To Light a Candle

Written by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory

Narrated by Susan Ericksen

To his own surprise, young Kellen, once the disappointing son of the great Mage who leads the City's Mage Council, has become a powerful Knight-Mage. Valued for his bravery and his skills as both wizard and warrior, Kellen joins the Elves' war councils. Yet he cannot convince the City of his birth that it is in terrible danger.

Kellen's sister Idalia, a Wild Mage with great healing ability, has pledged her heart to Jermayan, a proud Elven warrior. Someday Idalia will pay a tragic price for a world-saving work of Wild Magic, but until then, she will claim any joy life can offer her.

Jermayan, who has learned much fighting at Kellen's side and loving the human Idalia, finds that everything changes when he bonds with a dragon while rescuing the Elf Prince and becomes the first Elven Mage in a thousand years.

Furious at her enemies' success with the dragon, the Demon Queen attacks in force. Light struggles against Dark, like flickering candle flames buried deep in the shadow of Obsidian Mountain.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jun 16, 2010
• ISBN: 9781400183838

Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes Lackey is the author of the bestselling Valdemar series, the Obsidian Trilogy (The Outstretched Shadow, To Light a Candle, and When Darkness Falls), the Enduring Flame trilogy (The Phoenix Unchained, The Phoenix Engendered, and The Phoenix Transformed), and The Phoenix Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms. She has written many other books, including Trio of Sorcery, Phoenix and Ashes, Sacred Ground, The Firebird, The Fairy Godmother, and Alta. Lackey is the co-author, with Andre Norton, of the Halfblood Chronicles, including Elvenborn. Mercedes Lackey was born in Chicago and graduated from Purdue University. She has worked as an artist’s model, a computer programmer, and for American Airlines, and has written lyrics and recorded more than fifty songs. She lives in Oklahoma.

Reviews for To Light a Candle

[cfzmjz041567 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this second installment of the trilogy maintained the same level of interest and development of the first book. Often sequels tend to fall off in quality, but this is not the case here. Character development was maintained and so was the continuity of the story line. Found this a very and interesting read.

[kassilem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked the second book as much as the first, maybe a little more. I may be even more invested in the characters now. There was some good character development which is always a plus for me. There also seemed to be more action in this book, which was very okay with me. Be sure to have the third book waiting. I recommend this series to fantasy lovers.

[sheiladeeth_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

More creatures, more characters, more complexity… To Light a Candle is the second in the Obsidian Trilogy and it makes a compelling addition to the set. A nice blend of light and dark leads to questions of who we trust and why. Diverse religious ideas and diverse systems of magic all lock perfectly together. Characters change and learn, inviting readers perhaps to view their own world too through different eyes. And adventures await in different places as threat and danger close in.Not a simple tale, the interlocking paths of different characters remind me of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. But everything is not only drawing together, but also moving toward a scary conclusion. Readers will question the motives of different characters from start to end, with mysteries well hidden and action well told. It’s a clever, thought-provoking tale of a complex world that pleasingly mirrors the real in fantasy.Disclosure: Still hooked.

[kalanasse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this trilogy and have been lending it out to friends.

[xicanti_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like the previous reviewer, I found this very readable. Though there were a few times where I felt my interest waning, something always happened right away to rekindle my enthusiasm for the story. I had a lot of fun with it, and was sad to see it end.I did find that the story was broken down a little strangely, though. I’m not sure that I would’ve divided the action in quite that way.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very readable. Moves the story on and matures the characters quite well. There is a Dragon introduced.