Enter once again the magical world of Mercedes Lackey's The Lark and the Wren with the first book in the Bardic Choices series. A strange pall has settled over Alanda. Everywhere representatives of the Church seek to ferret out unauthorized magic. Throughout the lands the Free Bards are choosing to flee or fight.
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
YA-No sooner had the Free Bards joined the Duke of Kingford's Company to escape the king's edict banning street performances than accidents began to happen. Spilled paint, forgotten lines, and actors tripping escalate to theft from the wardrobe mistress, life-threatening scenery crashes, and finally, the theater set ablaze during an opening performance. Magic, fantasy, romance, court intrigue, details of medieval life, and church politics are spiced with people who don't fit their stereotypes. A fast-paced romp.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Josepha Sherman is an author and folklorist whose novels include The Shattered Oath and Forging the Runes. She lives in New York City.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Free Bards Tale,
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This review is from: A Cast of Corbies (Bardic Choices) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is the third book in a series about the Free Bards. It takes place after book two, "The Robin & the Kestrel." It is desirable to read the earlier books first in order to understand the setting. Contrary to the advice of an earlier reviewer, you should not skip this book as it sets the stage for the following book. The king has outlawed street busking, causing the Free Bards and other street musicians to become creative in finding places to perform. By chance, Duke Arden of Kingsford is forming his own theatre company which presents an opportunity for Raven, Magpie, and their friends. However, an unknown enemy is trying to use sorcery to destroy the theatrical production. Various heroes and villains emerge as the story progresses. Lady Ardis, Justiciary Mage from book one ("The Lark and the Wren"), is reintroduced (she also appears later in "Four and Twenty Blackbirds"). The story reaches a blazing climax as various people are brought together by tragedy.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing,
By Beth Birdsall (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Cast of Corbies (Bardic Choices) (Mass Market Paperback)
This book wasn't actively BAD, which is why I didn't give it one star, but it wasn't that great either. Most of Lackey's other stuff is much better. (Haven't read much Sherman, so I can't judge whether this is low-quality for her or not.) If you want to read about the world and conflicts of Alanda, I'd recommend skipping this book and reading the first 3 books of the Bardic Voices trilogy (skip Four And Twenty Blackbirds, it's a very flat last book.) If you really want good Mercedes Lackey, read the Valdemar series, especially the Last Herald-Mage trilogy. A Cast Of Corbies does have some good parts, and it's nice to know what happens to Raven, who was a minor character in the Bardic Voices books. Unfortunately, though, it seemed like the authors weren't really trying with this one; the villains don't have a real motivation, and the good guys seem to mostly stumble around, except for Raven and occasionally Magpie. It's interesting to watch the dynamics between them, but the end is kind of predictable, and most of the book just seems really flat. Not what I'd expected from this series and this author. I'd skip it unless you want a nice, quick, somewhat shallow YA read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Summer stock yuck,
By Grace G (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Cast of Corbies (Bardic Choices) (Mass Market Paperback)
Wow, this book is horrible.
Lackey is never a particularly challenging read, but at least I can usually finish the book. It's hard to even get through "A Cast of Corbies", because the constant eye-rolling the writing prompts is giving me a headache. The characters are hideous little stereotypes, the Regina character is too Mary Sue to be true, and the plot... ouch. The potentially-interesting political intrigue angle is abandoned for huge stretches of time, and everyone gets dragged out of the Gypsy lifestyle into ACK-TING! Basically, if you have some burning desire to be brought inside the exciting world of community theater, this book will give you a very thorough tour. If that doesn't float your boat, then you'll probably want to chuck this across the room by the time two characters are dimly discussing "how to paint a fake shrub". Don't waste your time with this series.
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