Customer Reviews

Airs and Graces

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed the first book in this series. I felt that the author had some really interesting concepts behind women, the flying horses that they rode, and the sacrifices they had to make in order to do so.

But I have to say... this book didn't enthrall me.

I struggled through the first half. I even put it down for a week before picking it back up and making myself finish it. Luckily, the book finally hit its stride about halfway in, and I was able to enjoy myself again. Unfortunately some of the plot points that I waded through had little or nothing to do with the last half, and it seemed as if it were put there for filler.

Some things in particular that bugged me:

Lark or Larkyn or whatever the main character is called (because it changes throughout the book) must be the most important person in the world here, because nothing important ever happens without her there to witness it. If there's a villain plotting, she'll see it. If someone makes a life changing decision, Lark is there. I won't give away any spoilers, but the only other person who ever does anything worthwhile is Mistress Winters. Even then, it's usually with Lark in tow.

Pet peeve of mine, but Lark is described as having dark hair and violet eyes. Yuck. Violet. As in a shade of purple. That's... inhuman. It's something that could be overlooked, if the author didn't point it out so many times!

There were major obstacles in the first book which just magically didn't matter in the second. Like Lark's inability to ride her horse with a saddle. This is fixed in this book, it seems, by her practicing. Whoopie. But in the first novel, it seemed as if no amount of practice would help. That was a major point. Now what had been a huge block was shoved in the background and kind of tossed off as, "Oh yeah, she practiced."

The main bad guy, the Duke, is ridiculously obsessed with the main character. Doesn't he have anything better to do? I mean, really. I think the part where I stopped reading the first time was when his `evil scheme' was to kill Lark's horse's dog. Wow. These bad guys sure aren't what they used to be.

One thing I was never quite able to get over: the one cute little urchin who had a positive interaction with Lark for all of ten seconds -of course- is the one that gets kidnapped by barbarians a scene later. Naturally, all of the good guys are instantly up in arms over saving him and another girl who was kidnapped. In fact, they were more than willing to start full out war. A whole Duchy going to war for two children. Meanwhile the "bad guys" were against the idea, and I couldn't help but agree with them. There are reasons to go to war, but killing hundreds of people for the sake of two children just isn't it. Sorry. Especially since in the last book, the Duke beat several women to death.

Petra Sweet is also like a one-dimensional copy of Draco Malfoy. Just saying.

Most of these issues were in the first half of the book, as I said. Once all the nonsense with the barbarians was over (and it was never even explained WHY they had gone to all of the trouble of invading Oc, or why for that matter they sailed all that way only to kidnap two children...) the book picked up. In fact, it became rather good with all of the promised creepiness of the Duke coming full fledged, the plot finally moving along, and the side characters actually becoming interesting.

So in conclusion, the second half is what makes this novel worth buying. I'll give it four stars for the good parts, even though it really deserves three and a half. I just hope that next book doesn't require so much patience on my part to get to payoff at the end.

The Duchy of Oc has been a safe place for many, many years. Long enough that protection isn't something that people think about, much less anticipate needing. All of that is about to change.

On a quiet day in late summer, Aesk raiders invade the fishing village of Onmarin. Many people were killed, and two children were taken. If they're lucky they will survive to be slaves. The Aesks aren't known for their kindness.

Larkyn Hamly and her friend, Hester Beeth, happened to be in Onmarin on that day. They were visiting their friend Rosellen, the stable girl from the Academy of the Air. Rosellen was killed that day, and her little sister was one of the children who was taken. Larkyn and Hester escaped. Unharmed physically, but tortured emotionally, they are determined to have something done. Young girls, especially ones who should be focused on horsemistress training, can't do much. They must hope that the council will do the right thing.

The Duke's descent into madness has grown more frightening, and more dangerous. No one and nothing is safe from him, and no one seems to have the power to stop him. More than a few people don't even see the need to try.

Mistress Winter again becomes their hope. She's not only fighting for the people of Onmarin, she's fighting to keep her job, and keep the Academy running, free from Duke William's dangerous clutches. He will try to stop her, even destroy her and Larkyn, at every possible opportunity. Mistress Winter is left, with little support, to make potentially dangerous alliances and promises.

Larkyn is nearly alone as well. She must not only keep herself and her beloved Tup, her winged horse, safe from Duke William, but she must walk a fine line to keep her family's home from being taken away.

The Duchy of Oc seems to be balancing very shakily. It's clear that something must happen, but what?

The more I read, the more involved and in love I am with these books. They are completely absorbing. The world that is created is so rich and full and real. The characters are wonderfully interesting and well-developed. I feel like I live inside this world and I know these people. This is great fantasy at work.

I'm not ready for this series to be done yet, and thankfully it isn't, but I'm not sure I ever want it to end.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

I'm not terribly enthused by this book, to be honest; all it did was make me want to go back and read Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series, if I want to read a series about magical horses bonded to people. Other than Mistress Winter, the characters are pretty one-dimensional and flat, with only Mistress Winter actually bothering to go so far as two dimensions. Unfortunately, she can't seem to carry the entire book by herself.

About the only unique thing I can come up with for this series is the main antagonist, the Duke; no spoilers, but his method of trying to "get back at" the Horsemistresses for being uppity (their refusal to curtsy to him seems to be his main motivation) is one of the most hilariously messed up things I've read in a long time. That said, I don't think "hilarious" is really what Bishop's going for here.

After this, I am not going to bother finding the third one.

The politics of this well-placed Duchy are in flux, and there seems to be an obsessed madman in charge, opposed by the Horsemistresses who ride flying horses which can only be touched by women and superstition says were given to the people of Oc by the Horse God. Tense, vivid, and even better than the first book of the series. I'm looking forward to more.

I greatly enjoyed this second book of the horse mistress series.
Lark's continuing development of her skills is fun to follow.
This is an exciting adventure and I am looking forwardto the next book.

The most important commodity in the Duchy of Oc is flying horses. These marvelous winged creatures only let females ride them, refusing to allow a man near them let alone touching them. Duke William is obsessed with riding a winged horse and is developing a new breeding line that will allow men to ride them. He is so intent on bonding with a winged horse that he neglects his duty to his people.

The village of Onmarin is attacked by the barbarous Aesklanders and two of the students of the Academy Of Air witnessed the event. The duke won't avenge his people's death or try to find the two children that were taken. Horsemaster Philippa of the academy works behind the scenes to get the students back without Duke William, her sworn enemy, knowing of her plans. An academy student Larkyn finds out what William is doing and reports to Phillipa; but William brings charges against Philippa. William is growing increasingly insane and dangerous as he takes an elixir that turns his body into a female so that his first flying horse Diamond will accept him. His brother Francis is the only one who can limit his older brother's actions but his power is restricted and the duke is cunning using stealth and trickery to get his way.

Readers who read the prequel to the novel AIR BENEATH THE MOON will thoroughly enjoy reading how much Lark has matured as she learns patience and caution. The duke hates her because he believes she stole his first flying horse of his new bloodline away from him. Her concern for her mentor Horsemistress Philippa endears her to the audience who can see she cares more about her mentor and her horse than she does herself.

Harriet Klausner