This Rough Magic (Heirs of Alexandria Book 2)

First, it really doesn't read like the sequel it is...it can be read standalone quite well. Second, it reads like a terrifically well realized alternate history, rather than another of the ubiquitous elves-dwarves-and-orcs fantasies we are inundated with. Third, it actually has some closure at the end, so it isn't like certain other fantasy series which are apparently never going to go anywhere, and never end either.Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer are a perfectly matched writing trio...and a tripod is the strongest seat. They seamlessly craft this rich, colorful, and highly complex story, filled with historical in-jokes (Eneko Lopez and his friends are the original seven members of the Jesuit order) and even a few Baen Barfly in-jokes ("It was enough to give Erik the mutters.")Even the little, passing-through characters are very vividly realized, and are real people, not spearcarriers. Spiro, the Corfiote fisherman, for example, and his buddy, Taki the fisher captain, are human beings caught in the flash of the story's eye.I'm halfway through my third read of this book, and it is holding my attention so well that I have been sneaking off to read another couple of pages all day long.This is what alternate worlds fantasy should be. Kim Stanley Robinson, Harry Turtledove, and other practitioners, please take note. This is the reigning champion of the field.Walt Boyes

For anyone's info, this could be either considered the second or third in this series, although all of the books in this series are masterfully written to be stand-alone books (meaning you can start with any of them in any order and still know what's going on and fall in love with the characters), they are in a series. The first book is the Shadow of the Lion, then A Mankind Witch, then This Rough Magic. They're all Adeptclass books and what I call "can't put downs". I can't say how much sleep I have lost thanks to these authors either working together or separately. The only thing that would make this series better would be to bring in John Ringo as a co-author, or Mrs.Lackey needs to conspire with him on some other series Pleeeeeeease?

I really liked this book after I got into it but the first third was hard because I didn't read any of the others in the series and I didn't know the characters or their background. After I picked up on that it was very enjoyable. I only wish the series, Heirs of Alexandria, were numbered so I knew what books came before or after this one.

This is the following tale of "The Shadow of the Lion". It takes place in Corfu rather than Venice. Actually, it is an alternate reality in whichmagic persists and good and evil emesh the characters in a struggle for supremacy. The strength of this tale lise in the character development, especially of Maria and Benito. Most of the carryovers from the previous book are developed and humanized except Francesca, who seems a bit wooden and Marco and Katerina, who are reduced almost to caracatures. However it is in many ways a superior tale, and if you likked the first book, you will love this one.

This book is in the excellent Heirs of Alexandria series. I was getting a little burned out on fantasy fiction, but this series (with rotating authors including Eric Flint and Mercedes Lackey) revived my interest.

I thought the first book was the greatest fantasy epic I’ve read since LoTR. This sequel may be even better.

Benito comes into his own as a leader and loving father.

great series. looking forward for more in the future.

This book is a prequel to the other two books in the series, so I decided to start here.Now I have ordered the other two.

Interesting and gripping story of well drawn characters in an alternate universe, set in about Elizabethan times, very well written and makes you want to read more. Fascinating ideas well presented.

This will have to grow on me