The Phoenix Unchained.

[kyrielle]

Or a book I thoroughly loved, by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. This is the first book in The Enduring Flame, a sequel series to The Obsidian Trilogy. If you haven't read that, I don't recommend this. I recommend going back and reading the earlier series. (The Outstretched Shadow, To Light a Candle, When Darkness Falls.)

The Phoenix Unchained starts about a thousand years after the earlier series, when the events of that series have become legend among the cities of man. The book itself is good, interesting, and believable, but what gave me great joy (and a lot to laugh at) was the fact that the authors actually allowed and made believable changes to the world and the story of the previous books over that time. Oh, they have it soooo wrong. And yet, not so wrong, in some ways. But when I heard what the characters in this book call one of the characters in the earlier books, I almost fell over laughing. Literally. And I got to read it several times, and I giggled every time. And yet...it totally makes sense that the story would have gotten warped that way over time.

It was funny, it was a good story, it was gleeful and fun. Unfortunately, it's also fairly new. I want the next book now, for I am a greedy Laura. But because this one just came out in October, I don't think I get the next one for quite some while yet. Alas! I can't even find out what the title of the next one will be.

Comments

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

I am soliciting opinions on the original trilogy from people who have been forced to endure my rants on Lackey.

Should I actually read them? Does her cowriter beat her bad habits down enough that I won't spontaneously combust from reader-rage?

[kyrielle]

If I didn't see the authors, I would not believe it was a Lackey book. It does have Lackey tropes in it, so if just seeing one of them will set you off, you want to give it a miss. (Most notably, and in fact the only one that comes to mind right now, the relatively young and clueless hero getting tossed in the fire, which you can pretty much spot from the get-go, as usual.)

They do not take over. If there's blown continuity, I missed it (which is entirely possible: I still only sometimes spot it). I loved this series. I like Lackey. I consider her cotton candy for the mind, however. This did not strike me as cotton candy, and it wasn't completely predictable to me as some of her Valdemar books are.

I can't say for sure that you won't spontaneously combust, because it's possible there are things that just don't register with me that would bother you. But I don't think you will. It's very good high fantasy, to my eye.

I wouldn't make the same recommendation about Joust etc., despite quite enjoying all of them but the last quarter of Aerie. Those are very Lackey and I can see it clearly as I read them. Here...here, I think you might like these.

If they are going to aggravate you, I am pretty sure the first book of the first trilogy will tell you, since the trilogy lives up to or surpasses its start, rather than going downhill.

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

EXCELLENT. Thank you. :)

It's still possible, because my Lackey-hate is bordering on utterly ridiculous by this point. . . but I think I will try them.

[eevieivy.livejournal.com]

Ooooooooooo.

[morgie.livejournal.com]

I /loved/ how legend blew stuff it. Hee!

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

First, of course I paid attention to this little entry, since it involves a Phoenix.

Second, I have to agree with dormouse. Lackey is one of my least liked authors. If you don't like Lackey, though, you are more than welcome to join me in the insanity that is waiting for the next book in Melanie Rawn's most recent trilogy. I've been waiting something like 8 years I think. Her first two trilogies were phenomenal; the only books I've ever read that treat dragons the way she does, and magic as something that just is. .....

Ok, I promise to stop my Rawn rant.

Anyway, glad you found something you liked. It's a rarity anymore, I think.

[kyrielle]

I usually like Lackey. I recognize that she's largely fluff, but I like her. Which is why dormouse was a little wary of the fact that I liked this series - it's not by itself indicative. But I do think this is much more Mallory than Lackey, just because it doesn't read to me like one of her books. You should probably wait and see what dormouse thinks; she's allergic to most Lackey-isms.

I've never gotten around to reading Rawn, though I've considered it a few times. My stack of books to read is a bit too high at the moment to add to, I'm afraid.

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Adding Rawn to an already high pile is like adding the later Harry Potter books; I think her shortest book is about 600 pages. And reading Rawn while reading anything else is a really bad plan; she has a huge number of characters (as in, she has a list in the back of the book of who everyone is in relation to everyone else), and the interpersonal stuff between characters is integral to plotlines. Her unfinished series is the most convoluted; there's an underlying story regarding one of the main characters and that character's relation to the bigger picture. If you REALLY pay attention on a second or third read, you MIGHT be able to figure it out -- Rawn says all the clues are there.

Unfortunately for me, my stack is rather small. I've stopped buying books unless I have a desire to read it soon and think I might get to it in the next 2 or 3 months. As a result, I've gotten very picky about what books I pick up, and I'm not really finding anything new. Hmmm... (jumps to own journal)

[kyrielle]

Hmmm. I don't know if I would be able to read them, then, though if my stack gets shorter I'll give it a go. I have trouble tracking things like that even on a single read-through...and not being able to remember how someone's related to the story because I haven't seen them in too long, well, I get frustrated.

I don't like spending lots of money on books, so I just ransack my local library systems, which have an amazingly nice collection. (I am placed so that I can use two county systems, which helps; and the three counties have an agreement that if you live or work in any of them you can have membership free. The third - Multnomah - is not real accessible to me, but the other two have branches near my house and work.)

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Rawn is a difficult read if you have even the slightest difficulty keeping track of people; it doesn't help that, the further you get into her books, there is a dramatically increased number of similar names (Taig and Taigan, Sioned and Sioneva... you get the idea).

[lady-of-mists.livejournal.com]

I'm going to try to be patient and wait for it to come out in paperback, but that book sounded like a lot of fun. I really have to stop buying books so much. :)

[kyrielle]

Is your local library any good for such things? That's how I got this one, I've no desire to own hardcovers.