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published 1996; hardback 1996, Ace
I've read many of Mercedes Lackey's books, but this one is really different from the rest of her stuff. It takes place in medieval Russia, full of fantastic creatures and wonderful mazes and castles. Ilya, son of a tsar, is beaten by his eight rather dull brothers. Ilya himself is quick thinking, fast on his feet, and has a way with the women of the tsar's palace. When the tsar's famed orchard is robbed by a beautiful firebird that can take the form of both a bird and a woman, each of the brothers tries to capture the thief. Only Ilya is smart enough to see the firebird, and he becomes obsessed with it.
After Ilya's brothers take out their frustrations at not being able to capture the firebird by giving Ilya the worst beating of his life, Ilya pretends to have lost all his mental capacities and plays at being a fool. The whole family then leaves him alone, and he watches them carefully while trying to decide what to do with his life. His escapades as the dimwitted fool are hilarious. He's also given, by the firebird, the gift of speech with animals. When Ilya becomes lost in the forest, he meets a man in a maze who tells him about an evil sorcerer who has captured all the beauteous maidens in the land. Ilya decides to rescue them.
What follows is wonderfully described, and the ending has an unexpected twist. How Ilya outwits his family, the sorcerer, and makes friends with a fox and the firebird is the stuff of pure fantasy. The characters are engaging, the plot is fast moving, and the action's really good. Most of the story is based around a Russian folk tale in which the evil sorcerer's heart is secreted in a chest, and this folk tale is wonderfully utilized.
I found this book a charming, light fantasy read, engaging enough to keep me up past midnight. I think this is Mercedes Lackey's best work to date, combining wonderful characterization with great fantasy and humor.
Review by Cate George
Reviewed March 9, 1997
ISBN 0-312-85812-4
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