Welcome to the Speculative Chic Book Club! Each month, we invite you to join us in reading a book that is voted on by YOU, our readers. Following a short review, please feel free to discuss the book in the comments!
Mystic and Rider (2006)
Written by: Sharon Shinn
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 448 Pages (hardcover)
Series: Book One of Twelve Houses
Publisher: Ace
Why I nominated this for book club: I was looking for books that were about a journey, and this is definitely one of them. It’s also a favorite book of mine in general, so I was happy it got picked for this month!
The premise:
Gillengaria seethes with unrest. In the south, hostility toward magic and its users has risen to a dangerous level, though King Baryn has ordered that such mystics are to be tolerated. It is whispered that he issued the decree because his new wife used her magic powers to ensnare him…
The King knows there are those in the noble Twelve Houses who could use this growing dissent to overthrow him. So he dispatches the mystic Senneth to assess the threat throughout the realm. Accompanying her is a motley band of magic-users and warriors including Tayse, first among the King’s Riders—who holds a hard view of mystics in general, and Senneth in particular.
But as the unlikely allies venture farther into the south, they will face death in a land under the sway of a fanatical cult that would purge Gillengaria of all magic users. And they will come to realize that their only hope of survival lies in standing together…
Obvious spoiler warning is obvious.
Discussion: Sharon Shinn has been one of my “buy on release day” authors since I first read Archangel back in 1997. She’s only disappointed me once in my entire life and honestly, that’s pretty good odds for an author. And this particular book has always been one of my favorites.
I don’t even quite know how to pinpoint my biggest loves. Senneth is an amazing character. I remember the first time I read it, I knew she had to be something other than what she said she was, and I knew she had to be someone from the 12 Houses. But I just wasn’t expecting as tragic a tale as she wove. She’s been through so much, and watching her quietly and gently just fall ass over tea kettle in love with Tayse was so great. I love reading love stories about people I genuinely root for.
One of Sharon Shinn’s strengths for me has always been her characters. She builds such interesting, complex, and fully realized people. The weakest link in this entire series is probably Donnal, but he probably likes it that way anyway. I love reading the way her characters interact with each other, the histories that they each bring to the interactions. They’re all so distinct.
I have a big and loving family and you’d think that the notion of found family wouldn’t resonate quite as much with me as it does, but I’ve always responded emotionally to found families in fiction. This group of six isn’t even quite as codependent as they get later, but the beginnings of it are certainly there in this book.
Magic is magic, but I like when it’s given an interesting source. It’s never fully realized in this series, but I like the idea that different gods watch over the different mystics, giving them their powers. It makes me wonder how the other gods got forgotten and why only the Pale Mother survived.
In conclusion: This book has been a favorite for 12 years and counting and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
I am not quite finished with this book (I found a used copy VERY late in the game) but I’m loving it so far. And it’s a SERIES! I’m assuming you’ve read them all?
I just finished this book, and I loved every bit of it. Thanks for giving me a reason to read it! I haven’t ever read Sharon Shinn before, but I’m definitely going to find the rest of her books now. I agree with you that the strength here is her characters – they’re all so engaging and enjoyable to read about.
I’m intrigued about your comment about the gods – I was thinking that this book answers a few questions (Senneth’s history, and half of what’s going on with the king & his family), but leaves a number of mysteries on the table for future books. Those are Kirra’s mother, the full story of Queen Valri and Princess Amalie, and then the big question of magic and how it relates to the gods, and maybe also to the land.
Do the future books leave the magic question unanswered? I’m okay with some kinds of answered questions, I’m just curious.
Book four talks the most about the magic question as well as Queen Valri and Princess Amalie. Book 2 focuses on Kirra but it is my least favorite (I re-read only sections). The focus on characters and found family stays throughout the series, and book 5 takes place a few years later and provides a nice window into the lives of the main 6 after the events of book 4.
I love books 1 and 3 the most, but all of these are re-read at least once if not twice a year.
Awesome – I have Book 2 on hold at the library already, so I’ll see what I think about it. I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I saw that it’s about Kirra instead of continuing with Senneth, but I’ll hold out judgment for now. It’s great to find a new series to get into.
Book 3 is about Justin. I love how Sharon Shinn takes my least favorite character in book 1 and makes him one of my favorites just by showing me his perspective. So if book 2 is disappointing, keep going!
Book 2 is really disappointing for several reasons but BOOK THREE AND BOOK FOUR ARE GREAT.
Well, I have book 2 out from the library now, I’ll start it in a few days, but I’ll be braced for disappointment and look forward to better things in books 3 & 4!
They do talk some about magic but beyond the Pale Lady and the Bright Mother and some speculation from the first book don’t really go into the missing gods. I have so many questions about why they’re missing, tbh.
I finished this book in time for last month’s book club, but have been remiss about commenting.
This is the first Sharon Shinn book I’ve read. I enjoyed it and sped through it. I enjoyed the characters. However, while this is the type of book I would have loved in my teens and twenties, at this point I feel that for me, a lot of epic fantasy, including this, feels cliched. I find it really weird how my tastes have changed over time.
I’m still glad I read it. I’ve been hearing Sharon Shinn’s name around for awhile and have been meaning to read something of hers.