From Publishers Weekly
The excitement flags somewhat in the third book of Norton and Lackey's popular high fantasy series (after The Elvenbane and Elvenblood). Where earlier volumes focused on humans and dragons, now elves come to the fore in a tale of the machinations, power-playing and cruel games that are the lifeblood of the High Lords. Into this treacherous territory blunders a good-hearted elf, Kyrtian V'dyll Lord Prastaran, who is not a High Lord, has no political ambitions and doesn't care for the cruel ways of most of the elven folk. Kyrtian has a small holding in the country, keeps no slaves and his human servants actually like him. Obsessed with military tactics out in the middle of nowhere, Kyrtian has learned the art of war-which brings him to the attention of the High Lords. Against his will, Kyrtian ends up leading the elven armies in their ongoing war against the dragons and the halfblood elves that have plagued them throughout the series. But the battles that Kyrtian supposedly wins against his half-elven foes turn out to be just the beginning of his adventures. The authors take moral stabs at issues ranging from slavery to strip-mining, but the story line itself glosses over details, while the action comes across too often as told rather than shown. Hopefully, the next installment, the forthcoming Elvenbred, will resurrect the fireworks more typical of these heavy-hitting authors.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
An attempt by his rivals to discredit the young Elvenlord Kyrtian fails, instead propelling him into a position of power as commander of the army sent against the Young Lords who have risen in revolt against their Elvenlord fathers. When a series of encounters with a group of fugitive half-elven Wizards convinces Kyrtian that he is fighting on the wrong side, he opts out of the war and undertakes a journey in search of his missing father and the lost Portal to the elven homeland. The third installment in this best-selling series (Elvenbane; Elvenblood) by veteran sf and fantasy authors Norton and Lackey depicts a world in which decadent elven nobles hold the power of life or death over their human slaves. A good choice for most fantasy collections.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The third Halfblood chronicle continues to unfold a mighty struggle among elves of great power, elves of lesser power, and the former slaves and other foes of the elves, who have a lot of substantial grievances but no power. The elven lord Kyrtian, having escaped a vicious plot to seize everything he owns, now finds that his archaic military skills are needed for the elven lords' fight against their own children. But Kyrtian is properly skeptical of his peers, and as the war escalates, he must continually reevaluate friends as well as foes. Neither Norton nor Lackey could tell a really bad story if she tried, and together they use the multivolume-saga format to incorporate abundant detail into their narrative. That is not bad in itself, but it slows the story's pace and makes Elvenborn a less than perfect entry into the saga. Have The Elvenbane (1991) and Elvenblood (1996) on hand for newcomers to the Halfblood chronicles. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"A damned fine tale, a splendid blend of the talents of two excellent storytellers." --Anne McCaffrey

"Grand Master Andre Norton and new master Mercedes Lackey combine prodigious talents in The Elvenbane, a conjuration of all the ingredients of classic fantasy--sentient dragons, elegant elves, wily wizards, magical crystals, rites of passage, political intrigue, and a dash of youthful romance. Norton and Lackey fans will be spellbound by this novel!"--Jennifer Roberson

"Romance blossoms, war threatens, and heroism ensues. . . . Both authors have a sweet way with characters, and there is enough magic, mystery and romantic bonding of fantastic species in improbable ways to keep loyal fans entertained."--Publishers Weekly

"The women in the book are particularly strong characters, taking control of their own lives. LaShana has great leadership qualities, and Sheyrena has strength and resourcefulness, and the two of them provide two good role models for young women."--Voya



Review
"A damned fine tale, a splendid blend of the talents of two excellent storytellers." --Anne McCaffrey

"Grand Master Andre Norton and new master Mercedes Lackey combine prodigious talents in The Elvenbane, a conjuration of all the ingredients of classic fantasy--sentient dragons, elegant elves, wily wizards, magical crystals, rites of passage, political intrigue, and a dash of youthful romance. Norton and Lackey fans will be spellbound by this novel!"--Jennifer Roberson

"Romance blossoms, war threatens, and heroism ensues. . . . Both authors have a sweet way with characters, and there is enough magic, mystery and romantic bonding of fantastic species in improbable ways to keep loyal fans entertained."--Publishers Weekly

"The women in the book are particularly strong characters, taking control of their own lives. LaShana has great leadership qualities, and Sheyrena has strength and resourcefulness, and the two of them provide two good role models for young women."--Voya



Book Description
In this long-awaited new novel in The Halfblood Chronicles, fantasy greats Norton and Lackey tell the enthralling story of the reclusive elvenlord Kyrtian, who emerges as a hero in a world torn by politics and war. When his cousin, Aelmarkin, tries to prove that Kyrtian is unfit to run his estate, the plan backfires, and soon Kyrtian, who doesn't share the venal, greedy nature of his cousin, finds himself with more power than he ever wanted.

Like his father before him, Kyrtian has always treated the humans on his estate like servants, instead of enslaving them as other elvenlords do. His father's legacy also leads Kyrtian to learn ancient military skills long since lost to elvenkind through the carelessness of the elvenlords. Kyrtian's rediscovered knowledge piques the interest of the current elvenlords, and soon Kyrtian finds himself appointed the new commander of the army, to the relief of his ruling peers.

For the sons of the most powerful elvenlords, the Young Lords, have rebelled against their fathers and are waging war. But by taking advantage of both the privileges of his new command and the help of some unexpected new friends, Kyrtian finally gains the resources to embark on his own, personal quest--resuming his father's search for the Great Portal, the magical doorway through which the original elvenlords entered this world.

As war rages between some sons and fathers, Kyrtian searches desperately for his own lost father, hoping to uncover not only the mystery of his disappearance, but also the secret behind the origin of elvenkind.



About the Author
For well over a half century, Andre Norton has been one of the most popular science fiction and fantasy authors in the world. Since her first SF novels were published in the 1940s, her adventure SF has enthralled readers young and old. With series such as Time Traders, Solar Queen, Forerunner, Beast Master, Crosstime, and Janus, as well as many stand-alone novels, her tales of action and adventure throughout the galaxy have drawn countless readers to science fiction.

Her fantasy, including the best-selling Witch World series, her "Magic" series, and many other unrelated novels, has been popular with readers for decades. Lauded as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, she is the recipient of a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention. Not only have her books been enormously popular; she also has inspired several generations of SF and fantasy writers, especially many talented women writers who have followed in her footsteps. In the past two decades she has worked with other writers on a number of novels. Most notable among these are collaborations with Mercedes Lackey, the Halfblood Chronicles, as well as collaborations with A.C. Crispin (in the Witch World series) and Sherwood Smith (in the Time Traders and Solar Queen series). An Ohio native, Ms. Norton lived for a number of years in Winter Park, Florida, and now makes her home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she continues to write, and presides over High Hallack, a writers' resource and retreat.

Mercedes Lackey began writing fiction while working for American Airlines. In addition to her many novels, she has written lyrics for and recorded several albums of fiction folk songs, which have been distributed through Firebird Arts & Music. Lackey's longest-running series, beginning with Arrows of the Queen, details the adventures of the Heralds of Valdemar. Lackey's other series include Bardic Voices; the Elementals; the Halfblood Chronicles (first volume: The Elvenbane); Elves on the Road, which includes Tor's Burning Water and its 0sequels; and the Obsidian Trilogy, also published by Tor, which begins with The Outstretched Shadow.

Lackey often teams up with both her fellow masters of fantasy, such as Andre Norton and Anne McCaffrey, and talented newer writers Rosemary Edghill. Married to artist and sometime co-author Larry Dixon, Lackey, who was born in Chicago, lives near Tulsa, Oklahoma.

FROM OUR EDITORS

In the third volume of the Elvenbane series, the reclusive Kyrtian moves reluctantly to center stage. His knowledge of ancient elvenlord military skills secures him a post as the new commander of the army. As young elvenlords organize in rebellion, Kyrtian and his cohorts must prepare his strategy quickly. But then, as he mobilizes his thoughts, he begins to have second thoughts about which side he's fighting on￯﾿ﾽ.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"In this novel in the Halfblood Chronicles, fantasy greats Norton and Lackey tell the story of the reclusive elvenlord Kyrtian, who emerges as a hero in a world torn by politics and war. When his cousin, Aelmarkin, tries to prove that Kyrtian is unfit to run his estate, the plan backfires, and soon Kyrtian, who doesn't share the venal, greedy nature of his cousin, finds himself with more power than he ever wanted." "Like his father before him, Kyrtian has always treated the humans on his estate like servants, instead of enslaving them as other elvenlords do. His father's legacy also leads Kyrtian to learn ancient military skills long since lost to elvenkind through the carelessness of the elvenlords. Kyrtian's rediscovered knowledge piques the interest of the current elvenlords, and soon Kyrtian finds himself appointed the new commander of the army, to the relief of his ruling peers." "For the Young Lords, sons of the most powerful elvenlords, have rebelled against their fathers and are waging war. But by taking advantage of both the privileges of his new command and the help of some unexpected new friends, Kyrtian finally gains the resources to embark on his own, personal quest - resuming his father's search for the Great Portal, the magical doorway through which the original elvenlords entered this world." As war rages between some sons and fathers, Kyrtian searches desperately for his own lost father, hoping to uncover not only the mystery of his disappearance, but also the secret behind the origin of elvenkind.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The excitement flags somewhat in the third book of Norton and Lackey's popular high fantasy series (after The Elvenbane and Elvenblood). Where earlier volumes focused on humans and dragons, now elves come to the fore in a tale of the machinations, power-playing and cruel games that are the lifeblood of the High Lords. Into this treacherous territory blunders a good-hearted elf, Kyrtian V'dyll Lord Prastaran, who is not a High Lord, has no political ambitions and doesn't care for the cruel ways of most of the elven folk. Kyrtian has a small holding in the country, keeps no slaves and his human servants actually like him. Obsessed with military tactics out in the middle of nowhere, Kyrtian has learned the art of war-which brings him to the attention of the High Lords. Against his will, Kyrtian ends up leading the elven armies in their ongoing war against the dragons and the halfblood elves that have plagued them throughout the series. But the battles that Kyrtian supposedly wins against his half-elven foes turn out to be just the beginning of his adventures. The authors take moral stabs at issues ranging from slavery to strip-mining, but the story line itself glosses over details, while the action comes across too often as told rather than shown. Hopefully, the next installment, the forthcoming Elvenbred, will resurrect the fireworks more typical of these heavy-hitting authors. (Oct. 3)

Library Journal

An attempt by his rivals to discredit the young Elvenlord Kyrtian fails, instead propelling him into a position of power as commander of the army sent against the Young Lords who have risen in revolt against their Elvenlord fathers. When a series of encounters with a group of fugitive half-elven Wizards convinces Kyrtian that he is fighting on the wrong side, he opts out of the war and undertakes a journey in search of his missing father and the lost Portal to the elven homeland. The third installment in this best-selling series (Elvenbane; Elvenblood) by veteran sf and fantasy authors Norton and Lackey depicts a world in which decadent elven nobles hold the power of life or death over their human slaves. A good choice for most fantasy collections. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Norton and Lackey add to their swelling, long-gestated epic fantasy begun with The Elvenbane (1991). A friendly dragon rescues the red-haired half-blood child Shana, abandoned daughter of Elf-Lord Dyran and his star-crossed concubine Serina Daeth, and raises her among her own brood. Later, Shana is cast out as being too powerful a sorcerer and is captured by the Iron People but, assisted by the fleeing brother and sister Lorryn and Rena, she overthrows Jamal, War Chief of the Iron People, and even breaks the power of the Elvenlords, cruel oppressors of dragons and human-elven half-bloods. Now dissension visits the Elvenlords. When V￯﾿ﾽkel Lyon Lord Kyndreth complains to his Elvenlords council that the Young Lords￯﾿ﾽ Rebellion is bleeding the kingdom, he worries as well that the "errant children" may decide to ally with the Elvenbane and her wizards and dragons. Meanwhile, V￯﾿ﾽkel Aelmarkiner-Lord Tornal allies himself with the disgraced but vicious and acidulous Triana, Lord of the Falcion holdings, to unseat his cousin, Lord Kyndreth. All may be politics among the Elvenlords, but Kyrtian V￯﾿ﾽdyll Lord Prastaran cares nothing for politics. His power is economic, for his farms feed and clothe the Lords of the Council. Even so, he finds himself caught in a feud between Great Lords.