I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Lark and the Wren
by
Mercedes Lackey
fantasy, historical fiction in a Kindle edition that was published by Baen Books on February 11, 2013 and has 425 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Unnatural Issue, "The River's Gift", Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar, Foundation, Intrigues, Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit, Owlknight, Charmed Destinies, Changes, Beauty and the Werewolf, Invasion, Home From the Sea, Dead Reckoning, Conspiracies, Bedlam's Edge, Crown of Vengeance, Redoubt, Harvest Moon, World Divided, Elemental Magic: All New Tales of the Elemental Masters, Sacrifices, Steadfast, Burdens of the Dead, Bastion, Victories, Blood Red, The House of the Four Winds, Games Creatures Play, Closer to Home, Born to Run, Wheels of Fire, When the Bough Breaks, Chrome Circle, Changing the World: All-New Tales of Valdemar, Under the Vale and Other Tales of Valdemar, Arcanum 101, A Tangled Web, Winter Moon, Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar, Elementary: All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters, No True Way: All-New Tales of Valdemar, From a High Tower, Hunter, Closer to the Heart, Silence, A Study in Sable, Elite, Closer to the Chest, Tempest: All-New Tales of Valdemar, A Scandal in Battersea, The Hills Have Spies, The Bartered Brides, Dragon's Teeth, Eye Spy, Breaking Silence, Pathways, The Case of the Spellbound Child, Passages, Magic's Pawn, The Black Gryphon, Magic's Promise, The Serpent's Shadow, The Oathbound, The White Gryphon, The Silver Gryphon, Beyond, Spy, Spy Again, Oathbreakers, The Gates of Sleep, Phoenix and Ashes, The Wizard of London, The Robin and the Kestrel, Oathblood, Take a Thief, Exile's Honor, The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley, Owlflight, Brightly Burning, Exile’s Valor, Sword of Ice and Other Tales of Valdemar, Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar, Crucible, Choices, Into the West, Into the West
First in the Bardic Voices historical fantasy series and revolving around the Free Bards of Alanda. The couple focus is on Rune and Talaysen.
My Take
This was an excellent story of good versus evil — intense and fascinating! — with the honest versus the corrupt.
A strong woman protagonist who survives a horrible childhood and an even worse mother — Rune is a lucky girl, she keeps finding good Samaritans along the way. Her first bit of luck was following up on that brag of hers. And it gives her a different perspective on the inn.
Lackey uses The Lark and the Wren to give useful speeches/explanations of how tax money is intended to help people, how government should work — the negative side of that sounds like our own government . . . sigh, the evils of multiple levels of taxation . . .
“. . . a manageable level of corruption!”
Some of the corruption in the Church is their lack of aid to people who aren’t likely to make a “decent” donation to the Church. As for their hideous lack of compassion after a death, oy.
It’s so sad that people blame the child for the mother’s “sins”. Rune can’t help that she was born or that her mother was unmarried. As for the attitude toward women? Oy. I do love our women’s lib! That Bardic Guild was beyond brutal!!
It’s so easy to picture the settings and the characters, as Lackey is brilliant with her descriptions. I felt the cold and snuggled into those blankets. The chill of that river bath along with the fresh feeling of clean . . .
The Free Bards are so very supportive of each other, and it does make sense that they’re more creative than the Bardic Guild, as they’re not so hedged about by rules, corruption, and power struggles.
There are struggles in here for the Free Bards. They have no permanent place and are at the mercy of the Bardic Guild and the Church, as we’ll learn when Talaysen and Rune leave Kingsford.
It’s Lackey using third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Rune’s and Talaysen’s perspectives that we discover the good and the bad, especially their worries about their selves.
It’s a pip of a story and I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down!
The Story
It’s a sad life for Rune, used and abused by her selfish mother. It only gets worse as Rune gets older, for mother and bullies threaten her very existence. It takes but a moment of anger that will forge a different path for Rune . . . if she survives playing for the Ghost of Skull Hill.
The Characters
Rune is a bastard child with a gift for music. She calls the violin Rose gave her Lady Rose. Stara is her selfish mother who schemes at the Hungry Bear. Socks and Tam are Vargians, good, sturdy workhorses.
Westhaven is . . .
. . . a tiny village. The Hungry Bear is an inn owned by Jeoff (also a church deacon) who recently lost his amazing wife, Rose. Maeve, a half-wit, and Granny work in the tavern. Jib is the stableboy. Tarn Hostler is the stablemaster; Annie is his wife and the cook. Dumpling, a pony, and Stupid, a smart donkey, belong to Jeoff.
Joyse, the baker’s daughter, and Amanda, a farmer’s daughter, are some of the village mean girls. Thom Beeson is Joyse’s intended — because her father promised to help his father cheat on his taxes. Granny Beeson is the oldest person in the village. Father Jacob. Job is the blacksmith; Jon is his son and the village bully. Hill and Warran are a couple of farm boys and part of Jon’s gang. Kaylan Potter, a journeyman, is almost as bad as Jon. Ralf is a candlemaker. Kerd is the butcher.
The Free Bards are . . .
. . . Talaysen’s answer to the Bardic Guild. Talaysen is also known as Master Wren. Its wide range of members take on bird names to hide their true identities and include Linnet; Raven (a gypsy chosen to teach Rune on the sly); Nightingale (Aysah); Master Heron (Daran); Robin (Gwyna Kravelen is a gypsy); Jay; Thrush; Owl (Erdric, who has a permanent place in Kingsford at the King’s Blade); Alain, a.k.a. Sparrow, is Erdic’s grandson; Redbird; Master Kestrel; and, Starling.
Peregrine, a gypsy mage, is a horse trader who deals with elves. Georgio is the largest of the clan.
The Bardic Guild has . . .
. . . their noses in the air as to who is allowed to play and where. Guild Minstrels play music; Guild Bards create it. Master Bard Gwydain was renowned for his talent and songs. Then he disappeared. Bard Bestif is one of the bad ones, as is Master Jordain, the head of Bardic, and Master Larant.
The Church is . . .
. . . sanctimonious and corrupt. Brother Bryan is one of the honest few and a friend of Tonno’s. The harsh Brother Pell teaches composition to Rune, Terr Capston, Lenerd Cattlan, and Axen Troud. Brother Rylan is another music teacher. Brother Anders is a good doctor angry with Father Genner. Lady Ardis is Talaysen’s cousin, a mage, and a Justiciar priest. Lord Arran is another Justiciar. Father Revaner is being sought by Ardis.
Nolton is . . .
. . . the big town nearest Westhaven. Tonno Alendor sells antiques, books, and used objects. He also loves music and is a good teacher. Anny and Ket are some of Tonno’s students. Mathe runs the Crowned Corn Public House where Beth works. Boony, the bouncer, is a Mintak.
Amber is the madame of an exclusive brothel on Flower Street with very exclusive ladies, including Sapphire, Topaz, Ruby, Pearl, Amethyst, and Diamond. Parro is Amber’s summoner. Lana is the cook. Maddie, the insulting Carly (and Parro’s daughter), Arden, Lana, and Shawm are the servants. Lerra is one of the clients. The Stallion and the Velvet Rope are more brothels. Mandar Cray is teaching advanced lute while Geor Baker is teaching voice. Nighthawk is the gypsy witch who heals Rune.
Kingsford is . . .
. . . the holy grail for Rune. It’s where the Midsummer Faire takes place where bardic-to-be hopefuls audition for an apprenticeship. Only, there’s a secret Tonno hasn’t told Rune!
Birnam is . . .
. . . the country next door. Jonny Brede is not much as a pickpocket but quite good as a harpist. You get support if you’re worth enough, as Master Darian discovered. King Charlis and Queen Felice had been Sional‘s parents. Rolend is Sional’s uncle and Victor his cousin. Lerson is one of the guards.
The Ghost of Skull Hill is an angry one. Father Donlin was found dead on the hill. Bert is the farmer Sapphire might have married. Tham wedded Jakie which almost sent Amber into the convent. Sire Jacoby was betrayed by Master Marley, a bard. Sires are local lords. Scholar Mardake is a philosopher and needs a book by Athold Derelas. Lyssandra is the woman with whom Talaysen broke it off. There’s a hideous priest in Brughten. Father Bened is the kindly hermit. Sire Thessalay is quite the greedy lord. Sire Brador Joffrey (one of his men, Hollis, isn’t too bright) is in a major dispute with Sire Harlan Dettol. A drukkerarejek is a mage of music. King Meraiel is the elven king who kidnapped Talaysen.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a blast of royal blue in the side frames with a sweeping wind of blue and white forming the Ghost of Skull Hill as the background. In the foreground is Rune standing on a rocky prominence, her long curly hair floating about her head, her violin in one hand, her bow sweeping across its strings, as her long sweeping sleeves blow in the wind. At the top is the author’s name in white. The series info is below that in white with a dark red outline. Below that is the series info in white to the left of the ghost and above Rune’s head. To the right of the ghost is a round badge in black with a red outline and icon with the publisher’s name in white.
The title is the pseudonyms of Rune and Talaysen: The Lark and the Wren.
