Music to My Sorrow (Bedlam's Bard) [Hardcover]

Mercedes Lackey (Author), Rosemary Edghill (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bedlam's Bard | Publication Date: December 6, 2005

Eric Banyon, known as Bedlam's Bard, managed to save his young brother Magnus from what seemed to be a killer demon, but now he must rescue Magnus from their tyrannical parents. Eric does not look forward to the custody battle, but his friend Ria heads a high-powered law firm, and in a pinch he can use bardic magic to fudge a DNA test. But Eric doesn't know that his parents are allied with evangelist Billy Fairchild, himself a tool of the evil Unseleighe elves. If Magnus and his friend Ace, who is also on the run from her twisted parents, fall into Fairchild's hands, even Eric's bardic magic may not be enough to save them.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The latest Bedlam's Bard novel picks up where Mad Maudlin (2003) left off. Eric Banyon, a bard in Elfhame and a music teacher in New York City, is finishing the training of his bardic student, Hosea; seeking to adopt his own brother, Magnus, to keep him away from their parents, who tried twice to raise a trophy son; and running messages for his elflord, Prince Arvin. If this weren't enough to keep the book humming, Eric, Magnus, Hosea, and elven-exile-turned-nonprofit-CEO Ria are trying to help Ace, the minor daughter of an unscrupulous televangelist who has fled her parents, get emancipated-minor status. Legal battles turn lethal when Eric and Magnus' parents ask for help from what they think is a family intervention group but is really a front for the unseligh elves to torment and mindwipe mortals. Oh, and Eric's bardic immunity no longer protects him when his blood mother asks to have him "healed." Lots of action, some unobtrusive preaching (let children be themselves, not trophies for their parents), and a literally bang-up finish. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Mercedes Lackey is known for several bestselling fantasy series, including the Heralds of Valdemar and Bardic Voices series, work that ranges from historical fantasy to grittily realistic urban fantasy set in the modern world. In only a decade she has made her mark as one of the brightest stars of fantasy. She lives in Oklahoma where she can be found prying the talons of birds of prey she is attempting to nurse back to health out of her hands.

Rosemary Edghill, after holding the usual array of Weird Writer jobs, including freelance graphic designer and vampire killer, has settled down to a career as a full-time writer, publishing popular urban fantasies as well as novels in genres ranging from romance to mystery. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Baen; First Edition edition (December 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416509178
• ISBN-13: 978-1416509172
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mercedes Lackey is the acclaimed author of over fifty novels and many works of short fiction. In her "spare" time she is also a professional lyricist and a licensed wild bird rehabilitator. Mercedes lives in Oklahoma with her husband and frequent collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This may be the last one, but it is a real big smash of an ending, November 28, 2005

By 

Walt Boyes "Walt Boyes" (Aurora IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Music to My Sorrow (Bedlam's Bard) (Hardcover)

Mercedes Lackey and Baen Books have had a much publicized breakup. This is really bad news for Eric Banyon fans...this book, Music to My Sorrow might be the last one in the series.

If it is, the series will go out with a huge bang, not a whimper. This is, in many ways, the deepest and most complex of the Bedlam's Bard series.

Banyon, in his forties, is now finally growing up. His "apprentice" and newly minted Guardian, Hosea, is operating on his own.

Many of the threads of plot of the last three novels get tied up in Music to My Sorrow including the Heavenly Grace subplot, and Eric's parents. More and I'd be snerking...and urk, gurgle, gack, yeeeeeek! That collar gets tight, it does.

It's been hell waiting for this book to come out, so I could review it...as one of Misty's first readers I read it quite some time ago, and loved it as much as you will, when you part with your hard earned cash.

Buy this book, right now. Run out and do it. You won't regret it. Just think, you will be able to justify reading all the other Bedlam's Bard books in order again!

Walt Boyes
The Bananaslug. at Baen's Bar
and member of the Editorial Committee at Baen's Universe magazine

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tying Up Loose Ends, June 21, 2006

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music to My Sorrow (Bedlam's Bard) (Hardcover)

Music To My Sorrow (2005) is the sixth novel in the Bedlam's Bard fantasy series, following Mad Maudlin. In the previous volume, Eric Baynon had rescued his younger brother Magnus as well as Ace Fairchild from the streets of New York City. At the same time, Eric had offered sanctuary in Elfhame Misthold to Jachiel ap Gabrevys and his protector Rionne ferch Rianten. Since these Elves were from the Unseleighe court of Elfhame Bete Noir, there were some diplomatic aspects to the affair.

In this novel, Eric is called upon to inform Prince Gabrevys of the safety of his son and the desire of Rionne to remain in Elfhame Misthold for a while. Although Prince Gabrevys is not present in his court, Eric leaves his message with the Bard Jormin ap Galever. At Jormin's advice, Eric then leaves the Unseleighe court as rapidly as possible.

Magnus is having some troubles of his own. While he has some minor problems adjusting to the Coenties & Arundel Private Academy, the major problem is the tenacious efforts of their mutual parents to take back Magnus. Although now aware that Eric is not dead, their parents are ignoring his presence per se and concentrating on the circumvention of efforts for Eric to adopt Magnus as his own son.

Ace Fairchild is also having legal problems. She is now living with Ria Llewellyn, the head of a high priced law firm who has helped her file a Petition of Emancipated Minor Status. Unfortunately, her parents have been informed of her actions and have arranged a change of venue to Atlantic City where they are now living. Billy Fairchild is determined that Heavenly Grace will be returned, willingly or not, to continue to sing in his choir.

Unknown to Eric and his friends, Gabriel Horn of Billy's Heavenly Grace Ministries is really Jachiel's father, Prince Gabrevys. Now the Unseleighe has several reasons to force Magnus and Eric into his evil reconditioning program at Christian Family Intervention. He even has parental permission for this treatment, which frees him from the constraints of Elven laws. After soul-eaters have fed on their minds, these victims will not be able to raise any objections.

Ace would be the perfect instrument for implementing the prince's own plans against the humans. Feeding her to the soul-eaters would ruin her special talents, but binding her with ordinary Unseleighe magic would control her without destroying these talents. Of course, Billy Fairchild would have to die, but Gabrevys would not waste any tears over his death.

Parker Wheatley finds the Heavenly Grace Ministries to be a new source of revenue for his Defense Initiative. Wheatley has never really been certain of the origins on his enemies, so calling them demons is not too much of a stretch of the truth. Besides, it allows him to use the equipment that he appropriated out of the hidden cache for its intended purpose. Once he has gotten a foot in the door, Wheatley will screen the staff of the Ministries for demonic infiltrators.

This novel binds together several threads from prior works in this series. Indeed, most of Eric's foes have been brought under the same banner and arrayed against him. Still, there is a large potential for discord within their ranks.

Highly recommended for Lackey and Edghill fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magic and adventure among contemporary Elves.

-Arthur W. Jordin

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars feast for readers, March 7, 2006

By 

T. LeGrand "luvisagoodthing" (arizona mountains) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music to My Sorrow (Bedlam's Bard) (Hardcover)

The Bedlam Bard books have it all---believable paranormal juxtaposed with "real" life; beloved characters who grow and change; characters to loathe; plot lines that you don't see coming...they are wonnnnnderful. If you're new to them, start from the beginning and work your way to this one.

It's a bummer to read other reviewers and see that this may be the last in the series. That will suck. However, if this IS the last one, it did a great job of wrapping up long time characters' issues...

These characters have stayed with me for years...love them! Even the "car elf" Tannim shows up in this one! And Ria Llwellyen is used perfectly...alot is revealed about her and yet she doesn't figure nearly as prominently in this book as others.

Fantasy fiction just doesn't get any better. Mercedes Lackey rocks.