To Light A Candle (Obsidian Trilogy #2)

To Light A Candle, the Obsidian Trilogy Book 2

Even though it is lacking in the detailing of the battle scenes, and of the graphic killing and maiming, with its well thought out civilization of Elves and Centaurs, and its perfect conflict of Light against Dark and Wild Magic against High Magick, 'To Light A Candle' belongs in any and all fantasy reader's library. I'm falling in love with Mercedes Lackey's epic and highly satisfying second installment of the Obsidian Trilogy!
With the defeat of the Endarkened's deception at the Black Cairn, Kellen is aware of how they prefer to operate, with glamour and temptation. He returns to Sentarshadeen with his hands destroyed. They are burned away from the bone. Because of his sacrifice, the drought is ended. However, it will be a while for the weather to return to its normal pattern. For the time, there's flash flooding, and everyone is expecting a very hard winter. He also returns with one more surprise for the Elves, the half-demon and half-human Vestakia. Her Gift, the ability to sense Taint, is an asset to the Elven Army's fight against the Dark, if they will look past her red demon skin and horns. Not only that, but Kellen is finding it hard to keep his vow of celibacy and chastity for a year and a day difficult when he is around Vestakia. Thankfully relieved of the embarrassment of explaining his avoidance, his sister Idalia tells Vestakia why.
The war is on its way to Armethalieh. Despite being Banished and Hunted, Kellen feels obligated to warn the human city. With Anigrel's dark actions and poisonous voice in Lycaelon's ear, he convinces the city deny the warning through its barriers and into the city. With Kellen no longer in need of a tutor, Anigrel puts himself right up Lycaelon's Arch-Mage robes. By playing a successful game of politics, he is formally adopted by Lycaelon as his son and heir to House Tavadon and with such a high elevation, a raise in his title soon follows.
Undermage Anigrel is the secret agent of the Demon Queen Savilla. Because of his efforts with Lycaelon and the council, his Dark Lady and the Demons will be able to slip through the cracks in Armethalieh's protective High Magick barrier and eat its magic.
Anigrel's political play manages to have Cilarnen Banished, and other seats on the Council emptied, (murdered for being a traitor). A mystery manifests itself when Anigrel supposedly Burns out Cilarnen's Gift, and it surprisingly returns to him with his first introduction and battle with a Demon.
The Elven Army's discovery and fight against the Shadowed Elves is both good and bad. The Shadowed Elves were made by the Demons to distract them from their REAL objective, but what could that be.
The dragon Ancaladar, one of the last of his kind, is forced out of his home and hiding place by the fighting in the caverns. Fearful of being bonded, he is bonded to the Elven Knight Jermayan. Once bonded, Ancaladar dies when Jermayan's life ends, forfeiting his long life. However, Ancaladar is an unlimited source for Jermayan's magic.
The Crystal Spiders are discovered as creatures of the Light that aid the army in finding the other hidden conclaves of Shadowed Elves. Along with Vestakia's Gift and combined with Ancaladar's flying talent, the Elven Army stands a good chance of wiping out the Demon's disturbing creative diversion.
Another problem complicating and filling the minds of Kellen and Idalia is the fact of an unpaid price. Kellen must forgive an enemy...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Although I'm a big fan of Mercedes Lackey's books, I wasn't expe

Although I'm a big fan of Mercedes Lackey's books, I wasn't expecting much from this series. I was wrong! I really liked the first book, although sometimes it was slow (a little too much detail, I thought) but I haven't been able to put the second book, To Light a Candle, down. (And I really need to get my taxes done!) Perhaps I'll give her other series' with Mallory another look.

would check it out if I could

Would someone please expain why this (being #2) book is not on ebook status when 1 and 3 are????????????????? Just not right!!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

As Usual, a truly time-absorbing read

Lackey and Mallory did it again with the 2nd book in this trilogy. It's a fascinating read full of excitement and suspense. The only thing I don't like about these books is that they spend the first chapter re-writing the last chapter of the previous book.

Wonderful read!!

My 17 year old daughter and myself both read this book and truly enjoyed it! It was riveting to the point that we couldn't put the book down and carried it everywhere we went while reading it! This is definitely one of our favorite authors and this series is at the top of our favorites list now!!

Well worth reading

To Light a Candle is a beacon of light in a world of darkness. This book grabs hold and simply doesn't let go. I had troble putting it down. The characters continue to grow from the first book, and are more loveable as the pages turn. I anxiously await the third book

fantastic

I have just started in the world of d&d and this book is wonderful it has given me great ideas for future games and I highly suggest it to anyone looking for a great fantasy novel. Can't wait to read the next book:)!

Much better than the first

This book is much better than the first in this series. Lackey is my favorite author but the first one took almost half way into the book before it started to pick up and catch my total interest. This book did it right from the start. It shows Kellan acutally starting to put his powers to good use and fighting off the demons. Now that this book has actually gotten into the meat of the story I am really looking forward to reading the third part.

Ugh!

This is one of the worst fantasy series I've ever read(this and anything by D. Eddings.) It's not the type of writing that draws you into a story and makes you be able to escape into the land that you're reading about. You can't get close to a character. It's also set at a pace that doesn't do the plot any good. The descriptions of battle scenes are written like a synopsis in a bad high-school book report. Everything comes to the main character, Kellen, way to fast and you feel as if he didn't work for anything. It just seems like he was handed everything. His battle sight, for instance, does he have any struggle in order to gain control over it, or anything else when it comes to his status as Knight-Mage? He has very few personal struggles and the ones he does have are overcome so easily that he doesn't gain much depth, in my opinion. UGH! I'm a big fan of Robert Jordan and I'm not saying this series should be as long or detailed as Jordan's work, but come on! You could throw a couple of details in there every once in a while.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Way to Continue this GREAT Adventure!

While I must admit that 'To Light a Candle' has a hard-to-get-into beginning, the trek is well worth the effort!! All of the players return to continue the fight for the protection of their world from the Darkness that looms before them. Kellen becomes a stronger charecter as he grows into his own as a Wildmage of a special kind. The prices to be paid for the only magic that can be the salvation of all the peoples of this world prove to be heavy indeed as Idalia and Kellen have discovered. Hats off to our favorite duo of authors as they have joined together to continue the campaign for entertainment!

One of the greatest book ever?

Merecedes Lackey does not disappoint. To Light A Candle is just as wonderful as the first book. She captivates the reader and makes them feel like they are Kellen. It is a rude awakening to say the least when the real world floods back, but she provides a lovely escape.

Very Good follow up

over all it was a very very good follow up to the first book. Kellen was a little bit harsher than i expected and rather blunt- but that was described at Wildmagic talking through him. When Shalkan first saw Ancaladar it was a little hard to believe that he didn't run, just gawked really. A lot of Idalia's reactions weren't expressed and she seemed to drop more and more out of the story as the book went on. I didn't like how the book kept going back to Cilnaren and way back to the golden city and stay there for several chapters and totally almost forget the elves. Also the only other thing that bothered me was- how on earth do you mess up Cilnaren with Kellen? they are totally different looking! anyway. email me i can talk to you about hte book.

Excellent

Absoultely excellent, one of the best books from the authors. Read this book in more or less one sitting, then was forced to read it again..and again.. Only real downside to this book/series is the lack of a map. However the information on each area in the book, allows you the ability to more or less figure the locations out on your own. The character interactions where excellent, and believable.

GOOD READ

This is an entertaining read. It involves many twists and turns in its story line, which I'm not going to spoil the ending for you. I couldn't put it down 'till I finished.

Absolutely Brilliant!!!

The Outstretched Shadow was the first book i've read by those two authors, and it's an amazing book. It's gripping, and has lots of twists and turns. I love this book and can't put it down!

Love It!!!!

I have read most of Mercedes Lackey's books, and this trilogy is one of my favorites! I just finished the book, and I didn't want it to end. I can't wait for the last one. Kellen is such a believeable character. All of his doubts and insecurities are something I could relate to when I was that age. I like being able to watch him grow into himself and his gifts. If you even think you like fantasy, you need to check out this trilogy. They put a new twist on magic and it's different forms, and also let you get to know different types of magical creatures such as unicorns, centaurs, and dragons. Please check it out, because it is worth it. If you want to wait until the last one is out, I wouldn't blame you since the wait might just drive me mad.

Can't Put It Down!

This book exceeds any expectations of fantasy.The action,storyline,everything is so well detailed that you literally will not be able to put it down!I was able to read this book for 6 hours straight,and still want to read more!ITs THAT GOOD!!A must read.Can't wait for the third!

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

Riveting New Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey

book 1 of the obsidian trilogy is a complete page turner. I love all mercedes lackeys books but this was by far the best in my opinion. I could put myself into the book and see and feel what the characters were experiencing. I do wish that she had included a list of all the characters and their relationship with kellen. I sometimes had difficulty keeping all the elven characters straight because of the length and similarity of some of their names. I also wish that she had included a map of the world the book was taking place in so that i could follow the movment of the characters.

definitely worth the read

I enjoyed the first one and most certainly enjoyed this one. The definite upside of book 2 in the series is that the extensive character developement that was necessary in the first book wasn't as needed, so there was more time for action, adventure, and stuff. The sole downside of the series is that there continues to be no map. With all the references to various part of the world one would like to see a map.