Elemental Magic [Paperback]

This book consists of four stories, loosely themed around Air, Earth, Water and Flame. The stories are all widely different but each has its own fascinating concepts with appealing characters.

BARGAIN WITH THE WIND by SHARON SHINN
This first story in the collection was a beguiling tale apparently set in England in the Regency period. Duncan Baler has recently inherited the house Grey Moraine after the death of his uncle and his cousin on the same day. Duncan arranges a social event at the house and it is gatecrashed by a beautiful young woman, Charis, who immediately catches Duncan's attention. Over the next week Duncan and Charis spend time together and then get married and Charis begins to settle into life as Lady of the Manor.

However things might not be as they seem. The whole story is narrated from the point of view of the housekeeper, Nettie, and she spends a great deal of her time listening at keyholes and overhearing conversations in other rooms. Nettie begins to suspect that Charis may have some secrets she is hiding from her husband. Why, for example, does she seem bent on alienating the next most important household in the county? Why is she so worried after hearing Nettie's explanations of the Air Spirits and the disastrous bargains young women will make with them to get what they want? What is Charis's secret and is she something other than she appears?

This story is well written and always interesting as we learn, along with Nettie, in snatches of overheard conversation, what's actually going on. If this is set in the English Regency period there are some historical and language mistakes but they are common errors and don't detract too much from the story. It's an interesting read and wasn't at all predictable which I very much liked. Five stars.

BIRTHRIGHT by JEAN JOHNSON
This story almost couldn't be more different than the first in this collection - one of the advantages (and sometimes disadvantages) of collections of this nature. This story is set in a fantasy world with mages and magical lore. Arasa is on a quest to discover whether she or her twin sister were the firstborn as there was some doubt at their birth. Arasa has discovered a way of finding out by retreading a walk that one of her ancestors did between "The Womb" and "The Heart". "the Heart" is the name of their major city but the only "Womb" she knows is in a faraway land. The story starts as Arasa is trying to find a good map of the route to the Womb of Tarden; she is almost tricked by an unscrupulous chap but fortunately a Mage who is also in the Inn offers her the use of a Truth Stone and it soon becomes apparent that the map-seller was trying to confuse her. In discussion with the Mage she very quickly discovers that she's on the wrong track for the "Womb" anyway and that it actually refers to a temple in her own land. She and the Mage, Elrik, agree to travel together to her land so that he can visit the Mage academy and so that she has some protection on the way.

When they arrive Arasa discovers her twin has also discovered a way of finding the true firstborn but isn't willing to discuss it. She says that Arasa's method is better and so the twins set out on the journey with Elrik and her sister's fiancé alongside. However there's some unexpected danger on the way and Arasa has to decide whether to step up to the position of power and authority that she has or to take the easier road which may have long-term negative consequences.

There's a romance in this story between Arasa and Elrik which was very endearing to read and in fact the whole story was enjoyable from beginning to end. The setting was different, the writing style good and the overall story was very well done, although I felt the pronunciation guide given at the start was rather too self-important for a short story! Five stars.

UNMASKING by CAROL BERG
Yet another great story, and another completely different read from the other two so far in this collection. In this story Joelle is in training as a Searcher, a special kind of sorcerer for those who have the greatest magical skills. However she always seems to fail the final tests and so can't graduate to become a true Searcher and these failures are causing her great anguish.

When trespassing at a sacred pool one night she sees a man who shouldn't be there and initially thinks he is a Warden, another kind of sorcerer, until her companion, Kenehyr, points out that his hands weren't clean (something that a true Warden would ensure). Joelle reports this to the magical authorities who conclude he must be the spy they have heard of from another land, trying to find out whether there is true magic within her country or just some illusions. A complex plan is created to trick this spy into believing that the people don't have real magic and Joelle is chosen to be part of this plan, along with a Tenyddar, a man with no magic who works on the land. However when Joelle meets her Tenyddar she recognises him instantly as the man at the pool and things start to get more complex.

This story was fascinating, particularly with regard to the relationship between Joelle and Bran/Gareth as they try to trick the spy. Bran/Gareth's position in society is at the lowest point as a farmer without magic and yet Joelle begins to see that some people can make more of themselves than perhaps others might think. Equally he is able to help her to understand her failures and their significance. This isn't really a romance as the romantic element is tiny but it's an excellent story about understanding other people and the possibilities that exist within them. Five stars.

HUNTRESS MOON by REBECCA YORK
This last story in the collection was not as enjoyable as the rest although still a reasonable read. It follows the variable fortunes of Zarah, a nobleman's daughter who has fallen on hard times. Her father has been executed for apparently embezzling money and her mother is dying of cancer; Zarah is told by Scanlon, head of the city White Flint, that if she agrees to spy on Griffin, head of Sun Acres, her mother will get healing treatment. Zarah's role, in spying on Griffin, will be that of his mistress. She eventually agrees, knowing that her own honour is less important than her mother's life.

Zarah's journey to Sun Acres is dangerous but she is helped by Quinn, another of the slaves. When Zarah is chosen by Griffin and taken to his house she begins to question whether she should be spying on him because he seems to be a far more good and honourable man than Scanlon. However when he finds out that she is a spy things look bad for her. Quinn's role in the story becomes more important, and Zarah's magical skills prove to be a great help to Griffin.

This story was written quite simply and without any great depth to the characters. I found the rapidity of Zarah's fall to slavery and then subsequent rise to a position of importance pretty startling, especially as everyone knew she had been a slave. I was also unsure about some of her motivations and of the almost instant 'falling in love' between hero and heroine. It was a pleasant enough read but lacked the depth of the other stories. Three Stars.

In conclusion, this is an excellent collection of short stories with three outstanding and one reasonable tale. Three of the four are fantasies and the fourth is a historical story but they are all very different from each other and consider different themes with varying characters. This should be a really good read for those who like to read mystical romances.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007

BARGAIN WITH THE WIND by SHARON SHINN (3  stars)

After a whirlwind courtship, the new owner of Grey Moraine estate marries the love of his life, Lady Charis. But the narrator, Grey Moraine's housekeeper, is worried. Lady Charis is certainly charming and seems to be honestly in love with her kind and loving husband, but she is also capricious and mysterious and has an odd grudge against the powerful Horton family. Although no exact time period is given for this book, it does have a Regency feel, with balls, teas and social calls (and social snubbings) prominent. However, it is also a world where superstitious beliefs of elemental spirits persist: protective earth spirits, mercurial water spirits, and dangerous air spirits who can give a person anything she wants--for a terrible price.

I originally read this collection for this story in particular, as I love Sharon Shinn. I have read nearly everything she's written, including her other short stories in To Weave a Web of Magic and The Queen in Winter. Not only do I like her writing style, but I also enjoy her consistently happy endings. However, while she manages to create an interesting story with a very intriguing main character in the form of Charis, this is not the light tale of Cinderella romance that the book description suggests. From the first line, the dark undertone of the story is clear: "I was there the first time the master caught sight of the woman who would destroy him." Those who are looking for the typical romantic Shinn story will be disappointed. If you don't have such expectations then you can enjoy the story for its own merits (and it does have many).

BIRTHRIGHT by JEAN JOHNSON (4  stars)

Since Arasa and her twin sister were born via C-section, no one knows which one is the first born and heir to the throne. After setting off on a quest to find the answer, Arasa encounters Elrik, a young mage who helps give her the final clue on how to prove who is the first born: both twins must make a dangerous journey together and the rightful heir is the one who is protected by the land itself.

I thought this was a very well written story and especially enjoyed the climax, where Arasa must protect herself and Elrik from a terrible betrayal. Arasa and Elrik are both highly likeable characters, although I did feel that the story dragged a bit when they have a short "I want you," "I want you, too" scene and then an intimate encounter which is rather unnecessary in a story that's only a little over 80 pages. Of course, I am not a romance novel fan, which might put me in the minority considering how popular that genre is.

UNMASKING by CAROL BERG (5 stars)

Joelle is training to be a Searcher, a sorcerer who uses her magic to exorcise the demons that plague humanity. When a spy from a hostile kingdom enters her homeland, she is chosen to be part of a plan to convince the spy that the people of her kingdom are primitive and know nothing but simple illusion spells (and thus are not a threat). She is paired with Gareth, who as a person with no magic is forced to be a labourer at the very lowest rank of society. Joelle is to pose as his servant girl, and make it appear that Gareth is the one who can cast illusion spells. A non-magic user is necessary because if the spy becomes suspicious and attacks, Gareth cannot betray his country by protecting himself with stronger magic. Likewise, although Joelle finds herself impressed by Gareth's intellect and strength, she knows that she doesn't dare to save him with her own magic if the spy turns violent.

This short story is set in the world of the Rai-Kirah series (Transformation (Rai-Kirah), etc). It is also, hands down, my favorite in this collection. Although the romance doesn't go as far or as fast as in "Birthright," I enjoyed Joelle's growing respect and admiration for Gareth, who defies all her preconceived notions of a member of the magic-less class.

HUNTRESS MOON by REBECCA YORK (2 stars)

To get her dying mother the care she needs, Zarah agrees to be sold into slavery and spy on her new master, Griffin. Griffin, the leader of his city, has a dangerous secret and his enemies want to know what it is. However, Zarah finds herself falling in love with him and struggles with the idea of betraying a good man in order to save her mother.

As far as I can tell, the author wanted to see how many sex scenes she could fit into a short story, as character development and plot get dropped by the wayside so that the two main characters can get it on as often as possible. Although I've already stated that I'm not a fan of romance novels, I can still appreciate those which are well-written (such as "Birthright"). However, "Huntress Moon" is bogged down by silly dialogue such as "You like that?"; "you know I do." By the end I just had to laugh at how bad it was. The hero is also not what I'd call a romantic lead, as he sees no problem with going to a slave auction to pick out a virgin to sleep with and secretly watching prospective buys as they bathe. That's more creepy than romantic to me. Which is all too bad, because the essential idea of the story is good and the revolution in society caused by the "psychic change" that they keep mentioning could have been very interesting if it had been explored more.

Overall, this collection is worth reading. Although the last story is a waste of time, the other three were quite good and York and Berg especially created impressive short stories.

I came into this anthology mainly for the Shinn, but also out of curiosity about the Berg because I'm fans of both. I thought the other two might be bonuses. They were not.

My favorite was Shinn's story. It's not a happy ending in the romance department like she normally writes, but it's a beautifully told tale. I was entranced by her prose, which has a lyrical quality that made this gothic tale seem fairy-tale-like. I enjoyed the mythology she created, and the way she used the housekeeper as the point of view from which to tell the story. It gave it a slightly detached feel that made it timeless like such stories need to feel. It was quite wonderful. 5 / 5

The other story I liked was the Berg. It was fun to revisit her first world (that of the Transformation trilogy) and see a side to a culture we didn't get to explore as fully as I'd have liked in those books because it was so interesting. Here we learn a lot more, not because of info dumps, but because her characters are so fully drawn we can't help but understand where they come from. Her heroine was short-sighted, but it was a pleasure to watch her grow naturally from her experiences, and see her relationship with the male lead come from it the same way. It felt very organic. My only disappointment with this was that she created some great characters in the beginning that we didn't get to see again, and I feel like they have a lot more to tell us. *hint hint* 5 / 5

The Johnson story had a decent plot, but frankly it was just poorly told. Show not Tell. Writers write better when they remember this. We're constantly told about these characters' motives, purposes, histories, journeys, and rarely shown scenes of what's actually happening. I sense this is because the author isn't used to short forms and tried to fit the plot of a whole novel into a novella and couldn't waste time with actual scenes where things happened. It doesn't work that way. So she crammed a bunch of setup into the first two chapters, using way too much exposition, then used the entire third chapter for sex (and far too detailed descriptions of their surroundings), then wrapped the whole thing up with their pilgrimage in the fourth chapter. The fourth chapter was interesting and exciting. I barely made it there though. 2.5 / 5

The York story was just bad. Characters were cliched, standard paranormal erotica characters. If you've read one Ellora's Cave book you've met these "people". People in quotes because they were pretty two-dimensional, and just had lots of sex. Erotica is great, but this didn't work for me on any level. 1/5

I'm not sure who gathered the stories for this anthology. It's one of the more uneven ones I've read. I liked two quite a bit, but that's not enough for a recommendation to buy it, except maybe used. 3.5 / 5

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 13 reviews  3.0 out of 5 stars