Customer Reviews

Bedlam's Bard

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This was the first work (actually works, since it's two books in one) that I'd read that Lackey had a hand in that was set in contemporary society, and I found what I have come to like in Lackey's stories -- how someone (in this case, the fabulously irresponsible and troubled latent bard Eric Banyon) comes to grips with a budding and unexpected talent, which is both blessing and curse. Eric is a gifted musician who busks and plays the RenFair circuit to keep his freedom/avoid responsibility, but when he inadvertantly wakes the sleeping noble elf Korendil, Eric's life is irreversably altered. The mix of magic and mundane (to borrow a Rowlingism) is done nicely in both books, particularly with respect to the L. A. musical underground in the first book and the central plot of the second. As in all of the Lackey books I've read, the problems characters face are presented in both day-to-day and heroic perspectives, with as much emphasis placed on personal issues as on magical battles. I found both stories to be the usual very good read characteristic of Lackey stories, although I confess particular interest since I'm a musician and a lover of RenFairs.

BEDLAM'S BARD is a combination of two of Lackey's previously published books, KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS and SUMMONED TO TOURNEY. Both are good books, but beware of buying them, all unknowing, under this new title. It's been some years since the second one came out; there was supposed to be at least one more in the series, but it hasn't materialized. The first two set high enough standards that I'd buy it if it did.

I bought this book because I knew it had the sequel to "Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" in it. Two years ago I fell in love with that book and it's still my favorite (I always have in my purse in case I'm somewhere with nothing to do, I'll just pull it out and read it)!!! I adore Kory and Eric (at times I could do without Beth)!! "Summoned to Tourney" I was disappointed with, but sequels "usually" aren't as good as the first, so I gave it some slack. I was really upset that it seems like Kory dotes on Beth and Eric dotes on Beth, but what happened to the relationship between Eric and Kory? We all know it's there, but in this book it seems like it's ignored! I've heard there's going to be a third book! WHERE WHERE?! What's the title?! Although, I think it will have a lot to do with Ria, whom I never liked in book one! Why Eric would think about her with Kory (and Beth) around I don't know! I only give it four stars because "Summoned to Tourney" could have been better. "Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" is a 5 though! :)

The original books are wonderful; but the publisher's idea to reprint two fairly recent books into one with only a small warning to faithful readers is terrible. I suspect that the same is happening with the other two 'new' paperbacks that are forthcoming; Fiddlers Fair and Oathblood.

This is a 2-in-1 edition of "Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" and "Summoned to Tourney." As these are two of my favorite books, I quickly purchased it, but it may be an unpleasant surprise for those hoping for a sequel.

Love how the modern world and the world of the elves is intertwined. The humor and the openness of the characters keep me picking up all the books in this series.

I guess I am one of the few (read only) people to read this book who didn't like it as much as Mercedes Lackey's other books. But I have to be honest. I am a HUGE fan of the Valdemar books, and this one kind of felt disjointed to me. The character development wasn't up to the standard of the other books and I just didn't feel the book had a natural flow.

For example, Eric is supposed to be a bard and -save- the elves. But he is expected to be a rather quick study and sort of just know what he is doing. Granted, he is the only bard and not likely to find a teacher. But I felt kind of cheated that there wasn't any more development that aspect of the story. Misty goes into much more detail in her other books with her characters and how they came to their role in the story. This book jumps around a lot without much of a concept of a realistic time or sequence of events.

To be fair, the book has its good qualities. The characters are likeable, and Misty is good at creating a good villian. I also liked the way the elves were portrayed in conjunction with the modern world.

I guess I would have to say I liked the *idea* of this book, and I really looked forward to reading it, but I didn't find it as satisfying as her other work.

I was wary of these books when I first got into Misty's writing, but I loved them once I read them. When I heard from a friend that they were coming out with this book, I was like "Great! More of Kory and Beth and Eric!" Then she got the book, and told me it was a reprinting of _Knight of Ghosts and Shadows_ and _Summoned to Tourney_ and I was heartbroken. I understand that Ms. Lackey is hard at work on other books, but I would REALLY love to see some more of the Urban Fantasies. Valdemar can wait a little.

Let me start by making one thing clear. I'm a big Mercedes Lackey fan. I buy her books when they come out in the US. I'm in the UK, so this involves transatlantic postage. I bought this expecting to love it, for it to be a fun read, something to immerse myself in when I get home from work, an escape. Not great literature. Just a good basic fantasy/action novel. I was planning to review this anyway, but when I commented on it to someone and they said I should read its reviews, I thought I'd write mine before I did so. So, this review is based on having read half the book, and a history as a fan.

This is not what I expected from a Lackey book. More than that, it's _terrible_.

Eric, the protagonist, is a whiny, self-obsessed loser. I'm not the slightest bit surprised that he walked out of the Juilliard - my only surprise is that they didn't throw him out, talent or no talent. The other characters are cardboard cutouts. Mary Sue Witch and Gary Stu Elf.

And the style! I've just seen a fanfiction author taken to task for spending 15% of the time in italicised direct thought. This book has about 40% italics. One, this is very hard to read, and two, 40% of the time describing "poor me" wangsting? After twenty pages I didn't care how sad poor ickle Eric's life was and is, and it goes on, and on, and on... I've never felt like this for any other Lackey character, ever.

There were a couple of redeeming features. I laughed out loud at the comment about standard fantasy with telepathic horses, and I loved the idea of mental/magical combat involving musical modulations.

But in general, I think that had this book not had "Mercedes Lackey" on the top it wouldn't have made it past a publishing assistant's glance at the first page and a rejection slip. I've read fanfiction which was very, very much better than this. A lot of it. If Ms Guon wrote most of this book, Ms Lackey should ditch her as a co-writer. If Ms Lackey wrote it, then she needs to pay a lot more attention to the quality of her work. I for one will not be buying anything simply because it has her name on as author in the future.

I bought this book at first because of the author, being a big fan of Misty's. After reading it once I was hooked. Since then I've read my copy of this 2 in 1 novel until some of the pages are literally falling out. In the theme of the SERRAted Edge books (bits of which are mentioned in Bedlam's Bard itself), she mixes magic and the hardcore reality of being a street busker with an elegence and sense of fun that has captivated me and everyone I've introduced the book to. A must read!