The Wizard of London (2005)

I have concluded that the weakest part of this series is the halfassed fairy-tale part. The Wizard of London begins with a charming Victorian urchin adventure (that I had previously encountered, and liked quite well, as a short story) and continues from there. It's entertaining - Lackey does earnest yet mischievous children well. However, awkwardly bolted on to that half of the story is the backstory of David, Lord Alderscroft, who we've met in older although not actually crochetier guise in earlier books. It's boring, since we know he gets out of it just fine and doesn't really become a nicer person, and it's built around the framework of the Snow Queen, which is my least favorite fairy tale ever.

So, full marks for the entertaining children, boo to the boring adults. ( )

This isn't very good. I just love it. Mercedes Lackey is an excellent fairy tale writer for the fairytale-brained. ( )

A Young Adult fantasy set in Victorian London. The heros are two girls at a boarding school: Sarah, daughter of African missionaries, sent back to England for school and training of her magical Talents, and Nan, guttersnipe and also Talented. They each have a familiar - a grey parrot and a Tower raven. Their pleasant life at boarding school becomes entangled with some of the higher Elemental magicians and their power plays.
This is apparently book 4 of a series I haven't read, but it stands well on its own. It is a pleasant diversion - easily read, well-written for its intended audience. It reminded me less of Harry Potter and more of early Shirley Temple movies. ( )

In the Elemental Masters' novel, Lackey has created a world with magic based around the elements, each book follows another tale and sometimes has a slight reference to fairy tales within them. The Wizard of London follows Nan and Sarah, two unlikely friends who see more than most but aren't old enough to control what happens around them. There are hints of Andersen's Snow Queen within this story but I didn't notice until this reread. Young readers who enjoy Stroud's Bartimeus books will find much to enjoy here as will any readers of fantasy works. Lackey paints a striking picture of Victorian London and though she does at time point out social differences more than showing, the charming characters and fast moving plot quickly move beyond these shortcomings. The great joy of this series is that there are many books to read and each one is a different experience. ( )

Probably more of a 3.5 stars, but I enjoyed it.The best part of this book was the magical world presented. It's an alternate history, set in England in a past much like ours. There was a world of elemental mages, with the power to control an element and the magical creatures associated with that sphere, and those with more psychic gifts-- like speaking with the dead as well as various battle related skills.The characters were also interesting, particularly David Alderscroft. He's a basically good guy being lured by the pull of power, led by a mentor who is much more than she appears. Isabelle also had an interesting story, linked long ago with David's. After their relationship ended, she went to India, and found her husband. Together they have built a very satisfying life, including a school for children of British citizens living abroad-- particularly those with magical talents of the non-elemental variety.At the center of the action are two very talented young girls. I had a problem when reading that if their age was given in the first part of the book, I missed it. If I'd been reading a print version I would have gone back to check, but that's much harder when listening. I kept trying to guess, and my estimates ranged from 8/10 to 15/17. I did figure it out, but I think I would have liked the book better if they had been older. As it was, it felt more like events were happening to them, and they weren't mature enough to make good decisions about their involvement.I'm planning to go back and fill in earlier books in the series. I don't think they are particularly tightly linked, but I'd like to explore this world a little more. ( )