Middle
books of trilogies sometimes end up being slow or do not advance the
story further. It becomes difficult for authors to keep the momentum
going. This is not true of this book. Owlsight by
Mercedes Lackey is the second book of a trilogy continuing the story of
Darian. It is a part of Ms. Lackey’s Valdemar series. The author keeps
the second book entertaining by growth in the characters, an interesting
plot and a realistic setting.
Characters,
old and new, continue to grow throughout Owlsight. A
few years have passed when Darian returns to his village a little
older. He is expected to be a bridge between two different cultures.
This character undergoes further maturing as he faces new problems and
meets new friends. A new character is introduced in Keisha. She is a
young woman with the gift of healing who must self-train herself to be a
Healer. Keisha is unsure of herself as she grows throughout the story.
Changes in their lives helps with the growing and increase in depth
along with the influence from nonhuman characters like the
hertasi and dyheli. The
characters’ growth comes from the plot.
An
interesting plot keeps the book from getting dull. Darian returns to
his home town after living and training for years with the Hawkbrothers.
He helps his friends set up the new vale in the forest. While this is
happening, Keisha struggles to learn how to use her burgeoning healing
talent. everyone is brought together when a new threat appears. Another
group of barbarians are moving closer to the town and an outnumbered
diverse group must work together to stop the new incursion. Ms. Lackey
weaves these plot threads together for an entertaining read.
Finally,
a realistic setting gives the characters a place to live out the events
of the plot. Ms. Lackey provides vivid descriptions of the setting that
brings it to life. The Vale is an interesting community of humans,
nonhumans and magic. Dwellings and buildings fit together in an
environmentally regulated place of living. This place mixes in with a
rural village, lord’s keep and forest, creating conflict and a need to
be watchful for survival. Such a detailed setting gives the readers a
realistic touch that draws them into the story.
Owlsight
by Mercedes Lackey is an entertaining middle book of a trilogy. The
growth of characters, interesting plot and realistic setting blend to
create an absorbing book for readers. Ms. Lackey’s writing style brings
another tale of Valdemar to readers by appealing to the reader’s
emotions and sense of adventure. This is a good book to read.
Mini-Book Review: Magic’s Song: Tales of the Harper Mage by Laura Underwood
This book is a collection of short stories about the harper mage Anwyn Baldomyre and his talking harp Glynnanis.
Anwyn
Baldomyre is born with a magic talent. To release the magic within him,
he must make some kind of sacrifice. He refuses to do this, preferring
to wander the world as a harper. His magical harp, Glynnanis, contains
the soul of the last unicorn in it. Together, they roam their world,
getting into various problems. Each story tells of a predicament Anwyn
gets into and must use his magic songs to escape. Ms. Underwood creates
vivid images and interesting problems for each story.
