Tomes of Spellcasting--The Black Gryphon

Tomes of Spellcasting

Welcome to the land of mystery, where the impossible is possible, and the improbable the reality. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with magic and meet the souls that wield this wondrous powers.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: The Black Gryphon
Author: Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon
Publisher: DAW Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1994

War is never pretty, and a war between mages worse than most. And a war between two of the most powerful mages in the entire world could very likely destroy that world. Fortunately for the world, however, neither of those great masters entered into battle themselves. Instead, each employed armies of lesser mages, soldiers, and magical creations. For the evil Ma'ar, that meant using the makaar, mishapen, mutated winged creatures that were poor imitations for Urtho's graceful gryphons. And when one of those great gryphons was the self-styled Black Gryphon Skandranon, that meant a great advantage for Urtho and his forces. But not even Urtho and Skandranon could hope to hold back the full strength of Ma'ar's forces, especially when their own armies included mercenary wizards who would switch sides for the right amount of money...or the chance to get revenge against those who rejected him. Can Urtho and Skandranon and all the people and creatures that look to them possibly survive this war?

The Black Gryphon is a terrific novel set in a terrific new world. It's been a long time since I ventured into a new space and time--I tend to stick to the authors whose "worlds" have continued to expand over the years--but I'm glad I decided to give this novel a chance. To be honest, I have read some novels by Mercedes Lackey before, but those grew out of our "native" world, Earth.

I think what was most outstanding for this particular book were the battles of the various individuals for their rightful places in the world. Certainly the Black Gryphon, Skandranon, and the healer Amberdrake already had places in the world that they had aspired to and earned throught their skills and perseverance. On the other hand, they were still individuals who stood out mightily against the backdrop of their various species. And then there were others like Zhaneel and Winterhart, who had been made to feel like outcasts because they were different in various ways from those around them. Seeing such characters as these rise to their various occasions and achieving the ranks they deserve was very satisfying, even moreso than the final culmination of the book. But that's my opinion, of course. Then again, I don't think I'll be satisfied with the conclusion until I read to the conclusion of this trilogy!

I found in The Black Gryphon a new world to explore and enjoy, and if it took several chapters to get a full grasp on everything in this world, it was well worth it. I found it to be that, and I'm sure you will, too. So give the book a chance, won't you?

Rating: Thumbs up! Find out what could possibly bring the smartest, canniest, fiercest gryphon to heel, and what could give him spirit once more!

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