Book Review: This Scepter'd Isle

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

This Scepter'd Isle     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Mercedes Lackey , Roberta Gellis
Class/Genre:   Fantasy
Series: Scepter'd Isle # 1
Baen, Feb 2004, $25.00, 479 pp.

Vidal Dhu abducted the Unseleighe Dark Court Elven twins Rhoslyn and Pasgen Silverhair when they were young. The siblings were raised as Unseleighe Sidhe. Now they see two potential futures for England. One version has a red-headed child sired by King Henry VIII leading Britain to prosperity. The other forecast depicts a different descendent of Henry VIII sitting on the throne and taking the country down the path of Inquisition and depression.

At the same time without the kidnapped duo’s awareness, the Seleighe Bright Court twin elves Denoriel and Aleneil Silverhair see the same double vision of future England. The latter duo is also unaware that their half-siblings shared their forecasting. Each pair of twins tries to influence the outcome of the shared vision with different goals in mind, which leads to the inevitable.

This is a terrific historical fantasy that uses real persona and events to tell the tale of the successors to Henry VIII with a delightful Elven twist. The two sets of twins differ on whom they want sitting on the throne so when the magical battle occurs, fans have the added treat of a solid twist to the often told rivalry between Henry’s daughters. Fantasy guru Mercedes Lackey and historical fiction champion Roberta Gellis combine their tremendous individual talents to create a wonderful delight in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts even with the parts being from two of the greats.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner