Rating: 
Summary: Good read, but I was confused
Review: I read the first 2 books about Eric Banyon & when I read this 1 I was confused because it seems like I missed a book or 2 since in the last book I read they'd just defeated the Nightflyers & were about to have a party & in this 1 the 3 have evidently been living Underhill for several years, Eric's a fully trained Bard & is going back to school at Julliard in New York while Beth is pregnant with Eric's daughter & she & Kory are a couple & living Underhill & evidently Beth's being hunted by the Feds. Also Ria is back among the living after Beth beaned her with her guitar in the 1st book. I still understood everything after a bit of reading but I felt like I'd missed something since there doesn't seem to be a book bridging the gap between the 2nd book & this 1.
Rating:
Summary: Good read, but I was confused
Review: I read the first 2 books about Eric Banyon & when I read this 1 I was confused because it seems like I missed a book or 2 since in the last book I read they'd just defeated the Nightflyers & were about to have a party & in this 1 the 3 have evidently been living Underhill for several years, Eric's a fully trained Bard & is going back to school at Julliard in New York while Beth is pregnant with Eric's daughter & she & Kory are a couple & living Underhill & evidently Beth's being hunted by the Feds. Also Ria is back among the living after Beth beaned her with her guitar in the 1st book. I still understood everything after a bit of reading but I felt like I'd missed something since there doesn't seem to be a book bridging the gap between the 2nd book & this 1.
Rating: 
Summary: Impossible for Elves to be in New York - or is it?
Review: I spent a good part of my Saturday reading this entire book - in one sitting! After a gentle start, where you get the idea that Baird Eric Banyon may have finally grown up, the action really picks up. Eric feels he must face his past, and his relationship with Beth and Kory has changed since Bedlam's Baird so he's in New York to confront some of that past, meeting interesting "guardians", and upsetting the plans of some very nasty people and elves. I did miss the romance of Bedlam's Baird, but there is certainly potential for that in a sequel - which looks to be likely. Thanks to Mercedes Lackey who is always a wonderful writer, in my opinion, and Rosemary Edghill for a terrific read.
Rating: 
Summary: Rather dissapointing
Review: I was really upset that I didn't like Beyond the Worlds End better than I did because I loved the Bedlam's Bard series up until this point. The vibrancy of the characters from the earlier words was strangely abscent here, and I spent a lot of time wondering if I was reading about the same group.The threesome of Eric, Kory and Beth is apparently over and after the multiple pronounces of equal love for one another in the previous books, which I found very bothersome. The reasons for the breakup (Kory & Beth growing closer while Eric focuses on his music/magic) really annoyed me. It seemed more like they were simply looking for a way to get Eric into a new situation without entanglements. That Beth was pregant with his child irritated me even more. Did not know that part of bardic duties was voluntary sperm donations for cross-species infertile couples. Ria Lewellen coming back was a welcome move, but again it didn't have the same weight of the previous books. More like "Okay, Eric's single again, so lets bring back the old girlfriend for some sparks". The storyline was just weak, and I wasn't engrossed at all. I put it down multple times (which is very unlike my normal reading habits), and doubt that I'm going to read further in the series. I was terribly dissapointed with how the authors chose to continue the saga. Very sad after such a promising beginning.
Rating: 
Summary: A Sad Disappointment
Review: I'd hate to think of someone coming upon this book and thinking it typical of the writing of Ms. Lackey. This was a sore disappointment. I found the book to be not so much badly written, as poorly executed and miserably edited. There are too many loose ends and too many niggling small mistakes for it to be enjoyable. Two examples spring immediately to mind--and they are small, but NOT what I've been accustomed to seeing in previous works by one of my favorite authors. When we meet Jeremy he's plays an oboe; yet in the concert he's a bassoonist. Eric shows up on the concert stage in "school uniform" ('white shirt, black pants, dress shoes, and tie') but several pages on we find that Eric is congratuling himself for not being pressured into wearing said tie. There are other distracting errors--mostly the usual grammatical and spelling mistakes that are increasingly common--but in concert with the general looseness in story line, this book is definitely not one of Ms. Lackey's better offerings.
Rating: 
Summary: Elven and Bard Bedlam in NYC
Review: I've always enjoyed reading Mercedes Lackey's urban fantasies featuring elves. Having read the earlier novels that make up the Bedlam Bards miniseries: KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS, and SUMMONED TO TOURNEY which Mercedes Lackey wrote in partnership with Ellen Guon and BEDLAM BOYZ by Ellen Guon, I was looking forward to this next installment in the Bedlam Bards series. Since Rosemary Edghill has explored elves and urban fantasy prior to this, it seemed natural that a partnership between the two for BEYOND WORLD'S END would work well. For those new to Bedlam Bards, I think the best place to start is with the earlier stories, but it isn't entirely necessary. Enough background information is thrown in that I think new readers will easily fall into the story and get to know the characters. In essence, this is a true urban fantasy, taking place in the heart of NYC and naming places that every reader familiar with the Big Apple will recognize. The enemies to be faced are both human and elf-dangerous drugs that have are on the threshold of creating a menace that could destroy two worlds. Set against this threat is one powerful human Bard, the flute-playing Eric Banyon and his new band of allies. Can they prevent their power hungry enemies from claiming NYC as their own? The story premise is interesting and enticing. The promise of hearing about old friends and characters from related stories was what got me to pick this up in the first place. To their credit, Lackey and Edghill provide a story that delivers on that promise and moves along quickly. However, to my disappointment, I did not feel the story delivered on the premise. Despite my attachment to previous characters, I would have honestly preferred a more streamlined story, one that focused a bit more on plot. If this were Eric's coming of age story, I might be more forgiving of the time spent setting up and explaining his character. But it's not, Eric's already grown up and trained, there's no real transformation required. And while I admit to enjoying the details about Kory and Beth, they are not part of this story, and having their cameo appearance just felt awkward and unnessessary. The most complex and fascinating character is by far Ria, since she is the one facing change and transformation. Had the story focused on her from the outset instead of Eric, I think the overall dynamic action would have felt stronger. Changing players might have allowed more freedom to keep old characters in, but seen from a new perspective. Eric's return to Julliard seems contradictory on several levels, as other reviewers have commented. No one seems to notice his extraordinary youthfulness, since anyone looking for him would be seeking a man in his forties. Likewise, Julliard itself seems inconsequential, a reason contrived so that Eric is in New York, rather than a real story in and of itself. The time spent showing Eric in those surroundings and students he befriends have no bearing on the outcome of the main conflict. The same goes for the Guardians Eric befriends. Despite this, Lackey and Edgehill still manage to deliver a a compelling read with interesting new characters and old favorites that readers will be delighted to see on the printed page once more. One other quick observation, his book was written pre-9/11 and, as such, some of the scenes in the book were more than a little chilling, particularly to this New Yorker. I'll be looking forward to reading the sequel to this, SPIRITS WHITE AS LIGHTENING, I'm hopeful that some of the loose ends left at the end of this story will be dealt with there. Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
Rating:
Summary: Elven and Bard Bedlam in NYC
Review: I've always enjoyed reading Mercedes Lackey's urban fantasies featuring elves. Having read the earlier novels that make up the Bedlam Bards miniseries: KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS, and SUMMONED TO TOURNEY which Mercedes Lackey wrote in partnership with Ellen Guon and BEDLAM BOYZ by Ellen Guon, I was looking forward to this next installment in the Bedlam Bards series. Since Rosemary Edghill has explored elves and urban fantasy prior to this, it seemed natural that a partnership between the two for BEYOND WORLD'S END would work well. For those new to Bedlam Bards, I think the best place to start is with the earlier stories, but it isn't entirely necessary. Enough background information is thrown in that I think new readers will easily fall into the story and get to know the characters. In essence, this is a true urban fantasy, taking place in the heart of NYC and naming places that every reader familiar with the Big Apple will recognize. The enemies to be faced are both human and elf-dangerous drugs that have are on the threshold of creating a menace that could destroy two worlds. Set against this threat is one powerful human Bard, the flute-playing Eric Banyon and his new band of allies. Can they prevent their power hungry enemies from claiming NYC as their own? The story premise is interesting and enticing. The promise of hearing about old friends and characters from related stories was what got me to pick this up in the first place. To their credit, Lackey and Edghill provide a story that delivers on that promise and moves along quickly. However, to my disappointment, I did not feel the story delivered on the premise. Despite my attachment to previous characters, I would have honestly preferred a more streamlined story, one that focused a bit more on plot. If this were Eric's coming of age story, I might be more forgiving of the time spent setting up and explaining his character. But it's not, Eric's already grown up and trained, there's no real transformation required. And while I admit to enjoying the details about Kory and Beth, they are not part of this story, and having their cameo appearance just felt awkward and unnessessary. The most complex and fascinating character is by far Ria, since she is the one facing change and transformation. Had the story focused on her from the outset instead of Eric, I think the overall dynamic action would have felt stronger. Changing players might have allowed more freedom to keep old characters in, but seen from a new perspective. Eric's return to Julliard seems contradictory on several levels, as other reviewers have commented. No one seems to notice his extraordinary youthfulness, since anyone looking for him would be seeking a man in his forties. Likewise, Julliard itself seems inconsequential, a reason contrived so that Eric is in New York, rather than a real story in and of itself. The time spent showing Eric in those surroundings and students he befriends have no bearing on the outcome of the main conflict. The same goes for the Guardians Eric befriends. Despite this, Lackey and Edgehill still manage to deliver a a compelling read with interesting new characters and old favorites that readers will be delighted to see on the printed page once more. One other quick observation, his book was written pre-9/11 and, as such, some of the scenes in the book were more than a little chilling, particularly to this New Yorker. I'll be looking forward to reading the sequel to this, SPIRITS WHITE AS LIGHTENING, I'm hopeful that some of the loose ends left at the end of this story will be dealt with there. Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
Rating:
Summary: Eric Banyon Rocks!
Review: Let's hear it for Eric Banyon. He's gone from co-dependent to wonderfully mature. He's learning how to cope without his sidekicks and has revealed that he has gotten a wee bit more from the sidhe than good bardsmanship. He's back in New York, re-entering Julliard and finishing his degree. Eric's new apartment building is fun with a roving security system that loves to watch classic movies during the wee hours in Eric's apartmnet. The Guardians that we heard about in the Diana Tregard mysteries are back and just as eclectic. There is Bardic uncontrolled magic that can be injected with deadly consequences. The Wild Ride, bargains with unsavory sidhe, and stangely enough, Ria Lewellyn really helps Eric when he needs it. A great read! I read the book in one day, I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: response to dremchan's "not up to par"
Review: OK. I'm writing this to address several issues brought by dremchan in his/her review. First of all... it is quite understable to me that Beth had issues after dealing with the events in Summoned to Tourney. Claustrophic to begin with, she was kept in a sensory deprivation chamber... to someone with claustrophia, that's a horrible horrible thing. Enough to make someone hate and fear closed places of any kind. Underhill was the only place she could go that she wouldn't have to worry about people kidnapping her and treating her as some kind of science experiment. Irrational, yes, but most people who have suffered trauma like that tend to be irrational. I think it was insightful of Mercedes and Rosemary to include that part. There were also plenty of other reasons for her to stay Underhill: the fact that she ages faster than Kory and if they want a "lifetime" together then she has to stay Underhill; for the protection of the baby; and yes, to making Eric's segue back into humanity that much easier. My whole point being that yes there is a credible reason for this part of the story. ALSO I wanted to say that the Guardians do have their own series... or at least one does. Read the Diana Tregarde books... Children of the Night, Jinx High, Burning Water. Di's a Guardian who actually lived in the Guardian House that Eric's in... in fact, that's my only gripe about this book, that she didn't have a cameo!! (No mention of Greystone in those books though) And about Ria... I think this book shows a great character improvement! I hated her in the other books, I only started to like her at the very end when she let Beth bash her on the head to stop Perenor. But I liked her in this book. It's like her fire is tempered a bit by compassion and a sense of ethics (such as they are... still better than none!). So that's my response. This is a WONDERFUL book, but I definitely suggest reading the ones that make up "Bedlam's Bard" first... you'll get a lot of background, and they're also just awesome books. Can't wait to get "Sprits White As Lightning" to continue the story!
Rating:
Summary: Wait for the paperback
Review: There's not enough substance in this book to justify paying $20. Book takes a while to get up steam, ends quickly with the set-up for the next book.
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