This Scepter'd Isle
- Book Review,
by Mercedes Lackey
From Publishers Weekly
In this exciting historical fantasy from veterans Lackey (Exile's Valor) and Gellis (Bull God), Rhoslyn and Pasgen Silverhair, elven twins kidnapped by Vidal Dhu and raised as Unseleighe Sidhe, receive alternative visions of the future. In one, a red-headed child born to Henry VIII ascends to the throne after the king's death, leading Britain into a prosperous and joyous future. In the other, another child rules, and with her coronation opens Britain to the fires of the Inquisition. Unbeknownst to Rhoslyn and Pasgen, however, the same double vision comes to their half-siblings among the Bright Court elves, Denoriel and Aleneil. Thus inspired, the two sets of twins set out to force the future they each desire. Denoriel attaches himself to Henry FitzRoy, the bastard son of Henry VIII, who may be the key to ensuring the red-headed child's rule, while Rhoslyn assumes a place in Princess Mary's household. FitzRoy, who grows from a sweet, innocent child into a sweet, innocent young adult, and Denoriel, who goes from reluctant nursemaid to dedicated almost father, get most of the attention, but it's the dark twins who provide the most interest. The mental, magical and eventually physical battle between the two sets of twins speeds the entertaining plot along, and knowledgeable readers—hey, that Anne Boleyn is going to lose her head—will enjoy the interplay between elven intervention and historical fact. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Lackey and Gellis' account of elvish intervention in the intrigues of the court of King Henry VIII of England is quite competently written, but then one expects no less from these authors, either separately or in collaboration. The human protagonist is Harry Fitzroy, Henry's illegitimate son. About the time Henry started thinking of divorcing Catherine of Aragon, there was a fair amount of speculation in the courts of Europe as to whether he would declare his only son--Harry Fitzroy--his heir. In the world conjured by Lackey and Gellis, both the bright and the dark elvish court seek to control the "red-haired babe" who will bring England to greatness. Since at least three of Henry's children were red-haired as infants, confusion and intrigue--the latter initiated by the elves, directly and through their human servants--abound, making for an entertainingly convoluted complex of plots and subplots. This magical Tudor court makes for a fun read, without doing violence to anything known about any historical character involved. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
The FarSeers among the Sidhe of Elfhame Avalon have seen two visions of the future. In one, an evil queen will take the throne and welcome the Inquisition in, debauching the nation and threatening even the elf strongholds throughout the land. In another, a red-haired child will grow up to take the throne and usher in a golden age of literature, music, and art. The evil Unseleighe Sidhe, who draw power from pain and misery, welcome the coming of a ruler of humans who will increase their strength, and are determined to prevent the red-haired child from coming to the throne. Unless the good Sidhe can find the child and protect her from the evils and dangers of both the human and elven worlds, she will never grow up to become Elizabeth, Queen of England in the Sixteenth Century.
About the Author
Mercedes Lackey is the author of the Bardic Voices series and the SERRAted Edge series (both Baen), the Heralds of Valdemar series (DAW), and many more. Of her writing, Stephen King has stated, "She'll keep you up long past your bedtime," and Locus raved, "Lackey is one of the best storytellers in the field." She has her own fan club with over 1,000 members, and was one of the first writers to have an online newsgroup devoted to her writing. Among her popular Baen titles are The Fire Rose, The Lark and the Wren, and The Shadow of the Lion (with Eric Flint and Dave Freer). She lives in Oklahoma. Roberta Gellis is author of over 25 novels in different fields. New York Times best-selling author John Jakes has called her "a superb storyteller of extraordinary talent," Publishers Weekly has termed her "a master of the medieval historical," and Romantic Times has praised her as "a master spinner of tales." Her many awards include: The Silver and Gold Medal Porgy for historical novels from West Coast Review of Books and the Golden Certificate and Golden Pen from Affaire de Coeur. From Romantic Times she has received both the Award for Best Novel in the Medieval Period and also the Lifetime Achievement Award for Historical Fantasy. And the Romance Writers of America have presented her with their Lifetime Achievement Award. Her previous fantasy titles for Baen are Bull God and Thrice Bound.
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