A departure from her Angels of Samarra world, this book started slow but ended on a promising note. Raises interesting questions about the responsibilities that come with great power but unfortunately does not answer them in any satisfactory way. The usual Shinn romantic twist was to me unconvincing and I was very dissappointed that the radical feminist trajectory that has overtaken much of fantasy literature these days seems to have infected this series. Shinn writes here like someone with an agenda -- which is not something I have ever noticed in her previous works. In the main, the problem is that the magical group of people -- mystics -- are feared and reviled by some segments of the population because they have powers that seem uncontrollable. But then, all the mystics in the book act in ways that lead me to believe that the general population was right to fear them -- the mystics seem to consider themselves a law unto themselves and I was never convinced that they would acknowledge any moral standards or authority beyond their own wills and their own beliefs of right and wrong. Very problematic. Luckily, the next book in the series (The Thirtheenth House) gains a little moral complexity and was more palatable.

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I don't want to compare this series with the Samaria series.
"Mystic and Rider" is the first of The Twelve houses series by Sharon Shinn.
I'm never disappointed by the prose of Miss Shinn.
I found this series more of a classic fantasy with more romance than other Shinn's book. To me the main theme seemed to be acceptance and trust.

I liked it but not my favorite by this author.

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Great writing, tight plot & pacing...as EXPECTED from the fabulous Sharon Shinn. I love Shinn because, unlike many MANY writers, I'm never distracted from the story by poor pace or bad writing. When I pick up her books I know that, even if its not what I'm expecting, or its a genre that's isn't usually a favorite - it will still be terrific! She never lets me down! Now, how many authors can you say that about??

I look forward to the next books in this series. Senneth is a strong female protagonist who doesn't need saving, but also has vulnerabilities and "real" characteristics...complemented by a strong but not overbearing male protagonist. A fully realized and fascinating world. This is not a romance - more a fantasy adventure - but there is a romantic subplot that is unforced and genuine. Its a real pet peeve with me when you can't imagine what compelled two characters to suddenly find themselves in rapturous love.

Also, there always seems to be a bit of a twist or unexpected depth to her stories...they are always an easy read, but never light or "fluffy".

If you like the Marion Zimmer Bradley books (my fave the Women of Isis) as well as her Anthologies (Sword and Sorceress), or you've enjoyed authors like Anne Bishop (Dark Jewels series, Pillars of the World series) and Jennifer Roberson (Sword Dancer series, Chronicles of the Cheysuli/Shapechangers series)...Sharon Shinn will be a new favorite.

I highly recommend anything by this author...and if you don't like one book by her - try another in a different series. She's an unusual writer in that all of her books don't contain the same stories or themes (for example, all the vamp/werewolf/fairy subculture novels our right now...where the author has one series in each subcategory, but they're really all pretty similar)...and there are a few unique stand-alone titles that don't fit well into any one particular genre.

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This book had a group of characters that it stuck with as the chapters went along, allowing me to get to know them and they to know each other. In the end, I liked them all and they liked each other. In the beginning, they did not. The king's special guard's, in particular, did not like or trust the main character who was Senneth. She is a sorceress who has been sent by the King to assess the level of discord in his Kingdom. As they travel through the kingdom they have some adventures both good and bad. In addition to their diverse little troop, they pick up a young giant cat that had been terrorizing a town and it travels with them under Senneth's control. It never really becomes tame, but at one point it saves one of the guards. Thoroughly enjoyable read - very good story and very good characters.

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This is a lighter tone for Shinn, it reads more like Tamora Pierce than the higher-brow Archangel series. Still a very good read, relatable and well-written characters and dynamics.

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What a wonderful fun engrossing adventure into kingdoms, mystics, relationships, and intrigue!! Loving the series!! Characters develop fully with witty dialogue!

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