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Elemental Masters #3
Phoenix and Ashes
Mercedes Lackey's magical Elemental Masters series recasts familiar fairy tales in a richly-imagined alternate Victorian worldEleanor Robinson’s life had shattered when Father volunteered for the Great War, leaving her alone with a woman he had just married. Then the letter came that told of her father’s death in the trenches and though Eleanor thought things couldn’t get any worse, her life took an even more bizarre turn. Dragged to the hearth by her stepmother Alison, Eleanor was forced to endure a painful and frightening ritual during which the smallest finger of her left hand was severed and buried beneath a hearthstone. For her stepmother was an Elemental Master of Earth who practiced the darker blood-fueled arts. Alison had bound Eleanor to the hearth with a spell that prevented her from leaving home, caused her to fade from people’s memories, and made her into a virtual slave. Months faded into years for Eleanor, and still the war raged. There were times she felt she was losing her mind—times she seemed to see faces in the hearth fire. Reginald Fenyx was a pilot. He lived to fly, and whenever he returned home on break from Oxford, the youngsters of the town would turn out to see him lift his aeroplane—a frail ship of canvas and sticks—into the sky and soar through the clouds. During the war, Reggie had become an acclaimed air ace, for he was an Elemental Master of Air. His Air Elementals had protected him until the fateful day when he had met another of his kind aloft, and nearly died. When he returned home, Reggie was a broken man plagued by shell shock, his Elemental powers vanished. Eleanor and Reginald were two souls scourged by war and evil magic. Could they find the strength to help one another rise from the ashes of their destruction?
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2004
168 people are currently reading
3069 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,532 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 306 reviews
January 31, 2023
Ok, M. Lackey has three writing styles. One, she doesn't like it and has to meet a deadline. Two, she likes what she's doing, but she doesn't have it fleshed out. She'll usually have a collaborator, who will take over the series and it will be unrecognizable by the end. Three, she has a full story and all the time she wants. This one is a number three.
It's one of the longer Elemental Masters. It's easily the size of "Wizard of London" twice over. This is her Cinderella, set in 1916, between an English farm girl and a wounded pilot. Both characters are fleshed out nicely. Usually the 'prince' in a fairy tale is just there as a placeholder or a plot point, to compliment the 'beauty' but this one has his own character. The 'beauty' is also far more resilient that is typical for a fairy tale princess.
This takes a while to get through, but this one was worth it.
It's one of the longer Elemental Masters. It's easily the size of "Wizard of London" twice over. This is her Cinderella, set in 1916, between an English farm girl and a wounded pilot. Both characters are fleshed out nicely. Usually the 'prince' in a fairy tale is just there as a placeholder or a plot point, to compliment the 'beauty' but this one has his own character. The 'beauty' is also far more resilient that is typical for a fairy tale princess.
This takes a while to get through, but this one was worth it.
July 15, 2012
So the elemental masters can join the dark side. There were lots of dark beasties in this one, which was different, though not nearly as maliciously fun as it could have been; and for a while I thought Alison was going to be the most challenging villian yet (I am reading the series in order, though there seems no particular reason to do so as they all stand alone perfectly well). But then the hemming and hawing started, and Lady Virginia shows up to throw in her curve ball, and the evil gets distracted trying to insinuate herself into the rich family and get her daughters married off. So there went any previously built up tension, and the evil hobbles along until it gets it's big moment at the end of the book where she gets motivated to refocus on the baddies and not the social nicities. Yet again, the action is piled into the last few pages.
I liked Eleanor nearly as much as I liked Rose in the first book. There was a even a little bit of developing romance in this one instead of the romance being pried into the storyline because it was expected. I could have done with more scenes in the meadow, and especially more of Eleanor having to look out for Reggie (and him being aware of it would help too!). But then that also fizzled out in the middle of the book, for what appeared to be a "Sophie's World" inspired series of lessons about the Tarot deck, wherein they teach the character and us about the tarot and it's hitherto unmentioned connection to the elemental masters by bashing us over the head with cute vignettes serving only to educate us and not move the story forward in the least. Maybe that part annoyed me a little. And no one else had this many lessons in understanding every possible interpretation of all the elements before actually learning useful stuff...was Eleanor less powerful than the others or why on earth did it take her so long to get anywhere? They did try to connect the dots, by bringing up incidents later where 'she'd never have pulled this off if she hadn't studied other elements besides her own'. But it seemed so concocted and inorganic when brought up in that manner.
Sarah and Lady Virginia were interesting, but never developed, as was the mysteriously introduced Smith who then vanished for the rest of the book. Did I miss something there? Maybe her story is told elsewhere? I liked Dr. Maya's appearance early in the book, but she reappears at the end for no real purpose. Reggie on the other hand, is missing from the end of the book, though he's referrerd to by Eleanor. We hear nothing from his voice. We know about his leg, how about his mental state? And I could have done without the last two paragraphs which made me think of a sitcom that is required to end with laughter. And laughter that I didn't connect to at all...what was so funny?
But I liked the war story being tied into the fairy tale, I liked the circumstances of Eleanor's servitude and of the situation at the ball, and enough other parts that I think it will rank as second best following Fire Rose. I'm still mostly reading this series because it's in stock at the library while I'm waiting for my requested books to arrive, but the darn author always gives me just enough hope that the next book will live up to it's potential to keep me returning to her section in the shelves!
I liked Eleanor nearly as much as I liked Rose in the first book. There was a even a little bit of developing romance in this one instead of the romance being pried into the storyline because it was expected. I could have done with more scenes in the meadow, and especially more of Eleanor having to look out for Reggie (and him being aware of it would help too!). But then that also fizzled out in the middle of the book, for what appeared to be a "Sophie's World" inspired series of lessons about the Tarot deck, wherein they teach the character and us about the tarot and it's hitherto unmentioned connection to the elemental masters by bashing us over the head with cute vignettes serving only to educate us and not move the story forward in the least. Maybe that part annoyed me a little. And no one else had this many lessons in understanding every possible interpretation of all the elements before actually learning useful stuff...was Eleanor less powerful than the others or why on earth did it take her so long to get anywhere? They did try to connect the dots, by bringing up incidents later where 'she'd never have pulled this off if she hadn't studied other elements besides her own'. But it seemed so concocted and inorganic when brought up in that manner.
Sarah and Lady Virginia were interesting, but never developed, as was the mysteriously introduced Smith who then vanished for the rest of the book. Did I miss something there? Maybe her story is told elsewhere? I liked Dr. Maya's appearance early in the book, but she reappears at the end for no real purpose. Reggie on the other hand, is missing from the end of the book, though he's referrerd to by Eleanor. We hear nothing from his voice. We know about his leg, how about his mental state? And I could have done without the last two paragraphs which made me think of a sitcom that is required to end with laughter. And laughter that I didn't connect to at all...what was so funny?
But I liked the war story being tied into the fairy tale, I liked the circumstances of Eleanor's servitude and of the situation at the ball, and enough other parts that I think it will rank as second best following Fire Rose. I'm still mostly reading this series because it's in stock at the library while I'm waiting for my requested books to arrive, but the darn author always gives me just enough hope that the next book will live up to it's potential to keep me returning to her section in the shelves!
July 29, 2007
Growing up in a nerd household, I had often heard of Mercedes Lackey. She is, after all, one of the most prolific science fiction/ Fantasy authors out there. Phoenix and Ashes was the first book of hers I’d gotten around to reading, and I was overall content with it. Her characters, though magical, were grounded in the pain and sorrow of everyday life. They deal with the injustices of classism and sexism. They deal with the horrors of war.
It is a modernized telling of Cinderella, complete with wicked step sisters. Only the handsome prince is of a more moderate nobility, and happens to be a shell shocked veteran of World War I. The setting is rural England in the fictional town of Broom. As the classic tale unfolds, more and more of the town’s men are conscripted to war. Those left are visibly maimed and emotionally scarred. Women, therefore, start to take on new roles, leading the heroine to realize that her dreams (not to marry the prince, but to go to Oxford), may come true. If only it weren’t for those pesky spells entrapping her.
The book did break my general rule of Sci Fi: If it makes up more than 10 words, I’m out. But the characters persuaded me to stay. The over hyped magic and alchemy couldn’t kill the interesting history and personal drives of each character.
One thing I couldn’t forgive is the editing. I counted no less than 6 times I stumbled across typographical errors. Like running through a field of rocks, I tripped over every error. Adam and Even, us instead of use, words completely out of place, etc. It made me want to hurt the editor, who clearly got lazy and relied on spell check to get them through.
That combined with unnecessary repetition, made me feel as though Lackey, while creative, isn’t that good a writer. Maybe she should slow down and focus on quality instead of quantity. Or at the very least fire her editor.
It is a modernized telling of Cinderella, complete with wicked step sisters. Only the handsome prince is of a more moderate nobility, and happens to be a shell shocked veteran of World War I. The setting is rural England in the fictional town of Broom. As the classic tale unfolds, more and more of the town’s men are conscripted to war. Those left are visibly maimed and emotionally scarred. Women, therefore, start to take on new roles, leading the heroine to realize that her dreams (not to marry the prince, but to go to Oxford), may come true. If only it weren’t for those pesky spells entrapping her.
The book did break my general rule of Sci Fi: If it makes up more than 10 words, I’m out. But the characters persuaded me to stay. The over hyped magic and alchemy couldn’t kill the interesting history and personal drives of each character.
One thing I couldn’t forgive is the editing. I counted no less than 6 times I stumbled across typographical errors. Like running through a field of rocks, I tripped over every error. Adam and Even, us instead of use, words completely out of place, etc. It made me want to hurt the editor, who clearly got lazy and relied on spell check to get them through.
That combined with unnecessary repetition, made me feel as though Lackey, while creative, isn’t that good a writer. Maybe she should slow down and focus on quality instead of quantity. Or at the very least fire her editor.
August 1, 2013
This one is a retelling of Cinderella.
Again, I will have to complain at the lack of consistency. Evil stepmother does away with father... without making sure he changed his will?? Seriously? Evil stepmother casts a curse on stepdaughter (pretty gruesomely) to make sure no one recognizes her... while her godmother, a minor witch still lives in the village and knows what's going on - and does nothing? The Masters of London do not feel the taint of evil coming from stepmother? Etc etc
Also Ellie (the heroine) is aggravatingly whiny - maybe a counterpoint to what is to come, to the horror of war.
As with almost every Elemental book, I feel things could be improved with just a little COMMUNICATION. Solutions, in the shape of other Masters, are susually around the bend, yet no one puts their heads together even though everyone smells a rat...
On the other hand, the research into the specific horror of World War 1 - the overwhelming number of deaths, the mutilations, the not yet called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the trenches... - and Ellie's research in the Tarot made it all more palatable to me than the Gates of Sleep.
Again, I will have to complain at the lack of consistency. Evil stepmother does away with father... without making sure he changed his will?? Seriously? Evil stepmother casts a curse on stepdaughter (pretty gruesomely) to make sure no one recognizes her... while her godmother, a minor witch still lives in the village and knows what's going on - and does nothing? The Masters of London do not feel the taint of evil coming from stepmother? Etc etc
Also Ellie (the heroine) is aggravatingly whiny - maybe a counterpoint to what is to come, to the horror of war.
As with almost every Elemental book, I feel things could be improved with just a little COMMUNICATION. Solutions, in the shape of other Masters, are susually around the bend, yet no one puts their heads together even though everyone smells a rat...
On the other hand, the research into the specific horror of World War 1 - the overwhelming number of deaths, the mutilations, the not yet called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the trenches... - and Ellie's research in the Tarot made it all more palatable to me than the Gates of Sleep.
March 7, 2013
Take one part Cinderella (with hints of Harriet Potter), one part All Quiet on the Western Front, one part Downton Abbey, and one part alchemy, and mix well.
This is the story of Eleanor (Ellie) Robinson, a girl who has been enslaved by her evil stepmother upon her father's death, and of Reggie Fenyx, a gentleman pilot who has become severely damaged from service in World War I. Reggie and Evil Stepmother are Masters of earth elements--air and earth, respectively--and Ellie is just starting to realize that she can control another (fire). The battle lines are drawn among these three as Stepmother tries to get Reggie to marry one of her hideous daughters while keeping Ellie enslaved. You can guess the ending, I'm sure.
The strengths of this book include strong, resourceful female characters (good and bad) who pass the Bechdel test and accurate portrayals of posttraumatic stress disorder (from domestic abuse and war). The weaknesess are that some of the characters lean toward caricatures (Locke, in particular), and the story is light--it really is Cinderella. I would like to see stories of the Elementals interacting with real-world evils: criminals, war, bullies, corruption, etc. That would be something new, not a retread.
And, as others have pointed out, the copyediting was horrendous. I'm a professional editor, and I can ususally "turn it off" while reading for pleasure. Not this one--omitted words, typos, misspellings, etc. Come on, Daw, spring for a real copyeditor.
This is the story of Eleanor (Ellie) Robinson, a girl who has been enslaved by her evil stepmother upon her father's death, and of Reggie Fenyx, a gentleman pilot who has become severely damaged from service in World War I. Reggie and Evil Stepmother are Masters of earth elements--air and earth, respectively--and Ellie is just starting to realize that she can control another (fire). The battle lines are drawn among these three as Stepmother tries to get Reggie to marry one of her hideous daughters while keeping Ellie enslaved. You can guess the ending, I'm sure.
The strengths of this book include strong, resourceful female characters (good and bad) who pass the Bechdel test and accurate portrayals of posttraumatic stress disorder (from domestic abuse and war). The weaknesess are that some of the characters lean toward caricatures (Locke, in particular), and the story is light--it really is Cinderella. I would like to see stories of the Elementals interacting with real-world evils: criminals, war, bullies, corruption, etc. That would be something new, not a retread.
And, as others have pointed out, the copyediting was horrendous. I'm a professional editor, and I can ususally "turn it off" while reading for pleasure. Not this one--omitted words, typos, misspellings, etc. Come on, Daw, spring for a real copyeditor.
September 3, 2019
Of all the books in the Elemental Masters series this was my favorite. It is a retelling of Cinderella set in the time of WWI in England. This book follows the traditional fairy tale more than the other books in the series, and that might have been part of the magic to me. It is interesting to see all the unique ways that the author has incorporated the traditional parts of the Cinderella story into this much darker tale of magic.
Like all of the books in the Elemental Master series this book can stand on its own. If you are thinking of reading just one of this series, this is the one to go with.
Like all of the books in the Elemental Master series this book can stand on its own. If you are thinking of reading just one of this series, this is the one to go with.
September 13, 2012
This is really bit changed version of the Cinderella.
Evil Step-mother is also evil witch too
Cinderella is also elemental mage
Prince is only noble, but he is also soldier and elemental mage, but he is injured in first world war and has also deep emotioal scars from war.
And typical for this series Mereces Lackey describes in great detail how people live in time period described in book. So this time we get to know how difficult life were in England during war and how losing millions of soldiering men changed society.
Evil Step-mother is also evil witch too
Cinderella is also elemental mage
Prince is only noble, but he is also soldier and elemental mage, but he is injured in first world war and has also deep emotioal scars from war.
And typical for this series Mereces Lackey describes in great detail how people live in time period described in book. So this time we get to know how difficult life were in England during war and how losing millions of soldiering men changed society.
April 23, 2023
This is one of my favorite books by Lackey. She's only a middling talented writer--at times, she can be brilliant, but other books are dreadful--and this is one of her better books. It's certainly got one of the best developed magic systems of any of her books.
April 18, 2017
4.5
Much much more satisfying than my last read of this author
Unlike the other books I've read by her so far this one seems more fully fleshed out in terms of character development and motivations, plot continuity, and the climax/ ending is much more satisfying (usually this is my biggest problem with her work).
Eleanor Robinson is a young aspiring scholar in early 1900s (something I love about Lackey is her female characters are always defying convention in some form) who means to study in Oxford, despite women not receiving a degree. Yet her dreams are dashed when her father remarries. Her life becomes less important than her stepmothers and her stepsisters. After his death she learns of Alison her stepmother's earth magic, when the latter realises Eleanor still has legal right of inheritance. She is forced under spell to become a slave (in a pretty gruesome way) for her step family, with everyone in the village spelled to forget who she is.
Then WW1 strikes and slowly she discovers her own fire powers under the guidance of her Godmother who has sought her out again. She discovers her stepmothers conspiracy against her childhood friend and hero Reggie, an air master who has come back from the war battered with shell shock and something worse. As she works against the spells that bind her, she attempts to protect him from the evil of her step mothers plan. Will she be discovered..will she be strong enough to fight her? Dun dun dunnn
I might say this a lot, but I really love how the author combines elemental magic and fairy tales with true history in a way that highlights lots of big and little details bringing that period to life. There are so many details of the change in women's status, appearance, the deaths, the horrors and psychological damage, the rationing, class hierarchy, sexism etc which I fully appreciated.
In terms of characters there is still a black and white element to them, the bad are evil with no redeeming qualities, like Alison. I do find it interesting how she keeps portraying the Wizard of London in such a way that he seems to be so toff like to the point of idiocy in ignoring someone may be a bad seed because they sound like peerage.
Niggles aside this was a long and satisfying story.
Much much more satisfying than my last read of this author
Unlike the other books I've read by her so far this one seems more fully fleshed out in terms of character development and motivations, plot continuity, and the climax/ ending is much more satisfying (usually this is my biggest problem with her work).
Eleanor Robinson is a young aspiring scholar in early 1900s (something I love about Lackey is her female characters are always defying convention in some form) who means to study in Oxford, despite women not receiving a degree. Yet her dreams are dashed when her father remarries. Her life becomes less important than her stepmothers and her stepsisters. After his death she learns of Alison her stepmother's earth magic, when the latter realises Eleanor still has legal right of inheritance. She is forced under spell to become a slave (in a pretty gruesome way) for her step family, with everyone in the village spelled to forget who she is.
Then WW1 strikes and slowly she discovers her own fire powers under the guidance of her Godmother who has sought her out again. She discovers her stepmothers conspiracy against her childhood friend and hero Reggie, an air master who has come back from the war battered with shell shock and something worse. As she works against the spells that bind her, she attempts to protect him from the evil of her step mothers plan. Will she be discovered..will she be strong enough to fight her? Dun dun dunnn
I might say this a lot, but I really love how the author combines elemental magic and fairy tales with true history in a way that highlights lots of big and little details bringing that period to life. There are so many details of the change in women's status, appearance, the deaths, the horrors and psychological damage, the rationing, class hierarchy, sexism etc which I fully appreciated.
In terms of characters there is still a black and white element to them, the bad are evil with no redeeming qualities, like Alison. I do find it interesting how she keeps portraying the Wizard of London in such a way that he seems to be so toff like to the point of idiocy in ignoring someone may be a bad seed because they sound like peerage.
Niggles aside this was a long and satisfying story.
August 14, 2024
Lackey is one of the ultimate comfort-book authors, and here she did her thing once again, with a Cinderella-as-an-elemental-mage retelling. I've been holding on to this one for years, waiting for the right moment. Moving back to NYC next week and restarting work after a year's sabbatical turned out to be that moment!
Lackey never thought of a detail that she didn't include, and sometimes that makes for lovely detailed cozy fantasy and the wonderful comfort quality. But sometimes she gets deep into stuff that I find detracts from the main narrative, and I get a bit irritated.
Here we had three points of view: Eleanor, the Cinderella stand-in; Reggie, the shell-shocked pilot Prince stand-in; and Alison, the evil stepmother. The Reggie bits were ok, but waaaaaay too much of the book was Alison plotting or enacting her evil schemes, and ... was that the only way for the reader to keep abreast of the stakes of the plot, when Eleanor was so circumscribed by her situation? I didn't care about Alison's dark rituals or her daughters or any of it, really, and that brought down the book for me.
If you like Lackey you'd probably like this book, and I do intend to meander my way through more of them. They are not perfect but they are pretty engrossing.
Lackey never thought of a detail that she didn't include, and sometimes that makes for lovely detailed cozy fantasy and the wonderful comfort quality. But sometimes she gets deep into stuff that I find detracts from the main narrative, and I get a bit irritated.
Here we had three points of view: Eleanor, the Cinderella stand-in; Reggie, the shell-shocked pilot Prince stand-in; and Alison, the evil stepmother. The Reggie bits were ok, but waaaaaay too much of the book was Alison plotting or enacting her evil schemes, and ... was that the only way for the reader to keep abreast of the stakes of the plot, when Eleanor was so circumscribed by her situation? I didn't care about Alison's dark rituals or her daughters or any of it, really, and that brought down the book for me.
If you like Lackey you'd probably like this book, and I do intend to meander my way through more of them. They are not perfect but they are pretty engrossing.
March 20, 2015
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature. Life's too short to read bad books!
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Each of Mercedes Lackey’s ELEMENTAL MASTERS novels is a stand-alone fairytale retelling. Some of the novels have overlapping characters, but you can read these books in any order. The fourth book, Phoenix and Ashes, is a mostly pleasant Cinderella story set in England during The Great War. Maya, the Indian doctor from The Serpent’s Shadow, is a minor character. I listened to Michelle Ford narrate the audio version of Phoenix and Ashes (Audible Studios). She is perfect for this tale.
Unlike some of the other ELEMENTAL MASTERS stories, Phoenix and Ashes stays pretty close to the source material; you can tell this is a Cinderella story. Eleanor Robinson’s father is killed during WW1 and Eleanor is left living in the house she grew up in with her socially-climbing evil stepmother and two stepsisters. They cast a spell on Eleanor and make her their slave while they attend teas and balls. Eleanor’s “fairy godmother” is a local witch who helps Eleanor develop her own magical skills. Her helpful woodland creatures are the salamanders that usually accompany fire mages in Lackey’s ELEMENTAL MASTERS books. Most interesting is Prince Charming — a young soldier who was sent home with “shellshock.”
Lackey does a nice job of portraying the horrors, the deprivations, and the massive amount of death that The Great War caused. We see an England that is nearly devoid of healthy adult men within a certain age range. Women were running the farms and businesses. German submarine blockades of merchant ships meant that people were hungry. So many of the English soldiers never came home, and those who did were maimed and/or afflicted with PTSD, a brain disorder that people didn’t believe in until recently. Lackey shows us the scorn that the military held for those who suffered from “shellshock” and also the way they were slow to adapt to the Germans’ technological advances. A few times Lackey attempts to bring in some socialist opposition to the war, which could have been really interesting and informative, but this is dealt with so quickly and superficially that it was of no value.
As in the other ELEMENTAL MASTERS books, the evil villains are totally over-the-top sadists, making them seem like caricatures rather than real people. Eleanor’s stepmother is so hilariously bad that it’s hard to take her seriously. In contrast, the protagonists always display surprisingly modern ideas for their time. They’re always progressive feminists who despise the class structure they were born into. A little more diversity and nuance to Lackey’s characters would be nice.
Still, for a fluffy fantasy read, Phoenix and Ashes is mostly entertaining. It’s easy to sympathize with Eleanor’s plight, cheer when she manages to win little victories over her evil stepmother, and feel excited knowing that she’ll triumph in the end. Unfortunately there is a long odd section in which Eleanor learns about passion, balance and responsibility from the creatures on Tarot cards in some sort of dreamland. This was bizarre and boring and didn’t feel like it fit in an ELEMENTAL MASTERS novel since, I think, Tarot has not been mentioned as related to this magic system before. The ending of the story, when Eleanor gets revenge, was also abrupt and not especially satisfying. Sort of like my ending to this review.
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Each of Mercedes Lackey’s ELEMENTAL MASTERS novels is a stand-alone fairytale retelling. Some of the novels have overlapping characters, but you can read these books in any order. The fourth book, Phoenix and Ashes, is a mostly pleasant Cinderella story set in England during The Great War. Maya, the Indian doctor from The Serpent’s Shadow, is a minor character. I listened to Michelle Ford narrate the audio version of Phoenix and Ashes (Audible Studios). She is perfect for this tale.
Unlike some of the other ELEMENTAL MASTERS stories, Phoenix and Ashes stays pretty close to the source material; you can tell this is a Cinderella story. Eleanor Robinson’s father is killed during WW1 and Eleanor is left living in the house she grew up in with her socially-climbing evil stepmother and two stepsisters. They cast a spell on Eleanor and make her their slave while they attend teas and balls. Eleanor’s “fairy godmother” is a local witch who helps Eleanor develop her own magical skills. Her helpful woodland creatures are the salamanders that usually accompany fire mages in Lackey’s ELEMENTAL MASTERS books. Most interesting is Prince Charming — a young soldier who was sent home with “shellshock.”
Lackey does a nice job of portraying the horrors, the deprivations, and the massive amount of death that The Great War caused. We see an England that is nearly devoid of healthy adult men within a certain age range. Women were running the farms and businesses. German submarine blockades of merchant ships meant that people were hungry. So many of the English soldiers never came home, and those who did were maimed and/or afflicted with PTSD, a brain disorder that people didn’t believe in until recently. Lackey shows us the scorn that the military held for those who suffered from “shellshock” and also the way they were slow to adapt to the Germans’ technological advances. A few times Lackey attempts to bring in some socialist opposition to the war, which could have been really interesting and informative, but this is dealt with so quickly and superficially that it was of no value.
As in the other ELEMENTAL MASTERS books, the evil villains are totally over-the-top sadists, making them seem like caricatures rather than real people. Eleanor’s stepmother is so hilariously bad that it’s hard to take her seriously. In contrast, the protagonists always display surprisingly modern ideas for their time. They’re always progressive feminists who despise the class structure they were born into. A little more diversity and nuance to Lackey’s characters would be nice.
Still, for a fluffy fantasy read, Phoenix and Ashes is mostly entertaining. It’s easy to sympathize with Eleanor’s plight, cheer when she manages to win little victories over her evil stepmother, and feel excited knowing that she’ll triumph in the end. Unfortunately there is a long odd section in which Eleanor learns about passion, balance and responsibility from the creatures on Tarot cards in some sort of dreamland. This was bizarre and boring and didn’t feel like it fit in an ELEMENTAL MASTERS novel since, I think, Tarot has not been mentioned as related to this magic system before. The ending of the story, when Eleanor gets revenge, was also abrupt and not especially satisfying. Sort of like my ending to this review.
May 26, 2011
This is the Cinderella one. I am amazed how Lackey is able to flesh out traditional fairy tales, mix them with her Elemental Magic system, and then place it in the real world such that it fits plausibly.
I also like that the villains make plans, but aren't always able to execute them. The good-guys, even minor characters, do things to adjust the plans at various times throughout the book. In most stories, the villains seem unstoppable until the very end. But in this series, the villains have setbacks and weaknesses just like everyone else.
The only down-side, to me, of the series is that each book has some soap-box issue that gets repeatedly pontificated on. In this one, it is how horrible war is and the "old men" who are running the war don't realize what the young men are going through. To me, at least, it is overbalanced in the story. I wouldn't say that the author goes on and on about it, but it does get brought up over and over. And over.
I also like that the villains make plans, but aren't always able to execute them. The good-guys, even minor characters, do things to adjust the plans at various times throughout the book. In most stories, the villains seem unstoppable until the very end. But in this series, the villains have setbacks and weaknesses just like everyone else.
The only down-side, to me, of the series is that each book has some soap-box issue that gets repeatedly pontificated on. In this one, it is how horrible war is and the "old men" who are running the war don't realize what the young men are going through. To me, at least, it is overbalanced in the story. I wouldn't say that the author goes on and on about it, but it does get brought up over and over. And over.
January 28, 2016
I've read a million (ish) of Mercedes Lackey's books, burning through them with especial zeal when I was in middle and high school, and, well, they're all kinda the same and, well, that's kinda awesome. These are not deep or Earth -shattering books, but they are warm and companionable reads, with a focus on kindness and valuing intellect that may feel schmaltzy to some, but always felt like a nice place to visit, particularly as a vulnerable pre-teen and teenager. Lackey always tells her fairy tales with a great respect for the tenacity of her female characters, and throughout her work does a great job creating representation for gay and bi characters, as well as crafting worlds where animals are treated with utmost respect. This is a nice quick read (WWI plus magick plus Cinderella retelling), and is gentle and easy in the best of ways: here, the heroine gets her happy ending, and that's nice, sometimes.
August 14, 2022
3.5 Stars. Okay, so I've figured out something about Lackey with this book. Her stories and how she weaves the fairytale elements into them are really good and make the experience great. But in the 3 books I've read in this series so far there has yet to be a flushed out romance. And these were all books with strong romance plots. I never believe the romance. Ever. It may be cute and I may believe that eventually these characters would fall in love but I have yet to believe that they are in love from what I've been given in the story. There's never enough development put into the relationship. So even though the characters and the story may be excellent, the romance always brings down my overall enjoyment of it. Since such a huge part of the story feels completely unbelievable it's something that could never really win my love. But they're still really fun and good!
October 8, 2023
This is the third installment in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series. She blends fairy tales with fantasy. This is a retelling of Cinderella where Cinderella is a fire mage who hasn't come into her powers yet. Her father remarries and the woman he marries is an Earth mage. Intent on inheriting the money for herself, she binds Eleanor(our Cinderella) to the house so she can't leave. This prince is a noble named Reginald who is also an Air master.This book is set during World War I and the "prince" is a war hero. I also liked how the tarot cards were used to teach Eleanor her craft. I liked that the heroine was a strong female and she could handle herself and she had intellect. I strongly suggest reading this series if you enjoy fairy tales and fantasy.
July 4, 2015
I could not sleep one night and so started to listen to this audiobook on my MP3 player. I decided that I would continue with it as my audiobook-on-the-go for moments like this or at the gym.
Unlike others in the series I got through this quite quickly and felt it was the best so far in the series.
Unlike others in the series I got through this quite quickly and felt it was the best so far in the series.
January 30, 2017
An extremely good version of Cinderella. Lots of sobering background about the effects of WWI on the small towns of England, and the troops in the mud in France.
September 19, 2024
Fourth in the Elemental Masters historical paranormal fantasy series and revolving around Masters and Mages of magic in England. The couple focus is on Eleanor Robinson and Reggie Fenyx set during World War I. This tale is based on Cinderella.
My Take
Reggie knows Dr Maya Scott! And approves. I know. Why should I get excited about that? Because women are very much second-class citizens in this time period. Able to manage a house, have children, and sit around looking pretty. Seems the men returned from war have the same issue, wanting to protect the little woman, which only leaves the women worse off.
But it seems that need will trump prejudice, for Dr Maya Scott has gained a place in the White Lodge. Hypocrites.
Lackey uses a third person global subjective point-of-view from the perspectives of a number of people, including core characters such as Eleanor, Reggie, and Alison with most of the action taking place in the village of Broom.
There is so much the military should have learned about modern warfare: shellshock, the stupidity of sending men over the battlefields because that's what they've always done, the horrors of trench warfare, how much the tools of war have changed, etc. And Lackey has made good use of the horrors of shellshock and claustrophobia from Reggie's experiences to provide one of the conflicts of the plot as well as his character arc, as he tries to survive the war with his new perspective on women and social class. Eleanor's conflict with her binding and love for Reggie brings in the romantic angle with her particular character arc being forced to realize a number of issues. The third conflict is Alison's ambitions and the lengths to which she'll go to achieve them. Scary stuff. Lackey certainly has some nasty twists in Phoenix and Ashes.
What is wrong with Eleanor's father, to not notice the nastiness immediately? More nastiness hit Reggie when he crashed, and it poured on the guilt. Hah! I love that bit about Alison being able to force Eleanor to cook, but not well. The rest? Just plain nasty! Eleanor is lucky that at least her father's will is safe, for that Alison has some nasty tricks she plays to feed her need for despair, even against her own.
Eleanor, awakened to her magic, is lucky to have Sarah and is working diligently to understand her gift. It's interesting that Eleanor's teachers use the Tarot deck to teach her, using its positives and negatives; it does help her move along quickly and forces her to confront her own issues. Lilith, Adam, and Eve are held up as examples as well. And the cards in the deck work well as lessons for anyone. It does lead to an interesting interpretation of what alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone really were.
Aunt April is a crack-up — all those non sequiturs of hers! It makes her a very popular guest, lol.
It's an okay pace. It got annoying with all Eleanor's angst about being trapped. Discussing the war and all the villagers who were affected by it went on a bit, but it is a good bit to absorb. Noting the privations of war with its causes and effects makes me so glad I've never had to suffer this. The loss of so many British men has certainly cracked a few of the moral laws, particularly at the parties of the wealthy.
Lackey did provide a faster pace when she described Alison's actions. Oy.
Beware Phoenix and Ashes for there is quite a bit of the horrors of war in this.
It's a tale of evil plotting that results in tit for tat.
The Story
There's only one thing saving Eleanor from her stepmother, and it certainly isn't the finger Alison chopped off. Hedged about with her stepmother's bindings, Eleanor's only escapes are when the steps head off on shopping sprees or for magical doings.
Bits of freedom that slowly show Eleanor a few tricks of her own.
The Characters
Warwickshire, England
Broom is . . .
. . . a small village where Eleanor "Ellie" Robinson, who has been accepted to Somerville Collage at Oxford, was the only child of a tradesman who is now Sergeant Charles Robinson. Her mother had been a Fire Master. The Phoenyx will become her chief magical tutor.
The evil, cheap Alison Danbridge, an Earth Master, is her new stepmother; Lauralee and Carolyn Danbridge are the vicious stepsisters. Warrick Locke is Alison's solicitor and an Earth Mage. Robbie Christopher is Locke's driver and fire-loving resident thug. Jennifer Summers is Locke's personal secretary.
The Arrows is Eleanor's home where the current staff includes Cook, who gave notice; Kent Adkins, the gardener, and Mary Chance, the other maid, quit when their meals were no longer provided; Miranda is the downstairs maid; Patricia Sheller had been the parlormaid; Katy Feely had been the stepsisters' maid; and, Miss Severn had been Eleanor's governess. Mrs Bennet is the new cook. Howse is the only lady's maid in the house.
Reggie Fenyx, the heir of the manor of Longacre Park and an Air Master, is fascinated by flying. Sir Devlin Fenyx, baron, is his father. Lady Devlin, Reggie's mother, is clueless about the magic. Reggie's paternal grandmother and Aunt April are also Elemental Masters. His maternal grandfather, Sutton, considers himself a military expert but never really saw any war — and he is such a contemptible man. Lady Virginia DeMarce is Reggie's godmother, a combative Air Master, a part-time VAD, and sponsors good causes; Melanie "Smith" Lynn is her female chauffeur, lady's maid, and arcane assistant. Brigadier Eric Mann had been a friend of Devlin's.
Mrs Catriona Dick is the housekeeper; James Boatwright is the butler; Mrs Murphy is the cook with Thelma Hawkins the cook for the servants; the four cook's helpers include Cheryl Case, Marla Bracken, Amanda Hart, and Mary Holman; Mary is a downstairs maid; little Matthew Case runs errands; the footmen include George Woodward, James Jennings is a talented hobbyist and cabinetmaker, and Steven Druce; Jason Long is the hall boy; Mrs Green, shockingly, is the head gardener; Paul McMahon is the estate accountant; Lee McGregor (her Owen died in January) is the estate manager; Peter Budd is the chauffeur; Bruce Kenny, a one-legged mate of Budd's, is the mechanic; Gaffer Norman is the gameskeeper (Eva is his daughter); and, Michael Turner is Reggie's efficient valet. Andrew Dennis. Kevin Eaches is one of Reggie's tenant-farmers.
Sarah Chase is the village witch, district healer, licensed midwife, and had been Eleanor's godmother as well as her mother's best friend. Annette Monstead is the midwife-in-training. The vicar is Donald with his wife, Theresa Hinshaw. Eric is the village sexton. Dr and Mrs Robert Sutherland. Amy Hammer is the president of the Ladies' Friendly Society.
The White Swan provides meals. Pamela Brown's Bakery provides its products. Neil Frandsen had been/is? the chimney sweep and plumber. Mr Caffrey runs the Broom Hall Inn.
The shortsighted Brian and Tracy Scroggins have an apple orchard; Brianna and Zach are their children. David Miller operates the mill. Stephen and Morgan Kirby are still running the apothecary's shop. Colonel Davies is the stationmaster. Tamara Budd is the village beauty. Stephen Zachary doesn't yet have his own motor. Pearl Shapland works at the bookstore. Annie Hagan is the milliner. Gaffer Clark is the oldest man in Broom. Sarah Ashley is the local telephone operator. Cynthia Kerns, an old schoolmate of Eleanor's, was the last wedding in the village.
Joanne Van is running the farm while Michael is at the front. The Broom is a pub that is fairly exclusive to those who had been mustered out . . . and too injured to return. Thomas Brennan is the barman and Jessamine Heggins is the barmaid. Those back from the war include Ross Ashley is a socialist, who was tamed by the war and losses with an interest in Alan Vocksmith bicycle shop; Matt Brennan (Thomas' brother who had lost a leg); Michale Kabon, who is the butcher; Will Stevens can still run the family farm; Scott Kelsey has a collapsed lung; Jack Samburs is back on his sheep farm; Richard Bowen; Doug Baird with the shrapnel to his legs; Eric Whitcomb has returned with only half his wits and will be doing the gardening and heavy hauling at The Arrows; and, young, well-read Albert Norman. Joseph Atherton is an unhappy farmer, and I can't blame him for his frustration with Mrs Tina Atherton. Albert Norman is another farmer. Michael Van.
The ones who won't be coming home: Bruce Gulken (Theresa Gulken and Louis Blue must run the dairy farm alone), Thomas Golding, John McGregor, Daniel Heistand (a violinist who had also composed), Jock Williamson, William Williamson, Daniel Linden, Harry Brown, and Sean Newton. Aurora Cook is now delivering the post, replacing Howard Sydneyson and Thomas Price. Old Thomas Lamont replaces Constable David Toback. The blacksmith's shop run by Carlton McKenney is closed. The barbershop is now a ladies' hairdressing salon run by Barber's widow, Nancy Barber.
Students include Jimmy Grimsley, the head boy and the only other student who had wanted to learn Greek; Lisa Satterfield is head girl; Maria Holmes wins a Literature Prize; and, Marina Landman does the Best Recitation. The teachers include Kathleen Davis, who teaches the youngest, and Judith Lasker. Michael Stone, the boys' schoolmaster, had tutored Eleanor.
London
Lord Alderscroft, a.k.a. the Old Lion, is a Fire Master who leads the White Lodge, which is housed in the Exeter Club. Lord Peter Almsley is on special duty with the War Department.
Lieutenant, later Captain, Steven Stewart and Tommy Arnolds, who had been the flight mechanic, are part of Reggie's 11 Squadron. Erik Kittlesen, who could hit anything he aimed at, had been his observer. Walter Boyes is solid with a love for facts. Capt William Howe is sensitive and is in the band. Capt Chris Whitmore loves photography. Geoffrey Cockburn. Lyman Evans. Rene Comeau had been one of the better-educated Frenchmen. Allan McBain is a hard-headed Scots engineer. Vincent Mills had never made it to the front. Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfrid Owens are/were poets.
First London General Hospital is where Dr Walter Boyes is a resident. Ivy Grove is a VAD. Emily Walsh had been Reggie's nurse. Dr Maya Scott, an Earth Master who has broken the barriers of the White Lodge, is not allowed to treat wounded soldiers. Peter Scott, a Water Master, is Maya's tradesman husband ( The Serpent's Shadow , 2), whom Lord Peter considers his "Twin". Second Lieutenant William West, PBI, is also shellshocked. Dr Andrew Pike in Devon is ideal for psychological issues ( The Gates of Sleep , 3).
The PBI are the Poor Bloody Infantry. King George has succeeded King Edward. Blue Fokker pilot had been an angry Air Master. Wilhelm Katzel, a Hun, had tried a rescue. The Land Girls are women who were called on to help work the farms while the men were at war. William Waldorf, Viscount Astor, and Lady Anson are gaily throwing parties. Friends whom Lady Devlin invites to Longacre include Roberta Cygnet and her daughter Leva, Gina Towner, Miss Elizabeth Tansy of Devon, Ginger, and William Hartwell. Mrs Williams' chattering is good-natured. Reggie's friends who are invited include Lt Commander Matthew Mann, the Hon. Mrs Matthew Mann, and Miss Mann; Viscountess Arabella Reed; Second Lts Michael Freed, John Oliver, Charles Goddard, Lyman Evans, and David Jackson; Lts Vincent Paul Mills and Allen McBain; and, Capt Michael Dolbeare.
The Crown and Cushion is in Chipping Norton just outside the village of Enstone and within walking distance of the Hoar Stones.
Elementals are beings who can be seen by mages and masters, who can also summon them. These Elementals are separated into the same categories of magic: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire as mages and masters. A maldero is an Earth Elemental who spreads disease. Hmmm, the Spanish flu??? Alison Stanley had died when the Britannia had been torpedoed. Revenants are the emotionally charged remnants of the unquiet dead, motivated by anger.
The Cover and Title
The cover has orange and yellow embers forming a pattern on the black background with a central rectangular inset bordered in gray with its own yellow background. An orange phoenyx displays itself in that inset with its head and wings overlapping the border while its tail overlaps behind the border. In front of the phoenyx is Eleanor in servants' garb, handling Elementals while Captain Reggie Fenyx is turned away from her and wearing a cap and khaki trenchcoat while carrying a cane and hugging an Air Elemental. At the very top is the author's name in a highlighted silver. Beneath the inset border is the title in white. There's an epigraph below that in white as well.
The title refers to Reggie, rising as the Phoenix and Ashes refers to Ellie and the hearth trap that held her captive.
My Take
Reggie knows Dr Maya Scott! And approves. I know. Why should I get excited about that? Because women are very much second-class citizens in this time period. Able to manage a house, have children, and sit around looking pretty. Seems the men returned from war have the same issue, wanting to protect the little woman, which only leaves the women worse off.
But it seems that need will trump prejudice, for Dr Maya Scott has gained a place in the White Lodge. Hypocrites.
Lackey uses a third person global subjective point-of-view from the perspectives of a number of people, including core characters such as Eleanor, Reggie, and Alison with most of the action taking place in the village of Broom.
There is so much the military should have learned about modern warfare: shellshock, the stupidity of sending men over the battlefields because that's what they've always done, the horrors of trench warfare, how much the tools of war have changed, etc. And Lackey has made good use of the horrors of shellshock and claustrophobia from Reggie's experiences to provide one of the conflicts of the plot as well as his character arc, as he tries to survive the war with his new perspective on women and social class. Eleanor's conflict with her binding and love for Reggie brings in the romantic angle with her particular character arc being forced to realize a number of issues. The third conflict is Alison's ambitions and the lengths to which she'll go to achieve them. Scary stuff. Lackey certainly has some nasty twists in Phoenix and Ashes.
What is wrong with Eleanor's father, to not notice the nastiness immediately? More nastiness hit Reggie when he crashed, and it poured on the guilt. Hah! I love that bit about Alison being able to force Eleanor to cook, but not well. The rest? Just plain nasty! Eleanor is lucky that at least her father's will is safe, for that Alison has some nasty tricks she plays to feed her need for despair, even against her own.
Eleanor, awakened to her magic, is lucky to have Sarah and is working diligently to understand her gift. It's interesting that Eleanor's teachers use the Tarot deck to teach her, using its positives and negatives; it does help her move along quickly and forces her to confront her own issues. Lilith, Adam, and Eve are held up as examples as well. And the cards in the deck work well as lessons for anyone. It does lead to an interesting interpretation of what alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone really were.
Aunt April is a crack-up — all those non sequiturs of hers! It makes her a very popular guest, lol.
It's an okay pace. It got annoying with all Eleanor's angst about being trapped. Discussing the war and all the villagers who were affected by it went on a bit, but it is a good bit to absorb. Noting the privations of war with its causes and effects makes me so glad I've never had to suffer this. The loss of so many British men has certainly cracked a few of the moral laws, particularly at the parties of the wealthy.
Lackey did provide a faster pace when she described Alison's actions. Oy.
Beware Phoenix and Ashes for there is quite a bit of the horrors of war in this.
It's a tale of evil plotting that results in tit for tat.
The Story
There's only one thing saving Eleanor from her stepmother, and it certainly isn't the finger Alison chopped off. Hedged about with her stepmother's bindings, Eleanor's only escapes are when the steps head off on shopping sprees or for magical doings.
Bits of freedom that slowly show Eleanor a few tricks of her own.
The Characters
Warwickshire, England
Broom is . . .
. . . a small village where Eleanor "Ellie" Robinson, who has been accepted to Somerville Collage at Oxford, was the only child of a tradesman who is now Sergeant Charles Robinson. Her mother had been a Fire Master. The Phoenyx will become her chief magical tutor.
The evil, cheap Alison Danbridge, an Earth Master, is her new stepmother; Lauralee and Carolyn Danbridge are the vicious stepsisters. Warrick Locke is Alison's solicitor and an Earth Mage. Robbie Christopher is Locke's driver and fire-loving resident thug. Jennifer Summers is Locke's personal secretary.
The Arrows is Eleanor's home where the current staff includes Cook, who gave notice; Kent Adkins, the gardener, and Mary Chance, the other maid, quit when their meals were no longer provided; Miranda is the downstairs maid; Patricia Sheller had been the parlormaid; Katy Feely had been the stepsisters' maid; and, Miss Severn had been Eleanor's governess. Mrs Bennet is the new cook. Howse is the only lady's maid in the house.
Reggie Fenyx, the heir of the manor of Longacre Park and an Air Master, is fascinated by flying. Sir Devlin Fenyx, baron, is his father. Lady Devlin, Reggie's mother, is clueless about the magic. Reggie's paternal grandmother and Aunt April are also Elemental Masters. His maternal grandfather, Sutton, considers himself a military expert but never really saw any war — and he is such a contemptible man. Lady Virginia DeMarce is Reggie's godmother, a combative Air Master, a part-time VAD, and sponsors good causes; Melanie "Smith" Lynn is her female chauffeur, lady's maid, and arcane assistant. Brigadier Eric Mann had been a friend of Devlin's.
Mrs Catriona Dick is the housekeeper; James Boatwright is the butler; Mrs Murphy is the cook with Thelma Hawkins the cook for the servants; the four cook's helpers include Cheryl Case, Marla Bracken, Amanda Hart, and Mary Holman; Mary is a downstairs maid; little Matthew Case runs errands; the footmen include George Woodward, James Jennings is a talented hobbyist and cabinetmaker, and Steven Druce; Jason Long is the hall boy; Mrs Green, shockingly, is the head gardener; Paul McMahon is the estate accountant; Lee McGregor (her Owen died in January) is the estate manager; Peter Budd is the chauffeur; Bruce Kenny, a one-legged mate of Budd's, is the mechanic; Gaffer Norman is the gameskeeper (Eva is his daughter); and, Michael Turner is Reggie's efficient valet. Andrew Dennis. Kevin Eaches is one of Reggie's tenant-farmers.
Sarah Chase is the village witch, district healer, licensed midwife, and had been Eleanor's godmother as well as her mother's best friend. Annette Monstead is the midwife-in-training. The vicar is Donald with his wife, Theresa Hinshaw. Eric is the village sexton. Dr and Mrs Robert Sutherland. Amy Hammer is the president of the Ladies' Friendly Society.
The White Swan provides meals. Pamela Brown's Bakery provides its products. Neil Frandsen had been/is? the chimney sweep and plumber. Mr Caffrey runs the Broom Hall Inn.
The shortsighted Brian and Tracy Scroggins have an apple orchard; Brianna and Zach are their children. David Miller operates the mill. Stephen and Morgan Kirby are still running the apothecary's shop. Colonel Davies is the stationmaster. Tamara Budd is the village beauty. Stephen Zachary doesn't yet have his own motor. Pearl Shapland works at the bookstore. Annie Hagan is the milliner. Gaffer Clark is the oldest man in Broom. Sarah Ashley is the local telephone operator. Cynthia Kerns, an old schoolmate of Eleanor's, was the last wedding in the village.
Joanne Van is running the farm while Michael is at the front. The Broom is a pub that is fairly exclusive to those who had been mustered out . . . and too injured to return. Thomas Brennan is the barman and Jessamine Heggins is the barmaid. Those back from the war include Ross Ashley is a socialist, who was tamed by the war and losses with an interest in Alan Vocksmith bicycle shop; Matt Brennan (Thomas' brother who had lost a leg); Michale Kabon, who is the butcher; Will Stevens can still run the family farm; Scott Kelsey has a collapsed lung; Jack Samburs is back on his sheep farm; Richard Bowen; Doug Baird with the shrapnel to his legs; Eric Whitcomb has returned with only half his wits and will be doing the gardening and heavy hauling at The Arrows; and, young, well-read Albert Norman. Joseph Atherton is an unhappy farmer, and I can't blame him for his frustration with Mrs Tina Atherton. Albert Norman is another farmer. Michael Van.
The ones who won't be coming home: Bruce Gulken (Theresa Gulken and Louis Blue must run the dairy farm alone), Thomas Golding, John McGregor, Daniel Heistand (a violinist who had also composed), Jock Williamson, William Williamson, Daniel Linden, Harry Brown, and Sean Newton. Aurora Cook is now delivering the post, replacing Howard Sydneyson and Thomas Price. Old Thomas Lamont replaces Constable David Toback. The blacksmith's shop run by Carlton McKenney is closed. The barbershop is now a ladies' hairdressing salon run by Barber's widow, Nancy Barber.
Students include Jimmy Grimsley, the head boy and the only other student who had wanted to learn Greek; Lisa Satterfield is head girl; Maria Holmes wins a Literature Prize; and, Marina Landman does the Best Recitation. The teachers include Kathleen Davis, who teaches the youngest, and Judith Lasker. Michael Stone, the boys' schoolmaster, had tutored Eleanor.
London
Lord Alderscroft, a.k.a. the Old Lion, is a Fire Master who leads the White Lodge, which is housed in the Exeter Club. Lord Peter Almsley is on special duty with the War Department.
Lieutenant, later Captain, Steven Stewart and Tommy Arnolds, who had been the flight mechanic, are part of Reggie's 11 Squadron. Erik Kittlesen, who could hit anything he aimed at, had been his observer. Walter Boyes is solid with a love for facts. Capt William Howe is sensitive and is in the band. Capt Chris Whitmore loves photography. Geoffrey Cockburn. Lyman Evans. Rene Comeau had been one of the better-educated Frenchmen. Allan McBain is a hard-headed Scots engineer. Vincent Mills had never made it to the front. Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfrid Owens are/were poets.
First London General Hospital is where Dr Walter Boyes is a resident. Ivy Grove is a VAD. Emily Walsh had been Reggie's nurse. Dr Maya Scott, an Earth Master who has broken the barriers of the White Lodge, is not allowed to treat wounded soldiers. Peter Scott, a Water Master, is Maya's tradesman husband ( The Serpent's Shadow , 2), whom Lord Peter considers his "Twin". Second Lieutenant William West, PBI, is also shellshocked. Dr Andrew Pike in Devon is ideal for psychological issues ( The Gates of Sleep , 3).
The PBI are the Poor Bloody Infantry. King George has succeeded King Edward. Blue Fokker pilot had been an angry Air Master. Wilhelm Katzel, a Hun, had tried a rescue. The Land Girls are women who were called on to help work the farms while the men were at war. William Waldorf, Viscount Astor, and Lady Anson are gaily throwing parties. Friends whom Lady Devlin invites to Longacre include Roberta Cygnet and her daughter Leva, Gina Towner, Miss Elizabeth Tansy of Devon, Ginger, and William Hartwell. Mrs Williams' chattering is good-natured. Reggie's friends who are invited include Lt Commander Matthew Mann, the Hon. Mrs Matthew Mann, and Miss Mann; Viscountess Arabella Reed; Second Lts Michael Freed, John Oliver, Charles Goddard, Lyman Evans, and David Jackson; Lts Vincent Paul Mills and Allen McBain; and, Capt Michael Dolbeare.
The Crown and Cushion is in Chipping Norton just outside the village of Enstone and within walking distance of the Hoar Stones.
Elementals are beings who can be seen by mages and masters, who can also summon them. These Elementals are separated into the same categories of magic: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire as mages and masters. A maldero is an Earth Elemental who spreads disease. Hmmm, the Spanish flu??? Alison Stanley had died when the Britannia had been torpedoed. Revenants are the emotionally charged remnants of the unquiet dead, motivated by anger.
The Cover and Title
The cover has orange and yellow embers forming a pattern on the black background with a central rectangular inset bordered in gray with its own yellow background. An orange phoenyx displays itself in that inset with its head and wings overlapping the border while its tail overlaps behind the border. In front of the phoenyx is Eleanor in servants' garb, handling Elementals while Captain Reggie Fenyx is turned away from her and wearing a cap and khaki trenchcoat while carrying a cane and hugging an Air Elemental. At the very top is the author's name in a highlighted silver. Beneath the inset border is the title in white. There's an epigraph below that in white as well.
The title refers to Reggie, rising as the Phoenix and Ashes refers to Ellie and the hearth trap that held her captive.
January 2, 2024
First book of 2024!!
RTC when I’m not dead tired
Edit: Jan 2, 2024 - Okay I’m awake now and ready to unleash my thoughts!
First of all shout out to my boyfriend for getting this for me - he picked a winner!
First, this is a Cinderella Retelling set in 1917 countrysides of England (and has scenes in London). It takes place during WWI and uses magical realism and elemental magic throughout the story and the war.
With that being said, this is one of the most beautifully constructed and complex fantasy books I’ve ever read. The magic system -elemental magic and mastery: Fire, Earth, Water, Air and you have a light or dark path- is incredibly detailed and thought out. Mercedes Lackey uses a myriad of magical backgrounds to develop her magic system. There are creatures of folklore, gods and goddesses from a plethora of religions, figures from Tarot, and just magical elemental creatures. And none of it is too much or overwhelming and also does not NOT make sense to use all of it at once.
As for the retelling of our classic Cinderella story: the evil stepmother was ruthless but it’s satisfying to read about her schemes and you truly do get a complete read of how evil she is by how far she is willing to go. The romance develops beautifully too. I don’t want to reveal too much about it but it never felt like he rescued her from the stepmothers evil clutches.
Bonus loves of this story: salamanders, the classic fairy godmother and ball scene, and the TAROT!
RTC when I’m not dead tired
Edit: Jan 2, 2024 - Okay I’m awake now and ready to unleash my thoughts!
First of all shout out to my boyfriend for getting this for me - he picked a winner!
First, this is a Cinderella Retelling set in 1917 countrysides of England (and has scenes in London). It takes place during WWI and uses magical realism and elemental magic throughout the story and the war.
With that being said, this is one of the most beautifully constructed and complex fantasy books I’ve ever read. The magic system -elemental magic and mastery: Fire, Earth, Water, Air and you have a light or dark path- is incredibly detailed and thought out. Mercedes Lackey uses a myriad of magical backgrounds to develop her magic system. There are creatures of folklore, gods and goddesses from a plethora of religions, figures from Tarot, and just magical elemental creatures. And none of it is too much or overwhelming and also does not NOT make sense to use all of it at once.
As for the retelling of our classic Cinderella story: the evil stepmother was ruthless but it’s satisfying to read about her schemes and you truly do get a complete read of how evil she is by how far she is willing to go. The romance develops beautifully too. I don’t want to reveal too much about it but it never felt like he rescued her from the stepmothers evil clutches.
Bonus loves of this story: salamanders, the classic fairy godmother and ball scene, and the TAROT!
January 24, 2023
Possibly closer to 3.5 but I enjoyed it so I’m rounding up to 4 stars. There were a couple of dropped plot points that bothered me but overall a very creative retelling of Cinderella. I think I got the least out of the villains pov chapters because instead of fleshing out her character she still stayed pretty one dimensional. I enjoyed the two protagonists though.
January 2, 2020
Much, much, too much detailed witchcraft in this book. So disappointing. I enjoyed the premise and loved the glimpse of the heroine from the first book, but I cannot get past the glorification of stuff that is scary and dangerous.
December 15, 2024
I learned why WWI was so horribly handled and completely agree with the author's antiwar sentiments. I've read all of this series - this is the last one for me (I read them all out of order) and the one that most closely resembles the actual fairy tale.
August 3, 2018
Elemental Masters #3
Retelling of Cinderella at the time of World War I.
Cinderella is played here by the character of Eleanor Robinson, a young woman who is working hard to be admitted to Oxford University. Only her father - literally bewitched by a Dark Earth Elemental Master - remarries, bringing his new wife, Alison, and two stepdaughters home before taking off to join the war effort. And dying in the process.
Evil stepmother binds Eleanor (in a rather gruesome manner) as a servant in her own home and gradually dismisses all the staff until just about all the work falls on Ellie's shoulders. All of Eleanor's inheritance is being managed by stepmum but that isn't all that Alison wants. She wants power - magical and monetary - as well as connections to the British nobility.
Eleanor's efforts to win free of Alison's bindings as well as starting to learn how to use her own magical powers with the help of the local witch and writings of Eleanor's mother seem a bit too long. Especially the meeting the personifications of the Major Arcana of the Tarot, each teaching her various aspects of herself.
In the end, the Prince - the local baron's son who was injured when his plane crashed and his abilities as an Air Elemental Master damaged when he was near buried in a trench - and Eleanor work together to defeat evil stepmother.
The end is romantically ambiguous as 'nearly' all the other stories in the series that I have read so far. The story ends up where it was initially pointed to - Eleanor at Oxford.
The re-working of a well known fairy tale is enjoyable and I will continue to explore the series since I like what she is doing with the Elemental Masters part. Magic isn't the answer to the problems of the world especially with the time period that Lackey is working in.
Retelling of Cinderella at the time of World War I.
Cinderella is played here by the character of Eleanor Robinson, a young woman who is working hard to be admitted to Oxford University. Only her father - literally bewitched by a Dark Earth Elemental Master - remarries, bringing his new wife, Alison, and two stepdaughters home before taking off to join the war effort. And dying in the process.
Evil stepmother binds Eleanor (in a rather gruesome manner) as a servant in her own home and gradually dismisses all the staff until just about all the work falls on Ellie's shoulders. All of Eleanor's inheritance is being managed by stepmum but that isn't all that Alison wants. She wants power - magical and monetary - as well as connections to the British nobility.
Eleanor's efforts to win free of Alison's bindings as well as starting to learn how to use her own magical powers with the help of the local witch and writings of Eleanor's mother seem a bit too long. Especially the meeting the personifications of the Major Arcana of the Tarot, each teaching her various aspects of herself.
In the end, the Prince - the local baron's son who was injured when his plane crashed and his abilities as an Air Elemental Master damaged when he was near buried in a trench - and Eleanor work together to defeat evil stepmother.
The end is romantically ambiguous as 'nearly' all the other stories in the series that I have read so far. The story ends up where it was initially pointed to - Eleanor at Oxford.
The re-working of a well known fairy tale is enjoyable and I will continue to explore the series since I like what she is doing with the Elemental Masters part. Magic isn't the answer to the problems of the world especially with the time period that Lackey is working in.
June 20, 2016
An entertaining read with slight pacing problems.
I enjoy the books in the Elemental Masters series, fairytale retellings with elemental magic. This is a Cinderella story set during WWI.
I enjoyed the main characters and the potential for their romance. Both Ella and Reggie have problems and it's satisfying to see them overcome them. I thought there wasn't much development of their connection, though.
The villains were, in typical Lackey fashion, truly villainous. As with other books I could have done with slightly fewer pages devoted to the antagonist's slimy, gloating POV - it gets a bit repetitive. Yes, we get it - she's evil!
The main weakness in this book is the pacing - when Ella finds out about her magic we don't get a lot of the joy of her finding out about it, it's mainly in a conversation that happens "off screen". There's a slow bit in the middle of the book as Ella learns about magic with convoluted tarot symbolism. It wallows a bit: what Ella learns doesn't really affect the climax of the book, and as the Elemental Masters series can be read as largely standalone novels it's not laying foundations for future books in the series.
In addition, as a Cinderella story we know how the story is going to end - there will be a ball etc. After the long middle section, the ending comes quite quickly, and is sadly devoid of a satisfying confrontation between Ella and her evil stepmother. I liked the way Ella and Reggie work together (although I would have liked more of a conversation about their mutual magic etc. - I don't know if he ever understands what she's been going through), but their defeat of evil Allison was very quick. I wanted Ella to have a better victory!
I enjoy the books in the Elemental Masters series, fairytale retellings with elemental magic. This is a Cinderella story set during WWI.
I enjoyed the main characters and the potential for their romance. Both Ella and Reggie have problems and it's satisfying to see them overcome them. I thought there wasn't much development of their connection, though.
The villains were, in typical Lackey fashion, truly villainous. As with other books I could have done with slightly fewer pages devoted to the antagonist's slimy, gloating POV - it gets a bit repetitive. Yes, we get it - she's evil!
The main weakness in this book is the pacing - when Ella finds out about her magic we don't get a lot of the joy of her finding out about it, it's mainly in a conversation that happens "off screen". There's a slow bit in the middle of the book as Ella learns about magic with convoluted tarot symbolism. It wallows a bit: what Ella learns doesn't really affect the climax of the book, and as the Elemental Masters series can be read as largely standalone novels it's not laying foundations for future books in the series.
In addition, as a Cinderella story we know how the story is going to end - there will be a ball etc. After the long middle section, the ending comes quite quickly, and is sadly devoid of a satisfying confrontation between Ella and her evil stepmother. I liked the way Ella and Reggie work together (although I would have liked more of a conversation about their mutual magic etc. - I don't know if he ever understands what she's been going through), but their defeat of evil Allison was very quick. I wanted Ella to have a better victory!
January 15, 2012
This is definitely a notch above The Gates of Sleep, and even Serpent's Shadow, although it's still a flawed book. The characters are more engaging than usual, and while the villain is generically evil, she gets much less screen time then her passive machinations, which prove to be an excellent foil. The plot hews fairly closely to Cinderella, but making the Prince an injured soldier with PTSD offers rather more depth than the role usually gets.
The biggest problem, as with all of these, is the pacing. It really feels like there's a novella's worth of story here stretched out to novel length by shopping trips and lengthy, only mildly interesting dissertations on the nature of magic. The climax comes rather all at once, and doesn't feel particularly satisfying. As much as I like Lackey, this series shows the gaps in her skillset.
The biggest problem, as with all of these, is the pacing. It really feels like there's a novella's worth of story here stretched out to novel length by shopping trips and lengthy, only mildly interesting dissertations on the nature of magic. The climax comes rather all at once, and doesn't feel particularly satisfying. As much as I like Lackey, this series shows the gaps in her skillset.
October 1, 2021
What's amazing is that not much actually happened throughout the whole thing. Over half of it was magical theory and Eleanor dreaming her way through Tarot cards. And yet, it was still brilliant.
I've never been a huge Cinderella fan, but this novel did a fabulous job retelling the original fairy tale, along with some history and magic. I really liked Eleanor and Reggie as well as the supporting cast, and Alison and company were very satisfying villains.
Perhaps my only real complaint was that the ending seemed a bit rushed. They finally won, and then there were just a few pages summing up what happened after. Considering the fact that SO much time was spent building up to everything, I would've liked a bit more time for it all to settle down as well.
Despite that, I really loved it all the way through. Highly recommend.
I've never been a huge Cinderella fan, but this novel did a fabulous job retelling the original fairy tale, along with some history and magic. I really liked Eleanor and Reggie as well as the supporting cast, and Alison and company were very satisfying villains.
Perhaps my only real complaint was that the ending seemed a bit rushed. They finally won, and then there were just a few pages summing up what happened after. Considering the fact that SO much time was spent building up to everything, I would've liked a bit more time for it all to settle down as well.
Despite that, I really loved it all the way through. Highly recommend.
July 8, 2015
This was an enjoyable read. I really like the premise (Cinderella and magic, set in a little town in 1916 England), and casting the 'prince' as a noble who was in the RAF and is recovering from shell shock is brilliant. That said, the book did feel a little dated (for no reason I can place my finger on, it seemed like it was written more than ten years ago). And, while I certainly got the sense that this was all happening in England, it didn't particularly seem like 1916 to me. All in all, though, a very enjoyable book, and highly recommended to fellow fairy tale fans (as there are never enough re-tellings).
May 6, 2014
It was fairly fun to read through but felt like a bit of a waste of time when I was finished.
She always picks out pretty obvious themes in her books and stresses them fairly strongly - this time round the stupidity of war and discrimination based on class and sex.
Some of it was interesting, but some of it was just over detail that bogged the story down. Can't say there was much closure or excitement at the end either, compared to how long the build up was.
All in all, not one of my favourite ML books.
She always picks out pretty obvious themes in her books and stresses them fairly strongly - this time round the stupidity of war and discrimination based on class and sex.
Some of it was interesting, but some of it was just over detail that bogged the story down. Can't say there was much closure or excitement at the end either, compared to how long the build up was.
All in all, not one of my favourite ML books.
January 10, 2019
This one had its moments. I liked the idea and the way it went about doing Cinderella but I didn't quite buy the circumstances. I find it hard to believe Eleanor's situation as being totally hopeless and inescapable until the wanted moment. The love story was also a bit half baked but, I mean, so is Cinderella's so I can't fault it that much.
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