The Serpent's Shadow

OK, not really. It took until the second reading of this book for me to figure out what it had been based on, and even then, it is very well disguised. Mercedes Lackey's rewritten fairy tales are a delight. The twists on this one are totally unexpected, and until I started thinking, I didn't even realize which fairy tale it was. Snow White in this case is two characters. The protagonist, Maya Whitherspoon, and her mother, Surya. Surya is the one who excapes from the wicked witch and manages to live for 20 or so years as an Englishman's wife until the wicked witch (her twin sister in this case) realizes that the heart that she was brought wasn't actually Surya's. At which point, Surya succombs to illness and dies. Shortly thereafter her particular handsome prince also dies and leaves adult daughter Maya to take up the mantle of Snow White. Maya flees to Edwardian England with Surya's seven pets (enter the seven dwarves) who are more than they seem. The story itself takes place in London of the very early 20th Century where Maya with the aid of her pets and her own handsome prince defeats the evil queen (well, d'uh it *is* a fairy tale) and she lives happily ever after with the handsome prince. Or, at least we presume so.

This book will make you think. It is well written. I loved the main character. I felt like she was someone that I could relate to. The plot was thick with excitement. I did not quite expect it to unfold as it did. I love a book that can surprise me. The pets are an interesting part of this tale. I think it was great how Lackey worked them into the story. This is so like and unlike Snow White all at the same time. It is one of the better Snow White rewrites out there.

I don't know about you, but I don't generally select my fantasy books based on how accurate their real-world depiction is. If you are one of those people, stop reading now: this recommendation is not for you. For the rest of us, I loved The Serpent's Shadow. I was instantly taken with Maya, whose life is made difficult because she is an intelligent woman living in a time where the number of women doctors are infintesimal, but more so because her father was English and her mother Indian. Lackey paints us a gorgeous picture of her life, her friends, and her dwelling deep in London; I've read this book enough that I've imagined her animal friends in their greenhouse lair, her surgery, and the robes she prefers to English clothing. Despite any probable cultural or historical inaccuracies, I found the tale of the evil aunt quite enthralling, wondering how she was going to complete her evil deeds (and being amused by the form her kidnapping of Maya took). Fun, solid story, and a worthy addition to The Elemental Masters series.

Serpent's Shadow is a long overdue follow-up novel in the same vein as the "Fire Rose". Set again in the early 1900's,but this time in Britain, our heroine is Maya Witherspoon, orphaned daughter of a British surgeon and a high-caste Hindu mother with formidable magical powers, magical powers which Maya has inherited, but is untrained and unable to use effectively. Her mother's evil sister Shivani has murdered both of Maya's parents, causing Maya to flee with her odd, but loyal household to 19th century London. Here, Maya, herself a talented doctor and surgeon, must deal with all the prejudices of the age, against women, women doctors, and children of mixed heritage. Even many of those who should be her natural allies, the elemental Masters of Magic, are affected with these prejudices. How Maya deals and overcomes these obstacles to win the day make for an exciting story- I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. As an added treat, there is a delightful tribute to Dorothy L. Sayers, and her "Busman's Honeymoon", woven into the story. Altogether an excellent read.

When the sun never set on Britannia, many disgruntled natives living in India turn to the dark side by worshipping the evil Goddess Kali-Purga. Most of the followers joined the deadly thugee cult, a group that used force to obtain their demands. Shivani is a high priestess who loathes the English. She uses her powers to kill her sister who had the audacity to marry a British doctor and to make matters worse, she had a daughter with the foreigner. When Shivani murders her father, Maya flees India for the relative safety of London where she tends to the medical needs of the poor. Shivani follows her to London, planning to cause mass chaos, trepidation, and death in order to force the infidel English from her country. Shivani also plans to kill Maya, but that proves difficult as she is closely guarded and has own powers. THE SERPENT'S SHADOW is a beautiful fantasy tale that leaves the audience believing in a happily ever after. Mercedes Lackey's latest novel will please romance fans as well. This adult fairy tale is brilliantly crafted just as the previous tale in this series, THE SUMMER RISE is. A secondary character deserves his story be told in a future edition. Recapture the innocence and pleasures of youth with this fabulous novel.Harriet Klausner