Firebird

ISBN: 0812550749 Order from: Amazon.com

A somewhat entertaining book based on Russian folk tales, this novel uses the fantasy staple: struggle of cleverness against evil enchantment.

Reviewed by David on September 07, 1998

Genre: Fantasy (Fairy Tale)

Synopsis: Ilya, a middle brother despised for intelligence in a suspicious family of a minor Russian prince, encounters the mythical Firebird. His life transformed by magic, he embarks on a search for excitement and happiness. In the process, he will need all his cleverness and newfound friends to survive against evil enchantments in a fairy-tale Old Russia populated by spirits, magic and monsters.

Full Review: I am glad to see more books based on the Russian folk mythology. In that, this book follows Cherryh's Rusalka series. The Russia in this novel, with Christianity slowly displacing pagan beliefs, is populated by the spirits of the forest, houses, and streams, and undying evil sorcerers.

While the usual hero is the youngest brother, Lackey's protagonist Ilya is the middle brother of a large and fratricidal noble family. After many painful experiences at the hands of his brutish and paranoid brothers, Ilya encounters magic, and has his unhappy life turned around. Eventually leaving his house, Ilya embarks on a life of adventure, seeking magic and comfort, and instead finds friendship, love, and the perils and obligations of courage.

The main character is well developed, and the magical beings follow the Russian motifs closely. The timeless struggle of a clever underdog against an evil empire is executed well using this milieu. There are, however, a few flaws in the plot.

First of all, the old Russian titles are a bit off. Ilya's father, a minor Russian prince, would probably be called a Knyaz, not a Tsar. The period in which the book apparently takes place precedes the use of the latter title in Russia. Further, Tsar is a corruption of the word Cesar, used by an Emperor and not the owner of one castle, a village and some hunting forests. In addition, the author seems rather vague about the Boyar, who were traditionally descendents of princes, not promoted freedmen. Also some of the proper names don't ring true.

In a more substantive problem, Ilya, the main character, seems rather a wimp in the first half of the book, an opinion shared by the spirits of his ancestors. His transformation into a hero, therefore, is a bit jarring. In addition, his love at the end seems insufficiently well built up, since his prior interaction with its object seems rather superficial. Certainly, she is less well drawn than the magical partner in McKinley's superb fairy tale Beauty. This is particularly apparent since the plot points out the folly of falling in love based on appearance.

In general, this novel is filled with magic and adventure, dangers and clever escapes, and is fun without being a classic.

Overall: 5.5; Plot: 6; Characters: 5.5; Style: 5.5; World-building: 5; Originality: 5.5;

ISBN: 0812550749 Order from: Amazon.com