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A review by iffer
Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey
2.0
I keep finding my way back to Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar because of how much I enjoyed the early series when I was younger, but all the Mags books have been disappointing to me. Not much happens in any of the books, including this one. This was okay, but ultimately left me feeling dissatisfied.
Mags and Amily end up babysitting irresponsible teenage children of two families who are in a feud, and in the book, even they repeatedly talk about how vacuous, immaturely dramatic, and boring their charges are. Yet...Lackey keeps recounting the these boring conversations. It ended up reminding me of a very boring, not-cleverly-written attempt at recreating a Jane Austen-esque courtship novel.
Lackey makes some ham-handed attempts at feminism, by pointing out that high-born females are merely high-value "cattle" to be married off, but it falls flat.
I enjoyed the establishment of Mags's street urchin runner-boy spies (kind of like in Sherlock Holmes), and I hope to see more of them. I liked having more time with the characters of Amily and Mags, but I missed Lena and Bear, who gave the previous series more flair.
Mags and Amily end up babysitting irresponsible teenage children of two families who are in a feud, and in the book, even they repeatedly talk about how vacuous, immaturely dramatic, and boring their charges are. Yet...Lackey keeps recounting the these boring conversations. It ended up reminding me of a very boring, not-cleverly-written attempt at recreating a Jane Austen-esque courtship novel.
Lackey makes some ham-handed attempts at feminism, by pointing out that high-born females are merely high-value "cattle" to be married off, but it falls flat.
I enjoyed the establishment of Mags's street urchin runner-boy spies (kind of like in Sherlock Holmes), and I hope to see more of them. I liked having more time with the characters of Amily and Mags, but I missed Lena and Bear, who gave the previous series more flair.