because it tried to have a non-standard fantasy-world view. It does portray a female main character from a culture without women’s emancipation, and the main character does have her cultures attitudes regarding her place in the world… but again, I didn’t think the idea was really dealt with, just touched upon. The story read more like a role-playing scenario then a novel, and the characterizations showed those characteristics (e.g. slightly clichéd and rather cardboard.)
July 12, 2010
This is actually 3 books in one, and I'm not quite sure why they put them together (other than they're all rather short and set in the same world). Her 5 books set in the "Lyra" world are all fairly independent, I'm not sure I'd really classify them as a series since you could read them in any order and don't have characters in common, but it does keep them separate from her other work which is quite different in style and tone.
These three novels are fairly stereotypical fantasy, Shadow Magic being the most cliched but also the smoothest read. A lot of the plot and devices seem tired and overused, but the books are amusing and quick so as long as the predictability doesn't bother you they're fairly enjoyable.
These three novels are fairly stereotypical fantasy, Shadow Magic being the most cliched but also the smoothest read. A lot of the plot and devices seem tired and overused, but the books are amusing and quick so as long as the predictability doesn't bother you they're fairly enjoyable.
February 9, 2010
Contains: Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, and The Harp of Imach Thyssel. Each story is self-contained and only relates to the others in so much as each takes place in Lyra and involves magic.
My least favorite of the batch is Daughter of Witches and I liked The Harp of Imach Thyssel best.
My least favorite of the batch is Daughter of Witches and I liked The Harp of Imach Thyssel best.
March 18, 2013
This book actually contains three books complied into this one volume. My husband read these books when he was younger and recently decided to reread them and see if he still enjoyed them, and afterwards told me I should give them a try. The three books are set in the same world but are about different people in different parts of the world, the one similarity being the "bad-guy" or more specifically, the Shadow-born, basically evil sorcerers who have no bodily form. They were once all bound, but have recently been loosed from their binding and in each book the hero or heroine must face one or more of them, and their servants.
The world is pretty much your typical YA fantasy setting with magical races, traveling minstrels, etc. I enjoyed all three books, but my favorite was probably the third, "The Harp of Imach Thyssel" because I enjoyed the story a little more. I felt it was just a little more interesting than "Shadow Magic" or "Daughter of Witches" and it had a better love story, which I of course appreciated. Each of the three books could be read as stand alone novels, but if you were going to read all three I'd recommend reading them in the order this book gives them, which is also their chronological order; "Shadow Magic" first then "Daughter of Witches" followed by "The Harp of Imach Thyssel".
The world is pretty much your typical YA fantasy setting with magical races, traveling minstrels, etc. I enjoyed all three books, but my favorite was probably the third, "The Harp of Imach Thyssel" because I enjoyed the story a little more. I felt it was just a little more interesting than "Shadow Magic" or "Daughter of Witches" and it had a better love story, which I of course appreciated. Each of the three books could be read as stand alone novels, but if you were going to read all three I'd recommend reading them in the order this book gives them, which is also their chronological order; "Shadow Magic" first then "Daughter of Witches" followed by "The Harp of Imach Thyssel".
July 19, 2015
Rated PG-13 for witchcraft (comparable to and possibly darker than some aspects of the Harry Potter brand), mature thematic elements, violence, and sexual danger/references.
As much as I love Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, something about her Lyra stories has always given me pause. Perhaps it is the perpetually dark tone of each of them, whether they are short stories or novels. Perhaps it is the magic; I sometimes really like magical stuff in fantasy novels, but there is a line that, once crossed, makes its use far more sinister. In this series, I get the feeling that magic is really a gateway to dark things, and that is aided by the conflicts with the Shadow-born.
This is a dark book in general with a few lighter moments, and, although the writing is pretty good, I really would recommend Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles above her Lyra books.
As much as I love Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, something about her Lyra stories has always given me pause. Perhaps it is the perpetually dark tone of each of them, whether they are short stories or novels. Perhaps it is the magic; I sometimes really like magical stuff in fantasy novels, but there is a line that, once crossed, makes its use far more sinister. In this series, I get the feeling that magic is really a gateway to dark things, and that is aided by the conflicts with the Shadow-born.
This is a dark book in general with a few lighter moments, and, although the writing is pretty good, I really would recommend Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles above her Lyra books.
October 19, 2011
Well, I liked it. What a rich world. As a reminder, this book is actually an omnibus containing Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, and The Harp of Imach Thyssel. Each of these three books stands entirely on its own. The second and third only briefly refer to events in the first. None of the characters are the same.
I very much enjoyed the brief "history" of Lyra that is included in this Omnibus. Even if you read the three books separately, it is well worth getting the omnibus to read the "history." I would recommend reading the books first, though, since the history reveals some things that are part of the mystery in the other books.
I very much enjoyed the brief "history" of Lyra that is included in this Omnibus. Even if you read the three books separately, it is well worth getting the omnibus to read the "history." I would recommend reading the books first, though, since the history reveals some things that are part of the mystery in the other books.
July 6, 2009
I'm not really sure what age these books are best for. On some level, a 12 yr old might enjoy them, but then there are other aspects that I think perhaps a bit older would be best. I read them in order of publication, but I think chronology would be better. The other nice thing about this series is that the books are self-contained. You do not have to read all of the books. You can pick and choose. None of the stories rely on the others. The connection is the world of Lyra and battling darkness.
This book is really a compilation of three books: Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, and The Harp of Imach Thyssel. The Daughter of Witches was my least favorite book and I would give that one a 3 star.
This book is really a compilation of three books: Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, and The Harp of Imach Thyssel. The Daughter of Witches was my least favorite book and I would give that one a 3 star.
April 16, 2008
This version has three books (Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, & The Harp of Imach Thyssel) plus a bonus "history overview," all set within a few years of each other but a very long time after The Raven Ring and even farther after Caught in Crystal. I think Raven is still my favorite, but these were very good.
February 11, 2012
I'd give the first story 4 stars - it was a lot of fun and well written. The second two are 3 stars. They are also well written and enjoyable, but I found myself liking the first the best and wishing the second two were sequels, instead of set in the same world but in different countries with unrelated plots and peoples. Still good reads, though - I enjoy Wrede's works.
January 29, 2010
This was three books in one. I have read this author before and enjoyed her books, but these didn't even feel like the same author at all. The writing style was so different! They were action packed and interesting. I will probably go looking for the books that came before these. T
May 25, 2022
Rereading this again as an adult, I still love it completely. Wrede's Lyra books are some of my favorites from when I was growing up, though now I can see some bumpy aspects that might disappoint people without the strong nostalgic attachment.
July 1, 2007
A good traditional fantasy young adult book. The writing was strong and I liked the characters.
February 27, 2008
I loved the first story in this book. Props to any book with a female heroine.
January 3, 2015
I loved Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, so I was looking forward to this trilogy... even without knowing anything about Lyra, the books were fun fantasy and I'll definitely seek out more.
December 14, 2008
Fun fantasy stories for young adults.
They're imaginative and compelling. I wish there were more.
They're imaginative and compelling. I wish there were more.
February 16, 2009
I thought these stories weren't as good as others by this author. There was a lot of talk of war, dark magic, human sacrifice etc.
May 18, 2012
Contains: Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, and The Harp of Imach Thyssel. Each story stands alone. These are ok.
December 20, 2013
Definitely a "young adult" book as the heroines are young women and the stories are a bit simplistic for my taste.
August 26, 2016
Clearly early efforts, but still enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews