21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deep in the Hearts of Texas, March 25, 2002
This review is from: Burning Water (Diana Tregarde) (Mass Market Paperback)
I took this book and it's sequel, 'Children of the Night,' down off my shelves while doing some research and decided it would be interesting to reread them. There is a third book, 'Jinx High.' in the Diana Tregarde series, but I have never read it. While these books are very representative of Mercedes Lackey's early, and not quite polished, writing style, the are interesting, and the heroine is a strong independent woman in a time where this was still a bit exceptional. Since these were originally billed as young adult reading material, their influence is more significant than one might initially guess.
The plot turns around the Aztec theme of the return of a god, in this case Tezcatlipoca, the god of war, and a very unpleasant character. He has possessed a local resident and plans to keep killing until his power has returned. Mark Valdez, a Fort Worth detective is involved in a the murder investigation where one gruesome killing follows another. Mark is a sensitive who used to work with Diana when they were in college, and can feel that there is more to the killings than just a serial killer. He manages to convince his boss to bring in Diana as a consultant.
Diana is a Wiccan practitioner who has taken to heart the role of warrior/protector. A powerful witch, she is dedicated to exposing the false and undoing the evil. An intelligent and beautiful woman, she makes her living writing romances (when there are no wrongs to be righted). In this case, there is plenty of wrong, victims are drowned, skinned and de-hearted with depressing regularity, and Diana and Mike are unable to trace the crimes to a probable perpetrator. Diana is completely stymied for most of the book, unable to even identify the tradition behind the murderous sacrifices.
If Diana is stuck, we are not. Lackey introduces us to the evildoers quite early, and keeps us well apprised of the workings of Diana's enemies. Tezcatlipoca dreams of vengeance against those that destroyed the culture of his people, and fully intends to work the end the world as we know it. Far from being a hare-brained scheme he and his cohorts are well on the way to re-establishing the god's dominion, and Mike and Diana will need considerable help before they can mount an effective defense.
One of the interesting side themes of this novel is that Diana and Mike are not destined to become lovers. Instead, each has their own emotional life and problems. This helps to keep the plot focused, and actually gives Lackey a chance to develop her leads as independent characters. Unfortunately, while the plot work and characters are well done, the dialogue is flawed. People just don't seem to talk to each other in a normal fashion. A little too much bluster and stereotypical communication for my taste. And a cardboard-like stiffness at times when an open and relaxed style would accomplish more. Despite this weakness, 'Burning Mirror' is a good read with some interesting twists and turns. I don't think anyone will be disappointed.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!, December 22, 1999
This review is from: Burning Water (Diana Tregarde) (Mass Market Paperback)
I found this book really entertaining, and have read this book so much that the cover has fallen apart on me. It had chills running up and down my spine the first time I read it, to think something that old and evil could be lurking underneath our noses! I wish there would be more Diana Tregarde books, but, due to certain misguided actions taken by some individuals(According to an article published on the internet called 'The Last Straw', written by Ms. Lackey), Mercedes Lackey has decided not to write any more novels with this character. I think that's a darned shame because this is a very good series.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but Predictable (and Somewhat Scary!), April 22, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Burning Water (Diana Tregarde) (Mass Market Paperback)
Overactive imagination, beware! While "Burning Water" _was_ predictable, it's easy to forget what's going to happen if you can lose yourself in the book. Be careful, though ... you start seeing things in the shadows after a while.
It's not as terrifying as a horror novel, I suppose, but there's something about the book that is even more chilling than carefully calculated horror, somehow ....
On the whole, the Tregarde books are good -- I especially like Lackey's take on witchcraft (it seems to be a good deal more open-minded than most authors) -- but I'd really like to see more of them. You know what they say about Lackey and trilogies, though, and she _has_ done three Tregardes ....
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