Rating: 
Summary: Insubstantial and unappealing
Review: Merdeces Lackey's work is often fun to read, despite the general lack of logic and realism apparent throughout. However, I found A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows to be irritatingly implausible beyond the norm. Urban fantasy is not my favorite genre, but I've seen it done much better. To start off with, it seemed to me like the plot with the elves in California was extremely perfunctory and unlikely, even within the realms of fantasy. We've heard it all before...the dying elves forced to rely on one human for salvation. The elves were so incredibly stereotypical--gorgeous, slender, cat-eyed, etc. A personality would be nice. All the city dwellers, according to this book, lead dissipated lives. The main character Eric, for whom we were supposed to feel compassion, was an apathetic wretch who preferred to solve his problems by drinking and drugs and still managed by his Extraordinary Powers to Save Everyone with a minimal effort. While the effort to make the villainess likable was apparent, it noticeably failed. On top of that, all the characters were just oozing with gooey emotions. The system of magic used was intriguing-- combining magic and music-- but was never developed at all. On the other hand, it was readable and went by fairly quickly. If you need to feed an urban fantasy fix, this might do it. I would, however, recommend the much more intelligent Son of Darkness by Josepha Sherman, or The Sword of Maiden's Tears by Rosemary Edghill. Both were immeasurably more enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Urban Fantasy Novel
Review: One of my most favored memories and my introduction into the genre of Urban Fantasy. Mercedes Lackey and Ellen Guon weave a wonderful web of Elves in the modern day world. The character development is extremely well done, but the plot is left a littl thread-bare in places. Not to worry though, as it seems that this novel is more about exploring the characters than it is about exploring a setting in a story. The characters of Eric, Beth, and Kory are well worked, and their feelings on all sorts of subjects is explored in great detail. This is one of my favorite all-time books. Give it a whirl!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!
Review: Seriously the best urban fantasy that I have ever read, and that's saying alot! This book clocked out over Marion Zimmer Bradley's Witchlight and Ghostlight! Poor Eric, such trails and tribulations in love...between an elf, a witch, the daughter of the man who wants to kill you,( and seems to be the best match for him, despite that brainwashing thingie she did!)...Poor Eric, poor Kory, poor Bethy...sigh..poor me! I don't have the third one yet!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the SERRAted Edge series
Review: This book was very enjoyable, another well-done work of Mercedes Lackey's. The characters were all very interesting and well developed. Sometimes Banyon's tendency to run away from problems got annoying, but this "flaw" in his character only made him seem more real to me. Beth and Korendil were great additions to the story as well, though I coudn't exactly call the latter realistic. The classic story of hope lost, found, lost and found a couple more times, then, triumph over the ultimate evil. This book has definitely gone on my favorite's list.
Rating:
Summary: Knight of Ghosts and Shadows
Review: This book was very enjoyable, another well-done work of Mercedes Lackey's. The characters were all very interesting and well developed. Sometimes Banyon's tendency to run away from problems got annoying, but this "flaw" in his character only made him seem more real to me. Beth and Korendil were great additions to the story as well, though I coudn't exactly call the latter realistic. The classic story of hope lost, found, lost and found a couple more times, then, triumph over the ultimate evil. This book has definitely gone on my favorite's list.
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