| $@%&! level: Low “Bedroom” level: Low Violence level: Medium-Low Back Cover: The Harton School for Boys and Girls, run by Isabelle and Frederick Harton, is one of the few schools that takes students whose magic doesn't pertain to the elements, and who are, therefore, frequently ignored by the Elemental Masters. Such unheeded gifts include clairvoyance, telepathy, and the very rare ability to truly communicate with the dead. Sarah Jane's parents, missionary healers in Africa, send the 12-year-old to Harton, and she is happy there, especially after she befriends Nan, a street urchin. After an attempt is made on Sarah and Nan's lives, it is clear that a powerful Elemental Master wants one or both girls dead. Isabelle Harton must seek the aid of the Elemental Masters of London, though the Masters' Circle is led by Lord Alderscroft, who once cruelly jilted her.” |
Now, all of that is annoying, but makes a useful plot device, and I get the feeling Mercedes Lackey enjoys rubbing it in repeatedly with him. The thing is that with this kind of background, you'd think he'd know better. He's got some very deeply ingrained habits of thought, which this book catalogs extensively (I actually started skipping over Alderscroft's internal dialogue because I found it both boring and insulting, which is quite a feat). After having his life saved by three lower-class women, two of them just children (which has got to be humiliating), you'd think he'd learn to adjust his attitude. And he does...sort of. But not much.
In terms of plot, it's meant to be a retelling of the Snow Queen fairy tale, but it really only bears a passing resemblance. The people meant to resemble the main characters of the fairy tale are the supporting characters of the novel, and the main story is given to Sarah and Nan, who are admittedly rather more interesting. And Grey and Neville, of course, who are even more interesting than the girls in my opinion. My problem with it is that, although things are continually happening, and they're generally interesting and exciting things, a lot of them don't seem to be particularly connected to the main plot. They're mostly just passing the time until someone figures out the problem and can have the final confrontation. And although I do really enjoy Puck as a character, he becomes a bit repetitive as a way to solve problems. Oh, and I'm not at all sure I understand why the antagonist attacks Sarah in the first place. She'd have been much safer to simply avoid her—London is a big city, after all, and a medium-sized Medium can't be everywhere.
Altogether, not my favorite of the Elemental Masters novels.