Helpful Score: 1
In this sequel to Winds of Fate, Elspeth, heir to the throne of Valdemar, develops into a strong practitioner of magic under the tutelage of Darkwind k'Sheyna. Accepted as a member of the k'Sheyna clan of the Tayledras, magicians who cleanse lands damaged in the long-ago Magic Wars, Elspeth takes her turn in patrols searching for the vanished Falconsbane, an evil Adept who almost destroyed the clan, its Heartstone, and Darkwind's father Starblade. While Elspeth and Darkwind slowly and contentiously come to love each other, her companion Skif seeks the Changechild Nyara, daughter of Falconsbane, who turned against him to save the Vale of the k'Sheyna and then fled into the wilderness with the enchanted sword Need. Aided by the powerful but mysterious mage Firesong k'Treva, the Vale fights off another attempt at destruction by Falconsbane, while still greater powers put in an appearance and set the stage for the Mage Wind trilogy's projected third title.
Mercedes Lackey is a fantastic author! I'm only getting rid of this book because I bought it in hard cover.
DARK MAGIC
With Valdemar in dire peril--threatened by the malevolent spellcraft of Ancar of Hardorn--Princess Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, has come to the Vale of the Tayledras Clan to seek Mage training among the magical Hawkbrother Adepts. But instead of finding a haven, she is whirled into a maelstrom of war and sorcery as the Vale is attacked by a mysterious Dark Adept from out of the "Uncleansed Lands."
And when the Heartstone, the source of magical power for the Clan, is warped by evil sorceries and turned into a dangerous rogue, disabling the most powerful of the Hawkbrother Adepts, Elspeth--still only a half-trained Mage--and the renegade Hawkbrother-Adept Darkwind must struggle to tame the rogue Heartstone before the next strike of the Dark Adept, risking the perils of the unknown in a desperate bid to save both their peoples...
DARK MAGIC
With Valdemar in dire peril--threatened by the malevolent spellcraft of Ancar of Hardorn--Princess Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, has come to the Vale of the Tayledras Clan to seek Mage training among the magical Hawkbrother Adepts. But instead of finding a haven, she is whirled into a maelstrom of war and sorcery as the Vale is attacked by a mysterious Dark Adept from out of the "Uncleansed Lands."
And when the Heartstone, the source of magical power for the Clan, is warped by evil sorceries and turned into a dangerous rogue, disabling the most powerful of the Hawkbrother Adepts, Elspeth--still only a half-trained Mage--and the renegade Hawkbrother-Adept Darkwind must struggle to tame the rogue Heartstone before the next strike of the Dark Adept, risking the perils of the unknown in a desperate bid to save both their peoples...
This series is one of my guilty pleasures. I have extra copies of this book so I thought I would share!
Another great trilogy by Lackey.
Book two in the Mage Winds triology. Elspeth and Darkwind get to know each other, meet Firesong, fight evil, etc. Good times, lots of action.
Not a bad book.
Oh, this was a fun read! More and more of the details of the remainder of this series are coming back to me - though I'm not sure if I'm thinking only of the next one, or the Storm trilogy as well... I really like how these three all flow right into one another - it makes it even more fun to read! I am surprised that like some other fantasy series' this one has not come out in any omnibus editions... I wonder why...
