The Serpent’s Shadow by Mercedes Lackey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have not read any Mercedes Lackey in quite some time (I really loved her Valdemar books), and I was thrilled to discover that she was as good as ever in “The Serpent’s Shadow.” (Being OCD, I will have to go back and read the first book in the series.)
The heroine of the book is Maya, a half-English, half-Indian doctor at a time when both were extremely rare. There are interesting interactions depicted by the author where Maya encounters discrimination on either or both counts, but it’s done with a light hand with little moralizing.
The hero, Peter Scott, is a lovely man who respects Maya’s independence and intelligence (and magical capabilities).
For those of you who enjoy Dorothy Sayer’s Lord Peter Wimsey stories, the author pays tribute to that character with a clone of her own.
And the fantasy/magic interwoven in the story is done well, with consistent magical principles and terminology.
All in all, this was a well done fantasy with interesting characters and a nicely done plot. I highly recommend it.