What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bard's Tale: Naitachal #2
Fortress of Frost and Fire
Evil forces and temptations threaten the welfare of Gawaine, a young human, and his master, Naitachal, a Dark Elf who had abandoned the sinister powers of necromancy to become the first elven Bard. Original.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1993
8 people are currently reading
786 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,527 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 13, 2019
Enjoyed; but my favorite character always dies in this series…
June 9, 2010
I did not play The Bard's Tale, but I found this book could relate to a different, very popular mmo computer game. I found myself unable to put this book down, as I was imagning players from the game I use to play running around acting like these characters. I am having my husband read the book next, to see if he gets the same smiles from it that I did.
August 11, 2016
If you are at all familiar with the Russian fairy tail "Firebird" you will recognize & be able to predict where the story is going. It is masterfully done, though. And, again, one of my favorite characters, Naitachal, is very prominent in this book.
August 17, 2012
Great book, I liked this one even better than the first in the series! Awesome characters, great story line :)
March 9, 2021
I've been a few days without internet access, so have read so much, that I cant remember what I was going to say about this book - except that, as usual, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lol
June 28, 2009
Mercedes Lackey books are fun.
September 5, 2022
It’s good, but maybe not quite as good as the first. It’s more of a slow burn with periods that go on a little bit longer than they should. What was appearing to be a somewhat epic final confrontation ended kind of abruptly. But again, it’s not bad. I took a bit longer to read this book than I normally do, probably because of slow pacing.
June 16, 2018
This is in the series of Bard’s Tales. A dark elf that has renounced necromancy and become a bard and his apprentice must outwit a dragon.
This book was more simplistic than many of the Lackey tales. It may be targeted more to the YA audience. It was enjoyable in a fast read, easy to put down book.
The proselytizing paladin did suggest some commentary on the evangelic, I need a private jet clerical community.
I enjoyed the book.
This book was more simplistic than many of the Lackey tales. It may be targeted more to the YA audience. It was enjoyable in a fast read, easy to put down book.
The proselytizing paladin did suggest some commentary on the evangelic, I need a private jet clerical community.
I enjoyed the book.
March 1, 2010
I'm listing this and 2 other books based on the Bard's Tale game and giving them 2 stars, mainly because I barely remember them. They were light and had a certain amount of humor...they were geared to a younger audience...and not memorable at all.
I suppose you'd enjoy them as a light read... some wouldn't want to invest the time. i can see that. I was into RPGs and read several game oriented books. Even if they weren't all that great sometimes. Oh well.
I suppose you'd enjoy them as a light read... some wouldn't want to invest the time. i can see that. I was into RPGs and read several game oriented books. Even if they weren't all that great sometimes. Oh well.
May 8, 2022
Anything with Fae and magic, I'm going to pick up and read. Back in the early 90s. Ms. Lackey was one of the only ones writing Fae stories. Less on romance and more on fantasy, I miss these kinds of books. The paranormal romances are good. The YA misplaced fae heir now abound and lack the quality of these original writers. Although I have learned that this book is kind of based on a computer game? Regardless, this was a good read and I will read anything written by Ms. Lackey.
February 16, 2021
Frosty version of the tale of Katschei the Deathless, except this time the Katschei is a white dragon, hoarding all sorts of things in his fortress of Frost. Naitachal the Dark Elf bard has a new apprentice, Alaire, and they set off along with a Paladin, a druid, a Master Bowman, a noble Lizardman and a Dwarven Artificer to discover what is going on in the mysterious valley of ice.
Good retelling of an old tale
Good retelling of an old tale
October 13, 2015
Another great little book from Mercedes and Ru Emerson this time to go with The Bards Tale computer RPG game. Told 20 years after the first book this time Naitachal's bardling Gawaine is working on becoming a Bardic Mage. This one will make you wonder if the quest will be too much even for a full bard and his motley band of uncommon heroes. If they can even get along long enough to work together.
July 2, 2015
Much better than the first in the series.
November 9, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13689461
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13689461
September 17, 2018
[image error]
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews