The Fire Rose (Elemental Masters Book 1)

This starts out as an interesting and strong Lackey story. It is such a shame that she obviously got sick of writing it and just wrapped it up limply in a couple of pages of soft and soppy romance and lack of anything worth bothering with.

The characters are annoying and one-dimensional. The sides characters seem to be more interesting than the two main characters. The story was pretty blah. I don't think I'll bother reading anymore of her books in this series.

I have enjoyed different versions of Beauty and the Beast since I was a little girl and I can now add this to one of my many favorites.

In this version Rose is an orphan Scholar in the early 20th Century who finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place, wondering how she's going to be able to afford to put a roof over her head and just may have to give up finishing her degree in Chicago.

The Beast is a man named Jason Cameron living in San Francisco who is rich, powerful, Fire Mage but also trapped halfway between the top half of a beast and the bottom half of a man due to a spell that went awry. He's determined to fix the spell but knows that he will need help and that's where Rose comes in.

When Rose receives a mysterious letter from Cameron, she is naturally suspicious and surprised that someone from such a distance would want her input. Unable to say no though as she desperately needs a job, she decides to take a leap of faith and have a job that she thought was only in her dreams.

Little does Rose know just how valuable her help will be nor how this mysterious man will change not only everything she has known but could very well show her the way to a whole new world of thinking and that magic may not just be a fictional story.

Full of mystery, plenty of talk about books, magic, a liberal dash of danger and an interspersed amount of the Orient, it was an interesting and captivating tale of Beauty and the Beast. I can't wait to read more in this series and some day come back to revisit this book!

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

Mercedes Lackey’s ELEMENTAL MASTERS is a series of ten (so far) novels that take place on an alternate Earth where some people are born with the ability to learn to control fire, water, air, or earth. Each book is also a fairytale retelling, though you may not notice that if you’re not looking for it in the story.

The first ELEMENTAL MASTERS novel, The Fire Rose, is based on “Beauty and the Beast” and is set in 1905-1906 San Francisco. Years before, Jason, a Firemaster (the “beast” of the story), was experimenting with a dangerous magic spell. He managed to curse himself and has been living as a man-wolf ever since (this is obvious from the book’s horrid cover, so I’m not spoiling anything here). He has been searching for a way to reverse the spell, but his beastly shape makes it difficult to search his grimoires for information. (The book cover shows him with hands, but he actually has paws). So he wants to hire someone who can read ancient texts to him. That’s how he discovers the suicidal Rosalind, an educated woman who has lost everything to her deceased father’s creditors and has been forced to drop out of graduate school. Rosalind, obviously, is the “beauty” of the story, but it’s really her mind rather than her face that’s beautiful.

Rosalind thinks she’s going to be a governess, which she considers to be just a more genteel form of slavery, but when she arrives at Jason’s estate, there are no children and she is not introduced to Jason. Instead, she’s installed in a lavishly comfortable room where she reads to Jason, who’s in another room, through a speaking trumpet. During her free time, she makes friends with Jason’s lonely horse and tries to fend off the advances of his secretary, Paul du Mond. Eventually Rosalind realizes that there’s something strange going on with Jason, that Paul is a bad guy, and that there might be something to this magic stuff after all.

It’s hard not to admire Rosalind. (Well, at least it’s hard for me not to admire Rosalind.) She’s a quiet scholarly woman who wants to be educated and independent. She’s frustrated with the roles that women in her society are allowed to play and she wants to be different. Yet, she never loses her femininity.

It’s really hard to believe in Paul, the totally over-the-top villain. His crimes are so heinous that it makes me wonder if Lackey is just trying to add some titillation. Paul’s hobby is to “break in” reluctant girls who are sold to bordellos. Lackey shows us this in several nasty scenes that don’t seem to fit the fairytale tone of the rest of the story.

I was disappointed in the end of The Fire Rose. The blurb mentions the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. I assumed that this would be a major part of the plot and I kept waiting for it, but it turns out that it was a pretty minor event in the story. That was a bit anti-climactic.

Other than the weird supervillain and the very short amount of time spent with the earthquake, The Fire Rose is a decent read. It’s definitely fluffy and non-challenging, but it passes the time pleasantly (other than the scenes with Paul in the whorehouse). I listened to Brilliance Audio’s version which was nicely narrated by Kate Black-Regan. The audiobook is almost 13 hours long.

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon.com. Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

As a scholar of ancient history Rose is a well studied young woman. Unfortunately, her father has left her with multiple debts and no way to pay them. A position found by her old teacher seems to be the answer to her problems, but all is not as it seems.

Rose is such an insightful character. If she wasn't a scholar, I would probably call Lackey out for fancifully making a character too knowledgeable - but Rose is believable, if you think of her as the PhD student she almost was.

It seems at some times like the entirety of this book is based on irony! All the time Paul and Jason are at opposite ends of the spectrum, both thinking that they have the upper hand, when really it's Rose who has the idea of what is going on! And other times it is Rose and Jason who don't seem to be compatible.

As one of Lackey's earlier works (the first in the Elemental Masters series) this is a great example of Lackey's style before she started churning out lesser quality books recently. The characters are well developed, there are several minor plots going on, and the whole thing is seamless.

Paul is disgusting. I really don't like him - and I'm not supposed to. His character alters this novel from being a simple Beauty and the Beast fairytale retelling into something with more depth. By rights this novel should have been part of my offerring for the Midsummer Night's Giveaway, but I was overseas and away from my bookshelf.

I thought that Rose's initial idea of suicide was reasonable, but the way that Lackey brought it back in later in the story seemed a little absurd, and really stuck out for me. There was no need to talk about it several times - Rose has enough going on as it is.

I'd recommend this book for adults and older teens. There are many hints of rape and torture and various other unsavoury practices, but none of them are actually described in real detail, other than the horrible little cribs.

Once you get past the absurd cover, this is actually a decent retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Within that framework, Lackey introduces the ideas of Elemental Magic that she continues to use throughout the ongoing series (though, as later books show, she does retcon a bit as she goes along -- the rules of magic aren't quite the same in The Fire Rose as they are in the later ones).

Jason, a Firemaster, has overstretched himself. An attempt to turn himself into a loup-garou, a werewolf variant which can change at will, not from a curse, goes terribly wrong, leaving him stuck halfway between wolf and man (the description of what he looks like is, incidentally, nothing like what appears on the cover). The changes impede his ability to research a cure, and so he needs help. He settles on Rosalind, a recently orphaned young woman who, thanks to her father's debts, can no longer afford to stay on as one of the few female scholars at her university in Chicago. Jason offers her a job as a his research assistant. Initially she merely helps with reading medieval manuscripts, but eventually she discovers Jason's magical secret. As it just so happens, Rose has magical potential within herself as well, so as she helps Jason, she also begins her own Apprenticeship in Air Magic. (I refuse, I just flat-out refuse to spell it with a "k" at the end as Lackey insists on doing here).

There is, of course, an adversary. Jason's previous assistant is a moustache-twirling character, an Apprentice in Fire Magic who will never reach Mastery due to his total lack of discipline. He's also a total sleaze and a lowlife, an embezzler and a cheat, best known in San Francisco as a "breaker" of women who've found themselves sold into whoredom. Lackey does everything she can to make him as repulsive as possible, to the point where it would strain credulity if you didn't know there are, in fact, sickos like that out in the world. He's definitely a darker character with more realistic seediness than you typically find in this sort of novel. Always looking for the shortcuts, Paul ends up taking up with Jason's only rival Firemaster on the West Coast, a man who promises him a quicker route to greatness, liberally spiced with all manner of tawdry pleasures and sadistic delights.

The most compelling aspect of the story is, oddly enough, the setting. Lackey evokes 1906 San Francisco in extraordinarily vivid detail -- both high and low society. She clearly did her research -- the book is full of nuance, anecdotes, and tidbits, making it ultimately richer than a lot of vaguely-set fantasy historicals. Even though it isn't an era I've spent a lot of time with, I'm too much of a history geek not to appreciate what Lackey does with it.

I find the book's resolution, well, more than a little odd. The happy-ever-after is definitely a strange one, and implies a degree of isolation for the couple that doesn't strike me as entirely healthy. It also doesn't get tremendously well-explored, as is typical in Lackey books. As I've mentioned before, Lackey has a bad habit of cramming her climax into the last few pages of the book and then rushing through the denouement as quickly as she can. The Fire Rose is one of the more egregious examples of that fault.

Overall, this book is good but not great, and I appreciate it more for its introduction of Elemental Magic than as a stand-alone. There are definitely better books later on in the series.

The Fire Rose, by Mercedes Lackey

Do NOT judge this book by its cover!

"The Fire Rose" is a gem, a masterful retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story.

The Beauty is Rose Hawkins, a booksmart Chicago native working toward a doctorate at university. The Beast is Jason Cameron, a San Francisco rail baron, and a man trapped by hubris in the body of a wolf.

Left penniless when her father dies, Rose has few options for survival. She could work as a governess or a teacher, but pursuing her cherished degree is certainly out of the way. Disheartened by her situation, Rose accepts an employment offer from Jason Cameron: she will travel to San Francisco to be a governess to his children. Only when she arrives, Rose finds that Jason was lying to her: there are no children and instead she is to translate ancient alchemical books for him.

Far from being upset at the unusual situation, Rose is happy with her new life. She lives in luxury, and considers herself a research colleague rather than an employee. She is also unaware that the works she is reading to Jason are actually Magickal in content, and that Jason Cameron is a Firemaster. And Rose...she herself may have potential to do Magick.

"The Fire Rose," is to me, an almost flawless book. I've read my copy so many times the binding is worn out, and it would be a book I'd take to a desert island. Rose and Jason are two of my favorite characters of all time. I feel like they are old friends, and I dearly wish that Lackey had continued their story. "The Fire Rose" is a one book story, and has a good ending; it's just my personal (and greedy) wish for more of them.

Lackey creates a plausible magic system, and explains it over the course of the book. Because Rose reads Jason many texts, it gives the author a great way to explain how the system works. The author also pays plenty of attention to detail. "The Fire Rose" fits in perfectly with the time it is set, as all comparisons are made to period events or people. The descriptions of clothing and furnishings are sumptuous, and helped me immerse myself in the book.

There's a little of something for everybody in "The Fire Rose," and I'm always sad when I read the last page.

5/5.

"The Fire Rose" is an excellent historical fantasy, full of period detail and rich characterizations. This was Mercedes Lackey's first book about Elemental magic, and in my opinion, her best of the three (so far).
Rose is a scholar in a bad bind; her father's just died, her money is gone, the creditors are howling at the door, and she has few options and almost no hope.
Enter Jason Cameron. He's a man with a bad problem of his own; because of extreme hubris, he attempted a spell to turn him into a werewolf. It didn't totally work, but the partial working has left him tired, ill, injured and feeling almost without hope himself.
Cameron needs a scholar who can translate old manuscripts, because only those manuscripts have the potential to help them, and because of his disability, he can no longer read them himself. Rose is a scholar who can read almost anything (she talks of reading Ovid, Sappho's poems, the Decameron, etc.) in just about any language, which is why he wants her help. The two of them link up, and find a most unusual love.
Other than that, I don't want to give away the plot; they obviously face trials and tribulations on the road to a fuller realization of their love, but if I talk about them, I'll definitely spoil this unusual and unique story.
So all I'll say is, "Read this book for yourself!"
Five stars. Recommended.
Barb Caffrey
Oh, and if you've tried "Gates of Sleep" and didn't like it (I didn't, although I enjoyed "Serpent's Shadow" well enough), you might like this. I did.

Because the elemental masters series is DAW, this BAEN book doesn't quite fit although it was Lackey's first novel about an elemental master. Jason cameron is perhaps one of the best examples of a character full of hubris since the ancients and he pays for it. Set in Chicago and in San Francisco just before "the big shake" it is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a different spin. Yes, they live happilly ever after, but the way they get there is just a little off center. There's no need to recount the story, it's familiar to all of us. No there is no magic rose except for Rosalind Hawkins and she is indeed magic as well as being a strong woman. I like what Lackey has done with one of my favorite fairy tales. I own at least 5 retellings of this tale and this is one of the best, if not the best. She is a masterful fantasy (both high fantasy and urban fantasy)writer who does credit to her mentors--Marion Zimmer Bradley and Andre Norton --and this is one of her better tales. Hopefully it will be reissued sometime soon--before my poor paperback copy is worn out from re-reading. If you can't find it in a used bookstore, march yourself to a library and read it.

OK...another B&B story...what can one expect? At first I wanted to scream "NO...not another one" but I quickly changed my tune.....
This book is more than I expected. A well developed, and well written story with remarkable characters & a different twist to the original form of the B&B tale...This book gives us an unexpected Beauty & the Beast story that will remain well with you....even after the last page is read and the book put away. I actually have this book in my Phantom of the Opera library collection...it sorta reminded me of Erik.....and this book has actually found its way into my "Phantom library" under the genre of "other" books that remind me of Erik.

If you enjoyed this book, you may want to try these books:

Phantom by Susan Kay
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Beast by Donna Jo Napoli
East by Edith Pattou
Through the Tempests Dark and Wild by Sharon Darrow
The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West by Mary Stanton

In what is Mercedes Lackey's best novel to date, 'Beauty and the Beast' is updated to 1905, where fabulously wealthy rail baron and Fire Master Jason Cameron has transformed himself into a wolfman and he needs the help of an tame scholar (female so that she is no threat) to help translate the Magickal texts that will give him clues to breaking the spell. Instead of the mouse he expects, he gets a lioness, Rosalind ('Rose') Hawkins, a classicalist and medievalist whom he has brought from Chicago to his San Francisco estate under false pretenses, supposedly to be a governess to his non-existent children. Penniless, she is more than willing change the terms of the initial agreement to do interesting work in luxurious surroundings, even with someone who may be a madman. She eventually learns the truth about Jason and begins to grow as a Magician herself. But Jason has enemies who do not want him to return to human form and full power, or wish to exploit his power for themselves. And then terror strikes, both from Magickal and natural sources....
Lackey has done considerable research into this historical period and does a very good job of bringing early 20th century Chicago and San Francisco to life. She also makes the Cameron mansion, and indeed, all the other locales, into very real places with her rich descriptions - I have noticed that she is particularly good at describing food, clothing and furniture. More importantly for a fantasy novel, she makes the supernatural as real as the commonplace. Her magic systems (Western and Eastern) are extremely well thought out, even 'scientific', and undoubtedly based on 'real' magic systems. There is a nice parallel here to the magic of Valdemar, which is measurable and follows mathematical laws. The story moves at a crisp pace, full of dramatic situations, culminating in the horror of the San Francisco earthquake, and Lackey's style makes the book nearly impossible to put down.
What has always been Lackey's greatest strength is her ability to create characters who one can immediately like and identify with, even in her earliest novels where the technical prowess of her writing was limited. I cared about what happened to Rose from the very beginning. She is a strong, smart, intellectual, adaptable, no-nonsense person, perhaps a bit TOO forward and opinionated, and yes, a little greedy. True, I share her interest in medieval studies, and the fact that she's an opera lover certainly doesn't lower my estimation of her, but I don't think readers who aren't interested in these topics to the extent that I am will also empathize with her. Jason too is a fascinating character - despite his hubris, selfishness, and ruthlessness, he has many moments of sympathy and is Rose's intellectual equal. The repartee between them and their growing affection is believable from the beginning. Yes, I suppose it's 'predictable' that they fall in love - but it doesn't stop one from wanting to see the way it happens. Also many of the 'minor characters', from Professor Cathcart to Earth Master Pao to Snyder to the townhouse maid to the boorish salesman who molests Rose, are vividly drawn, as are the Salamander and Sylph who serve Jason and Rose. And, oh yes, what would a Lackey novel be without a VERY special horse?
I admit, though, that I'm not entirely unsympathetic to the reviewers who complain that Lackey's villains are a little too 'black'. Although Paul Du Mond is a well developed character despite his viciousness, we know that Jason is no saint, so it might have added a bit more depth if Simon Beltaire had a really legitimate reason to dislike him. While unlike other reviewers I didn't have a problem with the climax (an interesting spin on Cocteau), I did feel that Lackey glosses over a MAJOR accomplishment Rose achieves in the epilogue (I'm not referring to romantic matters). I also thought the character names were a bit too 'romance-novelish', but that's picky. To be even more picky, I noticed a few things that apparently escaped the proofreader - at one point Jason calls Rose 'Miss Cameron' instead of 'Miss Hawkins'!
I think Lackey has created a wonderful universe here and I would like to see her write many more novels set in it. Although I enjoyed 'The Serpent's Shadow', I want to see more of Rose and Jason - perhaps Lackey eventually plans for them to team up with Maya and Peter? I am already imagining the adventures they can have. If nothing else, considering how much Rose loves Caruso, I really hope that she and Jason live to see Jussi Bjorling's San Francisco debut in 1949!
Perhaps this book is not 'great literature', as some of the other reviewers seemed to expect, but it doesn't have to be. Even if it doesn't have the philosophical and emotional depth of GREAT SF/Fantasy, it has the sense of wonder and imagination of very GOOD SF/Fantasy. Maybe 'The Fire Rose' is 'mind candy', but it's extraordinarily delicious, and I've sampled it over and over again.

Mercedes Lackey is a genuine master of fantasy fiction. In The Fire Rose, we are treated to the tale of Rose, a newly orphaned university student during the first decade of the twentieth century. This was a time when it wasn't exactly considered proper for a female to pursue any sort of advanced education. Having just lost her father, and then her home to creditors, Rose begins to consider ending it all. Her salvation, at least so it seems, arrives in the form of an offer of employment. Thus begins Rose's adventure, where she confronts a man who appears a beast, and cads who are truly beasts.

Those who are looking for dwarves, dragons, and high adventure are advised to look elsewhere. As with many of Mercedes Lackey's books the magic elements of the story take a very distinct back seat to character development. And rightly so, for Lackey has a talent for bringing what could easily be cookie-cutter characters fully to life and leading them through periods of change and growth.
In this book Rose, the main character, is a female scholar in a time where opportunities for women are few. Set in Gilded Age San Francisco the overarching theme of the book is her struggle against her own lack of options. Of course, there must be a fantasy element, happily provided by a wizard who employs Rose to help him research his way out of a lycanthropic predicament that has left him unable to read. The predictable romance between the two is slightly stilted, but perhaps appropriate for two characters who are in almost every way extremely reserved. The real treat in this book is Rose's running internal dialog, which gives us a believable glimpse of what a highly intelligent woman must feel in highly unusual circumstances.
Overall this book lacks large amounts of magic, action, and ancient mysteriousness, while supplying a healthy portion of social commentary and a side dish of romance. I found it relaxing summer reading, but the little boy in me wanted more things to blow up!

After being sunken into debts and faced with the death of her father, Rosalind Hawkins is forced to leave Chicago as an heiress and move to San Francisco, a governess. But when she is received in the house of her new master, Jason Cameron, Rose is startled to find that there are no children, and her assignment is not to be a tutor but a translator of ancient texts, to a man recently disfigured and unable to read them due to a somber "accident".

But Jason's accident was merely a curse gone awry. As a Fire Master of the Elements, Cameron was more than prepared to attempt the almost impossible: change himself into a controllable werewolf form. But what he was not ready for was the permanent transformation into a half beast/half man, caused by a mistake in the spell.

Never coming face-to-face, the two soon learn what it means to care. And when Rose is forced to see the real Jason, it draws her closer. Even when he shocks her in a way no human could've acted, never will they forget the love they had, have...

I thought this book was an amazing and creative way to tie in Beauty and the Beast. Every minute of reading was enjoyable, and when you finish the story, it leaves you grinning. I do recommend this to fantasy/fairy-tale/romance readers, but if you're open to it, anyone can enjoy it.

Misty's descriptions and details of life in the 1900s, as well as her vivid portrayal of the protagonists, are extremely detailed and makes this book an enjoyable read. This is a typical "beauty and the beast" type of book, mixed with Gothic romance and a touch of fantasy. Rosalind Hawkins charms us with her incredible strength of character and spunk - a sterotypical Misty female protagonist. However, the villians, Du Mond and Beltaire, are a bit too blantantly portrayed. I would prefer a bit more subtlety, and maybe endow them with a few redeeming qualities so they would not be just some other "cardboard" villians. The ideas of magicks, the salamanders and the elements were rather innovative and original. This book, despite its smooth plot and well-defined characters, does not make you think, and thus is rather shallow. It's readability, the moving tribute it is to the qualities of love, and the characters whom you can sympathize with, though, make it well worth your read.

At first I was apprehensive to read this book, but while on a roll of reading "Beauty and the Beast" retellings, I picked it up. And I'm glad I did.

"The Fire Rose" is a truly well-written and intelligent piece of fiction. It begins in 1905 Chicago, and Rosalind Hawkins' father just died. With no one left to help her with her father's debts, Rosalind's life seems to be heading in an unfortunate or even unsavory direction. However, a visit from her old professor leads her to an oppurtunity in the form of a letter. Jason Cameron needs assistance with his children's education at his estate in San Francisco. However, upon arriving Rosalind finds that she has been tricked--there are no children to attend to, but Jason Cameron himself needs someone to read books to him that are in multiple languages. He had had a tragic accident that had left him too impaired to read himself. The texts are odd, and one misstep from one of Cameron's "servants" leads Rose to find out the truth--Cameron is a Firemaster and Magick exists.

The wit of Rosalind Hawkins walks the fine line of being annoying and admirable. Jason Cameron's character is balanced well with arrogance and care. It is extremely well-written and found myself enjoying every page. The story didn't lag and I did not find myself waiting for it to end [much like I did for the last "Beauty and the Beast" retelling I read].

It was a refreshing read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can't wait to read another Elemental Masters book.

A very fascinating retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale.

Not overtly sexy, but very mysterious and romantic. Great female lead character. FANTASTIC settings, beautiful language. Mesmerizing for the most part.

Loses 1 star for being a little slow in some places.

This book started out entertaining and Lackey seemed to devote time to setting up the scenarios and characters. However, as time went on, there was less and less support for the otherwise unbelieveable events in this book. I know fantasy is made out of the unbelieveable. However, as I've said for other books, good writing supports the story and immerses you in the world so completely that you forget how fantastic the images are. This book starts failing in that about halfway through.

I thought that the main characters were generally well fleshed out. The magical characters were very amusing. However, the antagonists were very very one dimensional, and Lackey seems to go to great efforts to prove just how evil they are. The funny thing is, even though the examples she uses should be horrifying, it just doesn't create the right effect since the characters have so little depth and the scenes are so flat.

I also have a problem with the ending. It's very rushed and there's little to no climax.

In short, for a quick easy read, this book can be mildly entertaining. If you like books with more substance and have something else to read, I'd say don't bother.

At first I was apprehensive to read this book, but while on a roll of reading "Beauty and the Beast" retellings, I picked it up. And I'm glad I did.

"The Fire Rose" is a truly well-written and intelligent piece of fiction. It begins in 1905 Chicago, and Rosalind Hawkins' father just died. With no one left to help her with her father's debts, Rosalind's life seems to be heading in an unfortunate or even unsavory direction. However, a visit from her old professor leads her to an oppurtunity in the form of a letter. Jason Cameron needs assistance with his children's education at his estate in San Francisco. However, upon arriving Rosalind finds that she has been tricked--there are no children to attend to, but Jason Cameron himself needs someone to read books to him that are in multiple languages. He had had a tragic accident that had left him too impaired to read himself. The texts are odd, and one misstep from one of Cameron's "servants" leads Rose to find out the truth--Cameron is a Firemaster and Magick exists.

The wit of Rosalind Hawkins walks the fine line of being annoying and admirable. Jason Cameron's character is balanced well with arrogance and care. It is extremely well-written and found myself enjoying every page. The story didn't lag and I did not find myself waiting for it to end [much like I did for the last "Beauty and the Beast" retelling I read].

It was a refreshing read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can't wait to read another Elemental Masters book.

A very fascinating retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale.

Not overtly sexy, but very mysterious and romantic. Great female lead character. FANTASTIC settings, beautiful language. Mesmerizing for the most part.

Loses 1 star for being a little slow in some places.

This book started out entertaining and Lackey seemed to devote time to setting up the scenarios and characters. However, as time went on, there was less and less support for the otherwise unbelieveable events in this book. I know fantasy is made out of the unbelieveable. However, as I've said for other books, good writing supports the story and immerses you in the world so completely that you forget how fantastic the images are. This book starts failing in that about halfway through.

I thought that the main characters were generally well fleshed out. The magical characters were very amusing. However, the antagonists were very very one dimensional, and Lackey seems to go to great efforts to prove just how evil they are. The funny thing is, even though the examples she uses should be horrifying, it just doesn't create the right effect since the characters have so little depth and the scenes are so flat.

I also have a problem with the ending. It's very rushed and there's little to no climax.

In short, for a quick easy read, this book can be mildly entertaining. If you like books with more substance and have something else to read, I'd say don't bother.

This book is not the typical Beauty meets Beast love story. It goes beyond that, becoming a story of education of the mind, and of the soul. A young woman, who recently lost her father to time, gets an offer that no sane woman would refuse. She recieves notice that a woman, with her scholarly qualifiactions is needes to take care of two precocious children. She accepts the offer, but upon arrival finds the circumstances to be much changed. There are no children, but there is someone desperately in need of her knowledge, and unbeknownest to either of them, her heart as well

This story of a San Francisco governess and a magician turned werewolf is an entertaining blend of magic and love. Lacky manages to steer clear of the Disneyfication that could have cropped up in the tale. Alongside the archetypal fairy tale are Chinatown whorehouses and the genral squaller of the seedier part of San Fransisco circa the early 2oth century. Recomended for those times when your head has been buried in Crowley for three weeks and feels as though its about to explode!

A fantasy of a retold fairy-tale that will thoroughly grab your attention, this book incorporates original fantasy in the form of Fire, Air, Water and Earth Elementals as well as wonderful characters. The heroine of this story is a unique woman who is a believable character for her un-womanly characteristics of learning in the early 1900's. Portrayed well by Lackey as a scholar who is interested as well in material things, the main character learns to cope with her own magic, creating a fabulous book. Another must-read by Lackey

Rosalind (Rose), a university student in the 1800s, has just lost her home and is about to accept a strange offer from Jason Cameron, who she soon finds out is a "man" who can work magic--(elementals: air, fire, water, earth)...Her new life is wonderful--great pay, great house, magical servants,books, everything she could possibly want...This is a delightful beauty and the beast story with Misty Lackey's style weaved in with magic and fairy tale. :)

Mercedes Lackey has possibly given the best retelling of Beauty and the Beast ever. I love this book, and bought it when it first came out in paperback. I love it so much, I re-read it once a year. In fact, the pages are starting to fall out, and it will soon be time to buy a new one.

Although Rose may start out a little shaky, she really turns into a wonderful heroine. I always cheer for her throughout and can't wait for her to discover herself and love. Jason seems gruff, but turns out to be the most remarkable hero. The elements of magic woven into the plot, and the way Rose discovers what is really going on, are all masterfully done.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a nice fantasy story mixed with a heavy dose of romance. Terrific book!

At the two-thirds point: This book is somewhat reminiscent of Stephen Brust and Emma Bull's _Freedom_And_Necessity_ in that it is what I'd call a contemporary fantasy/period piece. I was curious, however, in that it seems to come across as 'mind-candy' rather than more serious. It just feels like the story itself (as well as the characters) has the potential for being something more. Perhaps it will grow as I approach the end of the tale, though my impression so far is that it will continue, as is, until its conclusion. Is this typical of Mercedes Lackey's 'style' of storytelling? I *am* enjoying the story, but I keep getting this nagging feeling that there is so much more that was either missed by the author, or just went completely past me - something so much darker and richer than actually came out in what I've read so far.
At the conclusion: Well, as it happens, I completed this book and it was pretty much as I'd guessed ... mind candy and lots of fun, though a bit of a disappointment in that the potential for a really detailed and intricate novel was left to waste. I did, in fact, still enjoy the novel as a whole 'cept for the 'rush to conclusion' in the final few chapters that crammed alot into a short space to wrap it all up.