Firebird

This book definitely felt like a Russian fairy tale. Lots of beautiful and sometimes dark creatures from Russian lore could be found, well researched on that front. It had some humorous bits that were memorable. I found it heart breaking how the large plain girl's appearance is looked down up even by the main character who is suppose to be the kinder one. It was a good read.

Better than much of Lackey's work, this novel retells the Russian legend of the Firebird (with plenty of editorial embellishment). Ilya, a handsome Russian prince with a habit of womanizing, seems like he has everything going for him – except that his seven lunkhead brothers want to kill him, and their father doesn't particularly care. After a rash of mysterious thefts of rare cherries from a prized orchard, Ilya discovers that the culprit is a beautiful and magical bird-woman. Using the chaos she's thrown the household into to escape his family, he finds himself on a quest to rescue a dozen gorgeous tsarinas from an enchanted castle... but will he ever learn the true meaning of love?
Recommended for fans of re-told fairy tales, such show more as those by Jane Yolen, and much of Terri Windling & Ellen Datlow's Fairy Tale series. show less

This book is filled with lots of yummy little details, and I enjoyed the characterization of various characters. Lackey did a good job here, though I must admit, the ending disappointed me. (hence, I took away one star for the rating). I would love to see a sequel to this book.

Great fun, with an interesting setting and an interesting romantic element, though it falls into a rather crude romance-novel twist at the very end.

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. It was entertaining, I didn't mind picking it up at the end of the day, but I wasn't dying to know what was going to happen. I picked this up because I just finished the "Shadow and Bone" series and it talks about the Firebird in there so I thought this would be interesting to follow up with.

Mercedes Lackey, we usually get along tolerably well if not like a house on fire. What was this drivel? Really, what? If it's not outright offensive, it's boring as hell, or it's boring and offensive at once.

Struggled through to the end out of sheer bloody mindedness. Book did not improve. Please can I have those hours back?

I have read a few of this authors books (arrows series)etc. I really liked the mythology/fairytale elements of this book, this reminds me a lot of grimms fairy tales. It was an engaging story about overcoming obstacles, I would read it again. I liked it.