Phoenix and Ashes

Great book with well developed characters and an intriguing plotI must say, as I am a huge fan of Ms Lackey’s work, it’s easy for me to enjoy most, if not all, of her stories. My favorites being the Diana Tregarde books and of course the Valdemar novels. The Elemental Masters series easily is up there, but still third for me as favorites when considering the other two. But how do you quantify favorites when all are so enjoyable to read.This story was fun. There was a slight Cinderella vibe going through it but it wasn’t so obvious to ruin the story either. Instead it brought out its own magic using Elemental Magicks and wonderfully written characters.Including the war of the time with the story was an impressive idea and utilized well. The old saying that ‘War is Hell’, was not shied from in the story either, which I was glad to see. What any veteran of any war will tell you, it changes a person. Even addressing the concept of being shell shocked, or PTSD as we’d call it now, was inspirational. I think any person who had gone through their own experiences and bouts of terror would be honored to know it was not in any written off, nor treated with indifference, as some would have done, like Reggie’s grandfather had in the story. I wonder if any of the worlds current military with such suffering, might not find a bit of solace from reading this story.I did find the story a bit long in parts, but it did give a good account of what it was possibly like back during that First World War and of the English countryside and their lives.The one major negative I found within the story was how often Howse, the lady’s maid, was so often ignored in the story. There were several instances where Alison and her daughters had left the house for an extended time, but Howse was not brought up. She might have stayed in Alison’s room most times, but what about her own food and the like. I would think she would have had to either have Ellie make it for her or do it herself. She would have had to cross paths with Eleanor somewhat, and wouldn’t she have noticed during the day that Ellie was not to be found nearby doing her work and brought it up with Alison.I liked how the Tarot and Egyptian motif was integrated into Eleanor’s learning. It was an interesting extrapolation to how Elemental Magicks could work in this world, and allowed for so many other types of instruction to be just as valid, as they were used in previous books.That there are also witches, such as Sarah, in the world was a fun addition. It seems they do have some Elemental power, but also have a source of power outside of it as well. I hope that this concept is broadened more in future books. It’s possible that it might not be too difficult to integrate the Magicks of the Tregarde novels into the Elemental Masters world, with the exception of the vampires and their lore. But even that concept might be able to find its own fit, just as the witches have been added in this book, or the Eastern Magicks were used in Dr. Maya’s story.Probably needless to say, I look forward to reading many more of the Elemental Masters series novels, along with other stories written by Ms Lackey, alone or with others.