Rating: 
Summary: GREAT!
Review: Very good example of why Mercedes Lackey is my favorite author...
She deals with the grit of human nature, and still tells a good story!
Rating:
Summary: one of few books i picked up in hardcover...
Review: and didn't wind up feeling cheated... Mercedes Lackey is one of very few authors i have read who can deal with magick as a subject in a way that feels truthful to me, even though it is never literal, She seems to have an intuitive feel for the power behind the powers... and a mind open enough to embrace all traditions that follow the one basic rule... "an it harm none, do what ye will."
Rating: 
Summary: Women's Lib, Steam Engines, and Low Fantasy
Review: Those who are looking for dwarves, dragons, and high adventure are advised to look elsewhere. As with many of Mercedes Lackey's books the magic elements of the story take a very distinct back seat to character development. And rightly so, for Lackey has a talent for bringing what could easily be cookie-cutter characters fully to life and leading them through periods of change and growth.In this book Rose, the main character, is a female scholar in a time where opportunities for women are few. Set in Gilded Age San Francisco the overarching theme of the book is her struggle against her own lack of options. Of course, there must be a fantasy element, happily provided by a wizard who employs Rose to help him research his way out of a lycanthropic predicament that has left him unable to read. The predictable romance between the two is slightly stilted, but perhaps appropriate for two characters who are in almost every way extremely reserved. The real treat in this book is Rose's running internal dialog, which gives us a believable glimpse of what a highly intelligent woman must feel in highly unusual circumstances. Overall this book lacks large amounts of magic, action, and ancient mysteriousness, while supplying a healthy portion of social commentary and a side dish of romance. I found it relaxing summer reading, but the little boy in me wanted more things to blow up!
Rating:
Summary: Another Beauty & Beast tale? Before you cry "NO"!.......
Review: OK...another B&B story...what can one expect? At first I wanted to scream "NO...not another one" but I quickly changed my tune.....
This book is more than I expected. A well developed, and well written story with remarkable characters & a different twist to the original form of the B&B tale...This book gives us an unexpected Beauty & the Beast story that will remain well with you....even after the last page is read and the book put away. I actually have this book in my Phantom of the Opera library collection...it sorta reminded me of Erik.....and this book has actually found its way into my "Phantom library" under the genre of "other" books that remind me of Erik.
If you enjoyed this book, you may want to try these books:
Phantom by Susan Kay
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Beast by Donna Jo Napoli
East by Edith Pattou
Through the Tempests Dark and Wild by Sharon Darrow
The Heavenly Horse from the Outermost West by Mary Stanton
Rating:
Summary: Great for a long afternoon...
Review: Like many of the reviewers, I'm a big Beauty and the Beast fan (haven't read much of Lackey's other books, though). After reading several other versions of B&B, I was ready to allow for almost any twists a *retelling* could have. Like Rose, if you can accept aspects of the situation and go with the flow (whether it be whims of the author or convenient plot device), it can be a fun ride :)
I liked the Elementals and might check out if the personalities of the water, air, and earth beings are sketched out in other books in this series. Cuz I'm a goober, the dialogue between Jason and Rose actually made me giddy at times :) ***spoiler: I didn't mind the ending - how many people would want their love to suddenly switch bodies overnight?***
***Mini rant with mini spoilers: I just barely forgave the drawn out tea packet thing and agree with another reviewer - what happened to the dreams?? "Beauty's" dreams are usually a huge component of B&B, so thought this version would fit it in more prominently than it did. And I think Rose gave Jason the wrong color packet in my edition... One thing that really bothered me was that Rose made her trip to the redwood bookshop with novel ideas on how to reverse the spell, but by the end, despite a minor note of her translating somthing, it's as if she's and Jason have completely dropped their research. It greatly diminishes all the prior emphasis on her scholarship and ability. Afterall, a solution exists - couldn't they eventually find it again on their own?***
Rating: 
Summary: Average
Review: This book is almost good, but misses in a few vital areas. Number one, and most annoying, were the long, endless descriptions of absolutely everything. I finally started skimming the descriptive paragraphs to speed things up. The plot would stall for page after page after page while something insignificant was described. I had a hard time with the magic, since it didn't seem to serve any useful purpose except making those blessed with it wealthy. I didn't really like or respect the lead male character. And I only mildly liked the lead female character. The book was so highly rated on Amazon, I was eager to begin the series. But I doubt I'll read any more by the author.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging and entertaining
Review: I like this book quite a lot. It captivated my attention and interest for the entire book. While I wouldn't recommend buying it new, perhaps you can find a used copy or read one from the library. Still, it reads well.
Rating:
Summary: Remember Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast'?
Review: Once again, I have not read all the reviews here because I simply cannot stand to. Mercedes Lackey--Misty--doesn't sweat the details. She doesn't need to. She has VISION. Go look at her personal Web site and learn something. ... I am, in my own estimation, Misty's Rose in the flesh in 2004.
Rating:
Summary: Women's Lib, Steam Engines, and Low Fantasy
Review: Those who are looking for dwarves, dragons, and high adventure are advised to look elsewhere. As with many of Mercedes Lackey's books the magic elements of the story take a very distinct back seat to character development. And rightly so, for Lackey has a talent for bringing what could easily be cookie-cutter characters fully to life and leading them through periods of change and growth. In this book Rose, the main character, is a female scholar in a time where opportunities for women are few. Set in Gilded Age San Francisco the overarching theme of the book is her struggle against her own lack of options. Of course, there must be a fantasy element, happily provided by a wizard who employs Rose to help him research his way out of a lycanthropic predicament that has left him unable to read. The predictable romance between the two is slightly stilted, but perhaps appropriate for two characters who are in almost every way extremely reserved. The real treat in this book is Rose's running internal dialog, which gives us a believable glimpse of what a highly intelligent woman must feel in highly unusual circumstances. Overall this book lacks large amounts of magic, action, and ancient mysteriousness, while supplying a healthy portion of social commentary and a side dish of romance. I found it relaxing summer reading, but the little boy in me wanted more things to blow up!
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Have Been Better!
Review: I LOVED this book! I'm a fan of much of Ms. Lackey's work, but in this she has outdone herself. I have read this book at least ten times by now, and it never ceases to thrill me. The Elemental Masters series is a favorite of mine, as every story is a retelling of a classic fairy tale, but rewritten so that the female protagonists actually *do* something, and Fire Rose is the best of the bunch. Rose is a strong, proactive woman, and yet she's realistically drawn at the same time -- there are things that can shake her. She's human, flawed but likeable, as is Jason Cameron.
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