something about nothing

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. The characters are flat. They seem like they can grown and be super interesting but nothing happens. They might come up with a plan, the super wizard might come and help and the heroine might get the courage or wit to escape, but in the end a fluke happens and there is no need for characters to do anything.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mercedes Lackey again?

yes. Have liked many of her books previously, and she does have a tendency to wrap up things in the last 5 minutes, but this one really goes nowhere.

What didn’t you like about Carmela Corbett’s performance?

She talks very very slow and with no, NO expression aside from the very sweet, shy, girl. Her pauses are too long between sentences and I kept wondering if I had run out of battery or I was about to get a call. Also, it's infuriating when she reads "what?" (in a shy voice) and the narration continues: " she said outraged" or "she said angrily" . Her family must enjoy the narrators angry moments if this is all the expression she is able to manage

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

yes

Any additional comments?

boring and a waste of time

3 people found this helpful

Domestic Violence PTSD Trigger

If you have ever been though domestic violence be warned some bits here are graphic & may stir up unpleasant memories.

The narrator needs work at changing voices.

The stories in this series have gotten a bit too "preachy." The tales are being lost in the lessons.
I would recommend this to help someone understand domestic violence victims better. I don't think I'd recommend it as a. Story.

3 people found this helpful

Good, but not great.

I enjoy Lackey's books, the elemental masters series especially, but I don't think Steadfast lived up to the rest of the series. It had some great moments, but overall, I felt there were too many loose ends.

The heroine was a little flat. She has an interesting back story, but she doesn't seem to grow very much, and where their was the potential for her to--regain herself?--it wraps up too quickly to feel like anything momentous has occurred.

An old favorite character is briefly trotted out and just as briefly disappears with no explanation of what happened, and no real reason for his having been included.

I was left feeling like there was a lot left unsaid and I'd love to see the author's notes on this story.

On the other hand, it's the Elemental Masters series! I still enjoyed listening, and I'll probably listen to it again. It gave a little more information about the rules of elemental magic in the Lackey-verse. It was a very different class/culture of people than she has written about before. While there are are shades of Reserved for the Cat, I think the story is different enough to stand by itself.

Overall, I'd say that if you are a fan of the series, it's a must have just as part of the collection. If you are just starting, don't start with this book.

6 people found this helpful

Horrid message typical Lackey popcorn fantasy

So what’s the message here? Be a doormat and let someone beat you. Because if you act then you become as bad as them? I LOATHE that argument.

It would have been a MUCH better story if she had used her powers. And then dealt with the outrage or fallout of her desperation.

Typical Lackey poor people good rich people bad. Black and white morality. No shades of grey.

It felt like the story was cut short. What about the circus master? Her parents deaths. Was the marriage legal?

2 people found this helpful

Just doesn't have any spark

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I'm a huge Lackey fan. I especially enjoy her elemental masters series. This one....just doesn't have it. It's not terrible, (it has some good scenes and scenarios) but it isn't up to Lackey standards. It reads as if she took the research from Phoenix and Ashes and Reserved for the Cat and churned out a book before deadline. It's too bad, because she's tackling a big issue here and I really want to like it, but I came away feeling cheated.

2 people found this helpful

So boring...

Really not worth your time, I'm a Mercedes lackey fan and I have no illusions that she produces great literature. But wow this book was terrible, boring plot, uninspired characters, pointless rape scene, no interesting magical world building tidbits. The most frustrating part was that the plot and main character were almost completely recycled from another of the elemental masters books. Also the narrator mispronounced a lot of words, I'm not talking about accents but actually said words wrong, although her voice acting was pretty good.

5 people found this helpful

Love this concept of magic

I have listened to this story a few times now. one of Lackeys best. the narrator is a bit slow but you get used to the pacing and is otherwise excellent

1 person found this helpful

WONDERFUL!!!

i think this was wonderful. the book was great and the narrator is wonderful to listen to.

1 person found this helpful

Lackey does it again!

Well developed characters, interesting story. The plot is a bit "we've been here before", but the secomdary characters are realistic. And the villain can be hissed without compunction.

1 person found this helpful

Mercedes, this is not your best

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The story was really poorly executed, not common for Mercedes. The characters were simple, not complex and the story seems chopped up.

What could Mercedes Lackey have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

She left the story as a weak soap opera with lots left out. Was the marriage in fact real? Her parents were clearly murdered and that story line just dropped off. If Mercedes is planning a sequel, I will probably not purchase it.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I liked the stage magic bits and the use of the dragon in the end sequence was fun.

3 people found this helpful