Beyond World's End
by Mercedes Lackey, Rosemary Edghill
fantasy
copyright 2001
read in November 2014
rated 6/10: read to pass the time
Mercedes Lackey appears to be the grand ruler of a particular set of Elven worlds. There are plenty of Elven books with Lackey named as author and one or two others as co-author. Perhaps it's like academic papers, where students do the work and the supervisor's name guarantees publication...
This book is one of a music themed series set in the Lackey universe. I checked Wikipedia to see where it fits in which series... and the answer is too complicated ! As far as I can tell, there are several series of books and short stories and they all overlap and interact.
Just accept it. This book is just one episode in a continuing saga. Yet it can easily be read alone. Which is both good and bad...
There is enough back-story to tell us what went before. Perhaps a bit too much back-story. Noooo... Some of it is irrelevant but it's all good fun. Much like the rest of the book. Good fun.
There are really nasty villains. Really nice support cast. Side plots which sound like fun but which go nowhere. Yes, I can see a lot more books in the future of this series...
Then the hero is in a terrible predicament -- so he used his extra-strength magical powers to escape. He's in another terrible predicament -- so he overacts, to gain the villain's respect. Another terrible predicament -- so he waits for the cavalry to ride to his rescue...
No doubt that he will escape. No great suffering, no interminable suspense. Just action, low level romance... and good fun.
Oh, and detailed descriptions of the hero's new apartment, of all its furniture and fittings, even of the contents of every drawer and cupboard. Regular changes of clothes, with descriptions of each item worn. Romantic interest, villains, various support characters, all carefully dressed and carefully described.
Yes, by all my definitions, this is chick lit fantasy !
If you enjoy the Lackey Elven books, well, this is one of them. I'm neutral: I read it, enjoyed it, would read more but will not go out of my way to find more.
It's an easy read with a rather dark and brutal set of villains. There are plenty of loose threads which will add enjoyment to future books. It's set in a standard Elven universe with predefined characters but it reads well as a standalone novel.
Good fun. Strong yet sympathetic descriptions of human poverty, despair and drug use. An overall sense that caring and niceness will win the day.
I enjoyed it.
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