The Sword of Maiden's Tears

Wow. What a way to start a series! I couldn't put this book down until I finished it (which wasn't really the smartest thing to do, with finals and all). The story is wonderfully written, and very unique. Has there ever been a heroine in a story who's a normal librarian? The ending actually almost had me in tears, since it's so different from what I expected. I agree with the person who said it first; have the second book ready! And when you read that one, be sure to have the third book ready! :)

You people know the summary. Elf in New York. Very humorous, brisk, emotional, and just moving. The plot tends to slump towards the middle and leans towards the totally random at times, but Ms. Edghill more than makes up for it with her intense characters and scenes.. oooh. Read it. Now. Or I'll smack you with a trout.

A rare picture of New York. After I read this book, I could barely breath before I found the next one. I love all the characters (except the grendel) Kevin's story makes you really feel the drama of the hero and his "dragon" (of whatever he questing to slay) in a whole new way. I love Naiomi "sniffle". After this rare and wonderful book, I want to move to New York and wander rainy streets at night in hope of a cute mugee . . .Please excuse the harmonal teenager. At any rate I really enjoyed this book every time I read and reread it. If you liked it the first time, buy it, you probably hooked.

A rare picture of New York. After I read this book, I could barely breath before I found the next one. I love all the characters (except the grendel) Kevin's story makes you really feel the drama of the hero and his "dragon" (or whatever heros quest to slay) in a whole new way. I love Naiomi "sniffle". After this rare and wonderful book, I want to move to New York and wander rainy streets at night in hope of a cute mugee . . .Please excuse the harmonal teenager. At any rate I really enjoyed this book every time I read and reread it. If you liked it the first time, buy it, you're hooked. If you like royal elves, read this book!

It is late at night in the busy streets of New York City, a place famous for its apathy and hostility. When walking home, you very nearly trip over the body of some unfortunate who just got a first hand look at New York City muggings. But this does not look like your average mugging victim -- he looks more like a Vulcan SCAer or an outcast from a live production of The Lord of the Rings. In short, he is an elf, a real, live (though quite bruised) elf in New York. And so begins Rosemary Edgehill's The Sword of Maiden's Tears, a thoroughly entertaining fantasy story with likable characters, a fast moving plot, and a surprising ending. Although most New Yorkers would probably step over the elf, Melior, without as much as a second glance, student librarian Ruth Marlowe takes him back to her dorm, agreeing to help him find what was stolen from him: a cursed sword that turned any human who touched it into a monster. So now it was up to Ruth, her fellow student librarians, and Melior to get the sword back before the body count became too high, and the beast, known as a grendel, became too strong. But in a city as big as New York, such things are easier said than done. The main characters in the novel are quite likable and very realistic -- they have real faults and real weaknesses. Jane was the bitter product of too many skipped grades and a lost childhood, Ruth was very trusting and in the beginning was the only one who believed Melior's story, Philip was an irritating (but useful) hacker, Naomi was a cook with a lot of common sense and skill in martial arts, Michael was a cool-tempered former cop,and Melior was the at times haughty elf. They were not perfect and, as proved in the ending, the "good guys" do win out in the end, but their victory comes with a price. Although nearly 300 pages in length, The Sword of Maidens Tears was a fast moving, entertaining novel that I am sure I will reread many times. It was not the average fantasy story, since it took place on Earth instead of in some distant Avalon or other such place. It also makes the reader step back and think of how strange our society actually is; how confusing all of the lights and machines and huge cities would be to someone who had never seen such things before. It also made me think about what the world would be like if all the legends were real and monsters like the cannibalistic grendel actually did exist in the world.