Elemental Masters Series by Mercedes Lackey

I have mentioned this series before, but I realized that I never actually reviewed the main body of books. These books are all historical (several include actual historical events including World War I and the San Francisco earthquake) and involve the workings of magic within the 'real world' on the premise that magic can be wielded by persons with a particular excess of an element (earth, air, fire, water) by summoning and using elemental spirits. Each of the stories is also a retelling of a fairy tale. Although not technically included in the series, the first is The Fire Rose, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

1. The Serpent's Shadow - In this version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Maya Witherspoon has just moved to London. The daughter of a British doctor and an Indian mother, she has had unique opportunities from living in India and has become a doctor in her own right. Unfortunately, she has not had proper magical training; although a powerful sorceress, her mother claimed that Maya's magic came from her father's world and that Maya would need to learn the craft from a western magician. Now, her parents dead (possibly by foul play), Maya has escaped with an Indian household and seven protective pets to make a life for herself in England. She must not only gain respect as a professional, but must also learn to use her powers before she will need them to protect herself.

2. The Gates of Sleep - The second book tells the story of Marina Roeswood, a girl cursed at birth and sent to live with three artistic 'relatives.' As Elemental Masters themselves, each of Marina's guardians has taught her the basics of the craft. Marina has never met her parents, but enjoys her life in the country, learning about magic and creativity. Her life changes abruptly when her parents die unexpectedly and she is swept away by her father's sister Arachne. Marina must find a way to learn the secrets surrounding her parents and her seclusion in the country before her aunt can bring her evil plot into play.

3. Phoenix and Ashes - Eleanor Robinson is not terribly excited when her father brings home a new wife and stepsisters; when he leaves to fight in the Great War, her stepmother, Alison, takes a firmer hand on the household. Eleanor realizes that something is very wrong the night that they gain word of her father's death when Alison cuts off one of Eleanor's fingers and buries it under a hearthstone with dark Earth magic. Suddenly, Eleanor is subject to all of Alison's whims, tied to the house, and unable to understand her own abilities when she starts to see faces in the fire. Meanwhile, an upper-class neighbor, Reggie Fenyx, has also gone to war. As an Air Master, Reggie has been drawn to the air force and made a name for himself until he encounters an Air Master from the other side. Wounded physically and emotionally, Reggie can no longer call on his powers, nor protect himself from those who mean him harm. Somehow Eleanor and Reggie will have to find a way to help one another before it is too late for both of them to stop the evil in their midst.

4. The Wizard of London - In this retelling of the Snow Queen, Isabelle Harton and her husband Frederick have established a school after returning from India for the children of those abroad who cannot send their children to an upper-crust school and for those who care more about the love and attention the children receive. It is also a school for children with psychical powers that need to be trained since Isabelle, her husband, and several of their staff have the abilities to deal with special children who do have abilities other than those of Elemental Magic. Sarah Jane Lyon-White is one such child, sent to the school from Africa with a protective parrot Grey. Sarah soon befriends a street-urchin named Nan who also has special abilities and is invited into the school. Through a series of events, it appears that children with abilities, particularly Sarah and Nan, may be the targets of attack from an unknown source. Soon, Isabelle must confront unresolved feelings about David Alderscroft - a former friend and the current leader of the local Elemental Masters (nicknamed the Wizard of London) - and Sarah and Nan must learn how to use their undeveloped talents before all is lost.

5. Reserved for the Cat - A retelling of Puss in Boots.

Overall, I really enjoy this series and the characters that are created. In the first three, several of the characters reappear in later books with cameo roles. The fourth, The Magician of London was a bit vague, but based on some of the plot points in the other books, it appears to tell a story that comes before the others in the series, chronologically. Particularly, I like the way that Lackey finds a (relatively) plausible way to recreate fairy tales in the 'real world.' Each of the books has a slightly different feel which causes most readers to prefer certain books over others. For example, in Phoenix and Ashes, Eleanor learns about magic through the use of tarot cards, rather than with a human teacher as in the others; although I do not think this necessarily detracted from the book, it does not read the same way that the others do. Similarly, the last two books (as well as The Fire Rose) are not as closely connected to one another as the others in the series are. Regardless, I would definitely recommend these books, especially to those who enjoy retellings and simply suggest that disliking one book may not necessarily relate to the others.

• If these books sound interesting, consider these: Cecelia and Kate, Once Upon a Winter's Night, or Black Pearls