The House of the Four Winds

One Dozen Daughters #1

by Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory

Mercedes Lackey is the New York Times bestselling author of the Valdemar series and romantic fantasies like Beauty and the Werewolf and The Fairy Godmother. JAMES MALLORY and Lackey have collaborated on six novels. Now these New York Times and USA Today bestselling collaborators bring romance to the fore with The House of the Four Winds.

The rulers of tiny, impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the prince's future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own fortunes.

Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.

Dominick leads the now-outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of Four Winds. They encounter the sorceress Shamal, who claims Dominick for her own--but Clarice has fallen hard for Dominick and won't give him up without a fight.

Full of swashbuckling adventure, buoyant magic, and irrepressible charm, The House of the Four Winds is a lighthearted fantasy romp by a pair of bestselling writers.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Pirates, Adventure, Fiction, Magic, Young Adult

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Mercedes 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

Reviews

[Katie Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things Katie enjoys in a novel, as correlated with Lackey et al's new novel The House of the Four Winds:

_X_ Period-appropriate prose

___ Talking cats

_X_ Strong, sassy heroines who have no trouble kicking it with the boys

_X_ Believable, likable characters

___ Pandas

_X_ Swashbuckling

___ Dragons

_X_ People wearing awesome hats

___ Perfectly executed genre mashups

_X_ Fairytale flavors that induce minimal eyerolling

___ Spaceships and/or lasers

_X_ Princes/princesses who have their shit together

_X_ Romance that keeps it classy

_X_ Sword fighting

___ Dimension-jumping

___ Character that could be played by Maggie Smith in the BBC dramatization

_X_ Satisfying endings

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This looks like it's going to be a series of books, each based on one of the twelve princesses of Swansgaard. This is Clarice's story...
Like the blurb explains, the kingdom is tiny, and her parents can't afford to marry off all of their daughters (with a nice dowry). But because they have progressive/loving/supportive/cool parents, each of the princesses has been trained in the profession of their choice.
Clarice (the eldest daughter) chose to train with a sword.
On her eighteenth birthday, she takes off to find adventure and make her way in the world as a famous swordswoman.
Now, from what I understand, that plan mainly consisted of her winning some duels, making a name for herself, and getting some students.
In order to do that, she decides to travel to this world's version of the Americas.
Of course, she ends up on a ship with an evil captain, and (after bad things happen) the crew does the mutiny thing.
As a landlubber, I had no idea this was such a big deal. Apparently, though, you're not supposed to do that sort of thing on the High Seas...for any reason.
I learned something new!

Clarence/Clarice has become close friends with the ship's navigator, and (naturally) she develops feelings for him, but can't seem to find the right time to let him know she's a girl. The romance is important to the plot, but it takes a backseat to the action and adventure stuff.
It's a nice touch, and since there's no hanky-panky going on between these two, they have to actually become real friends. Bonus!

Meanwhile, since this is a world with magic, they also run into some supernatural piratey stuff. They have to fight off curses, charms, and a witchy woman who seems to have some powerful hocus pocus on her side.

Is it great?
No.
I've enjoyed some of Lackey's stories in the past, but this one didn't WOW me enough to make me want to come back and re-visit this world.
But I didn't hate it, either. It was just sort of...meh?
It was entertaining, and there was nothing glaringly wrong with the book, so if you're looking for a light adventure story, then this might be for you.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/07/23/b...

It’s been a while since I’ve read a satisfying maritime fantasy. “I wish you luck, love, and adventure,” says a character to the protagonist in the beginning of this novel, and incidentally that’s exactly what we get. Starring a princess masquerading as a young man, along with pirates, magic, a secret map and untold treasures, perhaps the “adventure” part is what we get the most of all in this story that takes place mostly on the high seas.

Princess Clarice is the daughter of the Duke of Swansgaarde, the eldest of twelve girls (I know…YIKES!) and one boy. While the arrival of a son and heir apparent was a much celebrated event, this left the family with a dilemma – they cannot possibly secure the futures of Clarice and her eleven sisters, as that many royal dowries would surely bankrupt the already small and modest Duchy. The girls, therefore, were raised from an early age to be able and independent, preparing for the day they would be expected to make their way into the world and find their own fortunes.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that a book really wants you to get into the action right away. These books tend not to weave the world’s history into the story and instead the authors push everything you need to know right up front. Readers of House of the Four Winds might find its prologue and the first couple of chapters to be exposition-heavy, outlining the Duchy of Swansgaarde’s circumstances and thus also explaining Clarice’s fighting prowess and motivations for traveling on her own to see the world. Granted, it’s not the most subtle way relaying the information, but it’s efficient and fast, and looking back, the introduction gave the book an almost fairy tale-like “Once upon a time…” quality, which was actually quite nice.

Then we get to the meat of the story, an action-adventure tale with a bit of romance thrown in. As the first princess to seek her fortune, Clarice has decided to play to her strengths as a sword fighter, and intends to hone her skills in the New World across the ocean. Disguising herself as a young nobleman named Clarence Swann, she is charmed by the charismatic and handsome navigator Dominick Moryet and books passage on his ship the Asesino, sailing under Captain Samuel Sprunt who is said to be extraordinarily lucky. There might have been more to Sprunt’s “luck”, however, as the unfortunate crew come to discover when tensions mount and an uprising becomes inevitable.

If your fancies run towards the nautical, then you’ll be in for a treat. Your journey will start with the down-and-dirty details of everyday ship living, as well as meeting the various crew members and officers, all of this seen through Clarice/Clarence’s eyes so it is all very natural and relevant to the young princess’ learning. The authors make it a fascinating experience and the story only gets better as the events unfold, leading to a mutiny and the discovery of a hidden island controlled by pirates and an evil enchantress. Pirates, of course, are always a fan favorite. The plot is also kept fun and lighthearted with the protagonist’s efforts to keep her disguise a secret, even as she begins to fall for the winsome Dominick. Mistrust between the factions aboard the ship keep the story interesting, not to mention the possibility of the crew of Asesino turning privateer themselves.

My only issue with this book involves certain aspects of the writing, especially when we are reading about significant events that I feel should hold more weight and suspense. In my opinion, these scenes weren’t very well executed. Deaths of important characters were glossed over unceremoniously. Fight scenes were cut-and-dried without much sense of urgency. And of course, the prime example was the critical and inevitable moment when Clarice’s identity is revealed to Dominick, and the result was a fizzle at best. There was no outrage and no shock of betrayal, and even if Dominick were the most understanding person in the world, I would not have expected his response to be “OMG I LOVE YOU TOO!” Things tied up just a little bit too neatly. Considering how Clarice kept the truth of her identity from the whole crew for pretty much the whole book, with everyone believing she was a man this whole time, I would have expected a more realistic reaction.

These tiny quibbles aside, The House of the Four Winds is a fine tale of swashbuckling adventure. The story is to be taken lightly and enjoyed at face value, and the book is the boisterous seafaring romp it was meant to be. As another bonus, it wraps up nicely with satisfying ending. This conclusion along with the series name of One Dozen Daughters leads me to wonder if future books will focus on Clarice’s sisters’ individual journeys instead, rather than continue with Clarice herself. If that turns out to be the case, then there’s no telling the places this series can go; the possibilities are exciting and endless. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing more.

[Olga Godim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this Kindle ARC through NetGalley.
This novel promised much more than it delivered. A girl masquerading as a boy, a princess playing a common swordsman, seafaring adventures and pirates, sorcery and deadly beasts, plus a dash of romance – it should’ve been a fascinating book. Sadly, it wasn’t.
Princess Clarice is the oldest daughter of the Duke of Swansgaard, a tiny idyllic principality somewhere in the mountains of an imaginary world. Clarice’s home isn’t even on most maps, and her father can’t provide royal dowries for his numerous daughters. So as soon as Clarice turns eighteen, she sets out to seek her fortune. Trained with a sword, she decides to be a swordsman. And to ease her travels abroad, she pretends to be a man, Mr. Clarence Swan. This is all a back story and explained in details in the first couple of chapters.
Then Clarice buys a passage on a ship heading to the New World, and the story really starts. There is a dashing young navigator and an evil captain and a conflict brewing, but even then the plot crawls slowly. Too many info dumps weigh down the narrative, and tons of trifling minutiae hinder the action’s progress.
I yawned in boredom and would’ve abandoned the book at that point, if it wasn’t a NetGalley ARC and I didn’t promise to write a review. So I ploughed on. Mercifully, half-way into the book, mutiny explodes on board the ship, and the story finally picks up speed.
The second half reads better than the first. It’s faster and much more interesting. The back story is already out of the way, so the authors can concentrate on what is happening here and now, on the pages. The plotline of the second half of the novel reminded me of the old Sindbad movies. The same trappings: a sinister sorceress, a malevolent spell, the heroes sailing through storms and icebergs and sea monsters, and a treasure in the end as their just reward. It wasn’t original but it wasn’t too bad either.
The protagonist, Clarice/Clarence was a nice cross-dressing touch, a potential source of excitement, tension, and humor. Alas, none of that materialized. For one, nobody suspected her femininity until about 80% into the book. I can’t believe it, not after she spent weeks on board the ship, in close proximity to the rest of the crew, all male. Were they all blind? Of course, she wore a special corset to flatten her breasts, but surely there are other clues.
Other than masquerading as a man, the protagonist was rather blah, a sweet, well-bred girl falling in love with a sweet man who thought her a guy and considered her a friend. And she seemed okay with both notions until very late into the story.
Another point of contention for me was that she was supposed to be a swordsman extraordinaire. There was lots of blathering about swords and fencing but only one short sword fight in the entire book. So many chances for other fights, for demonstrating her skills were wasted. They could’ve enhanced the story. Besides, Clarice never practiced to maintain her skills, not once throughout the book. She just chatted with people, sulked in her cabin, and promenaded on deck with her beau.
The other characters were even less defined than Clarice. Most of them were flat and interchangeable.
Altogether, this book was disappointing.
The only thing I really liked about it was its cover and the font of the title. Esthetically, it was pleasing to the eye, probably the most beautiful pirate cover I’ve ever seen, if a little too sweet.

[Cecelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first time I had a look at the cover of Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory’s The House of the Four Winds, I thought it wasn’t my sort of book. I mean, I read seafaring and swashbuckling tales with relish in my younger years, but it’s not my usual cup of tea these days. Then the kind folks at Tor sent over a note about its release, and I always try to give my email an honest read before answering it, so I did more than skim the description. Lo and behold, this was a fantasy (I should have known – Lackey and all!), with a cross-dressing princess of a heroine, and the blurb promised ROMANCE. Well, who was I to say no to that?! It sounded like good fun.

Clarice is the oldest of an enormous brood of daughters (and one son) born to the ruler of a tiny principality in the mountains. Her parents can’t afford dowries for their daughters without beggaring their kingdom, so each daughter is expected to go off and seek her fortune. Clarice is determined to ply her trade as a swordsmaster, but she must earn a reputation first, and that requires travel. Disguising herself as “Clarence Swann,” she takes passage on a merchant vessel bound for the New World, and quickly becomes fast friends with the ship’s navigator, Dominick. When sinister events and adventures threaten her life, Clarice/Clarence must use all of her resources (and rely on her heart) to come through the storm.

The first thing you should know about The House of the Four Winds is that my first judgment after a 5-second perusal of the cover art did not fail me. It’s 90% about life on a boat filled with men, plus some violence. The other 10% of the book is split between Clarice’s (somewhat boring) backstory and a magical mystery at the very end of the book. The second thing you should know is that this book didn’t do anything for me. I generally like Mercedes Lackey’s books (see: Elemental Masters series), but I didn’t like another co-written book of hers, so perhaps that is to blame. The third thing? The official summary contains ALL OF THE SPOILERS. *le sigh*

Shall I catalog my disappointments? The sooner I do, the sooner I can dwell on this book’s good points (and ideal readers). Number one: lack of female characters. Clarice’s female-heavy family not-withstanding (and they really are off-stage, as she leaves them immediately), the female characters present in the story are: Clarice, a virtuous white woman who is determined to look, think and act like a man at all times, and Shamal, a non-white seductive evil sorceress. Commentary: depressingly obvious. Number two: believability. Clarice’s sex is NEVER discovered on a ship, over weeks worth of time. She is also an incredibly wise (but naïve in all the ways that count!) eighteen year old with no faults to speak of. Excuse me while I laugh my head off over here in the corner.

Number three (and this may well be my biggest disappointment): what love story?! I was promised a magical romp heavy on romance! It’s all very much ship life, and officer/crew heierarchy, what-are-we-going-to-do-about-the-pirates?! until the last second. And then the "romance" is lightly sprinkled on at the very end. UNSATISFACTORY. Also, only one swordfight worth mentioning. Travesty, I tell you!

Finally, the worldbuilding was spotty. The magical system isn’t given any depth or character, the main characters (except the villain) don’t do any magic themselves, and the whole thing feels like a big cliché. It would be one thing if there was a bit of humor to lighten the tone of the story and turn it into a romp (I suppose I wouldn’t mind weak worldbuilding so much then), but there’s not. Instead, there’s death, tragedy, uncertainty, and a lot of loose ends.

So, who WOULD enjoy this book, and/or what were its good points? I’d say anyone who picked it up for the cover won’t be disappointed. There’s a lot of sailing and pirating involved. Clarice’s introduction to the nuances of shipboard life brought Avi’s The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Jean Lee Latham’s Carry On, Mr. Bowditch to mind. I also think fans of The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will find much of the familiar in this tale. What I mean is, it’s clichéd, and it wasn’t for me, but I can see how it would be fun reading if you want a sea adventure and don’t mind a fantasy without much magic. It is also a good candidate for a YA crossover title, as the romance is quite clean and the heroine has just turned eighteen.

All in all? The book’s cross-dressing heroine and promise of romance did not fulfill my expectations, but the story will likely please others.

Recommended for: anyone who has been searching for The Pirates of the Caribbean in book form.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is turning out to be the summer of pirates and girls disguised as boys for me, and The House of Four Winds has plenty of both! (Well, really only one girl.) I felt like this one finally combined all the elements of sea-faring adventure and disguise that I was hoping for in those other books. There’s an unspoiled princess who is not above taking care of herself, and knows how to fight and how to read situations. There are real pirates, mutinous crews, ghost ships and treasures, curses and magic. There’s even a touch of romance - very light and mild, but also sweet. All-in-all it was a satisfying adventure and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

I did find the very beginning of the book a bit confusing and slow because of the world-dumping, though. There was too much information for my poor brain to process - so many names of places, kingdoms, important people, references to history, etc., that I just didn’t need to know about. All I needed to know is that this is a world very similar to our own geographically, back in the days of maritime trade and exploration.

The names are different, but the picture that I was finally able to put together includes a London-type city, a Europe-style continent full of small kingdoms, faraway tropical islands, and lots of ocean in between. But really, the ocean is all that matters because it’s not until the ship sets sail that the real story begins. I loved it from that point on. Luckily there are only a couple chapters to set the stage before the voyage begins, so it didn’t drag on for too long.

Since the series is called One Dozen Daughters, I’m guessing the next book will focus on one of the sister’s adventures instead of continuing with these characters. It might have nothing to do with seeking a fortune at sea, but whatever the fortune is, I’m looking forward to reading about it.

**Received free arc for review.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review Posted from TenaciousReader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2014/0...

The House of Four Winds has the air of a fairy tale. A fairy tale that features pirates, nonetheless. It’s an interesting setup; the royal family of a struggling land has a dozen daughters. They are each tasked with learning a trade seeing as how their family can’t support them all. The eldest daughter, Clarice, takes up the sword as her trade and on her eighteenth birthday sets out to gain experience, and more importantly sets out in search of adventure!

Clarice’s goal is to travel far and wide, earning a name for herself with duels so she might come back and teach others the sword as a renowned swordmaster. To best achieve this and have the greatest opportunity of success, she decides it would she should travel as a man. So, she sets out as “Clarence” and eventually finds herself aboard a ship, with high hopes and an excited anticipation of adventures to come.

For whatever reason, I love stories where a female character is living under the guise of a man for one reason or another. I also love the prospect of them being skilled in an area such the sword. So, I thought this one might be a good fit. And for a while it was. I enjoyed Clarice’s character and how she interacted with her shipmates. I even enjoyed her relationship with Dominick, that is also her love interest. At least up until a point.

Now, I want to make a disclaimer. I don’t often read books that are tagged romance. This one was. But every once in a while, I like to read something a bit different. Sometimes I look for something more fun, less dark, so I’ll request a book out of my normal reading range. This was one of those.

The problem for me was that it had what I could consider to be a Disney style romance. It’s that quite sudden, consuming love that leads characters to say and do things that just make me roll my eyes. Actually, I shouldn’t say ‘consuming’, because unlike some books, the focus was not lost because of romance. So I applaud it for that. I also knew going into this it was a romance, so I can’t decide how to judge it. This is not my normal sub-genre and I know I am quite finicky about romance in my books. So, just because I had a negative reaction to this part, may very well have no bearing on what other readers will think of it. And to be completely fair here, I said early this has the feeling of a fairy tale story, and the ending and the romance were both very true to that form. I think for the type of story it was, it did quite well.

I enjoyed the story, but the resolution came rather sudden and easy for me, personally. Much like the romance aspect of it. It is a lighter read, perhaps that should not be a big deal, as the book was written to be a swashbuckling fun adventure. And it was, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if that part of it was either a slower build, or if the romance were left out completely. But hey, it’s a fairy tale romance, it’s meant to be a fairy tale romance, so you probably shouldn’t take that criticism from me to mean much. I can’t fault a book for being something it is supposed to be. The rest of the story I really did enjoy. So, if you are one that enjoys books with fairy tale romances like this, than it is definitely worth checking out.

[Althea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just recently, I was bemoaning the lack of good, fun pirate books. And then, entirely by coincidence, in one week I read two! (The other being Kage Baker's excellent 'Or Else My Lady Keeps the Key.')

This is a more YA-oriented adventure, but I found it to be rollicking good fun. Clarice is a princess of a small duchy. Her parents have recently produced a male heir, so they've encouraged their twelve daughters to go out and seek their fortunes. This book follows the eldest (I suspect more daughters' tales are forthcoming.)
Clarice's ambition is to become a tutor of swordplay - but first she wants to travel the world and build up her reputation. For safety, she disguises herself as a man and goes by 'Clarence.' [Although, with the lack of detail provided about the difficulties of maintaining such a disguise, the masquerade could well have been eliminated.] But when she tries to book passage aboard a ship, all the more reputable ones are full up. She's leery of the captain of the 'Asesino' - but the ship's handsome navigator sways her better judgement, and soon she's at sea...

Mutiny, piracy, and sorcery - along with a bit of romance - are in Clarice's future...

I am quite certain that many of those who are expert at the sailing of ships and familiar with the facts of life at sea, will likely find quite a number of quibbles with this narrative. However, while 'Two Years before The Mast' it's not, I quite enjoyed the book. I'd recommend it for fans of L.A. Meyer's Jacky Faber series.

Much appreciation to NetGalley for the advance copy of the book! As always, my opinion is unaffected by the source...

[Jana (Nikki) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can also be found at my blog, There were books involved...

-----------------------------

This book was fun. I'm a huge fan of nautical, pirate-y adventures, and in that aspect, The House of the Four Winds definitely delivers. It's fast-paced, and chocked full of everything a pirate adventure needs - storms, swordfights, sea monsters... If you're looking for a book with a seriously awesome "swashbuckling"/sailing-the-high-seas atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Four Winds .

However, for me, Four Winds fell short in... well, sort of, everything else...? =S I would still recommend it if you're in the mood for a lighthearted nautical adventure, but maybe also when you're in the mood to not dissect a book too closely, either...

The Characters

The main characters - Clarice and Dominick - were pretty good. Clarice is the most well-developed, being the narrator, and I liked her a lot. She's smart, fierce, and not afraid to fight for what she wants. That being said, she didn't really have much depth to her, either. What you see is what you get, really - at least, for the reader. It's a different story for everyone else, who thinks Princess Clarice of Swansgaard is really Clarence Swann. ;) Dominick is... sweet? a really good guy? I liked him, but again, other than details of his history, he's pretty much what he appears to be. A stand-up Englishman (or, this series' version of English, I guess). He's got a bit of a tragic backstory, takes most things in stride, and loves sailing. Nothing terribly earth-shattering, but enjoyable.

The Romance

As for the romance... well, I was decidedly underwhelmed. The blurb says that the authors "bring romance to the fore" in this book, but I didn't feel it. I can't say too much about Clarice and Dominick without giving away when Dominick finds out about Clarice (spoilers!). But disregarding the 'when', I never felt real chemistry between the two, either before, from Clarice, or after Dominick finds out, from either of them. Clarice tells us that she's falling for him, but once things transition into the "it's more than friendship" stage for her, I had a hard time believing it. And once Dominick finds out she's a girl, it's sort of an immediate "okay obviously we're in love now", which felt odd. That said, their friendship, pre-Dominick-finding-out, is wonderful. I really, really liked their... bromance? :P They made an awesome team, and it was nice to see two characters just have an easy friendship for once (minus Clarice's eventual Feelings).

The Plot

The plot was okay - though I do feel a bit misled by the synopsis, which says that Dominick leads his crew in search of treasure in the House of the Four Winds (the secret pirate haven). Their motivation in going to the House of the Four Winds is decidedly not treasure. Basically - the crew mutinies and kills their horrible captain, they have to sail Somewhere in order to actually survive, and they're lucky to make it to the House of the Four Winds. After that, they run into the sorceress Shamal, who decides that she needs Dominick for Reasons, and she drags him and Clarice/Clarence and their crew on a Quest. (At that point there's spoilers, so I'll stop.) Anyway, this was definitely a case of, "Where's the driving plot behind all this stuff? Is it really just the character arcs? Because these characters aren't strong enough for this." Basically I just felt like, after the mutiny, everything just happened to the characters, as obstacles for the sake of some excitement.

 
In conclusion...

There are a few other issues I had with the believability and convenience of certain events (disregarding that this this a fantasy), but I don't want to get into that too much here. Despite its flaws, this book is fun! It had all the scaffolding to make for a fun pirate story, but you can't wiggle the supports too much, otherwise it starts to fall apart. (Please forgive the building metaphor, construction is not my thing! :P)

Also, I'm not sure why this book isn't being marketed as YA, because it definitely felt appropriate for a YA audience, and might actually be a bit too... I don't know, tame(?) for Mallory's and Lackey's usual adult audience? I don't think there's anything in it that would prohibit it from being sold in the YA section, maybe as 14+. This might be another reason I was a little underwhelmed with this 'adult' title - there wasn't any grittiness to it. It really was like the synopsis says, a "swashbuckling", "charming", "lighthearted fantasy romp", and that's pretty much it.

--

There were books involved...

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooo, this book was good in the beginning, like, I had hopes for it. Later on, I realized that this book was kind of *beepy*. The whole plots was good, but the details of the plot ruined it. The whole witch trouble was the worst. What kind of witch thinks she is in control of a man and yet is not? And what kind of witch chooses companions that cannot be trusted. A dumb witch. And dumb witches are not good sport, so who wants them in a book?? I would rather read about strong, powerful see-everything type of witch, not some wailing idiot sorcerer. Okay, my point is, this book was good- but not good enough.

[Viking Jam · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/06/09...





Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: August 2014
ISBN: 9780765335654
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.5/5

Publisher Description: The rulers of tiny, impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the prince’s future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own fortunes. Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.

Review: Cover art is lame. Looks like the DVD cover of a bad porno…”Butt Pirates of Borneo” or “Shiver Me Timber”.

So “princess” Clarice (disguised as a man named Clarence) sets out to find her way in the world and make a living. What is weird to me, is that she cannot be a princess if she is the daughter of a Duke. She would be addressed as “Lady” were she single and then it resides in peerage depending on who she marries (Countess etc.). She eventually books passage on a suspect ship with evil officers, excepting a few. It is a short step to mutiny and the privateers life. Based on Clarice’s past, we can all assume that she is fairly pretty. It is stretching the imagination that a woman can dress up as a man, and be taken seriously as one without makeup. A corset and raspy voice would never fool anyone for long, especially in the absence of an adams apple and heavier brow. Never mind mastering a mans movements.

Princess hottie pants is eventually unmasked, and Sir Hotness Dominick loves her back, they trounce the evil witch and find treasure. The best part about this novel were the bit players and character actors in supportive roles. The main characters were kind of dull in a dimwitted way.

The mild/major detractions in this novel was the overuse of phrasing…yes phrasing where at the end of each sentence in a particular diatribe the author uses, for example, “said wryly/dryly” or “said moodily”, “said grimly”, “said mildly”, “thought waspishly”, “said quellingly” or “said repressively”. I am not even sure that ‘quellingly’ is a normative contraction of ‘quelling’.This conjunctive crap to expedite scenes can really wear on you if you let it. This author(s) must have trained at the Simon R. Green school of literature. It’s too bad really, as the novel lost a rating star because of it. There was a lot of word overuse as well. For instance murmured, growled and scowled, our old friends, were back in earnest. The author must be a star trek fan as Dr. Chapman considered changing his name to Leonard Deforrest, post mutiny, in order to hide from the law. There was also a ships mate named Geordie. Coincidence? I think not. Clarice at one point puts her hand on her saber, ready to fight. Only she uses a rapier. Sometimes it is the small details that make a difference.

Despite some writing fall downs, the plot was good and married well with the story line. The characters were interesting and the scene descriptions were vivid and well done. This was a light hearted read, not to be taken seriously. If that doesn’t bother you, you can have fun with this novel and get lost for awhile.

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 3 out of 5]

me before reading this book:

me while reading this book:

me after reading this book:


(yes, I do love pirates)

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb and cover gave me high hopes but in the end I was really disappointed. This book just wasn't enough for me. Not exciting enough, not romantic enough, and not adventurous enough. I had to force myself to finish it and it never really improved. There were bits and pieces of interesting storyline like the secret pirate island but even that proved to be a bit dull. And it is well written I just didn't find the content very captivating.

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

28/9 - YAY!! I'm the first person I know to read this. That doesn't happen very often, usually I'm way behind the trend, reading the most popular book of the year five years after the fact. *Shrugs* There are a lot of books out there, sometimes it's hard to keep up with what's popular when it's popular.

Anyway, as I had no trusted friends' reviews I just had to go with the fact that I loved the cover and that the blurb reminded me of a favourite romance from the 90s - Seduced by Virginia Henley - which was loosely inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (separated twins and the girl pretends to be the boy leading to a case of mistaken identity for an unwary man). There are no twins in The House of the Four Winds (although you might imagine the mother of those one dozen daughters and one boy would wish there had been), but there is a case of mistaken identity due to Clarice (main character and oldest of the 'one dozen daughters') deciding that the best way to achieve her dreams of adventure is to dress as a man. So far I'm really enjoying this, it might not be high literature but at least it's lots of fun, which is more than I can say for the last few books I've read. I can't wait to keep reading. To be continued...

Later - This is an interesting combination of 1800s-ish rules, laws, manners, propriety, fashion, and technology mixed with magic that is commonplace, if not expensive, all set on what appears to be an alternate Earth. Swansgaard is a tiny nation located somewhere between Poland and Turkey in the continent of Eurus. So we have some of what is familiar to us mixed in with the alternativeness that makes up this different reality the book is set in. To be continued...

Later - The blurb on the inside flap says that after the crew mutinies and resorts to piracy Clarice becomes Dominick's first mate. This is completely untrue, and illogical, Kayin is made first mate after Dominick is elected captain by the crew. The likelihood of Clarice/Clarence, a landlubber who had never even seen the sea before signing on as a passenger, being made first mate is laughable and the story would have become laughable if that was what had happened. With a complete novice as first mate it would be likely that in the event of any kind of sea-going disaster the ship would capsize or descend into another mutiny, with even more severe results than the first one. Whoever wrote that blurb needs to familiarise themselves with the story a bit more, the wrongness of that statement is embarrassing. To be continued...

Later - Okay, so now she's been made first mate and the fact that she knows nothing about ships or sailing has been discussed and dismissed as not important. She will just have to pretend to be an experienced first mate because she carries the talisman/medallion/map thingy (not sure why Dominick can't carry it and Kayin can't carry on being a perfectly good first mate, but anyway) and therefore must have an important enough position on board the ship to make her ownership of the medallion plausible. She talks a good game, but I hope she's a fast learner as she won't be able to talk herself out of every situation she comes across that requires the knowledge of a first mate. To be continued...

30/9 - I really enjoyed this!! A rip-roaring adventure, with a couple of annoying (but not fatal) holes. Shamal tells Clarice and Dominick that she needs someone of royal blood, a virgin, and someone who can sail the ship in order to get to The Heart of Light. Once this is out in the open, and Dominick and Clarice have admitted their feelings to each other I don't understand why they don't do the most obvious thing and foil Shamal's plan by having sex. No more virgin, no more need for the ship, and since Dominick would no longer be under Shamal's spell (broken by true love) he and the rest of the crew would be able to fight back. There's no reason to think Gregare wouldn't have done whatever it was that he did (the reason for his whole transformation thing wasn't clear to me) in my proposed situation, just as he did in the book. I definitely wouldn't call this a romance (and I'm surprised it's the second most popular shelf), while Clarence and Dominick become very good friends and Dominick comes to rely on Clarence, there is no evidence of any deeper feelings on either part until very near the end, and even then one kiss a romance does not make. I do wish it had been a bit longer. Three quarters of the book was the lead up to the big finale, but the big finale could have been much bigger and more exciting if a few more pages had been devoted to it. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, and at this early stage I'm excited at the thought that there will be 12 more books in the series.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Avid Reviews: www.avidfantasyreviews.wordpress.com

Acclaimed fantasy writers Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory have joined together again to create the first novel in the new One Dozen Daughters series. Like much of their previous work, House of the Four Winds is an epic fantasy in its purest form. It has the tone of a fairytale, a protagonist who is a girl coming of age during a swashbuckling voyage, and a light-hearted plot filled with romance and magic. Though it is far from a groundbreaking or genre-defying story, it is a fast paced and enjoyable read that is perfect for anyone who is in the mood to read an archetypal fantasy adventure.

House of the Four Winds follows the protagonist Clarice, who is one of twelve princesses of the small country of Swansgaard. Clarice’s single brother will inherit the rule of Swansgaard, so it is up to each of the daughters to find their own fortunes. Clarice decides that her destiny lies in travel to distant lands, so she disguises herself as a young man named Clarence, and takes a job as a sailor on a ship that she hopes will eventually take her to the New World. But her journey takes a surprising turn, and suddenly she is part of an outlawed crew in search of a famous pirate treasure. Things get even more complicated when she finds herself falling for a man who has been claimed by a sorceress, and the adventure that results will challenge Clarice to become the woman she truly is meant to be.

This novel stands out in a genre that has recently seen a trend of harsh realism. Lackey and Mallory have created a novel that is unsoiled by an indifferent world, and retains its lighthearted fairytale tone throughout even the darkest moments of its plot. It reminds me of the novels that first attracted me to the fantasy genre, and though I have refined my tastes to stories that are much bleaker in tone, it is nice every once in a while to read a book that displays the pure escapist roots of the genre.

Despite this, I found many of the novels themes to be terribly clichéd, and would have liked to see a story that was a little more innovative. Clarice also seemed a little underdeveloped as a character, and many of the aspects of her personality seemed present only for the convenience of the plot line. The plot was also lacking gravity in its important scenes, which, if present, would have made me more immersed and invested in the story.

I would still recommend House of the Four Winds to readers who are looking for a light fantasy, and especially those readers that enjoy a nautical theme. The intricacies of Clarice’s life aboard a ship were some of the best-written and interesting parts of the book. I would also recommend this story to YA readers who would like a fast paced introduction to fantasy. The simple adventure of the story reminded me of why I fell in love with fantasy in the first place.

Overall, I would rate this book a 6.5/10.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Ida Jagaric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very awesome and fun! Not a complex or deep story but really enjoyable and I LOVE that era of sailing and pirates! And nice to have a magic, fantasy twist to it and I loved the characters. If you wanna read a similar novel, check out
The She-Wolf by Scarlet Ingstad. It's about the female pirate Anne Bonny and it was such an awesome read too! :)

[kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know about this one. I've never read this author before and since she is popular and prolific, people must like her books, but I did find this one a bit "lackey." (Please pardon the pun.)
Since this is the first book of this author that I've read I don't know if this is representative of her work or not, but for me, it falls a bit flat.
And I had a big problem with the location. It starts out by saying their little principality is near Poland and then goes off into all these maybe imaginary places that appear to be actual places with different names or spelling or pronunciations attached to them. Why do that?
It is hard for me to go along with the ride when I don't know where I am. Not that I can't get caught up in a fantasy place when it is actual fantasy. But when you put a fantasy place in a real place and then make up silly names for the other places it becomes problematic for me. Tolkien's Middle Earth works because there is no real reference for anything, but if you said Middle Earth is near Chicago or Pittsburgh, but instead called them Sheekaga or Putsberk, I would wonder why you're doing that, what is the significance of disguising real places in that way.
So to that story. Look at the description: a princess in disguise who is a great swordsman, mutiny, piracy, magic, romance. Sadly, other than the being in disguise, most of that is just glossed over. I expected a lot more swash and buckle than what is here. The one and only swordfight is brief.
Most of the story is Clarice's thoughts, which might have worked had the story actually been told I her voice. Since it is in third person it might have been nice to know what is in other's heads. Otherwise why tell it in third person if the only viewpoint is that of Clarice? Not that her viewpoint is bad. I liked Clarice and enjoyed her as a character, but the story remained cold for me, somehow flat. I think that might be because so much of the story is waiting for what will happen next.
They wait for the mutiny. They wait for Shamal to unwrap her plans. They wait to sail. They wait for Dominick. They wait to rebel against the magic. They wait and wait and wait.
And for all the magic and how scary it should be, it isn't scary at all. And why use the word thurmaturge(I don't think I've spelled that correctly) when the word magician or sorcerer or mage would say the same thing? Again, I don't know this author's writing so maybe her typical long-time reader would already know this term. It just seems an odd way to say magic and I couldn't really find any reason not to simply call it magic when they refer to it as magic and sorcery. W.T.W?
Additionally, the romance isn't developed at all. They are friends and she decides that maybe what she feels is love or maybe not. Again, some thoughts from Dominick would have been nice since we're told he has feelings for her(as a man) but we never get to see them in any way.
The biggest problem I have is that you can't set your story out on a voyage to get something mysterious and dangerous and then don't get the thing that is mysterious and dangerous or even finally tell us what it is. As a reader I feel very short-changed as if the author just threw that whole plot to the side at the end and decided not to bother with it.
But, on the other hand there was just enough here that I would try another book in this series and hope I like it better.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am trying to find the words for the depth of my disappointment and disdain for this book:

The House of Four Winds is book one of 'One dozen daughters' a series that is likely to follow the fortunes of all twelve of the daughters of Swansgard as they go to seek their fortunes, I hope I can be strong and avoid the next eleven.

World-building: Inadequate. Seems to be a kind of mish-mash of historical/fantasy. Swansgard and its surrounding neigbours are obviously loosely based on Europe, though everything has been fancifully renamed. This is not something that would bother me if any of the world were explained or expanded on, but it is not, it just is. Era? Well, there are rapiers and travel by horse, make a guess. Pistols were around 14th-15th century but are absent from this world, the Americas were settled by 16th but at their height in the 19th and though they are given another name that seems to be where our heroine is meant to be heading on her 'adventure'.
Fantasy; there is magic and quite a bit of it, but the rules, why and wherefore of the magic are not entered into so it is murky.
Feminism, confused and confusing, there are allegedly women sailors, in some kind of navy somewhere. Clarice's parents teach their daughters to earn their own livelihood and kick them out of home on their own to find it. However, Clarice dresses as a man to make things easier. Go figure.

Oh, yes, she spends weeks on this ship with no washing water and not a single man, even her best friend, or the doctor, figure out she is a woman. Despite Clarice behaving ultra feminine in terms of mannerisms. And also, have neither of the authors heard of pheromones?

The ship makes no sense for any era that I can imagine. The long corridors you could lose your way in? A massive captains cabin? Passenger rooms under the water line? What sort of ship is this? The Titanic? And Clarice 'not knowing anything about ships' does not excuse the authors from research. It just makes no sense!

Clarice wants to become a swordsmaster and make a living by instruction, the adventure is to increase her credibility so that she can attract students with her reputation. Never mind that posing as a man means she won't get any reputation, but never once in all the weeks we follow her does she train, exercise or practice her skill in any way at all. She does not even read a book about fighting and we don't get to see her early training, so as a fighter she has zero or less credibility. There is only one, poorly described sword fight in the entire book. This is beyond pathetic and I don't understand why, Lackey at least has written sword training scenes in other books.

Don't get me started on the characters.

All in all this book was bland, poorly written and unbelievably lazy.

[Lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have conceivably been a series of short stories tied together by the fact they're stories of Clarice. There's several different "arcs" throughout the book that have a beginning, middle and end making this feel more serialized at times in fact. There's Clarice's decision to leave home and seek adventure as far she could travel (culminating with her finding passage on the Asesino), the precursor to the mutiny, after the mutiny and lastly outwitting a demon spawn witch.

In all fairness time is so weirdly mentioned or figured that while the above sounds like quite a bit, I couldn't tell you exactly how long it was (except that it wasn't a full year as the book began on Clarice's birthday and we didn't pass her next one).

Clarice is a likeable, if rather a Mary Sue, main character. She's pragmatic almost to her detriment and has a thirst for knowledge that is kept sharp by her perceptiveness. For all that she is still a tad young (18) and comes off as naively lucky. She mentions at one point she was happy that she thought to disguise herself as a boy, since no one gives her and her sword two looks that way so she's had a relatively safe journey from home. That strained my credulity a little bit to be honest. Even a young boy (Clarice guessed she looked about 15 or 16) traveling alone, with relatively high quality though not flashy apparel and sword would attract attention.

Aboard the ship as Clarence, our dear princess splits her idle time between fraternizing with Dominick (the ship's required but mostly ignored navigator, who's only a couple years older then her, charming, tragic backstory and vow of resilience (Beyonce was his spirit animal singing "I will survive" constantly) or hanging out with the crabby, but tender-hearted ship's doctor. She spends a good deal of her time avoiding the Captain, his first mate and the preacher on board as well however.

World building is...sketchy at best I'd say. Its sort of, kind of set in an alternate history Earth somewhere in the late 1700's/early 1800's. Common enough fantasy adventuring details are included and the only really interesting things to me were Clarice's oddly liberal and forward thinking ancestors/family and the Pirate island hangout place. The Pirate island fared better in the detailing, though even that is stifled in lieu of Plot Convenient Evil Other Woman appearing.

Overall there's nothing particularly wrong with the book, but it won't stand out to long time fantasy fans. If you're looking for an interesting pirate fantasy book I'd point you at CHILD OF A HIDDEN SEA by A.M. Dellamonica and better sketched out world building Lackey books exist in the "Elemental Masters" series she writes solo.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in the One Dozen Daughters fantasy series and revolving around Clarice/Clarence Swann. The couple focus in House of the Four Winds is on Clarice and Dominick.

My Take
It's a rollicking fantasy of fun — think expanded fairy tale — with Clarice both excited and a teeny bit sad about leaving. I do think her parents have done really well in ensuring their children will survive whatever may happen. Too bad more parents don't do as well. Especially with that sense of humor they have, lol.

Lackey slid in and answered my first question even as I was asking it. She certainly kept me on my toes as she set each bit of drama and forced me to read to its conclusion before she set the next and the next and…

It's a leapfrogging sort of tale as Clarice and her mates leap into one tight adventure after another, driven to it by the bad guys as they struggle to survive it. A hidden pirate refuge, a ships' graveyard, monsters of the deep, a sorceress and her minions, and the enthrallment the Lady throws.

It's full of life lessons and negatives tucked in here and there even as Lackey keeps the story on a positive note. It reminds me of the tone of her Valdemar novels but lighter and with less depth. Adventure and distress, and a fear that rises up when Clarice realizes the truth of what Sprunt and his cohorts are up to. It worsens when they check their stores and realize they'll have to finish the true voyage out, if only to stay alive. Lackey certainly downplays all the death in the penultimate voyage. You'd hardly know anyone was dead.

Well, turns out Sprunt is lucky, and he's a man who hedges his bets to ensure it. It's just too bad he's mishandles his money so badly. As for the crew, it's lucky for them that Clarice did sail as she had received a much better education in the essentials of life and was no innocent, as she goes about saving lives, bargaining, bartering, and assessing the tricks they all try to pull.

It always astounds me when the cruelly vicious who were about to murder you get upset when you turn the tables on them. If you dish it out, you'd better be prepared to take it.

"We, too, come from God, and our purposes are often ungodly … [any of the arts] … can be turned to good purpose — or ill."

There are a few failings in this: the love that develops between Clarice and Dominick is all tell; we have no idea that Dominick is returning this feeling. Of course, he does believe that Clarice is Clarence, but Lackey could have developed interactions between the two to build up the tension and drama. Oh, there's a blip here and there that raises up an emotional tear, but few and infrequent. And that includes the short scene in which Clarice realizes what close attention Dominick has been paying her habits. More drama could have played up the enthrallment and the trick to breaking it. At the very least, play it up when Dominick and Clarice realize it's possibly worked. Alas, it was not. Another wasted opportunity. Dr. Chapman's desperate act was just dumb.

I don't get it. Why would Shamal want to destroy so many of the crew? She's so desperate for that treasure, wouldn't she want to ensure she had as many sailors as possible to ensure she gets to her destination? How can she live on an island, dependent upon ships, and have no idea what is required to sail one? After the way she's treated everyone, and I mean every one, she actually thinks she'll have it all her own way?

I like that phrase: "a young fortune". It seems quite in tune with the story.

Lackey was very good at holding back on the truth behind the Lady's actions. I read on, desperate to learn the why of her need and the how of their escape.

Argh, that's what they are, "…honest, virtuous, law-abiding mutineers…"

And every time Clarice gets up the nerve to tell Dominick the truth…it's yet another reason to keep the secret.

The Story
The Duchy of Swansgarde is too tiny and too poor to marry off its many daughters. Fortunately, the duke and duchess firmly believed in their children acquiring practical life skills, for one never knew what Fate may bring.

So far, it’s been an interesting journey, and Clarence has a hankering to visit Manna-hattan in New Hesperia. Too anxious to wait, she takes the first ship she can find: the Asesino. And experiences a cruel, cruel voyage as she learns too late the dangers of the sea and the men who sail her.

And the only way out is through a trap and a vicious and perilous voyage with an even more vicious and petty mistress.

The Characters
Princess Clarice is the eldest and must leave her home when she turns eighteen. Her particular skill is swordsmanship, and she has dreams of building her reputation and opening a salon. As Clarence Swann. At least at first.

Dominick Moryet is the navigator on Asesino with a sad tale of his own. Daniel Moryet was his father with ships of his own, so many that he needed a manager to handle the landslide of the business.

The rest of the crew
Simon Foster is the quartermaster; young Jerrold Robinson is the cook's mate; Ned "Neddy" Hatcliff is a timid lad, always worrying what his mother will say; John Tiptree is the best topsail man in the seven seas; Dickon Greenwell is the helmsman; Emmet Emerson is the ship's cook with a love for the drink; Reverend Philip Dobbs of the One True Church is the ship's chaplain, a gloom-and-doom sort; the bullying Freeman Lee is the first mate; Dr. Lionel Chapman's surgery becomes Clarence's refuge; David is the much-abused cabin boy; Miles Oliver; George "Geordie" Lamb; Kayin Dako; Rogerio Vasquez will become armorer; Duff Evans is the ship's carpenter; Gil Morley is one of Dobbs' ilk; Robert Kinsey provides an unwelcome opportunity for Gregale to demonstrate his strength; Lemuel Kane will jump to avoid the bespelled ship; Hume Lewis; and, Cecil Mild.

Barnabas Bellamy is a merchant who has built up a whole fleet of ships and married a Sea Lord's daughter; he was once Dominick's father's land-based manager. The captains Clarence speaks with include James Galloway, Hawthorne, and finally the thuggish Samuel Sprunt whose ship, the Asesino is heading out the next day. Guildmistress Watson remembered Dominick. The Cornhill Society insures ships and their cargo.

Duke Rupert (he has quite the dry sense of humor) and Duchess Yetive (she has a matching one) have ruled peacefully for many years. Prince Dantan is their only son and the youngest child, the heir presumptive. Meanwhile, they have twelve daughters to send off: the next oldest is Anise, a thaumaturge; Talitha is more venturesome; and, Damaris is a bloodthirsty six.

Dr. Karlavaegen taught all the princesses how to see magic, to become aware of its hyperreality. Count Albrecht was Clarice's instructor in the sword. Rudolf, the duke's great-nephew, used to be the heir before Dantan's birth. Queen Gloriana rules in Lochrin-Albion, a powerful and wealthy country underpinned by thaumaturgy.

The House of the Four Winds…
…is a pirate stronghold protected by the Vile Vixen, captained by Melisande Watson while Topper Harrison, who wears a hangman's noose as a tie, is captain of the Horrid Hangman. The hyperreal Lady Shamal rules; Gregale is the mute slave she brings on the voyage.

The Sea Lords and Ladies and their Code of the Brotherhood
Besides the two captains who met Asesino, there is Edmund Bell Fairfax, master of Scirocco , one of the ships taken from Sprunt by pirates. Captain Aubrianna is mistress of the Lusty Leman and Watson's sister. Nigel Brown is captain of the Tamerlane. Captain Alec Campion of the Limerick Rake.

The town of Dorado
Peter Robinson runs the candy store. The chandlery is a ship's general store, ready to sell or buy everything and anything a ship might require. Rollo Thompson runs the store here on the island with the help of his children, Randolph and Alumeda. Fleta is a scornful whore. Matthew Pratchett runs the local bookstore, Pratchett's Fine Books, and he's a fount of the secrets behind Dorado's population.

And 52 men are sent aboard Asesino to fill out her complement.

Thaumaturgy developed from magery and evolved into a regular science over the centuries. It requires both gift and training.

The Cover
The cover has a dreamy quality with the sailing ship coming along behind, the spray of the sea creating a haze between it and Clarice who stands in the stern, a tricorne on her head, her sword over the shoulder of her gilt-trimmed and braided coat, wisps of blonde hair blowing in the freshening breeze.

The title is the threat, The House of the Four Winds.

[Isis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley & Tor Books for granting me a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.

The rulers of tiny, impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the prince’s future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own fortunes.
Disguising herself as Clarence, a sailor, Princess Clarice intends to work her way to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert wth rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain.
Dominick leads the now-outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of Four Winds. They encounter the sorceress Shamal, who claims Dominick for her own—but Clarice has fallen hard for Dominick and won’t give him up without a fight.

Full of swashbuckling adventure, buoyant magic, and irrepressible charm, The House of the Four Winds is a lighthearted fantasy romp by a pair of bestselling writers.

Having not read anything by Ms. Lackey in quite some time, I found this novel was not at all what I was expecting. While most certainly an highly entertaining fantasy, I would also say it isn't much of a stretch to call this a romance as well. In fact, it was far more like a romance novel than I had anticipated. That's not to say it was bad, however it wasn't like anything I'd ever read that had come out of Pern! Yet it still had its share of entertainment and excitement.

The ruling family of tiny Swansgaard were smart, for they knew their tiny principality couldn't cover twelve dowries and weddings. And that was before their unanticipated last child, a son, was born. Since only sons could inherit titles, they'd long ago given up on passing the title down through their immediate family. However they'd done the best they could for their twelve daughters, who ranged from age six to eighteen. As they grew up each daughter was taught everything she might need to know, even if she ever had to travel incognito; each learned how to care for herself and others; the art of diplomacy; how to ensure that whatever she was responsible for (be it just herself or an estate or entire principality) was not taken advantage of; how to hunt, dress, skin, and cook her kill; and among many other things a craft of her choice, should she ever need to support herself.

Her eighteenth birthday marked her final year being supported by the royal family. She could do whatever she chose during that year, with the understanding that she would be on her own at the end of that year. Princess Clarice was the eldest daughter, and had always been good at swordplay. Her plan was to open her own sallé and teach swordplay to others. Yet to get paying students she first had to earn a reputation, as she knew that simply having been taught by other experts would not be enough.

Six months into her year and she'd yet to find the adventure she so craved, and that her future career required. She could either return home, tail between her legs, or risk everything and travel to the New World. Of the three ships leaving only one met her criteria of accepting passengers and allowing her a private berth. The private accommodations were a necessity, if she was to maintain her identity as Clarence Swann. Though a simple transformation, it required privacy nonetheless. As Princess Clarice was tall enough to pass for a young man, all else that her disguise required was a special corset to conceal her breasts. Luckily the fashions of the day made the transformation simple, as young men wore their hair long and tied back in a queue, and the clothes seemed specifically designed to cover a young woman's curves. And just like that Princess Clarice Swann became Clarence Swann, a young man of means looking for adventure.

Luck or fate led Clarice to meets a kind and helpful young man while still on the docks. A young man who was the navigator for the ship she'd be sailing on. They develop a tremendous friendship over the course of the story. One that might not have been possible had he known of Clarice's true gender and heritage. And of course that situation makes one question how relationships between the members of the same gender differ from relationships between members of the opposite gender? Would the outcome of the story have been the same had Clarice not been traveling in disguise?

The characters in this story are colorful and entertaining, covering the range from absolutely heinous to stunningly sweet and everything in-between. There were self-centered characters and self-sacrificing characters, and then there were characters that were simply confused like most of us. Characters who didn't know themselves well enough to know how they'd react to a situation until it arose, or even sometimes until after it was over.

The characters, like the arc of the story, developed more quickly and gained more depth as the story progressed. From a semi-slow start things picked up speed, ending in a race to the finish, but still rounding out with a little time too cool down from all the excitement before the story reached its conclusion. And as the subtitle of the book is One Dozen Daughters, it leaves this reader anticipating future collaborations focussing on the Swann daughters as they come of age and have their own year to 'find themselves,' and likely their own adventure.

[Booker Hookers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three Cutesy Booker Hooker Stars :)
What we loved: This was an entertaining little swashbuckler of a tale that delivered on exactly what was promised in the blurb. It has a good story line that kept us engaged, a likable hero, and a feisty heroine. She turned out to be our favorite part of the story...she's strong and a bit of a badass without being cocky, she's smart, and she goes against the grain in the best possible way.

What we didn't love so much: The story was a little slow to start, making us have to really stick with it to get to the good action. And for those who want a stronger hero than a heroine, this may not be the right book for you.

Overall, this is a fun story, that doesn't stick with you long after you've put it down, but it was a fun mind getaway and an easy read.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was wonderful. A cross between Frozen and Pirates of the Caribbean! Yes, you read that right! Highly recommend (especially if you like pirates and curses, wrapped in a big Fantasy bow :)

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars



Arc provided by Mcmillan-Tor/Forge

I've just finished reading this story, and although it ended being better than what I expected, considering the first twenty percent of it _in which I seriously doubted I would be able to finish it _ this just had a lot of issues for me to give it a full three star rating.

In the end if you ask me, if I liked it... I'll have to respond with: "parts of it..."

Here's the thing _for me_ this story worth is in its plot, because character wise _especially if we're talking about the main characters _ this crashed and burn.

This starts out as if were reading the "old fashioned" fairy tale type...the ones in which we don't get a whole lot of information besides... the point.

In this case we are summarily "introduced" to a royal family who has twelve daughters _not that we get to know them...besides the main character in this one _and who has a somewhat different view on what the royal heirs should do, when they reach majority (in this case the contemporary notion of eighteen years old).

It basically goes a little like this: So, we> (the King and Queen) here in this "insert place with the too complicated name to memorize" are a small kingdom, and since we breed like cats, we now find ourselves in the situation of not having the money to all you girls dowry's...Solution: when you reach eighteen we'll boot you out of the house (_small castle) _ in order for you girls to find your fortune!
What say you?
Daughters: *Hooray!!*

Okayy....lol
If the princes have been doing it all their lives ( stories), why not the princesses?
Right? Gender equality.

So, our oldest princess Clarisse turns eighteen, and there she goes, seeking adventure and wealth!
Of course certain things never change, and it is best if the girl tries to pass out as a boy...a clean shaved pretty boy.
Everyone believes in her "disguise" (dressed as a boy and wearing a hat), and "fiddle dee dee" everything turns out smooth.

Then comes the boring, boring part.
I'll confess that I am not crazy about nautical adventures, and this one, during that first part proved me right, in not changing my view of it. We basically get long descriptions of what life used to be on board of a ship. As we can well imagine, it was boring.

Luckily there's a mutiny, lol, and things get a little better, because a conspiracy is unravelled.
Like I said: The plot kept the thing afloat!
The characters, I am afraid continued to be their same boring, undeveloped selves.

All of a sudden we had a mysterious medallion, a mysterious island, and characters that couldn't be more distant from Jack Sparrow and his band of.....ah....misfits...because Sparrow has more personality in one lock of his unwashed air, than all of these together!
It was embarrassing.

Then there was the...romance. Oh, boy :/

It appeared because the authors _or author _ whoever wrote that part of the story, decided to make it appear. Just like a rabbit. Look: A rabbit!
Applause.

There was no development of a relationship between them. Nothing. And one day, Clarisse decides that she's in love with the young Captain.
Who thought she was a guy. lol

I didn't thought that the magic part of the story was all that well developed. Sure there were some nice parts with the enchanted spoiler and bewitched spoiler, but besides that, the whole thing was very undeveloped.

I keep using that word a lot.

The evil enchantress was a bit too generic, and there was a moment in which due to the outfit description, it was as if I was seeing Angelina Jolie in her evil...fairy tale...thing role. lol I guess all evil characters shop in the same place!

Towards the end, the action picks up a little, and there were some nice and creative bits added to the story, but the writing was not that great o_O.
I mean I could read it, and there was a part in which I was interested in seeing what was going to happen, but it was not that memorable.

Not the writing, not the story, and definitely not the characters! Sorry.

[Lynn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/wp-a...
Strong 3.5
House of the Four Winds was a holiday read for me whilst I was recently away in Amsterdam and as such it worked well. A lighthearted nautical adventure with piracy, sea monsters and a pirate ship graveyard thrown in for good measure. I can't say this brings anything new to fantasy and I'm not going to go overboard looking at all the elements - for me, this was fun more than anything else and I think that's the way the book should be approached.

The story starts with Clarice - one of twelve Princesses from Swansgaarde. The Princesses are each expected to go out and make their own way in life - basically, the duchy can't sustain such a large family and more importantly the dowries they will require. I must admit I liked that the Princesses were expected to do something useful and not be reliant on others. For Clarice the choice is easy - the one thing she excels at is swordfighting and she wants to set up in that area tutoring would-be students. However, she needs to get a few adventures under her belt before anyone will take her seriously so she sets off to find excitement with her tricornered hat placed firmly! Having decided to go adventuring Clarice dresses as a boy - I can understand the necessity of this as she would have been unable to book passage on most ships otherwise. So, off Clarence sets for the new world. Of course, she ends up having a larger dose of fantasy than she ever anticipated (but let's face it - there wouldn't be much of a book otherwise!)

The main characters of the story are Clarice - henceforth known as Clarence, who spins her tale (keeping it as dangerously close to the truth as possible). Dominick - the rather good looking navigator of Ship Asesino, Captained by Samuel Sprunt. There are of course other supporting characters such as the ship's doctor and minor roles for some of the other crew members and we are introduced to Shamal - is she a pirate, a ruler, a sorceress??

The story is primarily sea based so get ready for a lot of nautical comings and goings as the crew become more and more infuriated by the treatment and conditions meted out by Captain Spruce leading up to eventual mutiny and from there the course of the story changes. I won't go into more plot details.

I guess what I enjoyed about this book was it's easy reading quality. The plot is decently paced - it starts off with a story tale feel, almost, 'once upon a time there was a land called Swansgaarde where 12 princesses .....etc, etc' in fact I wondered at the outset if this was going to be based on the fairytale of the 12 dancing princesses. It isn't of course (I don't think) but that was the general feeling that it impressed me with at the beginning. We then move onto the adventure which is quite fast paced and holds your attention due to two things - one, you're constantly wondering if Clarence will have her true identity uncovered - possibly in the most embarrassing way and two, there is a little bit of intrigue about what is really going on aboard the ship and why the men are all being stirred up.

Of course I had a couple of criticisms. You could be forgiven for rolling your eyes and wondering about how Clarence managed to keep her identify concealed so well. I think, given her natural talent in swordfighting I expected a bit more of that to be on display whereas it was contained to one fairly brief encounter and I thought the eventual reveal and whole romantic encounter with Dominick was a bit convenient, a bit neatly wrapped up and a little bit rushed. But, in spite of those criticisms I did find this was good fun. It's really not intended to be a deeply serious and thought provoking read and in that respect it works. Well, that's my take on it anyway! Plus, it's not always easy to find a light hearted summer read in the world of fantasy so this fits the bill. Although, I wouldn't have minded (for once) a bit more of a saucy romp!!!

[Leeanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.

==

I was so excited to start THE HOUSE OF THE FOUR WINDS. THE FIRE ROSE by Mercedes Lackey is one of my “comfort books,” a book I can read over and over, one that I love. So I was hoping to find another favorite in THE HOUSE OF THE FOUR WINDS. Unfortunately, this book won’t be joining my favorites list.

The book got off to a rocky start. I was almost ready to put it down after the first couple of chapters because I got tired of trying to remember all the oddly named countries. There’s Waulosiene, Lochrin, Albion, Cisleithanian, Ifrane, etc. None of them are actually important, but I didn’t know that at first, and I was trying to figure out what real countries the fictional ones were modeled on. There’s a real lack of worldbuilding in THE HOUSE OF THE FOUR WINDS, which is a pity.

Moving on … after Clarice finds transport to the New World, the book slows down. I had no idea where the book was heading, and I again wanted to put it down. The one good thing about this part is that the authors build a strong friendship between Clarice and Dominick, although Dominick doesn’t know that Clarice is actually a female. He thinks she’s Clarence Swann.

The main villain, Shamal, shows up way too late in THE HOUSE OF THE FOUR WINDS. The conflict/problems she creates are resolved way too easily. I was rather disappointed in how that whole thread wrapped up. “Disappointed” describes my feelings as a whole for the book. It wasn’t the fun, swashbuckling adventure the summary promised me.

The writing was almost bad fanfic quality. There was an abundance of adverbs. Clarice and Dominick were always saying something “carefully” or “lightly” or “charmingly.” And so on. When there’s a lot of that, I can’t help but notice and it pulls me out of the story. I also can tell you what every single character wore, down to the type of buttons on his or her coat. A lot of the action happened off the page, as well. Clarice would say she was going to do something, such as explain a situation to the ship’s doctor, but we’d pick up the narrative after she had already explained it. I got tired of that the fourth or fifth time it happened -- I want to see a character’s reaction to bad news, not be told about it after.

As for the romance … well, the best I can say is that Clarice and Dominick developed a good friendship. I don’t really know where the true love came from, and I don’t know about you, but if I found out someone lied to me about their gender? I’d have some issues with that.

==

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See more of my reviews:

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

I fell madly in love with the cover when I saw it and I knew that I had to try the book and discover the story as it was. And then a plot featuring pirates? Who would not be interested? Especially when the heroine in question is a girl disguising as a man to be able to live the adventures she wants.

Clarice is the eldest of twelve sisters and a brother, a princess who arrives at the age of 18. But the Duchy is very small, and the Clarice’s parents can not meet the needs of both girls and upon majority, each of them is forced to leave the castle they have always known to seek her fortune and live their lives as they wish. After having, as each of her sisters, the youth she wanted and becoming a mistress of weapons, Clarice hopes to discover the world. So she embarks on a boat by disguising herself as a boy, to travel, to experience new cultures and thus actually choose what she wants to do with her life. Here, she will have to understand what life at sea means, even if her secret is safe, it is difficult to live well in a confined space. In this way, she will also meet many very different characters that we will enjoy discovering. However, Clarice would never have expected that her journey would take such a turn or even thought she would meet any pirates.

I loved Clarice. She is a heroine in search of freedom, in search of adventure and a beautiful future. Letting herself be carried away by her desires, she will try to navigate at sea and discover a new life. We quickly understand her aspirations and desires but it is true that everything is not easy, especially when she begins to fall under the spell of one member of the crew. I also found very interesting to meet with the pirates and I was curious to see how the story would evolve regarding them. One thing is for sure, I did not expect that magic would mix with the plot so closely. And although we know the pirates through various novels, the authors introduce us other types of pirates much more difficult to counter. In any case, I had a lot of fun to follow the novel from beginning to end and this is true that I wonder what we’ll have next, to discover what each the sisters will do when their departure date will arrive . Especially when you consider that each is very different from the other and therefore should have distinct projects.

It was a nice discovery and a good first novel that makes us want to continue and to learn more at the same time.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The House of the Four Winds", a sword and sorcery yarn set on the high seas, one small duchy decides that it will let its daughters make their own way. Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory, who teamed up in the dynamite "The Obsidian Trilogy" have chosen a lighter tone in this navel fantasy, but it serves them well. More importantly, these two veteran authors know how to pen a believable female character and romance with snappy dialogue and smart character portrayals.

Princess Clarice, who has trained with the best swordsmen in her realm, travels to a major port, to board ship for the New World. Rather than wear a skirt, Clarice, puts on a pair of trousers, and as Clarence Swann seeks a berth as a swordsman. Masquerading as a man is a time honored fiction motif, but it is handled well here. She buys passage on the lucky Captain Sprunt's Asesino. Sprunt has somehow escaped several encounters with pirates. Clarice quickly befriends the guild trained navigator Dominick Moryet and the ship surgeon, Dr. Chapman.

Once the ship is underway, Clarice finds a place at the Captain's Table and meets the rest of the officers and the unmerciful ship's chaplain Reverend Dobb. Lackey and Mallory quickly paint a vivid picture of shipboard life on the seas. And it is not a happy one.

Clarice watches as Sprunt and his first mate start to brutalize the crew in a calculated manner - punishing selective crewmen for minor transgressions. It soon becomes clear that the ship is a powder keg just waiting to erupt. Could there be an ulterior motive for Sprunt's actions?

When the inevitable mutiny occurs, Clarice will prove her skill with her blade and pay a pivotal role in the fight for control of the ship. However, the law of the seas is unfair. Irrespective of Sprunt's brutality, a mutinous crew who seizes control of a ship is tarred as pirates.

After the mutiny, Clarice seizes from the evil Dobbs a pendant that has a hidden map. The ship decides to use the map and finds its way to a secret pirate base, where they meet the lords of the Pirate Fleet, and the powerful sorceress that rules the haven. Clarice soon surmises that there was more to Sprunt's luck than skill. All the answers are at the pirate haven.

But the safety of the pirate haven is an illusion, and Clarice, who is developing feelings for the dashing navigator, and Dominick will be attacked by magic and forced to sail to uncharted waters, where magic, monsters and the very seas will be a boil. While the outcome is never in doubt, the confrontation has some good surprises.

This straight forward ship tale is not complicated, but its never boring. There is plenty of action. Clarice will play a pivotal role in all of the major scenes in this yarn

Its a good sea fantasy. Hop on board.

[Morgan Dhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the publication of The House of the Four Winds, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory have a new series on the go, though given the long wait for volume two of their Dragon Prophecy series, I find myself wondering if we'll ever see another volume of One Dozen Daughters - and that would be a real shame. Because The House of Four Winds is a delightful fantasy. And the series concept has a great deal of promise.

The premise is this. Duke Rupert and Duchess Yetive, the rulers of the very small and not at all consequential Duchy of Swansgaarde, have twelve daughters and one son. The son, of course, will inherit the dukedom, but the future of the daughters is much less clear, as Swansgaarde can not possibly afford to provide appropriate dowries for twelve royal brides. Fortunately, Duke Rupert and Duchess Yetive are sensible, practical people who have raised their daughters to be competent young women, perfectly able to take care of themselves and earn their own livings. So, as each daughter reaches the age of 18, she will be outfitted with everything she needs to make her way in the world and sent off to make her fortune, much as younger sons are often encouraged to do in this kind of fantasy.

The oldest daughter, Clarice, has a gift for swordsmanship, and intends to make the teaching of swordwork her profession. However, she's practical enough to realise that she needs some experience and a reputation in order to get a good position with lots of paying pupils, so she disguises herself as a young man and sets out in search of adventure.

On a sea journey to the new world, she is caught up in more adventure than expected when there's a mutiny on the ship she's booked passage on and the surviving crew ends up on the secret island refuge of the Brotherhood of Pirates, subject to the demands of the ruler of the House of Four Winds.

There's action and romance. And pirates. Lots of pirates. And Clarice is a smart, level-headed, capable young woman, an admirable protagonist in every way. It's a lovely plot that leads to a well-earned happily ever after.

I want to read the next book, which I suspect will be about Clarice's next younger sister, who wants to be a thaumaturge.

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for giving me this book to review.

Clarise is the eldest of the duke and duchess of Swansgaarde’s thirteen children. With twelve daughter’s and one son, Dantan, they have realised that there will be no Duchy for Dantan, if his twelve older sisters receive a dowry. They have decided that when each of their daughters reaches their 18th birthday, they will go their own way to make their own fortune. Clarise decides to disguise herself as a boy, and become a gentleman traveller, but both romance and bad luck hit when she buys passage on the Asesino, with the attractive, charming and ethical First Mate Dominik, the friendly Dr Chapman, the repulsive and cruel Captain Sprunt, and the slimy Reverend Dobbs. However, after pushing the crew too far, a mutiny happens upon the Asesino and the victors come into possession of a magical artefact which leads them to the haven of pirates, The House of the Four Winds.

I really like The House of the Four Winds, as Mercedes Lackey has written a very well-paced book, which drags you into the story from the first chapter. This is a very action packed book, with romance, which has you rooting for Clarise and Dominik, although wondering how and when she will eventually reveal she is a girl.

Clarise is an interesting character because, whilst she has grown up as a princess to a duchy, she is surprisingly unspoilt, and remarkably self-sufficient. Dr Chapman is a complex character I really liked, because whilst he is a doctor and does not wish to do any harm, he sees that some cause more harm by existing than their removal would do.

I really hope that Mercedes Lackey continues on this series, and whether it follows each sister as they set off, or continues Clarise and Dominik’s story, I hope we find out what happens to them in the future. I would recommend The House of the Four Winds to anyone who has read any of Mercedes Lackey’s other books, especially the Obsidian Trilogy.