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Elemental Masters #18
The Cyprian
A cozy, cottage-core Regency fantasy perfect for fans of Bridgerton
Elena Whitstone and her seven brothers, abandoned by her mother, find themselves with a new stepmother. At first she seems more neglectful than evil, until just after Christmas she proves herself to be worse than evil; she is an actual magician, a Master of Water, who attempts to muder Elena's seven brothers when they are skating. When they survive that attempt by transforming into swans, she drives them away.
But the shock of having all of his heirs perish in a frozen pond is too much for Elena's father. He dies, and his widow is abruptly confronted with the inconvenient truth that the estate is entailed, and she not only must leave, she is lawfully in charge of Elena.
Furious, and possessing "only" what was gifted to her during her marriage, the stepmother retreats to Bath, to take up residence in the luxurious townhouse that was bought for her, and resume her former profession as a "Cyprian," a very exclusive courtesan, with Elena reluctantly posing as a page-boy and her servant. Nothing lasts forever, of course, and three years later, Elena is rapidly maturing too much to continue that ruse--and the stepmother is facing the ravages of time. The stepmother concocts a plan to establish an exclusive brothel and regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder.
Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers.
The latest in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series is a stand-alone romantasy based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans.
Elena Whitstone and her seven brothers, abandoned by her mother, find themselves with a new stepmother. At first she seems more neglectful than evil, until just after Christmas she proves herself to be worse than evil; she is an actual magician, a Master of Water, who attempts to muder Elena's seven brothers when they are skating. When they survive that attempt by transforming into swans, she drives them away.
But the shock of having all of his heirs perish in a frozen pond is too much for Elena's father. He dies, and his widow is abruptly confronted with the inconvenient truth that the estate is entailed, and she not only must leave, she is lawfully in charge of Elena.
Furious, and possessing "only" what was gifted to her during her marriage, the stepmother retreats to Bath, to take up residence in the luxurious townhouse that was bought for her, and resume her former profession as a "Cyprian," a very exclusive courtesan, with Elena reluctantly posing as a page-boy and her servant. Nothing lasts forever, of course, and three years later, Elena is rapidly maturing too much to continue that ruse--and the stepmother is facing the ravages of time. The stepmother concocts a plan to establish an exclusive brothel and regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder.
Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers.
The latest in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series is a stand-alone romantasy based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 30, 2025
110 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
431 books9,567 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 94 reviews
December 16, 2025
The Cyprian is a Regency inspired fairytale retelling that follows Elena and her seven brothers after their lives are upended by a cruel stepmother and a powerful curse. The story leans heavily into atmosphere and character, taking its time to settle into the rhythms of their lives and relationships.
What stood out most to me was the strong sense of family and the quiet, immersive details that make the world feel lived-in. The slow build worked well for most of the book, letting the characters and setting shine, though the ending wrapped up more quickly than I expected after such a gradual progression.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, thoughtfully written read with classic fairytale elements and a strong emotional core. A solid choice for readers who enjoy character focused retellings with a gentle, steady pace.
What stood out most to me was the strong sense of family and the quiet, immersive details that make the world feel lived-in. The slow build worked well for most of the book, letting the characters and setting shine, though the ending wrapped up more quickly than I expected after such a gradual progression.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, thoughtfully written read with classic fairytale elements and a strong emotional core. A solid choice for readers who enjoy character focused retellings with a gentle, steady pace.
Read
January 10, 2026This story took a horrific turn at the 75% mark and is a complete 180 of what it started out as. I was prepared to give this a 5 star rating until I hit the "3 years later" portion. DNF
TW female minor being put into dangerous sexu@l situations, forced brothel/voyeurism with a f minor, @ss@ult/non-consensual sexu@l situations with a f minor, forced blocked/stunted puberty on a f minor and probably more but I'm not reading any further to find out.
There is no trigger warning or trigger list for any of these specific items listed in the front or back of the ebook.
TW female minor being put into dangerous sexu@l situations, forced brothel/voyeurism with a f minor, @ss@ult/non-consensual sexu@l situations with a f minor, forced blocked/stunted puberty on a f minor and probably more but I'm not reading any further to find out.
There is no trigger warning or trigger list for any of these specific items listed in the front or back of the ebook.
November 27, 2025
This eighteenth book in the Elemental Masters series is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Wild Swans. It is set during England's Regency period.
Elena Whitstone is the youngest of Lord Whitstone's children. She has seven older brothers. Their mother disappears when she is quite young leaving them in the neglectful care of their father. When he comes home from Bath with a new bride, things change for the children.
Lord Whitstone seems besotted by his new bride who immediately banishes the children to the nursery and attempts to starve them. Luckily, the children have allies in the form of the old servants. They make many plans to escape their father and new stepmother's control. However, before they can implement any of them, their new stepmother is revealed to them as an evil mage who changes the brothers into swans and chases them from their home.
Elena is left to her stepmother's care when her father dies of grief at the loss of his sons. The stepmother is angry to learn that the estate is entailed and that she needs to leave with only the gifts she was given during the marriage and Elena.
The stepmother travels to Bath, changes her name, and resumes her previous career as a Cyprian - an exclusive prostitute. This career is aided by her magic which lets her enthrall men. She makes Elena her tiger - a carriage boy.
But plans change when her stepmother's latest protector - also a water mage - encourages her to open a bordello and conduct a virgin's auction with Elena as the virgin. This causes Elena to run from home where she finds herself on the estate of air mages who shelter her and help her find a way to free her brothers from their spell.
I enjoyed this story. I love the Regency setting. I liked the character of Elena who is resilient and determined. I liked the magical creatures - the sylphs - who try to help the children when the stepmother is not around.
My only complaint is the pacing of the story. Everything gets resolved in the last two percent of the book after a long, leisurely build-up. The long, leisurely build up seemed to hit a wall where the author realized that she was at some sort of page limit and had to wrap everything up immediately.
Elena Whitstone is the youngest of Lord Whitstone's children. She has seven older brothers. Their mother disappears when she is quite young leaving them in the neglectful care of their father. When he comes home from Bath with a new bride, things change for the children.
Lord Whitstone seems besotted by his new bride who immediately banishes the children to the nursery and attempts to starve them. Luckily, the children have allies in the form of the old servants. They make many plans to escape their father and new stepmother's control. However, before they can implement any of them, their new stepmother is revealed to them as an evil mage who changes the brothers into swans and chases them from their home.
Elena is left to her stepmother's care when her father dies of grief at the loss of his sons. The stepmother is angry to learn that the estate is entailed and that she needs to leave with only the gifts she was given during the marriage and Elena.
The stepmother travels to Bath, changes her name, and resumes her previous career as a Cyprian - an exclusive prostitute. This career is aided by her magic which lets her enthrall men. She makes Elena her tiger - a carriage boy.
But plans change when her stepmother's latest protector - also a water mage - encourages her to open a bordello and conduct a virgin's auction with Elena as the virgin. This causes Elena to run from home where she finds herself on the estate of air mages who shelter her and help her find a way to free her brothers from their spell.
I enjoyed this story. I love the Regency setting. I liked the character of Elena who is resilient and determined. I liked the magical creatures - the sylphs - who try to help the children when the stepmother is not around.
My only complaint is the pacing of the story. Everything gets resolved in the last two percent of the book after a long, leisurely build-up. The long, leisurely build up seemed to hit a wall where the author realized that she was at some sort of page limit and had to wrap everything up immediately.
February 2, 2026
A regency fantasy take on Hans Christian Andersons ‘The Wild Swans’. Cozy until about 70% and suddenly shit hits the proverbial fan! It took a long time to get there and the pacing issue took away a star from me. That being said I am more intrigued in checking out the rest of the Elemental Masters books! Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this advance readers copy!
January 9, 2026
The Cyprian is a retelling of "The Wild Swans" fairytale, set in Regency England. This is my first Mercedes Lackey book and it's a title in her Elemental Masters series, but it is a standalone. There's references to Elemental Masters in the book, but contextually you can figure it out.
I found this book to be very strange. I know the fairytale and have also read other novels retelling it (namely Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest, which I loved), so I knew the big event: . However, this doesn't happen until 67% into the book. Everything before that is the 8 siblings sitting around talking about how much they dislike their stepmother. I'm sure some readers would enjoy this part of the book as "cozy", with descriptions of their dinners (so many dinners described), outfits, Elena's knitting and mending, and details of their house. It dragged for me. It didn't exactly establish the relationship between all the siblings, as I kept forgetting some of them.
Then the event happens, and the book goes way too fast. We get a time skip three years ahead and a whiplash move into darkness. There is a pretty graphic description of sexual assault that I was shocked was in this book, based on how it went before. I understand that Lackey wants to create stakes for Elena and have a sense of dread, but this felt too much.
I also didn't like how Elena doesn't really have a lot of agency after the event . I'm not sure what the whole point of her learning magic from the slyphs and Zephyr to have someone else figure out everything for her.
Comparing this to Daughter of the Forest where I felt the struggle of the character as she worked so hard to create the nettle shirts, and felt how excruciating they were to create, it just feels so underbaked. I just don't understand why the most pivotal parts of the fairytale are crammed in the very end of the book. I don't understand why Elena doesn't get to figure out anything and take control in any way shape or form.
I was excited to try a Mercedes Lackey novel, but this was not an impressive entry.
I found this book to be very strange. I know the fairytale and have also read other novels retelling it (namely Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest, which I loved), so I knew the big event: . However, this doesn't happen until 67% into the book. Everything before that is the 8 siblings sitting around talking about how much they dislike their stepmother. I'm sure some readers would enjoy this part of the book as "cozy", with descriptions of their dinners (so many dinners described), outfits, Elena's knitting and mending, and details of their house. It dragged for me. It didn't exactly establish the relationship between all the siblings, as I kept forgetting some of them.
Then the event happens, and the book goes way too fast. We get a time skip three years ahead and a whiplash move into darkness. There is a pretty graphic description of sexual assault that I was shocked was in this book, based on how it went before. I understand that Lackey wants to create stakes for Elena and have a sense of dread, but this felt too much.
I also didn't like how Elena doesn't really have a lot of agency after the event . I'm not sure what the whole point of her learning magic from the slyphs and Zephyr to have someone else figure out everything for her.
Comparing this to Daughter of the Forest where I felt the struggle of the character as she worked so hard to create the nettle shirts, and felt how excruciating they were to create, it just feels so underbaked. I just don't understand why the most pivotal parts of the fairytale are crammed in the very end of the book. I don't understand why Elena doesn't get to figure out anything and take control in any way shape or form.
I was excited to try a Mercedes Lackey novel, but this was not an impressive entry.
November 24, 2025
ARC review // 3.5 ⭐️ // While touted as similar to 'Bridgerton,' I would argue this more aligns with the Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh, since it tends to play with critiquing Regency England a bit more than Bridgerton tends to (as far as I can recall).
The pacing was a bit wonky, overall. Most of what occurs in the synopsis didn't happen until over halfway through the book (about 60% on my ereader). This left the back half of the novel feeling rushed and underbaked (especially the final chapter); there was a page difference from what review apps/Edelweiss said the page count was and what appeared on my ereader (it was roughly 50 pages, which feels like a lot for font to adjust), so I don't know if there were parts missing (I also don't know what backmatter could be worth 50 pages).
The romance labels are also being generous – very little romance happens until the underdeveloped back-half of the novel (though we get glimpses of at least one half a couple of times before that point). This romance would do a lot to explain how involved one character gets (the 'I just want to help' motivation feels a little one-dimensional, no matter how nice it is for someone to be a genuinely good person like that).
The pacing was a bit wonky, overall. Most of what occurs in the synopsis didn't happen until over halfway through the book (about 60% on my ereader). This left the back half of the novel feeling rushed and underbaked (especially the final chapter); there was a page difference from what review apps/Edelweiss said the page count was and what appeared on my ereader (it was roughly 50 pages, which feels like a lot for font to adjust), so I don't know if there were parts missing (I also don't know what backmatter could be worth 50 pages).
The romance labels are also being generous – very little romance happens until the underdeveloped back-half of the novel (though we get glimpses of at least one half a couple of times before that point). This romance would do a lot to explain how involved one character gets (the 'I just want to help' motivation feels a little one-dimensional, no matter how nice it is for someone to be a genuinely good person like that).
December 12, 2025
Thanks to DAW and Netgalley for an ARC copy of The Cyprian.
My first introduction to adult fantasy was Mercedes Lackey’s Arrows of the Queen thanks to my mom (she has great taste!) I’ve read almost all of the Valdemar universe books and some of them are my comfort rereads when I don’t want to start a new book.
I remember reading one or two of the Elemental Masters series before getting distracted by college reading and just never came back to this series. The Cyprian reminded me of my goal to finish her backlist that I haven’t read yet.
The Cyprian is a fairytale retelling of the Wild Swans. I have read the original and a decent amount of retellings that I knew the premise of the story but Lackey’s excellent writing and character development made this a standout story. I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a cozy fantasy but the first half of the book follows the cozy premise of focusing on the day to day lives of the characters. It really works for this story as we have 8 main characters (Elena and her 7 brothers) and we really get to know them and understand their heritage, the explanations for how their parents treated/treat the kids and how that has prepared them for the intrusion of Stepmother and her punishments.
I loved seeing Elena’s resilience after she is taken into the Stepmother’s service after her father’s death. Because of how much time we spent in their childhood the action portion felt a tiny bit rushed and I’d don’t think an explanation was given as to how Stepmother and her accomplice found Elena and was able to lay the initial trap. Still I loved the story and enjoyed the ending.
Didn’t have any trouble understanding the world even not having read the rest of the series so I highly recommend this book for historical fantasy lovers!
My first introduction to adult fantasy was Mercedes Lackey’s Arrows of the Queen thanks to my mom (she has great taste!) I’ve read almost all of the Valdemar universe books and some of them are my comfort rereads when I don’t want to start a new book.
I remember reading one or two of the Elemental Masters series before getting distracted by college reading and just never came back to this series. The Cyprian reminded me of my goal to finish her backlist that I haven’t read yet.
The Cyprian is a fairytale retelling of the Wild Swans. I have read the original and a decent amount of retellings that I knew the premise of the story but Lackey’s excellent writing and character development made this a standout story. I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a cozy fantasy but the first half of the book follows the cozy premise of focusing on the day to day lives of the characters. It really works for this story as we have 8 main characters (Elena and her 7 brothers) and we really get to know them and understand their heritage, the explanations for how their parents treated/treat the kids and how that has prepared them for the intrusion of Stepmother and her punishments.
I loved seeing Elena’s resilience after she is taken into the Stepmother’s service after her father’s death. Because of how much time we spent in their childhood the action portion felt a tiny bit rushed and I’d don’t think an explanation was given as to how Stepmother and her accomplice found Elena and was able to lay the initial trap. Still I loved the story and enjoyed the ending.
Didn’t have any trouble understanding the world even not having read the rest of the series so I highly recommend this book for historical fantasy lovers!
January 15, 2026
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in...
I really need to stop reading the Elemental Masters series. I think once I finish the two books I have in my pile I will. Or I will read one a year and question my life choices. We'll see.
I feel like her publisher said "write something like Bridgerton," so she named the manor Whitstone and set I during the Regency and there you go.
Our plucky but mightily abused heroine is a needle worker, and I have to echo what one poster here said: If you are making nettle shirts for your seven brothers, why would you CROCHET INSTEAD OF KNIT since that uses 1/3 more yarn? You could have done a nice open filet lace pattern in knit instead.
There was a very ick part with the Cyprian and her paramour.
This book was 2/3 description, race to the finish and a last chapter epilogue that truly boggled the mind in its brevity. And they all lived stupidly ever after!
I really need to stop reading the Elemental Masters series. I think once I finish the two books I have in my pile I will. Or I will read one a year and question my life choices. We'll see.
I feel like her publisher said "write something like Bridgerton," so she named the manor Whitstone and set I during the Regency and there you go.
Our plucky but mightily abused heroine is a needle worker, and I have to echo what one poster here said: If you are making nettle shirts for your seven brothers, why would you CROCHET INSTEAD OF KNIT since that uses 1/3 more yarn? You could have done a nice open filet lace pattern in knit instead.
There was a very ick part with the Cyprian and her paramour.
This book was 2/3 description, race to the finish and a last chapter epilogue that truly boggled the mind in its brevity. And they all lived stupidly ever after!
November 1, 2025
Thanks NetGalley for providing this ARC. I received the book for free, but my opinions are my own.
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This was by definition a cosy fantasy. Marketed as "Bridgerton meets Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans" .
I do think that does the book a disservice, as the only thing it really shares with Julia Quinn's universe is the Regency England setting.
What the book is, is a very satisfying slow paced journey breathing new life into a familiar fable through the veteran fantasy voice of Mercedes Lackey.
---------
This was by definition a cosy fantasy. Marketed as "Bridgerton meets Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans" .
I do think that does the book a disservice, as the only thing it really shares with Julia Quinn's universe is the Regency England setting.
What the book is, is a very satisfying slow paced journey breathing new life into a familiar fable through the veteran fantasy voice of Mercedes Lackey.
January 4, 2026
This one was just okay. It had too much fairy tale and not enough Elemental Masters in it. And it took 2/3 of the book to pick up speed get up the hill of the story and then just fell off the edge of the cliff to end things. To be honest, if I didn't normally like this series so much, I might not have even finished it. This author has done better with other titles from this series. I hate to say that this is one of the series that I probably won't be rereading.
October 22, 2025
The Elemental Masters series takes different fairy tales and transposes them onto Regency / Edwardian England, adding in a secret society of mages. The Cyprian is based on The Six Swans from Grimm's fairy tales. It's nice to get back to the old format of focusing on Elemental magic after a long side trip into psychics helping Sherlock Holmes solve crimes (those books are much better than it sounds, but they were starting to get old). The Cyprian has the series' typical elements of girl-meets-boy eventually finding love together after overcoming challenges with the twist that both parties have magic. This book could benefit from a trigger warning, as long-time readers won't be expecting the brief on-screen sexual violence -- previous books in the series have been pretty universally G-rated.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my honest feedback.
December 30, 2025
I have been a fan of Mercedes Lackey books since she published the first of the Valdemar series, although as my reading tastes have changed, I have grown away from fantasy. I have also deviated pretty heavily away from the long series with multiple books, even when they are effectively stand alone. Going back to her series, especially one that I started many years ago, was like a bit of a homecoming. The Cyprian is the story of the Wild Swans retold in a more contemporary setting. And with the resurgence of popularity around Regency and Victorian romances - thank you Bridgerton - the timing of this story is aligned. Although given that it is also book 18 in the Elemental Masters series, it is certainly not jumping on any bandwagons to expand readership.
As expected of Lackey, the story is well written and the characters are well developed. Well, the ones who matter which, for this book, really is Elana. Everyone is secondary to her story and, as per the original, consistent with how the Wild Swans story unfolds. There are many of the same elements of that story as well as other fairy tales (i.e. evil stepmother, absentee father, magic). While I did enjoy all of this, and the retelling of the Wild Swans was my main reason for taking up a book in this series again, I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed or disappointed. That is what kept me from moving this to a 5 star rating. Yes, I expected a lot more from Lackey than most writers, because I have enjoyed her stories for many years. But ultimately, for me, the story seemed too focused on the pre-swan portion of the childrens' lives. The bulk of the book was spent in the schoolroom and showing how Elena and her brothers outsmarted their stepmother and father; and how they managed their lives following the death of their mother and their father's absenteeism. I also found that the relationship with the servants was strange. At first, the servants treated them the way their father did; and then all of a sudden, they cared about them. Felt a bit forced.
Then, when the stepmother finally reveals herself, the story just got really rushed. The plot jumps ahead a few years which didn't necessarily help given the really slow lead up.
And yes, I sound overly negative. But the book was very well done. Just rushed to wrap up in those last 100 or so pages just zoomed by. I wanted more on the cyprian and less on the children in the end.
All in all, a good book for this series - yes, I do remember the ones I read - and a good addition to the Lackey canon. Just being super fussy.
* I received an ARC via NetGalley.
As expected of Lackey, the story is well written and the characters are well developed. Well, the ones who matter which, for this book, really is Elana. Everyone is secondary to her story and, as per the original, consistent with how the Wild Swans story unfolds. There are many of the same elements of that story as well as other fairy tales (i.e. evil stepmother, absentee father, magic). While I did enjoy all of this, and the retelling of the Wild Swans was my main reason for taking up a book in this series again, I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed or disappointed. That is what kept me from moving this to a 5 star rating. Yes, I expected a lot more from Lackey than most writers, because I have enjoyed her stories for many years. But ultimately, for me, the story seemed too focused on the pre-swan portion of the childrens' lives. The bulk of the book was spent in the schoolroom and showing how Elena and her brothers outsmarted their stepmother and father; and how they managed their lives following the death of their mother and their father's absenteeism. I also found that the relationship with the servants was strange. At first, the servants treated them the way their father did; and then all of a sudden, they cared about them. Felt a bit forced.
Then, when the stepmother finally reveals herself, the story just got really rushed. The plot jumps ahead a few years which didn't necessarily help given the really slow lead up.
And yes, I sound overly negative. But the book was very well done. Just rushed to wrap up in those last 100 or so pages just zoomed by. I wanted more on the cyprian and less on the children in the end.
All in all, a good book for this series - yes, I do remember the ones I read - and a good addition to the Lackey canon. Just being super fussy.
* I received an ARC via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really, really loved the first 70% of this. It was a little slow, knowing it was a retelling of the Wild Swans and so knowing that we were waiting for the evil stepmother to turn them to swans, but it really built a sense of dread while also fully immersing everyone in the characters' worlds and personalities. It really built up to a head -- where suddenly everything skipped forward and began rushing, and I'm afraid it lost me a bit at that point.
It's not just that Elena was put under "threat" of constant sexual assault (I say threat, because she was worrying about IF she was raped, but we see her on page getting digitally raped, unfortunately, it's just of course this isn't counted as 'quite' the same on page); I can see the purpose for it, even if I'm really, really tired of it, especially when that is one of the few plot points NOT taken from the original fairy tale to be added in. But it's the fact that this put her at her least autonomous, most subject to other people's wills after 70% of a book of her having to keep her head down, and then the rest of the story ... doesn't really get her autonomy back. She does a few things (the main one being run away) but then people keep handing her the solutions to her problems. Brand new characters we'd never met, or only met once, step in to house her, teach her, tell her explicitly that she needs to make the magic shirts, tell her explicitly that she needs to use nettles to do it, that she can't speak, take her brothers in, solve the questions of how to justify how these 7 brothers were all missing for 3 years, etc. She just does what she's told -- even the climax, where she certainly DOES save the day, she does so based on instructions other people gave her in the past. I would have just liked to see more of the ideas in her hands -- a "I was told my magic is in sewing, is there anything we can do with that" or a "We always talked about running away to Canada. What if someone had sold my brothers there" would all be based in things she already knew and then put the ideas and inspirations into her own hands even if she still had to learn how.
(I also felt odd about And also about )
Still well worth reading, but if it had carried its momentum through and put a little more into her own hands I would have been able to give this a five stars, but it really turned for me at points near the end. Still, it's a fun one overall!
Thank you to NetGalley and to Daw for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's not just that Elena was put under "threat" of constant sexual assault (I say threat, because she was worrying about IF she was raped, but we see her on page getting digitally raped, unfortunately, it's just of course this isn't counted as 'quite' the same on page); I can see the purpose for it, even if I'm really, really tired of it, especially when that is one of the few plot points NOT taken from the original fairy tale to be added in. But it's the fact that this put her at her least autonomous, most subject to other people's wills after 70% of a book of her having to keep her head down, and then the rest of the story ... doesn't really get her autonomy back. She does a few things (the main one being run away) but then people keep handing her the solutions to her problems. Brand new characters we'd never met, or only met once, step in to house her, teach her, tell her explicitly that she needs to make the magic shirts, tell her explicitly that she needs to use nettles to do it, that she can't speak, take her brothers in, solve the questions of how to justify how these 7 brothers were all missing for 3 years, etc. She just does what she's told -- even the climax, where she certainly DOES save the day, she does so based on instructions other people gave her in the past. I would have just liked to see more of the ideas in her hands -- a "I was told my magic is in sewing, is there anything we can do with that" or a "We always talked about running away to Canada. What if someone had sold my brothers there" would all be based in things she already knew and then put the ideas and inspirations into her own hands even if she still had to learn how.
(I also felt odd about And also about )
Still well worth reading, but if it had carried its momentum through and put a little more into her own hands I would have been able to give this a five stars, but it really turned for me at points near the end. Still, it's a fun one overall!
Thank you to NetGalley and to Daw for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2026
This Lackey work is infinitely better than the last one, Miss Amelia's List, which had no plot whatsoever. I give most of my Lackey reviews the same opening admonishment-- that Lackey has been phoning it in for at least the past 15, 20 years, so most of the books she has put out in that time frame are too thin and too basic.
Don't get me wrong. I absolutely adored so many of Lackey's older works. Valdemar and the Serrated Edge universes, especially. But, Elemental Masters books have been, overall, a joke. The last book in this universe was the ultimate example of the problem-- Lackey gets so swept up in describing the minutia of this historical time period, focusing on food and clothing, that she neglects actually creating a PLOT. In the last installment, we didn't even know there was a villain until the last five percent of the book, and then what little conflict we had was resolved too quickly, with too much handwaving.
This installment, however, is better.
The premise is that the protagonist and her seven brothers are all the children born from a swan maiden and the human man who captured her. The swan maiden has the same general story as a selkie girl-- she shed her skin, which is stolen by a human man, and she is thereafter bound to remain with him as his unwilling bride. As soon as she finds her skin again, she flees. As with many selkie stories, this includes the detail that she abandoned her children. Our protagonist, the only daughter of the bunch, was five years old at the time her mother jumped out a window and flew away in swan form.
Elemental magicians are still present, and as with most installments in this universe, most of their magic is rooted in their ability to see and communicate with invisible, elemental creatures. Because all the swan children are air magicians, they mostly see sylphs.
There is some discussion about the idea that Elena, the protagonist, and her brothers aren't strictly human. But, this has no meaningful impact on the rest of the story. Instead, the story continues with the fairytale structure of an evil stepmother taking over their household and making their lives worse, by degrees, until events basically hit rock bottom.
As usual, Elena meets other elemental magicians who help explain magic to her, help her solve her problems, etc. There is a description of "The White Lodge" and how egalitarian all these magicians are, even though they're in Victorian England in a time where class is a very big deal.
Unlike most of the books Lackey has been churning out for the past couple decades, this one felt like there was more of an actual problem, and had actual stakes. Still, the resolution came a little too quickly. There needed to be more obstacles before the solution, and the last two or three chapters felt incredibly rushed. But, at least it wasn't as bad as the earlier book, Reserved for the Cat, where the protagonists solved the problem by just getting a gun and shooting it. This resolution was a little more nuanced than that.
This work showed some gasps of talent and better writing, despite Lackey's dedication to churning out at least four books a year, and all of those books being pointless popcorn novels.
Don't get me wrong. I absolutely adored so many of Lackey's older works. Valdemar and the Serrated Edge universes, especially. But, Elemental Masters books have been, overall, a joke. The last book in this universe was the ultimate example of the problem-- Lackey gets so swept up in describing the minutia of this historical time period, focusing on food and clothing, that she neglects actually creating a PLOT. In the last installment, we didn't even know there was a villain until the last five percent of the book, and then what little conflict we had was resolved too quickly, with too much handwaving.
This installment, however, is better.
The premise is that the protagonist and her seven brothers are all the children born from a swan maiden and the human man who captured her. The swan maiden has the same general story as a selkie girl-- she shed her skin, which is stolen by a human man, and she is thereafter bound to remain with him as his unwilling bride. As soon as she finds her skin again, she flees. As with many selkie stories, this includes the detail that she abandoned her children. Our protagonist, the only daughter of the bunch, was five years old at the time her mother jumped out a window and flew away in swan form.
Elemental magicians are still present, and as with most installments in this universe, most of their magic is rooted in their ability to see and communicate with invisible, elemental creatures. Because all the swan children are air magicians, they mostly see sylphs.
There is some discussion about the idea that Elena, the protagonist, and her brothers aren't strictly human. But, this has no meaningful impact on the rest of the story. Instead, the story continues with the fairytale structure of an evil stepmother taking over their household and making their lives worse, by degrees, until events basically hit rock bottom.
As usual, Elena meets other elemental magicians who help explain magic to her, help her solve her problems, etc. There is a description of "The White Lodge" and how egalitarian all these magicians are, even though they're in Victorian England in a time where class is a very big deal.
Unlike most of the books Lackey has been churning out for the past couple decades, this one felt like there was more of an actual problem, and had actual stakes. Still, the resolution came a little too quickly. There needed to be more obstacles before the solution, and the last two or three chapters felt incredibly rushed. But, at least it wasn't as bad as the earlier book, Reserved for the Cat, where the protagonists solved the problem by just getting a gun and shooting it. This resolution was a little more nuanced than that.
This work showed some gasps of talent and better writing, despite Lackey's dedication to churning out at least four books a year, and all of those books being pointless popcorn novels.
December 30, 2025
"The Cyprian" is the latest book set in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters world- in this case Regency England. Each story is a fantasy retelling of a fairy tale and this one is The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen.
In this story Elena and her 7 brothers have to keep to themselves when their father brings home a wicked stepmother. The majority of the book is world-building and character building for Elena. Lackey always does a lovely job building beautiful old homes and making you feel like you're living in them, seeing the warm kitchens with people cooking food or things like that and this book was no exception. There's lovely family feeling between the siblings. There isn't much magic happening, there are Sylphs and Elena starts to learn a touch of magic, but if you've read Lackey's other books in the series don't expect this one to be similar. Lackey's writing style was better than it has been in some of her previous book, going back more to her original language and writing style, which I liked.
The pacing is my biggest complaint here. More than 60% of the book is the siblings in the house compaining that while the stepmother could be worse, she's mean but they're being ignored. Then She turns the boys into swans while trying to kill them, ends up in Bath with Elena (where things get dark and there should probably be a few trigger warnings for readers unfamiliar with the story) before Elena escapes. It's only the last maybe 20% of the book that Elena spends working ou how to save her brothers and doing it. The book would have benefitted from that being more of the focus, from Stephen getting more of a role, the plans to defeat the Stepmother getting more of a role. Instead Elena just kind of roles with things as they happen and they just happen. We're told more than shown what's going on, which is unusual for a Mercedes Lackey story, with plenty of holes in how somethings actually happen. It felt like Lackey realized she hit the end of the book and needed to wrap it up without worrying about the fact that the end of the book should really have been the main story.
I was pretty disappointed with this book. It felt like the majority of the story should have been a much smaller amount so that the solution and magical adventure could have been the main story instead of the other way around. Although advertised as romantasy (and the rest of the series is) this one really isn't.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
In this story Elena and her 7 brothers have to keep to themselves when their father brings home a wicked stepmother. The majority of the book is world-building and character building for Elena. Lackey always does a lovely job building beautiful old homes and making you feel like you're living in them, seeing the warm kitchens with people cooking food or things like that and this book was no exception. There's lovely family feeling between the siblings. There isn't much magic happening, there are Sylphs and Elena starts to learn a touch of magic, but if you've read Lackey's other books in the series don't expect this one to be similar. Lackey's writing style was better than it has been in some of her previous book, going back more to her original language and writing style, which I liked.
The pacing is my biggest complaint here. More than 60% of the book is the siblings in the house compaining that while the stepmother could be worse, she's mean but they're being ignored. Then She turns the boys into swans while trying to kill them, ends up in Bath with Elena (where things get dark and there should probably be a few trigger warnings for readers unfamiliar with the story) before Elena escapes. It's only the last maybe 20% of the book that Elena spends working ou how to save her brothers and doing it. The book would have benefitted from that being more of the focus, from Stephen getting more of a role, the plans to defeat the Stepmother getting more of a role. Instead Elena just kind of roles with things as they happen and they just happen. We're told more than shown what's going on, which is unusual for a Mercedes Lackey story, with plenty of holes in how somethings actually happen. It felt like Lackey realized she hit the end of the book and needed to wrap it up without worrying about the fact that the end of the book should really have been the main story.
I was pretty disappointed with this book. It felt like the majority of the story should have been a much smaller amount so that the solution and magical adventure could have been the main story instead of the other way around. Although advertised as romantasy (and the rest of the series is) this one really isn't.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
January 2, 2026
This is a solid read, one which will please long time readers and should draw in new readers. I really enjoyed it and am already looking forward to the next in the series.
This is a retelling of the fairy story in which seven brothers are turned into swans, and their sister must weave shirts of nettles to save them. Lackey gives this story urgency by placing the sister, Elena, in peril of her own. She also makes clear the bond between the sister and brothers, making it easy to understand her desperation to rescue them.
It’s set in the Victorian period, and is infused with details that bring it vividly to life. This skillfully merges a fantasy novel with a historical fiction.
Lackey adopts an even tone, without dramatics, and still I found this deeply absorbing. Because there weren’t cliff hangers or even a lot of dramatic peaks, it wasn’t quite can’t put it down. Still, I did find myself wanting very badly to know how things turned out for Elena and reading on steadily without many breaks.
The Elemental Masters novels all stand alone, but are set in a shared universe. Sometimes major characters from one novel will recur as minor characters in another, but you don’t need to be aware of their previous roles to follow the story. They are all set in the Victorian period, mostly in England, in a world exactly like ours – except that magic is real, if largely secret.
If there’s a little similarity between the Elemental Masters novels, well, that’s because the fairy tales and legends they’re drawn from also have similarities. Wicked stepmothers, fathers with easily turned heads and a tendency to neglectfulness, individual sacrifice (usually female) to effect rescues…And then Lackey throws in some broader themes like the gaping distance between rich and poor or the struggle of good against evil.
Lackey knows how to write a good story, and infuses a familiar story with both depth and original twists. Her characters are all strong, and frankly I wish I could be friends with some of them.
Fans should find this very satisfying, as it plays to all Lackey’s strengths and delivers a great reading experience. For newer readers, this is an easy entry to the series. Highly recommended.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
This is a retelling of the fairy story in which seven brothers are turned into swans, and their sister must weave shirts of nettles to save them. Lackey gives this story urgency by placing the sister, Elena, in peril of her own. She also makes clear the bond between the sister and brothers, making it easy to understand her desperation to rescue them.
It’s set in the Victorian period, and is infused with details that bring it vividly to life. This skillfully merges a fantasy novel with a historical fiction.
Lackey adopts an even tone, without dramatics, and still I found this deeply absorbing. Because there weren’t cliff hangers or even a lot of dramatic peaks, it wasn’t quite can’t put it down. Still, I did find myself wanting very badly to know how things turned out for Elena and reading on steadily without many breaks.
The Elemental Masters novels all stand alone, but are set in a shared universe. Sometimes major characters from one novel will recur as minor characters in another, but you don’t need to be aware of their previous roles to follow the story. They are all set in the Victorian period, mostly in England, in a world exactly like ours – except that magic is real, if largely secret.
If there’s a little similarity between the Elemental Masters novels, well, that’s because the fairy tales and legends they’re drawn from also have similarities. Wicked stepmothers, fathers with easily turned heads and a tendency to neglectfulness, individual sacrifice (usually female) to effect rescues…And then Lackey throws in some broader themes like the gaping distance between rich and poor or the struggle of good against evil.
Lackey knows how to write a good story, and infuses a familiar story with both depth and original twists. Her characters are all strong, and frankly I wish I could be friends with some of them.
Fans should find this very satisfying, as it plays to all Lackey’s strengths and delivers a great reading experience. For newer readers, this is an easy entry to the series. Highly recommended.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
January 20, 2026
Trigger warnings for: mentions of rape, sexual assault (Elena is made to strip naked and fondled against her will)
This is a decent YA set in regency era England with elemental mages and magical creatures — sylphs, undines, salamanders — witches and dark magicians. But most of the focus is on Elena and her brothers, growing up ignored and more or less unwanted in their father’s house after he marries their stepmother, the dark mage Serafina.
It reminds me of books like Seven Cousins or Little Princess with the focus on the very mundane details of children trying to make do, being happy with a potato and brown bread for dinner, of finding comfort and strength in one another. And … that’s much of the book. Elena is a Good Girl, never causing a fuss, never whining or fretting. She’s obedient, modestly clever, and likes designing and making dresses.
It takes two thirds of the book to get to the swanning, where her seven brothers are turned into swans, but that’s in part, I think, to make me feel bad for the kids, and bad for Elena for being abandoned by her brothers. Unfortunately the book is so shallow and light that I didn’t feel much of anything. I am, however, glad I pushed to the end because I didn’t know nettles could be turned into yarn. The ending, though, was so very rushed. Things happened because other people helped Elena; she didn’t find the riddle to break the spell, someone did that for her. She didn’t have to labor alone; other people were there to make it as pleasant as possible for her.
And the big confrontation with Serafina? It was slapdash and cartoonish. But, for a YA, perhaps that’s fine. Not every bad guy needs a giant drawn out fight; for some books and for some younger readers it might be easier to have the focus on the good things: Elena’s love for her brothers, the way she’s able to accomplish her task with the help of friends, the reward of a husband for all her hard work. For older readers, though, this may be too shallow to hold their interest.
Other reviewers have mentioned that they would have chosen knitting, which uses less yarn than crochet, but I can see why crochet was chosen. Elena wasn’t making a real sweater as much as a macrame shirt, like filet crochet, to make a net in the form of a shirt.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
This is a decent YA set in regency era England with elemental mages and magical creatures — sylphs, undines, salamanders — witches and dark magicians. But most of the focus is on Elena and her brothers, growing up ignored and more or less unwanted in their father’s house after he marries their stepmother, the dark mage Serafina.
It reminds me of books like Seven Cousins or Little Princess with the focus on the very mundane details of children trying to make do, being happy with a potato and brown bread for dinner, of finding comfort and strength in one another. And … that’s much of the book. Elena is a Good Girl, never causing a fuss, never whining or fretting. She’s obedient, modestly clever, and likes designing and making dresses.
It takes two thirds of the book to get to the swanning, where her seven brothers are turned into swans, but that’s in part, I think, to make me feel bad for the kids, and bad for Elena for being abandoned by her brothers. Unfortunately the book is so shallow and light that I didn’t feel much of anything. I am, however, glad I pushed to the end because I didn’t know nettles could be turned into yarn. The ending, though, was so very rushed. Things happened because other people helped Elena; she didn’t find the riddle to break the spell, someone did that for her. She didn’t have to labor alone; other people were there to make it as pleasant as possible for her.
And the big confrontation with Serafina? It was slapdash and cartoonish. But, for a YA, perhaps that’s fine. Not every bad guy needs a giant drawn out fight; for some books and for some younger readers it might be easier to have the focus on the good things: Elena’s love for her brothers, the way she’s able to accomplish her task with the help of friends, the reward of a husband for all her hard work. For older readers, though, this may be too shallow to hold their interest.
Other reviewers have mentioned that they would have chosen knitting, which uses less yarn than crochet, but I can see why crochet was chosen. Elena wasn’t making a real sweater as much as a macrame shirt, like filet crochet, to make a net in the form of a shirt.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
January 19, 2026
Mercedes Lackey is very nostalgic for me. I began reading her books as a young teenager and have really enjoyed them. Her Elemental Masters series in particular is a much beloved series, as I love the magic system interwoven with the fairy tale retellings.
The Six Swans (seven in this story) is one of my favorite fairy tales, I really appreciate the determination of the heroine in taking her vow of silence and enduring so much pain to free her brothers from their curse. Knowing this was the next retelling in this series had me practically salivating. There were things about this story that I loved - the descriptiveness of Elena's manor home, the relationships between the children and the Whitstone staff, and the resourcefulness of Elena. I teared up when Elena reconnected with the sylphs then her brothers, those were truly beautiful moments.
However, the story itself suffered from a lack of pacing, depth, and magic system nuance. So much time was spent in the manor with Elena as a child - 67% of the book had passed before the main plot device occurred and 90% of the book was complete when Elena is presented with the solution to save her brothers. The climax was incredibly anticlimactic and the story was wrapped up so quickly that my head was spinning in surprise. I literally stared at the last page for at least a minute trying to grasp that it was over and THAT was how it ended.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this. I read it in less than a day, I could not put it down. HOWEVER - it could've been much better.
Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Six Swans (seven in this story) is one of my favorite fairy tales, I really appreciate the determination of the heroine in taking her vow of silence and enduring so much pain to free her brothers from their curse. Knowing this was the next retelling in this series had me practically salivating. There were things about this story that I loved - the descriptiveness of Elena's manor home, the relationships between the children and the Whitstone staff, and the resourcefulness of Elena. I teared up when Elena reconnected with the sylphs then her brothers, those were truly beautiful moments.
However, the story itself suffered from a lack of pacing, depth, and magic system nuance. So much time was spent in the manor with Elena as a child - 67% of the book had passed before the main plot device occurred and 90% of the book was complete when Elena is presented with the solution to save her brothers. The climax was incredibly anticlimactic and the story was wrapped up so quickly that my head was spinning in surprise. I literally stared at the last page for at least a minute trying to grasp that it was over and THAT was how it ended.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this. I read it in less than a day, I could not put it down. HOWEVER - it could've been much better.
Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2026
I can’t believe that we are 18 books into this great series. While some of these books have overlapping character, this one can be read standalone (though it helps to have a sense of how the magic in this world works from other books).
The book centers on eight young siblings and is primarily told from Elena’s perspective, the youngest and only girl of the eight. The children’s father marries early in the book and it quickly becomes clear that their new stepmother is not a nice person. Part of the book is spent showing how the children adjust to their new stepmother and the other part of the book is spent after their stepmother enchants all of the brothers.
This is a lovely retelling of a fairytale about brothers being turned into swans and how their sister has to rescue them. As ever, Lackey build a little world within her larger magical world showing how the children build their own sanctuary away from their stepmother.
My main issue with the book is the pacing. The stepmother doesn’t transform the brothers until 2/3 of the way through the book. Up to their point, the book is very environmental, with only little bits and pieces advancing the larger plot. After the brothers’ transformation, there is also a three-year jump in the story, which makes sense in the flow of the book but is also a bit weird with the pacing.
It’s not a bad book, and I enjoyed reading it, but it felt heavy with the background and rushed on the action, particularly as the villain gets their comeuppance in the very last chapter and there is only a short epilogue after that to say what happened to all of the siblings. I wish for a shorter start of the book and longer end of the book.
I should also add some content warnings, including: .
Overall, Lackey continues to add good books to this series even if I had some quibbles with this one.
The book centers on eight young siblings and is primarily told from Elena’s perspective, the youngest and only girl of the eight. The children’s father marries early in the book and it quickly becomes clear that their new stepmother is not a nice person. Part of the book is spent showing how the children adjust to their new stepmother and the other part of the book is spent after their stepmother enchants all of the brothers.
This is a lovely retelling of a fairytale about brothers being turned into swans and how their sister has to rescue them. As ever, Lackey build a little world within her larger magical world showing how the children build their own sanctuary away from their stepmother.
My main issue with the book is the pacing. The stepmother doesn’t transform the brothers until 2/3 of the way through the book. Up to their point, the book is very environmental, with only little bits and pieces advancing the larger plot. After the brothers’ transformation, there is also a three-year jump in the story, which makes sense in the flow of the book but is also a bit weird with the pacing.
It’s not a bad book, and I enjoyed reading it, but it felt heavy with the background and rushed on the action, particularly as the villain gets their comeuppance in the very last chapter and there is only a short epilogue after that to say what happened to all of the siblings. I wish for a shorter start of the book and longer end of the book.
I should also add some content warnings, including: .
Overall, Lackey continues to add good books to this series even if I had some quibbles with this one.
January 19, 2026
Read the blurb, read a summary of the original tale, and skip the book. I usually enjoy the Elemental masters books for the world building, magic system, and usually fairly clever retelling of fairy tales (other than the Sarah and Nan books which are mostly not fairy tales iirc), but this book spent a lot of time to not do much.
I spent the first two thirds of the book waiting for the big event from the blurb to happen, and then most of the action happened in the last 10 or 15% of the book.
Half the book was the increasingly usual emphasis on how hard life was back then, how hard it is to do stuff by hand, how much thrift and reuse were necessary. There was an inordinate amount of time spent on needlework in a way that didn't really do anything (and as someone whose primary hobbies are knitting, sewing, cross stitch, crochet, and spinning, I usually enjoy it when authors add those things in a realistic way). More than a quarter of the book was a bunch of events that didn't really progress the story. The fairy tale retelling was very straightforward and rushed. Usually Lackey gets us into the heads of her villains a bit, but there was none of that here, the villain was very two dimensional. Actually, all the characters are. The romance was virtually nonexistent and a foregone conclusion (I mean, it usually is, but there is also usually some character development of the other party and of the relationship, which was not the case here). There was virtually no development of magic skills. There were a number of small details that I thought Lackey would do something with that didn't end up going anywhere (eg mention of adding a touch of Fire to a ward, or of finding a teacher toward the end).
I finished it. The writing on a sentence level was fine and nothing happened that knocked me out of the immersion. But increasingly I'm wondering if it's worth reading new installments of this series or of Valdemar...
I spent the first two thirds of the book waiting for the big event from the blurb to happen, and then most of the action happened in the last 10 or 15% of the book.
Half the book was the increasingly usual emphasis on how hard life was back then, how hard it is to do stuff by hand, how much thrift and reuse were necessary. There was an inordinate amount of time spent on needlework in a way that didn't really do anything (and as someone whose primary hobbies are knitting, sewing, cross stitch, crochet, and spinning, I usually enjoy it when authors add those things in a realistic way). More than a quarter of the book was a bunch of events that didn't really progress the story. The fairy tale retelling was very straightforward and rushed. Usually Lackey gets us into the heads of her villains a bit, but there was none of that here, the villain was very two dimensional. Actually, all the characters are. The romance was virtually nonexistent and a foregone conclusion (I mean, it usually is, but there is also usually some character development of the other party and of the relationship, which was not the case here). There was virtually no development of magic skills. There were a number of small details that I thought Lackey would do something with that didn't end up going anywhere (eg mention of adding a touch of Fire to a ward, or of finding a teacher toward the end).
I finished it. The writing on a sentence level was fine and nothing happened that knocked me out of the immersion. But increasingly I'm wondering if it's worth reading new installments of this series or of Valdemar...
November 3, 2025
On the one hand -- the things I loved about the last Elemental Masters book are present here as well -- the deep dive into the day-to-day lives of the protagonists, the details of period life (this time Regency), the time we take to really get to know the characters, who are generally pretty wonderful outside of the ones who are not. I also really enjoyed that while this story is a retelling of the Seven Swans, it doesn't slavishly follow that plotline for the majority of the book -- it's there, but it isn't the focus of the story. Once again, there's some delicious detail on textiles and clothing, on food, on setting -- it's luminous and intricate and altogether satisfying. It also has realistic moments of cruelty, that give it realism.
On the other hand -- this could so easily have had a romance at the heart of it, and does not -- there is a romance (ish) as a very small subplot that is only beginning to grow as the book ends. I kind of love that. And I would like to read the story of it. In fact, my biggest criticism is how fast the end of the book went -- leisurely paced, intricate, detailed, then -- boom, the swan plotline kicks off -- which is nothing compared to the speed of the denouement and wrap up -- which happens in the last moments of the book. I found it difficult to figure out how Seraphina worked her magic in the end, much less believe in it. I was disappointed with the paragraph wrap up of the siblings lives -- I feel like that could have been a chapter? An epilogue? There is an unexpected and graphic molestation scene out of nowhere, which feels true to the time period, but was still shocking. Maybe this part of the book is unfinished and more refinement will occur? I hope so. The first part was great and I would gladly have read more at the end.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
On the other hand -- this could so easily have had a romance at the heart of it, and does not -- there is a romance (ish) as a very small subplot that is only beginning to grow as the book ends. I kind of love that. And I would like to read the story of it. In fact, my biggest criticism is how fast the end of the book went -- leisurely paced, intricate, detailed, then -- boom, the swan plotline kicks off -- which is nothing compared to the speed of the denouement and wrap up -- which happens in the last moments of the book. I found it difficult to figure out how Seraphina worked her magic in the end, much less believe in it. I was disappointed with the paragraph wrap up of the siblings lives -- I feel like that could have been a chapter? An epilogue? There is an unexpected and graphic molestation scene out of nowhere, which feels true to the time period, but was still shocking. Maybe this part of the book is unfinished and more refinement will occur? I hope so. The first part was great and I would gladly have read more at the end.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2026
TL;DR: This would have been fantastic if the blurb didn’t FULLY spoil the whole plot.
Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher!
Plot: The first paragraph of the blurb tells you the first 67% of the book, and it has the rest in the next paragraphs.
Characters: I really liked them, they were delightful and I always love how generally caring the ‘good’ guys in these books are.
Setting: A lovely historical setting, just enough to keep it rooted and cozy feeling.
Fantasy: I always enjoy the fantasy in this series. It’s a light touch that has changed the world just enough to feel fantastical.
Thoughts:
I have very little to complain about with this volume in the Elemental Masters series. I really enjoy these books, I find the twists the magic adds is very fun. I love the writing, it’s familiar to me and comforting. And I usually find the plots just engaging enough to feel cozy. But I have a big complaint on this, and it’s not the book’s fault.
The blurb of this book, the back summary, gives away the entire story. Short of one character and the steps the main character has to take to resolve the curse on her brothers (which are part of the source story/myth), it’s entirely spoiled. The first 67% of this book is the first paragraph. The next 33% is within the following ones. What is that? Why are we doing this?
I will add, there is a brief sexual assault on page which I didn’t love. That and this back summary thing were my only complaints. I had a lot of fun here. I am genuinely a little stuck on this as I was having fun the entire read until I’d think ‘but wait this is coming’ and I’d then examine the story waiting for what I knew was next. It killed the wonder, the mystery, and the engagement I had every time I gave it any thought. It’s such a shame. I’ll be reading the rest of the series but I’m going to avoid the back summaries from now on.
Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher!
Plot: The first paragraph of the blurb tells you the first 67% of the book, and it has the rest in the next paragraphs.
Characters: I really liked them, they were delightful and I always love how generally caring the ‘good’ guys in these books are.
Setting: A lovely historical setting, just enough to keep it rooted and cozy feeling.
Fantasy: I always enjoy the fantasy in this series. It’s a light touch that has changed the world just enough to feel fantastical.
Thoughts:
I have very little to complain about with this volume in the Elemental Masters series. I really enjoy these books, I find the twists the magic adds is very fun. I love the writing, it’s familiar to me and comforting. And I usually find the plots just engaging enough to feel cozy. But I have a big complaint on this, and it’s not the book’s fault.
The blurb of this book, the back summary, gives away the entire story. Short of one character and the steps the main character has to take to resolve the curse on her brothers (which are part of the source story/myth), it’s entirely spoiled. The first 67% of this book is the first paragraph. The next 33% is within the following ones. What is that? Why are we doing this?
I will add, there is a brief sexual assault on page which I didn’t love. That and this back summary thing were my only complaints. I had a lot of fun here. I am genuinely a little stuck on this as I was having fun the entire read until I’d think ‘but wait this is coming’ and I’d then examine the story waiting for what I knew was next. It killed the wonder, the mystery, and the engagement I had every time I gave it any thought. It’s such a shame. I’ll be reading the rest of the series but I’m going to avoid the back summaries from now on.
February 1, 2026
I received a digital arc from the publisher via Netgalley though all thoughts are my own.
I was very much anticipating this read as I have enjoyed many books in this series in the past and I like that it is a Wild Swan retelling based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I didn't mind that most of the book was set in one area and I loved that all of the siblings banded together to figure out the best ways to not anger their Father or Stepmother. My heart ached for all that they had to endure, the fact that they all had to grow up way too fast due to the neglect from both their parents and how the boys nearly lost their lives when they almost drowned in a frozen pond due to a spell by their terrible Stepmother.
I enjoyed the children finding joy when the Sylphs would turn up, the servants having their backs as much as they could, learning more about their heritage on their Mother's side and how they found different ways to rebel that their Father and Stepmother couldn't fault them for.
I also enjoyed how Elena found ways to turn what was a hobby into something that her and her siblings could really use, how she was able to convince her Stepmother how useful she could be (though she shouldn't have to as she's only 13 year old girl!), and how the Sylphs were able to help show her how to do magic and communicate with them.
I will say there was a particularly shocking scene involving SA to a minor that I was not expecting and I felt that the demise of the horrid Stepmother was not surprising at all.
Looking forward to reading more books by Mercedes in the future and also seeing which story will be next in this magical series.
Trigger warnings: death of parent, mental abuse, neglect, sexual assault of a minor, attempted selling minor to a brothel, attempted drowning of children, forced servitude
I was very much anticipating this read as I have enjoyed many books in this series in the past and I like that it is a Wild Swan retelling based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I didn't mind that most of the book was set in one area and I loved that all of the siblings banded together to figure out the best ways to not anger their Father or Stepmother. My heart ached for all that they had to endure, the fact that they all had to grow up way too fast due to the neglect from both their parents and how the boys nearly lost their lives when they almost drowned in a frozen pond due to a spell by their terrible Stepmother.
I enjoyed the children finding joy when the Sylphs would turn up, the servants having their backs as much as they could, learning more about their heritage on their Mother's side and how they found different ways to rebel that their Father and Stepmother couldn't fault them for.
I also enjoyed how Elena found ways to turn what was a hobby into something that her and her siblings could really use, how she was able to convince her Stepmother how useful she could be (though she shouldn't have to as she's only 13 year old girl!), and how the Sylphs were able to help show her how to do magic and communicate with them.
I will say there was a particularly shocking scene involving SA to a minor that I was not expecting and I felt that the demise of the horrid Stepmother was not surprising at all.
Looking forward to reading more books by Mercedes in the future and also seeing which story will be next in this magical series.
Trigger warnings: death of parent, mental abuse, neglect, sexual assault of a minor, attempted selling minor to a brothel, attempted drowning of children, forced servitude
January 14, 2026
A delightful introduction to Lackey and her work! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this, to the point where I read it in two sittings in less than 24 hours. I liked the slower pace that the first two thirds of the novel took. It was nice to get to know Elena and her brothers, as well their relationships with the father, stepmother, and the staff of their manor home. I also quite liked the descriptions of redecorating rooms and creating needlework; it reminded me a little bit of the feeling I would get from reading the Little House books as a child. I assume that the magic was not horribly elaborated on because this is the 18th book in the series, but what is in the book is a perfectly serviceable explanation. I would have easily believed that this was a stand-alone novel. I also quite liked that needlework is treated as a valuable skill: not only is needlework itself valued by most of the characters in the novel, it explicitly gives Elena her skill at using magic. Huge win for depicting traditionally feminine pursuits with respect and not just having our plucky heroine treat it as a waste of her time.
The pacing of the back third is a little crazier; it feels almost as if Lackey realized that she needed to finish the rest of the book very quickly, because most of the plot of The Wild Swans hadn't happened yet. It doesn't not work? I wouldn't have enjoyed lingering on Elena's three years in service to her stepmother, but the huge time jump is jarring, and I would have liked at least a little of her settling in. The ending is even more abrupt; I would have loved just a little more time for everything to breathe.
Overall, a good, if structurally flawed, read. I'd love to get my hands on more of Lackey's work!
I really enjoyed this, to the point where I read it in two sittings in less than 24 hours. I liked the slower pace that the first two thirds of the novel took. It was nice to get to know Elena and her brothers, as well their relationships with the father, stepmother, and the staff of their manor home. I also quite liked the descriptions of redecorating rooms and creating needlework; it reminded me a little bit of the feeling I would get from reading the Little House books as a child. I assume that the magic was not horribly elaborated on because this is the 18th book in the series, but what is in the book is a perfectly serviceable explanation. I would have easily believed that this was a stand-alone novel. I also quite liked that needlework is treated as a valuable skill: not only is needlework itself valued by most of the characters in the novel, it explicitly gives Elena her skill at using magic. Huge win for depicting traditionally feminine pursuits with respect and not just having our plucky heroine treat it as a waste of her time.
The pacing of the back third is a little crazier; it feels almost as if Lackey realized that she needed to finish the rest of the book very quickly, because most of the plot of The Wild Swans hadn't happened yet. It doesn't not work? I wouldn't have enjoyed lingering on Elena's three years in service to her stepmother, but the huge time jump is jarring, and I would have liked at least a little of her settling in. The ending is even more abrupt; I would have loved just a little more time for everything to breathe.
Overall, a good, if structurally flawed, read. I'd love to get my hands on more of Lackey's work!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey is a Regency-inspired fairytale retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans. You’ll likely enjoy this if you’re a fan of:
• Fairytale retellings
• Family-centric (“family-core”) stories
• Stand-alone novels set within an interconnected story world
This is an easy, accessible read. Don’t be put off if you haven’t read any of the other Elemental Masters books (this is book 18). I hadn’t, and it worked perfectly well as a standalone.
Roughly two-thirds of the novel follows Elena during her childhood as she grows up alongside her seven brothers after the departure of their mother and the arrival of a stepmother—who also happens to be a magician. I enjoyed spending time with the siblings and their routines: self-taught lessons, excursions into the attic, and simply getting to know their individual personalities. While this section can feel leisurely at times, it does a lot of atmospheric and emotional groundwork.
I have seen this book described as a “romantasy,” which I don’t feel is an accurate label and seems more like an attempt to follow current trends. Given that much of the story focuses on childhood and family dynamics, this may be misleading for readers expecting a romance-heavy plot. The main action is concentrated in the final 10% or so of the book, and I personally would have preferred that tension and momentum to take up more of the story.
Overall, The Cyprian is a leisurely fairytale retelling with a strong sense of atmosphere, even if its pacing and marketing may not work for everyone.
Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• Fairytale retellings
• Family-centric (“family-core”) stories
• Stand-alone novels set within an interconnected story world
This is an easy, accessible read. Don’t be put off if you haven’t read any of the other Elemental Masters books (this is book 18). I hadn’t, and it worked perfectly well as a standalone.
Roughly two-thirds of the novel follows Elena during her childhood as she grows up alongside her seven brothers after the departure of their mother and the arrival of a stepmother—who also happens to be a magician. I enjoyed spending time with the siblings and their routines: self-taught lessons, excursions into the attic, and simply getting to know their individual personalities. While this section can feel leisurely at times, it does a lot of atmospheric and emotional groundwork.
I have seen this book described as a “romantasy,” which I don’t feel is an accurate label and seems more like an attempt to follow current trends. Given that much of the story focuses on childhood and family dynamics, this may be misleading for readers expecting a romance-heavy plot. The main action is concentrated in the final 10% or so of the book, and I personally would have preferred that tension and momentum to take up more of the story.
Overall, The Cyprian is a leisurely fairytale retelling with a strong sense of atmosphere, even if its pacing and marketing may not work for everyone.
Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2026
I am quite the fan of the Elemental Masters series. And this is one of the stronger ones I have read over the past few years. This one being a retelling of Wild Swans set in the Regency with the majority of the story being how Elena and her brothers are adjusting to their father marrying a new woman who may be more than meets the eye. You get lots of coziness and quiet times and making the best of a bad situation of the children suddenly relegated to almost outcast status. I loved the closeness of the siblings (all sets of twins), how they stick together and can work out almost any issue that arises, whether it is mundane or magical and how they can remain so optimistic in their plans for escape as they warm up cool food on shovels over the fireplace. You also get a bit about the elemental magics, mostly through Elena and the fairies that live with the siblings, until their new stepmother appears at least and then there is a darker magic to be seen. It does have one fairly graphic bit near the end with Elena and what her stepmother plans for her that shocked me as it did not fit so well. But other than that it is a fun retelling.
As is fairly common in books written by Mercedes Lackey, the climax and highest action part of the story are at the very end, kind of leaving it rushed when I wished it could be drawn out a bit more to match the rest of the story. I still really enjoyed reading it though and I am glad I got the chance to see Elena shine with her brothers against their stepmother and find their happy ending.
As is fairly common in books written by Mercedes Lackey, the climax and highest action part of the story are at the very end, kind of leaving it rushed when I wished it could be drawn out a bit more to match the rest of the story. I still really enjoyed reading it though and I am glad I got the chance to see Elena shine with her brothers against their stepmother and find their happy ending.
October 27, 2025
The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey is the eighteenth book in the Elemental Masters series. First and foremost, I have seen this described as a cozy regency fantasy and romantasy in some of the descriptions on retail sights. It is definitely the first though dark in the way true fairy tales are and not so much the second. There if you are looking for something along the lines of the Honey Witch or The Spell Shop you might be a bit disappointed. Romance does not drive the story and is a light subplot at best. It mostly tells the story of Elena's life during a period of several years after her father remarried and for a very small part of it after she grew up romance was part of that. I believe if you like romantasy you will still enjoy this book despite the lack of romance in it.
The Cyprian follows Elena and 7 brothers for a good portion of the book and then highlights Elena's life and struggles to rescue her brothers for the last third or so. Elena is a smart and quick witted with an incredible skill set that makes her a joy to read about. This novel is completely a stand alone and doesn't feature any of the major characters from previous books in the series. I flew through this and felt it was one of the strongest recent books of the series. Old and new fans alike will find this book enjoyable.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am leaving a review of my own volition.
The Cyprian follows Elena and 7 brothers for a good portion of the book and then highlights Elena's life and struggles to rescue her brothers for the last third or so. Elena is a smart and quick witted with an incredible skill set that makes her a joy to read about. This novel is completely a stand alone and doesn't feature any of the major characters from previous books in the series. I flew through this and felt it was one of the strongest recent books of the series. Old and new fans alike will find this book enjoyable.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am leaving a review of my own volition.
did-not-finish
November 24, 2025DNF @ 50%.
The pear of anguish for whoever at DAW thought it would be a good idea to compare this book to Bridgerton. That is a good way to get an angry mob sent after you because this book is NOTHING LIKE BRIDGERTON. I have read some of the earlier Elemental Masters books and liked them, and thought that this would probably have SOME romance in it, though I didn't actually expect it to be Bridgerton-level because, once again, I have read some of the earlier ones. Not only have I encountered no romance, I have encountered NOTHING. No one has gotten turned into a swan. No magic has been performed. The main character is still 13 and she and her brothers are just spending chapter after chapter eating meals of leftovers and doing schoolwork. There is a ton of plot that is mentioned in the synopsis of this book and I see no hope for it being at all well-developed when it all has to be shoved into the second half because the entire first half is a bunch of kids hanging out in a schoolroom, and so I am giving up on this.
If you want a Regency fantasy that actually DOES have some romance in it, I would point readers to Half a Soul, which is a great example of a Regency fantasy romance that is not spicy but still manages to have good pacing, magic, and relationship development throughout.
The pear of anguish for whoever at DAW thought it would be a good idea to compare this book to Bridgerton. That is a good way to get an angry mob sent after you because this book is NOTHING LIKE BRIDGERTON. I have read some of the earlier Elemental Masters books and liked them, and thought that this would probably have SOME romance in it, though I didn't actually expect it to be Bridgerton-level because, once again, I have read some of the earlier ones. Not only have I encountered no romance, I have encountered NOTHING. No one has gotten turned into a swan. No magic has been performed. The main character is still 13 and she and her brothers are just spending chapter after chapter eating meals of leftovers and doing schoolwork. There is a ton of plot that is mentioned in the synopsis of this book and I see no hope for it being at all well-developed when it all has to be shoved into the second half because the entire first half is a bunch of kids hanging out in a schoolroom, and so I am giving up on this.
If you want a Regency fantasy that actually DOES have some romance in it, I would point readers to Half a Soul, which is a great example of a Regency fantasy romance that is not spicy but still manages to have good pacing, magic, and relationship development throughout.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you like unusual fairy tale retellings, may I suggest the Elemental Masters series? She created her own magical world with its own rules, and then sets it in the Regency/Victorian/Gilded Age era, combining fantasy with historical romance (there is almost always a romantic subplot), and then on top layers fairy tale and folkloric elements. AND, often, the fairy tales are more obscure; this one is based on The Wild Swans, which I was not super familiar with before picking up the book and had me going down a research rabbit hole.
Like many of her books, Lackey spends a lot of time building up her characters and setting before getting into the meat of the fairy tale plot. Elena, the main character, and her six brothers are the children of a Swan Maiden who abandoned them when she got the chance. Her brother get their own character journeys, and although the book begins with Elena serving the role of the subservient, self-sacrificing fairy tale heroine, she's a plucky character who takes more agency and action by the end.
Do note that there is some completely gratuitous and unnecessary (IMO) sexual assault towards the final quarter of the book. This is honestly a longtime complaint of mine with many of Lackey's books - as though the villain can't be truly villainous unless they also orchestrate or perform an assault on the main character. Elena's circumstances are bad enough to stand on their own.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Like many of her books, Lackey spends a lot of time building up her characters and setting before getting into the meat of the fairy tale plot. Elena, the main character, and her six brothers are the children of a Swan Maiden who abandoned them when she got the chance. Her brother get their own character journeys, and although the book begins with Elena serving the role of the subservient, self-sacrificing fairy tale heroine, she's a plucky character who takes more agency and action by the end.
Do note that there is some completely gratuitous and unnecessary (IMO) sexual assault towards the final quarter of the book. This is honestly a longtime complaint of mine with many of Lackey's books - as though the villain can't be truly villainous unless they also orchestrate or perform an assault on the main character. Elena's circumstances are bad enough to stand on their own.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
November 21, 2025
I'm a sucker for fairytale retellings and this is one of the good ones!
I really enjoyed Lackey taking the time to let us get to know the brothers and the siblings' relationships to one another. I didn't realize this was part of a long series of books when I requested the ARC, but I was pleased to find out that you can definitely read it as a standalone. I'll probably look into the other books in the series because I found Lackey's writing really enjoyable. I especially liked the descriptions we get of food, sewing, and clothing. I can see why people are calling it "cozy" when applying it to those descriptions, however it feels misleading. This feels like a regency fairytale, not a cozy read. There is hardship and a sudden occurrence of sexual violence which place it away from cozy, in my opinion. What takes away a full star from being a solid 5 star read is the abrupt ending. Lackey does really well at the slow build and even pacing but it changes into a rapid wrap up of an ending starting at the 80% mark. It’s still a really nice read but holy cow, the way it ended seemed like an entirely different author got ahold of the novel. All the time we spent with the family is wrapped up in literally 2 paragraphs.
Overall, a solid read that made me want to delve into the other parts of the series. Thank you Netgalley and DAW for my ARC!
I really enjoyed Lackey taking the time to let us get to know the brothers and the siblings' relationships to one another. I didn't realize this was part of a long series of books when I requested the ARC, but I was pleased to find out that you can definitely read it as a standalone. I'll probably look into the other books in the series because I found Lackey's writing really enjoyable. I especially liked the descriptions we get of food, sewing, and clothing. I can see why people are calling it "cozy" when applying it to those descriptions, however it feels misleading. This feels like a regency fairytale, not a cozy read. There is hardship and a sudden occurrence of sexual violence which place it away from cozy, in my opinion. What takes away a full star from being a solid 5 star read is the abrupt ending. Lackey does really well at the slow build and even pacing but it changes into a rapid wrap up of an ending starting at the 80% mark. It’s still a really nice read but holy cow, the way it ended seemed like an entirely different author got ahold of the novel. All the time we spent with the family is wrapped up in literally 2 paragraphs.
Overall, a solid read that made me want to delve into the other parts of the series. Thank you Netgalley and DAW for my ARC!
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