Elemental Magic
43. Sharon Shinn, Rebecca York, Carol Berg, and Jean Johnson, Elemental Magic
In this fantasy collection, the stories share a common theme: each is inspired by one of the four elements. All four stories also combine fantasy with romance, and the end result is generally good. Here’s my take on each of the four stories:
Sharon Shinn, “Bargain with the Wind” (air) - This re-imagining of the Cinderella story is narrated by Nettie, the housekeeper of a grand estate called Grey Moraine. A new master has just inherited the estate, and he gives a grand ball at which the beautiful and mysterious Lady Charis appears. The master is besotted, but Nettie believes that Lady Charis is hiding a potentially dangerous secret. I really liked this story; the characters are well developed, and I like the world of earth-spirits and air-demons that Shinn creates. This is probably the most romantic of the four stories, and I loved the climactic scene where Lady Charis’ secret is revealed.
Jean Johnson, “Birthright” (earth) - Arasa has just set forth on a quest that will determine whether she or her twin sister is the true heir to the throne of Flame Sea. In the course of her travels she meets Elrik, a mage from one of the barbarian nations that borders her own. He offers to help Arasa on her quest, and love soon grows between them - but Arasa must confront treachery and betrayal before she can claim her throne. This story was decent, although I thought that the romance developed too quickly and the sex scene was totally gratuitous. I did like how honest Arasa and Elrik were with each other, though; it’s a refreshing change of pace, when most heroes and heroines in romance novels can’t communicate properly! I thought this story was okay, but it’s one of the weaker offerings in the collection.
Carol Berg, “Unmasking” (water) - In Ezzaria, sorcery is a much-admired talent, and it’s a much-needed one as well: Ezzarians are charged with fighting the demons that possess unwary souls throughout the world. Joelle is a young sorceress who struggles somewhat with her powers; yet when a dangerous spy from a neighboring kingdom tries to discover the secrets of Ezzaria’s magic, Joelle is chosen to stop him. Her partner in this mission is a farmer without one spark of magical talent, yet she is surprisingly drawn to him. This was my favorite story in the collection: the romance was lovely, the details of the world fascinating, and the magical system tantalizing. I would gladly read more stories (or novels!) set in this world.
Rebecca York, “Huntress Moon” (fire) - Desperate to get her sick mother the treatment she needs, the beautiful and virginal Zarah agrees to be sold into slavery. Her duties will include spying on her new owner, a man named Griffin, in hopes of discovering his dark secret. Meanwhile, Griffin hopes to distract himself from his many troubles by bedding his new slave, but the sexual chemistry between them makes them both reconsider their choices. For me, this was the clear weak link in the collection; I couldn’t quite understand why Zarah was in this situation to begin with, and I was confused about the world of the story. Also, the “love” between her and Griffin seems to arise out of nothing but physical chemistry. This is the most sexually explicit of the stories, but those scenes contribute nothing to the actual plot. I would not read this story again.