"Action-packed second Obsidian fantasy"

The Golden City of Armethalieh's Mage Council banished Kellen for possessing three books on the banned Wild Magic. Kellen left knowing how disappointed his sire, head of the council, was with him for practicing heresy. He quickly proves his worth at least outside the human population as a powerful warrior Knight Mage (see the award winning THE OUTSTRETCHED SHADOW).

The elves honor on Kellen when they name him to their war council. Still in spite of his recent military and wizardry success, Kellen fails to persuade his hometown's Mage Council that danger remains from the deadly Demon Queen. These obstinate human magic practitioners cannot see beyond their "High" use because the enemy has infiltrated the council influencing everything.

While Kellen fails with the human council, his Wild Mage healer sister Idalia and his eleven knight-in-arms brother Jermayan fall in love. Though an elf and human relationship is uncommon, even rarer is that Jermayan bonds with a dragon. Stunned to learn of the bonding, the Demon Queen sends her minion in waves to destroy her enemies.

The action-packed second Obsidian fantasy grips readers from the moment that the human Kellen struggles with adverse weather (he grew up in a mage-controlled climate) and never slows down until the final altercation. The story line is fast-paced and never feels like a middle passage. Though it would help to read the first book prior to this one to gain a better understanding of the cast especially Kellen, fantasy fans know few if any authors can light a candle better than Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory can.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 27, 2004

Summary

In The Outstretched Shadow, which was named by VOYA as Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror book for 2003, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory introduced readers to a complex new fantasy world populated by humans, centaurs, elves, talking unicorns, and demons. The Golden City of the Bells, where only humans live, is ruled by the Mage Council, practitioners of High Magic---a powerful magic that is stable and reliable, though rigidly controlled and performed only by men. Outside the City's walls, humans and magical beings mix freely and call upon Wild Magic---a system sometimes erratic, always driven by desire and need, and performed by both men and women. Now, in To Light a Candle, the Demon Queen sends her forces against her human and elven enemies, sowing distraction and death. In the human City, the Queen's agents work to divide the Council and foment rebellion among the City's citizens. In the countryside, they target the most vulnerable and valuable---the young Elf Prince and the Wild Mages who might be the Demons' most dangerous enemies. To his own surprise, young Kellen, once the disappointing son of the great Mage who leads the City's Mage Council, has become a powerful Knight-Mage. Valued for his bravery and his skills as both wizard and warrior, Kellen joins the Elves' war councils. Yet he cannot convince the City of his birth that it is in terrible danger. Kellen's sister Idalia, a Wild Mage with great healing ability, has pledged her heart to Jermayan, a proud Elven warrior. Someday Idalia will pay a tragic Price for a world- saving work of Wild Magic, but until then, she will claim any joy life can offer her. Jermayan, who has learned much while fighting at Kellen's side and loving the human Idalia, finds that everything changes when he Bonds with a dragon while rescuing the Elf Prince and becomes the first Elven Mage in a thousand years. Furious at her enemies' success with the dragon, the Demon Queen attacks in force. Light struggles against Dark, like flickering candleflames buried deep in the shadow of Obsidian Mountain.