Customer Reviews

The Serpent's Shadow (The Elemental Masters)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When the sun never set on Britannia, many disgruntled natives living in India turn to the dark side by worshipping the evil Goddess Kali-Purga. Most of the followers joined the deadly thugee cult, a group that used force to obtain their demands. Shivani is a high priestess who loathes the English. She uses her powers to kill her sister who had the audacity to marry a British doctor and to make matters worse, she had a daughter with the foreigner.

When Shivani murders her father, Maya flees India for the relative safety of London where she tends to the medical needs of the poor. Shivani follows her to London, planning to cause mass chaos, trepidation, and death in order to force the infidel English from her country. Shivani also plans to kill Maya, but that proves difficult as she is closely guarded and has own powers.

THE SERPENT'S SHADOW is a beautiful fantasy tale that leaves the audience believing in a happily ever after. Mercedes Lackey's latest novel will please romance fans as well. This adult fairy tale is brilliantly crafted just as the previous tale in this series, THE SUMMER RISE is. A secondary character deserves his story be told in a future edition. Recapture the innocence and pleasures of youth with this fabulous novel.

Harriet Klausner

The Serpent's Shadow is, disappointingly, a jumbled rehash of Ms. Lackey's past work, material that has already been stretched thin. Where The Fire Rose (the first of her attempts to rewrite classic fairy tales) is fresh in its approach and stands as one of my all-time favorite books, The Serpent's Shadow struggles through a pale, undeveloped plot, see-through characters, and a villain that's absolutely ridiculous in her motivations and mannerisms. There's no element of surprise in this book whatsoever, and while Ms. Lackey's prose occasionally shines, it's all in a scene of a kind we've seen before from her.

(Example, from The Serpent's Shadow: "She liked his handshake; strong without being over-bearing, a warm, dry hand, neither too familiar nor too distant." And from The Fire Rose: "His grip was firm and quite strong, and she had the feeling that if she had not been wearing gloves, she would have found his hand to be warm, the skin of his palm dry.")

Ms. Lackey seems to be running out of steam and interest in her own topic throughout The Serpent's Shadow. The 400-page book leads up to a climax that is resolved in two pages, as if the author is as anxious to get to the book's end as the reader. While her characters are not completely devoid of personality, they're too one-sided -- the good guys are Beautiful People, kind, thoughtful, intelligent, witty, caring, etc, while the villains are motivated purely by greed or "evil"; after years of reading and admiring Ms. Lackey's work, I would very much like to see a villain that doesn't scowl and rely on "sex and blood magic" for his/her power. The book's primary villain, Shivani, is a pathetic caricature of a bad guy who brings the story to a lower, often eye-rolling level ("Then the campaign of terror would begin," we are told in one of Shivani's more melodramatic scenes; her reasons for playing a chess game of power and death are weak at best).

Coming after the brilliance of The Fire Rose, The Serpent's Shadow isn't much. Ms. Lackey contradicts the rules of Elemental magic that she herself set in the first book, where it had been established that Masters of the same element could not stay in the same vicinity without rivalries and difficulties. In London, where The Serpent's Shadow takes place, there is a whole club of Elemental Masters, who all seem to be living in the same city without any difficulty whatsoever.

The characters and plotline of this book leave much to be desired. Maya Witherspoon, the heroine, is basically flawless -- beautiful, an accomplished doctor and surgeon at twenty-five, a powerful mage, and of course, selfless and liberal-minded. Ms. Lackey often goes off on tirades, via her characters, about the cruel and repressive upper class and especially the malevolence of men, as well as the never-ending struggling of the downtrodden poor, and while these are valid and important points, after a while it feels like we're being preached at. Not to mention that she can't seem to think of any new male names (there are two Peters, a Paul like in The Fire Rose, and a Simon -- again used in The Fire Rose).

Maya's romantic interest is a Water Master (her Element is Earth; in The Fire Rose, the focus was on Air and Fire Masters), and from the moment we see him, it's obvious that they're intended to become romantically involved. There isn't any element of surprise whatsoever in The Serpent's Shadow, and from start to incredibly predictable ending, there isnt a moment that leaves one anxiously turning pages to see what will happen. Mayas story is supposed to be a retelling of Snow White, and Ms. Lackey throws in a few elements of the classic fairy tale -- magic mirror, seven guardians, poison, a life-saving kiss -- but never fully develops the parallel between the two stories. Her early twentieth-century London is never given much detail, though she will occasionally toss in a few British slang words as if to proudly prove that yes, she did her research, despite the fact that some readers might have no idea what shes talking about. And Mayas seven guardians -- the dwarf substitute -- are bound to offend some followers of Hinduism, as they are supposed to be the major Hindu gods -- given the form of pets. The gods dazzling histories and personalities, which might have added some spark to the book, are never explored at all; theyre used only as a convenient names to throw around.

The Serpents Shadow has a few well-written, fun scenes, and Elemental magic is an interesting topic in Ms. Lackeys hands. But the crumbling, transparent plot and pointless, shallowly crafted characters detract from what could have been a good book. For long-time Misty fans, The Serpents Shadow comes as a disappointment. Those seeking a masterful, magical retelling of a well-known fairy tale should look to Ms. Lackeys The Fire Rose, and not to this uninspired imitation.

I found Mercedes Lackey's "The Serpent's Shadow" to be a really fun read. The best way to encapsulate this novel is to describe is as Dr. Bramwell (a PBS Masterpiece Theatre series about a female doctor in the early 1900s) meets Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The characters were all well developed and portrayed, and the whole plot premise, while it is an old one, and much used, came alive in a new and fresh manner under Ms Lackey's skilled hands. I read this novel in one go -- I just couldn't put this novel down. And while I'm quite a science fantasy fan, what I really liked about "The Serpent's Shadow" was the bits that dwelt with Maya's struggle to be a good doctor in the face of gender and racial prejudice. I think that Ms Lackey handled this theme very well, and very realistically. I also liked the subplot involving the Exeter Lodge, and their fastidious and rigid attitudes about 'aliens' -- i.e. women & foreigners. The frustration that Peter Cook, the Water Master, felt at the stubborn prejudices of the older and more aristocratic members, and their short sighted views on how to deal with the threat that Shrivani posed, was masterly portrayed. I'd also like to counter what a previous reviewer wrote about Ms Lackey and her negative depiction of Hinduism. I don't think that she did this at all. In all cultures and religions, there is good and evil. Ms Lackey depicted both aspects of this in this novel. The thing is the wicked stepmother in this novel is an Indian woman who is a practioner of one of the more destructive forms of Hinduism. And what I saw was how hate and the thirst for absolute power can pervert an individual's soul, in this case Shrivani's soul, rather than a indictmnet about the entire religion. And anyway it was Eastern forces that defeated Shrivani in the end, not Western one. So that you could sat that everything balanced out in the end.

"The Serpent's Shadow" is an excellent read and well worth recommending.

Finally, a well written book by Mercedes Lackey! After reading `Beyond World's End', I was appalled, so when I saw that something new was about to come out, I wasn't all that enthused about it, but this book returns to some of her better days. It wasn't quite up to the standard of the Valdemar books, but it was as good as or better than her other novels. I liked the way this book pulled in the world from the Fire Rose, dealing with Elementals and Magick. Her characters were mostly well fleshed out, although at some points I wanted some more details. The final battle was slightly rushed, and it left me disappointed in the way it was ended. She handled the prejudices against women and half-breeds well, and clearly showed how those battles made her characters stronger. I didn't really enjoy the animals after about the fifth chapter because that situation started getting old. All in all, this was a good book, but if you didn't like the Fire Rose, you probably won't like this one.

SUMMARY: I enjoyed "The Fire Rose," so I was happy to see that Misty had put out another story in her turn-of-the-century Elemental Magic world. I generally liked "The Serpent's Shadow," but some sloppy writing keeps me from giving this book a wholehearted endorsement.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS: First, the good stuff: This novel is more thoughtfully conceived and executed than a lot of the author's recent work (some of the late Valdemar books are just *flimsy*, story-wise). In keeping with her time period and themes, Misty adopts a rather "genteel" writing style (reminiscent of Heyer or Conan Doyle) that mostly succeeds. Her heroine, Maya, is typical Lackey: smart, brave, accomplished in her craft, magically-talented. The mixed Indian-English background was interesting and different (though rather broadly painted). The animal avatars were very cool (though at times I felt like I had to make a chart to remember which animal went with which name). And there were enough colorful minor characters and situations to keep things lively throughout.

Now the gripes: The villain was an uninspired, typically wacked-out devotee of a name-your-fringe-goddess blood cult. I would have liked a bit more depth in her machinations. The hero, too, was rather two-dimensional, and his romance with Maya felt more *inevitable* than passionate. Misty's been writing by-the-numbers for awhile now, though, so oh well!

In the end, what really yanked my chain and threw me out of the novel were the glaring anachronisms. The novel is set in 1909, but Lackey goes on at length about how the hero is profiting from the craze for Egyptian decor started by Howard Carter's discovery of Tut's tomb, which didn't occur until the 1920s. And her hero and heroine quote from Antoine de St-Exupery's "The Little Prince," which was published in the 1940s!

Moreover, Lackey's soapbox style about women's suffrage struck me more as a preaching digression than an integral part of the story. I mean, most of Misty's readers tend to be egalitarian already, so what's the point of beating us over the head with what we already know?

Now granted, this is a *fantasy* novel about magic, so one could argue that this kind of nitpicking is out of place. However, a fictional world should be believable and consistent within itself. By setting this one in our own early twentieth century, Misty could and should have done a better job of checking her dates. It's not like it would have been hard to do! Or maybe I should flame her editor! ;-)

Serpent's Shadow is a long overdue follow-up novel in the same vein as the "Fire Rose". Set again in the early 1900's,but this time in Britain, our heroine is Maya Witherspoon, orphaned daughter of a British surgeon and a high-caste Hindu mother with formidable magical powers, magical powers which Maya has inherited, but is untrained and unable to use effectively. Her mother's evil sister Shivani has murdered both of Maya's parents, causing Maya to flee with her odd, but loyal household to 19th century London. Here, Maya, herself a talented doctor and surgeon, must deal with all the prejudices of the age, against women, women doctors, and children of mixed heritage. Even many of those who should be her natural allies, the elemental Masters of Magic, are affected with these prejudices. How Maya deals and overcomes these obstacles to win the day make for an exciting story- I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. As an added treat, there is a delightful tribute to Dorothy L. Sayers, and her "Busman's Honeymoon", woven into the story. Altogether an excellent read.

This book is just slightly under the quality of Fire Rose which is set in the same 'world'. But it is not as good as the Magics *** series although it is better than Brightly Burning. The setting and concepts of Serpents Shadow and Fire Rose as retellings of classic faerie tales is nice but there were some inconsistances between the two books (two firemasters in the same house?!). It is a very nice read, light fantasy with a touch of romance, but over all this book just does not have the impact or punch of Misty's truly great books. Read it, especially if you like Misty's work. But if you are just starting to read Misty's stuff start with the Heralds of Valdemar: Magics Pawn/Promise/Price or Arrows of the Queen/Flight/Fall series - they are the best work she has done.

my ratings: 1-don't bother, 2-get it from the library only, 3-read it, 4-buy it, read it, 5- a must read, BUY IT!

OK, not really. It took until the second reading of this book for me to figure out what it had been based on, and even then, it is very well disguised. Mercedes Lackey's rewritten fairy tales are a delight. The twists on this one are totally unexpected, and until I started thinking, I didn't even realize which fairy tale it was.

Snow White in this case is two characters. The protagonist, Maya Whitherspoon, and her mother, Surya. Surya is the one who excapes from the wicked witch and manages to live for 20 or so years as an Englishman's wife until the wicked witch (her twin sister in this case) realizes that the heart that she was brought wasn't actually Surya's. At which point, Surya succombs to illness and dies. Shortly thereafter her particular handsome prince also dies and leaves adult daughter Maya to take up the mantle of Snow White.

Maya flees to Edwardian England with Surya's seven pets (enter the seven dwarves) who are more than they seem. The story itself takes place in London of the very early 20th Century where Maya with the aid of her pets and her own handsome prince defeats the evil queen (well, d'uh it *is* a fairy tale) and she lives happily ever after with the handsome prince. Or, at least we presume so.

For all its ostensible modernity, this novel disappoints. The feminism -- such as it is -- is anachronistic and quite surface -- we are beaten over the head with it in exposition, rather than shown it through description. Maya's attitude doesn't ring true for a woman of the time and background provided. (Her theories are fine, it's the way they're given to us. People who are really under opression are never that consistently confident, as least not inside. It's nearly impossible to avoid internalizing some of the views of the oppressive society, particularly if one has never known a significantly different alternative; as India at the time embraced some of the same shameful attitudes toward women as the West did, and as it was under British control at the time, it does not count as a "significantly different" alternative in this respect. Some internal self-doubt, and the overcoming of it, would have made Maya much more convincing, sympathetic, and endearing -- at the very least, it would have given her some levels.)

Furthermore, the novel pretty thoroughly betrays its feminism anyway, underscoring instead of combating the notion that Woman must be protected, instructed, and rescued by Man. It makes all the preceding quasi-feminist rhetoric ring extremely false.

(Or to be kinder, I can say that the modern tone of the first section of the novel does not jibe well with the following events -- if you're gonna be anachronistic, stick with it all the way through.) I now know that this book is meant to be somewhat based on the story "Snow White," and so I could forgive the fairy-tale treatment, but I choose not to.

The portrayal of Hindu culture is rather superficial as well; however, I enjoy the minor characters very much, particularly the clinic patients. The clinic itself was an excellent idea and setting, and used well, I think. (I don't know how the English will feel about the representation of their various accents, though.) I remain a firm Lackey fan, but this one will not be remaining in my collection.

bI don't usually nit pick fantasy books. However, when a book very clearly connects with this world's history and plain old gets it wrong, it annoys me no end.

The front flap of the dust jacket said the book was set in 1909. Then one of the characters quote Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Saint-Exupéry was born in 1900. I don't think he was publishing at the age of 9. The Lord Peter character, as distinguished from the male romantic interest, is clearly Lord Peter Wimsey (Dorothy Sayers creation) and he (per his creator)was born in 1890, so he would have been 19 years old at the time of this story. Not nearly old enough to be a trusted agent of the Foreign Office.

The hunger strike by Suffragettes only began in July 1909 and the first hunger striker was in fact released, not force fed. The force feedings came later and no one actually died from one-- only one Suffragette (Emily Davison) died as a result of protest activities and she was savaged by a horse when she ran onto the track and grabbed it's bridle.

There was also a reference to King Tut and his Great Wife. Tutankhamun's tomb was not discovered until 1922 and the archeaologist was Howard Carter not Harold Carter. However, the author was right about Egyptomania being an influence on home decorations even before that event. She was wrong in thinking that common household articles were not yet given Egyptian style. Long before Tutmanis struck, it was possible to find home funishings and decorations inspired by Ancient Egypt.

While retelling fairy tales can result in interesting books, trying to force a book into the fairy tale mold is not necessarily a good idea. I didn't even think of the fairy tale theme until the villain shows up dressed up as an old woman and by that time it seemed more of a casual add-on than an intregal part of the plot. I also resented the fact that the heroine, until that point a competent person, suddenly has to be rescued by the hero.

A little more attention to detail would have made this a much pleasanter read.