Steadfast: Elemental Masters, Book 8

Lord Alderscroft is mentioned in this story, but he never appears.Katie is half Traveler. Her mother was full Traveler, but her father was ganji. Her father was an acrobat. For a while, the family lived in a caravan and travelled, earning money at local fairs. When there was a shortage of funds, the family joined a circus.Katie's parents were killed when their caravan burned. Katie, in a mental fog, married Dick, the strong man of the circus, who beat her.When Dick was away from their living quarters, Katie gathered a bundle of clothes, took some money from the strong-box, and fled. She did not flee toward a town, but away in the country where she came upon a group of Travelers. The matron of the group welcomes Katie as a half-Traveler.Katie ends up in Brighton where she obtains a job as a magician's apprentice.Life looks good for Katie until Dick appears and beats Katie.How will Katie endure the treatment from her husband and continue to work?A very good story.

If Lackey's "Reserved for the Cat" is the upstairs of Edwardian Music Halls andElemental Magic, "Steadfast" is the downstairs.When Katie Langford runs from the circus, she knows that her abusive strongmanhusband will probably beat her within an inch of her life if he catches her. Thatinch is the only thing the Law will prevent. A woman is her husband's possessionand anything except killing her is legal.The job that she finds is not only just what she wants and needs, she is justexactly what the music hall doorman who encourages her and the stage magician whohires her want and need. They are Air and Fire magicians respectively and they seethe signs that she is an undeveloped Fire magician. While she hides from thenemesis that she is sure is pursuing her, they try to make her aware of thestrengths and dangers of her ability.Woven through this story of show business, stage magic and real magic is theEdwardian class system. Not only are women mere possessions, members of the lowerclasses are considered disposable. No one cares if the strongman kills a few circusroustabouts or a prostitute.Katie and her friends must find a solution to her situation by themselves. Luckilyfor them (and Lackey's readers) they find one that is believable in the Edwardianworld and the fairy tale land too.

First off- I want to make sure I say that I love the Elemental Masters series, I love the idea behind each one and this one was one of my favorites. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars is that most of these books end abruptly with the assumption of romance and a happy ending but she doesn't give us it outright. She basically sets up what will eventually happen to the main characters but ends the story before we can see it. Because I'm a fan of the Heralds series also by her, I have an expectation of fully formed and fleshed out characters with great emotional depth, and that's not the case with the Elemental Masters series. She crafts amazing characters but you won't be taking any emotional journey with them. What can I say- I'm a sucker for a love story and these books usually cut that part short in favor of building the world more than than following through on maybe what would have normally been the book's last chapter. The book is worth a read though- if you're a fan of Mercedes anyway.

Perhaps the reviewers who so vehemently panned this book are disturbed by the clear depiction of attitudes and behaviors we still fight today. The idea of women as property to be controlled by their husband is one the ultra conservative and religious right continue to promote. They feel it is not only appropriate to physically chastise "correct" (and control) the female of the species it is their duty. Acknowledging it as abuse, as a wrong, takes away power and we must never do that..Power that was never truly theirs to begin with. Steadfast tells us a hard truth. Women should not be treated as slaves and yet they were and are. Even now there has been no Emancipation Proclamation to free women. Lackey has brought to us a variant of her SerRated Edge series, a book that reveals an abuse, a social evil dressed in robes of the fantastic.While I could wish to see more of the happy ever after or a solid method of how to help the abused I am content. This novel shows the beginning of the journey, acknowledging that abuse is happening. Learning who it is safe to speak with and starting to plan how to legally get out of the situation comes next. Lackey's revelation of the recurring doubts and continued programming are accurate... to the point they are frightening. It takes strength to question what we are taught when young and even more courage to reject destructive messages.Brava Mercedes Lackey, thank you for a new entry into the battle against rape culture. Thank you for making it something I can hand early teens, so they can see the difference between right thoughts and wrong in peace and it war.

I love the Elemental Masters series. This one is true to both the historical era (Victorian England) and her alternative universe where magic abounds. I love character driven stories and this one is exceptionally well written. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I read it in one sitting, the very evening of the day I received it. Couldn't put it down -- even though it was midnight before I finished.July, 2014. I have reread this book twice since my original review, and my opinion hasn't changed.Having just read through all the negative reviews, I am amazed at how critical people are. Fairy tales all have similar themes. Bringing them to life--fleshing them out, really--while remaining true to those themes is very challenging. Furthermore, creating empathetic characters requires skill and a good understanding of human nature. Ms. Lackey has both. If you think the process is easy, you should try doing it yourself. I have written a novel, and I know how much effort and time it requires. I admire the fact that Ms. Lackey makes a living from writing. And I am looking forward to her next installment in this series.

If you have already read Reserved for the Cat, don't bother reading this as it is practically a rerun with only slight variations. It gets two stars only because the final drama is well written and although it is just a little bit of a cop out ending I still liked it.Unfortunately, Mercedes Lackey has become less and less interesting to read, perhaps she is running out of ideas but it is had to believe that a writer like her would not be able to find someone to collaborate with to keep things fresh and interesting. I am going to explore other writer and will say goodbye to her books at this stage because its is hard to believe that there is something original and riveting coming next.Conclusion: Either read this one or Reserved for the Cat, if you don't want to be bored by a repeat.

Basically this is Reserved for the Cat re-written. I was most disappointed and for the first time ever actually regret purchasing it. I have always been a fan of Mercedes Lackey's books, but of late her writing has become very 'samey'. For the elemental masters series, there are plenty of fairy stories which could be used, but with this one, it definitely could have been better.Sorry, Ms Lackey, but this one is very poor.

My husband and I are happily working our way through this series and I am very happy that he found them. We have both read some of her previous series and it is deeply satisfying to know that these are up to her usual high standard.

While taking as a starting point a familiar tale, this has been transformed into a story with a vivid and exciting plot, with characters for whom you feel immense sympathy and anxiety. The climactic ending is both breathtaking and carthartic!!

Not one of the strongest of the series, in my opinion. Things felt a little jumbled, and it felt as though some huge revelation should have occurred, but didn't. Left with too many questions. Otherwise, an interesting enough read.