Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: I've been a big fan of the Bardic series for a while. While this book has next to nothing to do with the freebards, Wren's cousin Ardis is a BIG character. This book does let you see a side of her that wasn't present in the other books where she made some cameos. I'd reccommend it, but warn ahead of time that the freebards are mostly absent.
Rating: 
Summary: The perfect book by the mistress of fantasy fiction
Review: In Alanda, there has been a rash of murders in which female street musicians are viciously killed, followed by the culprits committing suicide. The murder weapon is a three sided stiletto (used mostly by Church dignitaries) which seems to mysteriously disappear from the spot of the crime. The murders seems to occur only when it rains so that traces of magic can be washed away before the police can begin their investigation. Because the murderers kill themselves and the victims are lower class, the police are indifferent to the crimes except for Haldene constable Tal Rufen, who thinks there is more to the killings then meets the eye. Tal resigns in order to join the High Bishop's staff where he can begin to investigate the murderous use of magic. The fourth book in Mercedes Lackey's "Bardic Voices" is a well written fantasy novel that will thrill fans of the series for its tremendous amount of detailed information on Alanda. However, for most other readers, including other fantasy fans, the minute detail overwhelms a well written novel. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A little dark...
Review: It was a good story, but it was a little dark and kind of gory for what I'd prefer.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, but...
Review: It was very good, but it was extremely frustrating knowing who it was all along. I guess at the end when they finally get the breakthrough it is very exciting, so I guess the tension is for something.
Rating:
Summary: A Bardic Voices novel without Bards.
Review: Mercedes Lackey has returned to the world of her Bardic Voices and Bardic Choices novels.Although good, the problem with this book is that it is listed as a Bardic Voices novel. As I read the book, I kept expecting one of the Free Bards (the other books in the series centered on them) to appear as characters. Although mentioned, they never appear. I was a bit disappointed because I kept expecting bards as major characters. If this book is read by fans of the series, they should look on it as an allied novel to the series rather than an addition to it.
Rating: 
Summary: For fans of more than Fantasy
Review: Readers expecting the usual cast of characters from the free bard tales will be disappointed. While a few characters are carried forward from the previous books, including Ardis, Duke Arden, the Haspur Visyr, etc., this story has a new set of players. The chief protagonist is Tal Rufen, a police constable from Haldine investigation a string of mysterious and brutal murders of poor female street musicians/singers (or would be musicians) - murders committed by strangers that commit suicide, and murder weapons that vanish. As he follows the string of murders, Tal's investigation takes him to Kingsford and the High Bishop Justiciar Ardis. This is the Kingsford following the fire (see "A Cast of Corbies"). Tal finds himself in a new position, carrying out investigations for the church. Tal and Ardis must appraise their feelings for each other. Events lead to a final confrontation between Tal and an evil mage, living under a curse, who has a grudge against free bards and Ardis. The plot and characters are well developed to provide an interesting tale, but somewhat on the dark side (tracking a serial killer).
Rating:
Summary: A departure from the usual free bard stories
Review: Readers expecting the usual cast of characters from the free bard tales will be disappointed. While a few characters are carried forward from the previous books, including Ardis, Duke Arden, the Haspur Visyr, etc., this story has a new set of players. The chief protagonist is Tal Rufen, a police constable from Haldine investigation a string of mysterious and brutal murders of poor female street musicians/singers (or would be musicians) - murders committed by strangers that commit suicide, and murder weapons that vanish. As he follows the string of murders, Tal's investigation takes him to Kingsford and the High Bishop Justiciar Ardis. This is the Kingsford following the fire (see "A Cast of Corbies"). Tal finds himself in a new position, carrying out investigations for the church. Tal and Ardis must appraise their feelings for each other. Events lead to a final confrontation between Tal and an evil mage, living under a curse, who has a grudge against free bards and Ardis. The plot and characters are well developed to provide an interesting tale, but somewhat on the dark side (tracking a serial killer).
Rating: 
Summary: Ok, but not great.
Review: This book wasn't anything like the other bardic novels in this series. It had little or nothing to do with music or magic. I would have liked this story better if the "bad guy" hadn't been so pathetic. It seems as though Misty was getting desperate for an evil charactor in this book and just grabbed someone out of a hat. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read the book, but the person who is behind the murders just didn't seem to fit the part. It is good, however, that we are able to understand and get to know Ardis better, but over all I felt disconnected from the under-developed charactors. A very light book; good if you have nothing else to read.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, but not great.
Review: This book wasn't anything like the other bardic novels in this series. It had little or nothing to do with music or magic. I would have liked this story better if the "bad guy" hadn't been so pathetic. It seems as though Misty was getting desperate for an evil charactor in this book and just grabbed someone out of a hat. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read the book, but the person who is behind the murders just didn't seem to fit the part. It is good, however, that we are able to understand and get to know Ardis better, but over all I felt disconnected from the under-developed charactors. A very light book; good if you have nothing else to read.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable
Review: This last book in her Bardic Voices series was very predictable--I had already figured out who the murderer was by the seventh chapter. But then in the next chapter, she told who it was. The book might have been better if she had left the reader in the drak for most of the book like most mysteries are. Also, this story line was not what I was expecting at all. I had loved the other books in this series, but this one didn't seem like part of the series at all. It had a darker undertone and would have seemed more in place in New York or San Francisco. I didn't get the "fantasy" feel from this book. Sure, magic was mentioned, but it didn't seem to fit the story line at all.
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